Doctor Who’s hotly-anticipated spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea has announced when it will hit our screens. The BBC has also released some first-look images, offering a glimpse at the stacked cast.
Helmed by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, the new series premieres this December on BBC One and iPlayer, with an exact release date to be revealed in due course.
Teased as “thrilling”, the five-part series has also confirmed new cast members. Years and Years star Russell Tovey is set to play Barclay opposite Loki’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt, while Jemma Redgrave reprises her role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
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Ruth Madeley also stars as Shirley Ann Bingham, with Alexander Devrient and Colin McFarlane featuring as Colonel Ibrahim and General Austin Pierce, respectively.
These stars join previously announced cast members Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, Vincent Franklin, Waleed Hammad, Iestyn Arwel, Hannah Donaldson, Manpreet Bachu, and Ann Akinjirin.
BBC
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Written and executive produced by Davies and Pete McTighe, The War Between the Land and the Sea is directed by Dylan Holmes Williams, with Lorne Balfe serving as the show’s composer.
“This is a huge, spectacular Christmas treat, with heroes and monsters and battles and romance, in a world on the edge of disaster,” teased Davies. “And remember. Watch the seas!”
The spin-off revolves around the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT), who is trying to prevent a global conflict once an ancient species, the Sea Devils, reveal themselves to humanity.
Ahead of its December release, the show has also released a trailer and some first-look images of Mbatha-Raw as Sea Devil creature Salt, Tovey as Barclay, and Redgrave as UNIT’s big boss Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
BBC
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The War Between the Land and the Sea isn’t the only series expanding the Whoniverse beyond Doctor Who. Set in the same universe as the beloved sci-fi show is also a currently untitled animated show created for BBC’s children network CBeebies.
As for Doctor Who, the series recently announced it’ll be back in the festive season of 2026 for a brand new instalment. The new episodes will be produced by the BBC alone, interrupting its co-producing partnership with Disney.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.Â
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).Â