Almost since we knew Russell T Davies would once again showrun Doctor Who, and that it would be on Disney+ outside the UK, we figured a spinoff or twelve would be in the works. Hell, we even knew one of them would have something to do with UNIT and Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Stewart. Now, as part of the 2024 Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, we know all of this is true. Davies announced the first spinoff of the D+ age will be a UNIT-centric, five-part limited series, entitled The War Between the Land and the Sea. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but there you are. The series will feature the return of classic monsters, the Sea Devils.
The official synopsis is as follows:
When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.
Davies co-writes the series along with Pete McTighe, who had previously written “Kerblam!” and “Praxeus” for the Jodie Whittaker years. Additionally, McTighe has penned and produced several featurettes for classic Doctor Who Blu-ray releases. Directing the series will be Dylan Holmes-Williams, who directed “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble” from the most recent season.
Starring in the series will be RTD-1-era guest stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who will join Redgrave’s Kate Stewart and Alexander Devrient’s Colonel Ibrahim. What we don’t know is whether Tovey and Mbatha-Raw will play the characters they played in the mid-2000s. My guess would be not; Mbatha-Raw played Tish Jones, younger sister of companion Martha Jones. It might make sense for her to be there. However, Tovey played Midshipman Alonso Frame, a space cruise ship crewmember from the distant future. Far less likely, but who can say.
Davies said: “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.“
No word yet on when The War Between the Land and the Sea will air, but a recent interview with Davies for Doctor Who Magazine suggests it is not coming anytime soon. (Thank you Inverse for the intel.) However, he does believe that it will be one of his best shows ever. “It’s my job to hype, but the hype for that show is still way, way off — it’s far from transmission,” he said. “Here, right now, in the cool, dry downloads of a distant gaze, I can tell you… that’s one of the greatest shoots of my life and one of the greatest shows of my entire career. You can doubt me and cry hype… and get left behind. Oh my God, it’s good!”
This is an interesting statement for a few reasons. First, it seems that filming is already done for the series and it is perhaps in some stage of post-production. Second, Davies giving the show such hype means he’s pretty confident in its ability to perhaps launch a new era of Doctor Who spinoffs. Third, it seems the series won’t come our way until much later in 2025 or beyond, considering Doctor Who season two is likely arriving this Spring.
This will mark the first Doctor Who spinoff series since the short-lived 2016 series Class. Davies loves him some Who spinoffs, having created both the adult-aimed Torchwood and younger viewer-focused The Sarah Jane Adventures during his original tenure.
Originally published July 26, 2024.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
