‘Doctor Who’ is set to expand its universe with a new spinoff series. The BBC and Disney+ have announced ‘The War Between The Land And The Sea,’ a five-part series featuring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Russell Tovey as leads. They will be joined by existing ‘Doctor Who’ stars Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient. This will also mark as Mbatha-Raw and Tovey’s return to the franchise.
‘The War Between The Land And The Sea’ focuses on the military organization UNIT as they confront an ancient species emerging from the ocean, triggering an international crisis. With the entire population at risk, UNIT must navigate the conflict between land and sea.
The series, penned by ‘Doctor Who’ showrunner Russell T Davies and Pete McTighe (‘A Discovery of Witches’), marks the return of the Sea Devils, classic ‘Doctor Who’ villains first seen in 1972. This spinoff follows hints dropped in the ’73 Yards’ episode of Season 14.
Announced at Comic-Con, this latest addition to the ‘Doctor Who’ franchise continues the tradition of spinoffs that began with ‘K-9 and Company’ and includes successful series like ‘Torchwood’ and ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures.’
Produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC, filming for ‘The War Between The Land And The Sea’ begins next month under the direction of Dylan Holmes-Williams. Executive producers include Davies, Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter.
This announcement comes on the heels of the recently concluded Season 14 (or Season 1 for Disney+), starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. Despite a higher budget facilitated by Disney’s involvement, the season faced challenges in viewership. Nevertheless, ‘Doctor Who’ remains a significant draw, particularly among younger audiences in the UK.