The Disney era of Doctor Who is only just beginning, and the franchise is already expanding through spinoffs like The War Between the Land and the Sea. As a science fiction phenomenon, the six-decades-old Doctor Who needs little introduction, but it follows an alien Time Lord who travels through space and time in their TARDIS facing aliens, monsters, and various other intergalactic threats. Ncuti Gatwa assumed the role of The Doctor in late 2023, but the main series is only just the beginning of the new era of Doctor Who.
Doctor Who is no stranger to spinoffs, and popular shows like Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures proved that nearly every corner of the Whoniverse was ripe for exploration. The Doctor Who spinoff Tales of the TARDIS has begun a new era of expansion within the franchise, but the horizons are even more vast. The War Between the Land and the Sea is the latest in a swath of announcements about Doctor Who‘s rapidly expanding TV presence, and it offers a clue to where the series is headed. Based on what is known about the spinoff, it might soon be joined by others very soon.
Related
Season 14 All But Confirms Doctor Who’s Next Spinoff With 1 Sneaky Reference
Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, “73 Yards,” drops a sneaky reference to a forthcoming spinoff project that will be part of the growing Whoniverse.
The War Between The Land And The Sea Latest News
A Set Photo Reveals The Redesigned Sea Devils
With filming stil slated to go until around the end of 2024, the latest news confirms that The War Between the Land and the Sea has redesigned the Sea Devils. Looking pretty much the same since their debut in the 1970s, a set photo taken by X (formerly Twitter) user @set_dw reveals that they will look radically different in the new spinoff. The somewhat blurry image shows a Sea Devil in action, and they look much sleeker and more humanoid than their earlier iterations. According to the post, the Sea Devil in the picture is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
See the set photo here
The War Between The Land And The Sea Is Confirmed
The Spinoff Was Announced In January 2024
Unlike other projects that are speculated about before finally being confirmed, fans found out about The War Between the Land and the Sea almost as soon as the project went into development. The Doctor Who spinoff went into development in early 2024, and thanks to its listing on the FTIA website Productionlist.com, it was rather unceremoniously announced to the world. According to the listing, the project is in pre-production and has been since December 26th, 2023.
Phil Collinson, Vicki Delow, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter are all attached as producers, while Doctor Who stalwart Russell T. Davies is the listed writer. Perhaps most interestingly, the listing reveals that the spinoff will involve the Doctor’s old foe the Sea Devils who were recently seen in season 13. It has since been announced that the spinoff is due to start shooting in September 2024 and wrap up before the new year.
Doctor Who
season 14 concluded on June 22, 2024.
The War Between The Land And The Sea Cast
New & Returning Stars From The Whoniverse
Though a full cast list remains elusive, it was revealed at 2024’s San Diego Comic-Con that familiar Doctor Who season 14 cast member Jemma Redgrave will be back as Kate Stewart. Likewise, Alexander Devrient is set to reprise his role as Colonel Ibraham. Though their roles haven’t been announced yet, Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw will also appear in the spinoff. Tovey previously appeared as Midshipman Frame in the episodes “Voyage of the Damned” and “The End of Time”, while Mbatha-Raw appeared in four episodes as Tish Jones. Both are playing new characters.
Joining the list of returning Whoniverse actors in The War Between the Land and the Sea, Ruth Madely is set to reprise her role as UNIT scientific officer Shirley Ann Bingham from “The Star Beast” and “The Giggle”. Meanwhile, Torchwood‘s Colin McFarlane will step back into the role of US Army General Austin Pierce, a part he was last seen in back in 2009.
The confirmed cast includes:
Actor | The War Between The Land And The Sea Role | |
|---|---|---|
Jemma Redgrave | Kate Stewart |  |
Alexander Devrient | Colonel Ibraham |  |
Ruth Madely | Shirley Ann Bingham |  |
Colin McFarlane | General Austin Pierce |  |
Russell Tovey | Unknown |  |
Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Unknown |  |
How The War Between The Land And The Sea Connects To Doctor Who
One Of The Doctor’s Classic Foes Returns
While the direct connection is unknown at this juncture, the Sea Devils have been a fearsome enemy of the Doctor since the 1970s. Debuting in the 1972 story The Sea Devils, the underwater monsters team up with the Master in a diabolical attempt to retake the surface world after spending millennia beneath the waves. While Jo and the Third Doctor put a stop to the plan, it was clear that the monsters would be back again to vex the Time Lord.
Recent developments have also revealed that the Sea Devils will look considerably different from their earlier appearances.
However, it wasn’t until 2022’s “Legend of the Sea Devils” that the creatures truly had their triumphant second act. The Thirteenth Doctor found herself in ancient China as a pirate crew was besieged by the Sea Devils. The War Between the Land and the Sea won’t likely involve the episode’s storyline, but will be set in the modern day. Recent developments have also revealed that the Sea Devils will look considerably different from their earlier appearances.
The War Between The Land And The Sea Story
UNIT Faces Off Against The Sea Devils
Though the FTIA listing offered a lot of clues about the spinoff, much is still unknown about the story of The War Between the Land and the Sea. What is known is that the Sea Devils will be making their return once again and that they will likely be in the modern-day UK. The production is slated to be filmed in Wales, which means the countryside might be the site of an invasion. The War Between the Land and the Sea is going to involve UNIT, and the Doctor most likely won’t be involved.
The War Between The Land and Sea is a Doctor Who spinoff series from BBC. The live-action series will focus on the iconic Sea Devil species.
- Seasons
- 1
- Franchise(s)
- Doctor Who
- Showrunner
- Russell T. Davies