The world of Doctor Who just got bigger, as it was announced at SDCC that a limited spinoff series will be going into production next month which will bring back some classic Who villains. Beginning in 1963, Doctor Who has spanned generations, with 40 seasons in total thus far between classic and modern episodes. In its latest iteration, Ncuti Gatwa plays the beloved Time Lord, a role that was first brought to life by William Hartnell.
Per Variety, The War Between the Land and Sea is set to star Russell Tovey (Feud, American Horror Story: NYC) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface, Loki), who previously appeared in the Doctor Who universe and will play new characters. The five-part series was created by Who mainstay Russell T Davies, and will also feature Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient reprising their respective roles of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim. Perhaps the most exciting news is that the series will see the return of the Sea Devils, a bipedal marine race that were first introduced in 1972 after they were summoned by the Master to take back the planet they ruled long before the creation of man, and haven’t been seen since 2022.
Per the official synopsis for The War Between the Land and Sea, the Sea Devils will clash with the military organization known as UNIT, a group that first appeared in Doctor Who all the way back in 1968. Check out Davies himself announcing the series at San Diego Comic-Con below.
The War Between the Land and Sea Will Not Feature The Doctor
Doctor Who
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Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
- Release Date
- December 25, 2023
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Cast
- Ncuti Gatwa , Millie Gibson , Susan Twist , Michelle Greenidge , Angela Wynter , Jemma Redgrave , Yasmin Finney , Anita Dobson
- Seasons
- 2
It seems that Tovey and Mbatha-Raw will get the chance to shine all on their own in the new limited series, which will not feature Gatwa’s take on The Doctor this time around. In a statement released by Davies following the announcement during the ‘Into the Whoniverse’ panel at SDCC, he calls the new spinoff “a thrilling drama” that’s massive in scope, and promises to be something that fans will never forget.
I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast, and this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.
The War Between the Land and Sea was penned by Pete McTighe, whose previous Doctor Who credits include the episodes ‘Kerblam!,’ and ‘Praxeus.’ Dylan Holmes-Williams will serve as director, with his previous experience being the 2024 critically acclaimed episodes ’73 Yards’ and ‘Dot and Bubble.’
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While the Doctor Who fandom seems to be divided as of late thanks to the return of Davies – and Gatwa’s iteration of The Doctor – there’s one thing we can all agree on: the return of the Sea Devils is going to a wonder to behold in this day and age when the technology exists to do justice to the villains in a way longtime fans couldn’t have imaged back in 1972. Whether the series will be a success and spawn more spinoffs remains to be seen, but we’ll definitely be tuning in to check it out when it airs on Disney+ and BBC One.