Doctor Who icon reveals her and William Hartnell's own alternative backstory for the Doctor and Susan
"Bill and I put our heads together and we made it up."
Doctor Who has seen countless writers across its 62-year history – but now it's been revealed that even its original stars, William Hartnell and Carole Ann Ford gave it a go! Ford, who played the first ever companion Susan Foreman, has revealed that she and Hartnell, who starred as the first incarnation of the Time Lord, invented a backstory to explain how the Doctor's travels began, before the first ever serial An Unearthly Child. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Ford recalled that the pair were "never given any" backstory – so felt they should fill in the gaps! "Bill and I put our heads together and we made it up," she revealed. "We thought that the most likely thing was that the TARDIS was not this year's model. It was a previous model which had been tarted up a bit, and the tarted up bits weren't quite working as smoothly as they should have done. "So Bill, my grandfather, was in a huge sort of aircraft hangar-type place with loads and loads and loads of other TARDISes, all being tinkered with. And he was tinkering away with it and making everything work more smoothly, when suddenly there was an invasion from another planet. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2008/09/15.jpg" width="1500" height="900" alt="Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, and William Hartnell as The Doctor for Doctor Who." title="Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, and William Hartnell as The Doctor for Doctor Who." /> "Everybody was going crazy, and he just bundled me into the TARDIS and said, 'Right, we're out of here.' So we got in with only a partially-working TARDIS, which he continued to fiddle with throughout the series, and finished up where we finished up – Totter's Lane." Speaking about the importance of having a backstory to work with, Ford added: "An actor has to have an idea of what happened before you stepped through the door, and also what's going to happen after you step through the other door." During the in-depth interview, Ford also reflected on her friendship with Hartnell, including her first impressions of the actor. "I thought he was adorable!" she said. "He was very charming, very sweet, very considerate, and took it all very seriously, which I approved of. I don't like people messing about and giggling – they've got to take the work seriously." She added: "The part was so important to him. It was everything to him. And because of that, he was a real perfectionist with it. "I think if people were a little bit off about the idea of Bill, it may be because he was such a perfectionist, and if he saw people fooling around with the part, not taking it all seriously... but he was right. "Unless you're doing it seriously, it doesn't mean anything to the audience. If you're thinking, 'Oh, a load of rubbish', then how are the audience going to ever accept what's going on and be entertained by it? "We got rid of all our giggles about the various monsters in rehearsals, and just as well we did, because sometimes I look back and I think, 'How did I ever keep a straight face?!'" Carole Ann Ford's full interview will be available on RadioTimes.com soon. Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times's Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
What time will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms be released in the UK?
It's almost time to join Dunk and Egg on their first adventure!
The latest Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is finally almost here – and it's set to be a very different outing to Westeros than we're used to. Peter Claffey stars as hedge knight Dunk in the new spin-off, alongside Dexter Sol Ansell as squire Egg, in the new adaptation based on George RR Martin's beloved novellas. Taking a very different approach to its predecessors, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the new show has been described as a mixture of comedy, emotion and “earthy” vibes by its young lead Ansell, and has already received rave reviews. So, if you're excited to return to Westeros, here's exactly when you can expect the first episode to drop. What time is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms released in the UK? The first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will drop at 3am on Monday 19th January. It will then broadcast on Monday evening at 9pm on Sky Atlantic. New episodes will then air weekly. In the US, episodes will be released at 10pm ET/PT on Sunday nights. How to watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in the UK As with other HBO shows, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be available to watch on Sky and NOW in the UK. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer You can check out the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on 19th January 2026 on Sky Atlantic and NOW and airs in the US on HBO. Game of Thrones seasons 1 to 8 and House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
Life on Mars co-creator confirms show's "boundary-pushing" future in new format
The show's creators have reunited to pen something new...
Amid cryptic hints about the future of beloved sci-fi Life on Mars, co-creator Matthew Graham has confirmed that the hit series will return in the form of a new stage show. The iconic series, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, followed John Simm's Sam Tyler, a Manchester police officer who wakes up after a car accident to discover that he's travelled back in time to 1973. Two decades on from the first episode, the show's original creators Graham, Ashley Pharoah, and Tony Jordan are reuniting to pen a play that will "push the boundaries" of what Life on Mars was and "reimagine" the show, teaming up with theatre director and producer Jamie Eastlake to bring their vision to life. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Graham confirmed that the stage show will be "nothing to do" with Life on Mars's cancelled third season Lazarus (which the writer says is unfortunately now "six feet under") and that it will be an entirely new story. "Just before Christmas, Ashley, Tony and myself had lunch together at a nice Italian restaurant in London, and we talked about it and we're starting to discuss what that would be and what it would look like," Graham told us. "It's a huge undertaking for us. Ashley has written for the stage, but I never have, nor has Tony, as far as I know. So this is going to be a big learning curve for us, but also a really exciting opportunity to reimagine the show in a theatrical context." Many details are still to come, with Graham adding: "We haven't even put pen to paper on this yet, but what I can tell you is that I'm sure that you'll get many of the characters that you love from the show. I think that would be fair to say. "We have absolutely no idea about how we would cast this. None of those conversations are happening at the moment. It is simply at the stage of us sitting down together and going, 'What does it look like? What is this play? What will it be? What's the story, and what's the reason for doing it?' and just figuring out the whole thing." One challenge that Graham is envisioning is getting the tone right, with the original series long being described as "politically incorrect". "Hopefully it'll work. I think these days, we're all a little bit mindful of the world that we live in now, and making sure that the show is laughing in the right ways, but also has something to say," Graham pointed out. "I think that's going to be important, making sure that this story, it can't be a victory lap. I don't know what it'll be yet, but I know it will have to have something on its mind to justify its existence, rather than just, 'Here's more Life on Mars that you remember'. So we'll see." He added: "We know that the times have changed, even in the last 20 years, and also there's been a lot more drama exploring that world. And the whole political correctness thing, I think, is a debate that we're all a bit exhausted from, if I'm honest. So I don't know if it's going to be — we're going to be — so interested in that debate. But who knows what we're going to come up with?" Writing for theatre will also be an entirely new challenge for Graham, with the writer describing it as "daunting" but adding: "I'm suddenly seeing a whole new set of potentials for what we can do." There's no timeline set in stone for when the play will come to theatres just yet, but Graham is already amped up about the ideas percolating. "We've got ideas, we're excited," he said. "We will be pushing the boundaries in terms of giving the audience a really exciting and immersive and entertaining experience. "The '70s will be alive and well in whichever theatres we are playing in!" Life on Mars is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Star Trek legend teases "never-before-seen" side to iconic returning ‘90s character in new spin-off
He's anxious to see what the fans think.
Star Trek legend Robert Picardo has teased what we can expect from the return of his character, the Doctor, 30 years after his first appearance. Picardo, who played the Emergency Medical Holographic program serving as chief medical officer in Star Trek: Voyager, will reprise his role for the upcoming school days spin-off Starfleet Academy, which will follow young cadets as they train to become the next generation of officers. Promising a "deeper" side to the Doctor ahead, Picardo exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "Late in the season, you'll see a side of the character that you've never seen before, as far as the emotionality. So that was a challenge to do. "There's a sort of a surprise event that happens late in the episode for my character. I'm anxious to see how longtime fans who know the character, how they respond." Starfleet Academy rockets ahead to the 32nd century, after the events of Discovery, and a whopping 800 years after we last saw Picardo's Doctor. "It's hard to say what he's been doing for the last 800 years!" Picardo added. "Now the Star Trek canon sort of acts as a whole, and there's a reference in the pilot to my having taught young cadets on Star Trek Prodigy, so the Doctor has a history of teaching... "In that respect, he has been teaching before and he's a natural teacher, if not an easy one, because he's full of himself. He likes to pontificate!" The new series, which also sees the return of Holly Hunter's Nahla Ake, who takes on a new role as chancellor of Starfleet Academy, is set to be a celebration of Star Trek's history, showrunner Noga Landau has said. She added to RadioTimes.com: "There's so much texture and there are so many Easter eggs in there for fans of the canon, for people who've been waiting to see stuff with Deep Space Nine, with the Klingons, there's so much in there that's gonna feel really familiar too." View Green Video on the source website Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount+ on 15th January. Add Starfleet Academy to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who legend Carole Ann Ford makes plea for return of missing classic story: "Let us have it back"
Doctor Who's first companion, Carole Ann Ford, has reflected on missing story Marco Polo and has issued a plea for its return. The fourth ever serial saw the first TARDIS team, William Hartnell's First Doctor, Ford's Susan, William Russell's Ian Chesterton and Jacqueline Hill's Barbara Wright, meet the historic Italian merchant-explorer in a seven-episode adventure, which first broadcast in 1964. However, after episodes were erased by the BBC in 1967, the entire serial is now missing, with just some audio surviving. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com as part of an in-depth interview about her time on Doctor Who, Ford said she's "mortified" by the idea that the story can't be watched by fans, adding: "Marco Polo! Such a beautiful one, so beautiful. Such a loss. Well, hopefully it’s not lost forever." While nothing has been proven, some fans believe the story exists in a private collection, with Ford issuing a plea if that is the case and saying: "Please, if there's somebody out there who's got Marco Polo, return it because we're suffering... please, let us have it back just for a while so we can see again what that loveliness was." A total of 97 of 253 episodes from the show's first six years are currently missing, leaving 26 stories incomplete, because the BBC erased or reused tapes in the 1960s and 1970s to save storage space and costs, before archiving policies were in place. In recent years some of these episodes have now been recreated via animation, as tapes of audio recordings have survived for every episode. However, it has long been believed that some of the episodes exist in private collections, with the organisation Film is Fabulous!, an initiative created to catalogue and preserve vulnerable film collections held privately in the UK, recently sharing a promising update with fans. During the interview, Ford also reflected on her earliest days on the BBC sci-fi, including her first impressions of iconic actor Hartnell. "I thought he was adorable!" she said. "He was very charming, very sweet, very considerate, and took it all very seriously, which I approved of. I don't like people messing about and giggling - they've got to take the work seriously." She added: "The part was so important to him. It was everything to him. And because of that, he was a real perfectionist with it." View Green Video on the source website Carole Ann Ford's full interview will be available on RadioTimes.com soon. Missing Doctor Who? Register now for Radio Times's Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 dub release date speculation: When are new episodes on Crunchyroll?
The wildly popular anime is back in business.
Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 is finally here, dealing with the immediate aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Well, at least the subtitled version is here! The supernatural anime based on the manga by Gege Akutami returned in force this January - but fans who prefer their anime dubbed are holding out to watch the new episodes. As is the case with many anime releases, the dubbed versions will be released a little later than the subbed episodes. However, we do have some indication as to when they'll be hitting screens. Here's everything we know so far! Alternatively, check out our review of season 3. Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 dub release date speculation Although we don't know the exact release date for the JJK season 3 English dub, Crunchyroll has it listed as part of its winter slate, meaning it will definitely arrive before the end of March. Based on other anime patterns, we'd expect dubbed episodes to land two weeks after the subbed episodes, meaning episode 1 should be available on 22nd January. At this point, that's just a guess, though. We'll keep this page updated with more details as and when we know them. Which languages will Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 be dubbed into? According to Crunchyroll, Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 will be dubbed into: English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Arabic. This should also be taken with a pinch of salt, as the streamer has said dub languages could be subject to change. View oEmbed on the source website How to watch Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 will be available to stream on Crunchyroll. Watch a clip below from 2025's Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution: View Green Video on the source website New episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen season 3 are released weekly on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why Stranger Things' Conformity Gate conspiracy should be game-changing for TV
Just because Conformity Gate wasn't real doesn't mean it can't have a real impact on TV.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 episode 8. If you've cast an eye over social media during the past few days, you'll have seen a widespread conspiracy taking over the internet by the name of Conformity Gate. But could this bizarre theory, whipped up by passionate Stranger Things fans, actually change TV for the better in the long run? On the off-chance you've managed to miss the discourse, Stranger Things finally ended with its rather anticlimactic two-hour finale, The Rightside Up, on 1st January, which saw a pretty easy death for villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and an ambiguous end for Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. After almost 10 years of investing in the show, created by the Duffer Brothers, many fans understandably weren't happy. But they made their criticisms clear in a rather creative way – by basically writing a new ending. Fans theorised, using "clues" from the finale, that the last episode wasn't actually the ending, and that a "secret" ninth episode would arrive on 7th January, revealing that episode 8's happy ending had been an illusion orchestrated by villain Vecna. Incredibly, the theory reached huge heights. According to SimilarWeb, it was Googled more than 200,000 times, and it gained a life of its own on TikTok, catching the attention of Murray actor Brett Gelman. Of course, 7th January came and went, and the theory was proven to be (respectfully) a load of nonsense. Netflix even stepped in at one point, changing its Instagram bio to sternly read: "ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING." But just because Conformity Gate wasn't real doesn't mean it can't have a real impact on TV going forward. For one thing, it's proven that fandoms can use social media in a powerful way – to demand more from their favourite shows and from TV creatives. Of course, the way we consume TV has changed monumentally over the past couple of decades. For better or for worse, social media has wormed its way into our viewing habits, and that's something that's not going to change any time soon. A 2025 report from YouGov found that 7 in 10 people use social media while consuming other media content (i.e. watching TV) at the same time, a practice that has become known as "second-screening". Streamers and studios are clearly aware of this and there have already been (unconfirmed) reports that they're dumbing down TV shows to cater to people who aren't fully paying attention. But social media being part of our TV habits might not be such a terrible thing. This has already been found in a study by Emily Powell and Alixandra Barasch, published in January 2025 in the journal Psychology & Marketing, which suggested that second-screening can create a sense of social connection. Co-author Barasch said: "When you’re watching alone, that phone can become your bridge to a wider community. It’s not just about multitasking – it’s about deepening the experience by connecting with others in real time.” That sense of community is crucial to any fandom who want to keep a TV show alive. But Conformity Gate proves Stranger Things fans weren't just watching and talking about the show. And they weren't just paying attention. They were rewatching, zooming in, analysing, and theorising. Just because the conclusion was wrong doesn't mean their argument wasn't pretty good. They did deserve more from the Stranger Things finale, and I don't think they're wrong to make that known. Now, I'm certainly not suggesting that TV creatives should listen and abide by every mad fan request. That would be absolutely terrifying (although if it ever does happen, I would like to take my chance to formally demand a redo of the final season of Game of Thrones). Showrunners also must have to have the autonomy to tell their own stories. But social media has undoubtedly given TV viewers the power to change the TV landscape – and it's not always a bad thing. For one, it's resulted in plenty of TV series being saved from cancellation after fan campaigns (ask any fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine or The Expanse!). As pointed out by Powell and Barasch, it's also taken us back to a more collective viewing experience, opening up more discussions between fans, and has revived the concept of appointment viewing with series like The Traitors. Now, Stranger Things fans could actually change things even further with Conformity Gate, by forcing TV creatives to take a cold hard look at what they're producing and whether it's good enough. Of course, reaction on social media shouldn't be the be-all and end-all – but nor should it be scoffed at anymore. Just maybe it could be the wake-up call needed for creatives to raise their game. Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be a Stranger Things season 5 episode 9 and what is Conformity Gate?
A bizarre new rumour has taken over the Stranger Things fandom.
A bizarre (and recently confirmed false) rumour has taken over the Stranger Things fandom. Just days after the Stranger Things season 5 finale, fans have proven they're not ready to say goodbye to the Netflix phenomenon thanks to a bizarre conspiracy theory. Some viewers took to social media to insist that the series isn't in fact finished, and that there is a secret 'episode 9' on its way, after some were left less than impressed by how the show ended, particularly when it came to Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) ambiguous fate. News of the upcoming Stranger Things season 5 documentary further stoked the fires, but the latest update from the streaming service has seemingly quashed this theory. So, here's everything you need to know about the strange viral rumours and "Conformity Gate". Will there be a Stranger Things season 5 episode 9? View Green Video on the source website No, there will not be another episode of Stranger Things. Netflix has confirmed this with its latest update. The streaming service took to social media to set the record straight, updating the bio of the show’s official Instagram account to read: “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.” Remember – friends don’t lie! The only episode that has been announced is a behind-the-scenes documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, which debuts on Monday 12th January 2026. The show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, have not directly addressed the rumours, but have frequently referenced season 5 episode 8, titled The Rightside Up, being the final episode of the show. Speaking recently to Variety about Eleven's ambiguous ending, Matt Duffer said: "It’s been something on our mind for a really long time. "That was the original ending of the show when it was designed as a limited series, that El has to sacrifice herself in some way. I mean, the first thing we did when we were working on season 5 was to talk about the ending and specifically talk about Eleven and, it was hard. "This is a character we’ve been with for 10 years. We’ve been with Millie for 10 years. So it was a really hard and emotional decision to make, but at the end of the day, it just felt right to us. View Green Video on the source website "It felt like, given the circumstances, it was the only way to actually end, permanently, everything that had been going on." Previously chatting to RadioTimes.com, the Duffers said they wanted the ending to feel "inevitable". Why did people think there could be a Stranger Things season 5 episode 9 and what is Conformity Gate? Armed with a theory titled Conformity Gate, some viewers believed that the epilogue shown in the series (with the gang graduating and Jonathan, Nancy and co agreeing to meet up every month, etc), is an illusion from Vecna. A few moments throughout the episode led fans to believe that the ending isn't actually reality. They include: The way the high school graduates have their hands positioned in the same way Henry Creel often does, neatly crossed in front of them at the ceremony The gang's campaign folders seemingly spelling out "X A LIE" - supposedly a clue that everything our heroes saw in Dimension X (AKA The Upside Down) is a lie Multiple copies of the WHATZIT board game left around the Wheelers' basement - supposedly a reference to Henry's alter ego View oEmbed on the source website When did people think a supposed Stranger Things season 5 episode 9 was coming? Some fans thought a new episode of Stranger Things season 5 was coming on 7th January after Netflix shared a video captioned: "Your future is on the way," with that date. As the 7th rolled around, Netflix did indeed release a promo video, titled #WhatsNext, however it just teased their 2026 slate, featuring clips from upcoming films and shows such as Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, One Piece, Bridgeton and The Gentlemen. Stranger Things was (unsurprisingly!) absent from the four-minute reel, however star Millie Bobby Brown does make an appearance – but for the third instalment in the Enola Holmes franchise. There were also supposedly more "clues" including the final scene of the series featuring a 20-sided die showing a 7 – but alas, the viral theory of a “secret episode” was just that, with Netflix debunking it with the #WhatsNext promo. So, if you’re keen for more Stranger Things, you can always tune in to the One Last Adventure documentary. Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will be released on 12th January. Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is coming to Netflix in 2026. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Starfleet Academy review: Star Trek's school days spin-off needs some work
Here's hoping the latter half of the season amp ups the action to improve its grade.
This review is based on episodes 1-6 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Get your exercise books ready – it's time to head back to school in Star Trek's latest spin-off, Starfleet Academy. Set in the far-flung 32nd century, after the events of Discovery, we're introduced to a new competitive cohort of Starfleet cadets who grew up in the aftermath of The Burn (a rather on the nose comment about the world today's kids are facing), now training to become the new generation of officers. Among them is Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), a disillusioned youngster who joins the academy as an outsider. Haunted by a devastating event that upended his childhood completely, Caleb falls into a life of crime before a very familiar figure, Holly Hunter's Nahla Ake, stages an intervention and makes it her mission to whip him into shape as a Starfleet cadet. As for the other cadets and teachers, the show takes advantage of its school setting to throw together a wide array of characters from different species and cultures, from Kerrice Brooks's Kasqian character Sam, who's only actually a few weeks old, to Zoë Steiner's Betazoid Tarima Sadal, to Gina Yashere's Klingon/Jem'Hadar hybrid, whose existence has already baffled some fans. So, does the latest entry in Alex Kurtzman's controversial era of Star Trek actually work? Yes and no. The setup of Caleb's story, which is supported by a fabulous guest star, is intriguing, and it's not difficult to root for him after we're shown the harsh reality of what happened to him as a child, and the trauma he's having to grapple with. Plus, he has a complex shared history with Hunter's Nahla that doesn't go to waste in their interactions. But, once we get beyond that, into school rivalry, teenage pranks and angsty drama, it becomes a little difficult to care. Some episodes feel full of filler and take an age to get to the point (if they ever do). With so many new characters being introduced, it's of course important to do each of them justice, with a full episode being dedicated to us getting to know a fair few of the main players and their inner conflicts. But doing that massively slows things down, and by episode 6, it feels like we're only just getting to the meat of the series. Unfortunately, some of the characters just aren't that interesting, and it feels like a waste spending so much energy on them. In what might be a very British criticism of an American school-age show, the tone also feels rather too sickly sweet, verging on cringey at times, with even Caleb getting into the whole school spirit malarkey unbelievably quickly. Would it have been too much to ask for our wrong 'un to remain a wrong 'un for a little longer?! Speaking of wrong 'uns, though, Paul Giamatti steals the show whenever he's on screen as the villainous Klingon/Tellarite Nus Braka and his few scenes with Hunter are a highlight so far. It's also a delight to see Hunter back in action as no-nonsense Nahla, balancing the Lathanite's sometimes conflicting jobs as captain and teacher – and not always getting it right. Meanwhile, of course there are plenty of nods to the history of Star Trek that can be enjoyed along the way, including with the welcome returns of the likes of Tig Notaro's Jett Reno, whose dry wit massively cuts through the saccharine, and Robert Picardo's Doctor. View Green Video on the source website You'll also want to keep an eye out for Easter eggs, which start out more subtle, but lead up to an unapologetic all-out celebration of one particular moment in Star Trek history mid-way through the season that makes for quite emotional viewing and is worth waiting for. By the end of episode 6, things seem to be heating up in a big way. So, here's hoping that the latter half of the season will amp up the action to improve its grade. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount+ on 15th January. Add Starfleet Academy to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Netflix confirms Stranger Things' One Last Adventure for fans with trailer for all-new special
Get ready to return to Hawkins one last time.
Stranger Things might have officially ended with an emotional season 5, but fans will have another chance to say goodbye to the Netflix hit, as a documentary about the show's final season is set to be released. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will be released on 12th January and will go behind-the-scenes of the final season. Get the tissues ready, as it's sure to be emotional. A newly-released trailer reveals that the documentary will feature interviews with the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, footage of table reads, and a glimpse into the creative process of making the show. One moment shown in the trailer sees the duo agonising over writing their characters' final lines, while another teases a "debate over Eleven's fate". Martina Radwan, who directed the documentary, said: “I’m endlessly grateful to the Duffer Brothers for trusting me with a front-row seat to this incredible journey. "Spending a full year on set with them was a true privilege – and an absolute thrill. Being able to get close and watching them bring this beloved show to life in real time, was pure joy. I only wish I could travel back in time and document seasons 1 through 4. View oEmbed on the source website "From the cast to their long-time collaborators, everyone welcomed me with remarkable generosity, openly sharing their personal and collective experiences from a decade of creative filmmaking. The Duffers always push boundaries and inspire everyone to be better, including myself. Their process and the show represents everything I love about filmmaking.” The Duffer Brothers added: “Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, we dreamed of becoming filmmakers – but Hollywood felt impossibly far away. Everything changed when we watched the behind-the-scenes documentaries for The Lord of the Rings – on-the-ground films that showed the real nuts and bolts of how a massive production actually gets made. "We saw how stressed Peter Jackson was and thought: yep, that’s the dream. With the decline of physical media, that kind of behind-the-scenes storytelling has largely disappeared. We wanted to bring it back. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5 – beautifully captured and directed by Martina Radwan – is our attempt to do just that. If you love Stranger Things, or if you’re simply curious how a major Hollywood production comes to life, this one’s for you.” <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/StrangerThingsS50652R-286a61b-e1767269277821.jpg" width="2880" height="1920" alt="Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 5" title="Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 5" /> Stranger Things season 5 saw the final battle for Hawkins, with Will (Noah Schnapp) and co taking on Jamie Campbell Bower's Vecna one last time. One particular character's fate was left a little ambiguous, so fans will no doubt be keen to hear more about how that came to be. So, for one last time, grab your Eggos and your Peanut Butter Boppers and get ready to return to Hawkins for a final adventure. Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix. Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is coming to Netflix in 2026. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained: What really happened to Eleven?
After nine years, the final battle for Hawkins is here.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things season 5 finale. Stranger Things is over! Netflix's sci-fi juggernaut – which ranks among the most expensive TV shows ever made – has revealed the fate of its characters in a post-Vecna world, but one is raising more questions than the others. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has had many a brush with death since we met her back in season 1, but this time is the closest yet as she appears to make a noble sacrifice in order to end Hawkins' connection to the Upside-Down once and for all. But is she really gone? Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer has chimed in on that hot topic, leaning into the deliberate ambiguity of her fate, but clarifying that she and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) won't get a 'happily ever after' ending in any event. "If she were alive, the way I would see it is no [to them reuniting]," he told Variety. "Any contact would risk bringing her back out in the open and starting the cycle again. So, in the story that Mike's telling, I don't think he sees a version where they reconnect." But what about all the other key plot points in the Stranger Things season 5 finale? Below, we answer all the biggest questions – including which unresolved plot thread is setting up a spin-off. Read more: 10 TV shows to watch after Stranger Things season 5 – including incredible hidden gems Stranger Things season 5 ending explained: Did Eleven die? Ultimately, what happened to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is left up to the viewer to decide, as we're given two possibilities. Just as she agreed with Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) at the end of volume 2, as the battle for Hawkins concludes, Eleven seemingly decides to sacrifice herself as the Upside Down is destroyed, in an effort to finally stop Dr Brenner's programme, which has been continued by Dr Kay - however, this might not be the full story. At the end of the episode, as Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) finish up their Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Mike uses the game as an analogy to suggest that Eleven might still be alive. He theorises that, after Kali saw the love from Eleven's friends and family, she changed her mind about the plan. As Kali lay dying, she uses her powers to make Eleven invisible and to cast an illusory version of her into the Upside Down. As the illusion of El appeared to sacrifice herself, the real El sneaks away unnoticed. As for where she is now? No one knows for sure, but, as Mike suggests she's in a faraway land, we see a shot of Eleven hiking across some beautiful hills, alone but at peace. But isn't this Mike just theorising and hoping for Eleven's survival? The Duffer Brothers haven't confirmed which version of events is true, leaving it up to viewers to decide which one they believe - almost like our own D&D campaign. But Ross Duffer did add to Tudum that, for the residents of Hawkins, "she lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not". In another interview with Variety, he added: "Eleven represents, in a lot of ways, the magic of childhood. And we knew for our kids to be able to grow up, the magic had leave Hawkins. "There was never a version that we had written where it was Eleven down in that basement. It was never going to be that simple and that easy. It was finding a way to come up with an ending where it was not that simple, but also bittersweet, and that there was hope there." What happened to Vecna in Stranger Things season 5? After being weakened from attacks by Eleven and Kali, Vecna/Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower) is finally killed. Will manages to face his fears and overpower Vecna, allowing Eleven to drive his body through a spire. But the final blow comes from Joyce (Winona Ryder), who warns him with some very choice words that he's messed with the wrong family. Taking an axe, she severs Vecna's head from his neck, killing him and ending years' worth of nightmares. Ross Duffer told Tudum of that moment: “At the end of the day, it felt like it had to be Joyce because Joyce was the first one [in Season 1] to really take action, to believe that something strange was going on." For a moment during the episode, it looks like Henry might be capable of redemption, although ultimately he remains faithful to the Mind Flayer. Speaking to Henry, Will tells him he is also just a vessel and attempts to convince him to fight with them against Mind Flayer. But Henry won't be reasoned with, and tells Will instead that the Mind Flayer has never controlled him - that he could have resisted - but he chose to join it. Ross Duffer told Tudum that the truth of that moment is up to viewers, explaining: “We wanted to leave it up to the audience in terms of whether young Henry did choose this or whether it was simply the Mind Flayer controlling him from beginning to end. “But ultimately, in terms of where Henry goes, it doesn’t matter because he chooses the side of the Mind Flayer at the end of the day.” What happened to the Upside Down in Stranger Things season 5? As planned, Murray (Brett Gelman) and Hopper (David Harbour) set off a bomb to explode the inter-dimensional bridge once the children have been rescued from Vecna's clutches. Using Prince's iconic album Purple Rain as a trigger, they set the timer and the wormhole finally collapses, ending years of misery for the residents of Hawkins. This comes after a final big battle in the Upside Down, in which it's revealed that the Pain Tree (where all the children have been kept prisoner) is actually the Mind Flayer. With Nancy used as bait, the rest of the gang attack the Mind Flayer from the ground and weaken it while Eleven fights Henry inside the Mind Flayer’s body. What was in the briefcase in Stranger Things season 5? Inside the scientist's briefcase, Henry found a rock containing Mind Flayer particles, which possess him. For Henry, this moment represents the loss of his happiness, his childhood and life as he knew it – and we finally see the moment Henry became Vecna. If you're wanting more information on exactly what that rock is and why it's such a dangerous item, you should keep an eye out for updates on the Duffer brothers' forthcoming Stranger Things spin-off. Matt Duffer told Variety: "The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you're going to understand it. But it's a completely different mythology. "So it's not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It's very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining." View Green Video on the source website Where did our heroes end up? Our heroes have gone their separate ways by the end of the episode. Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Max graduate from Hawkins High, with Valedictorian Dustin giving a controversial speech that would have made Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) proud, and set off on their separate journeys to college and beyond. Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) is making a film about anti-capitalism, while Steve (Joe Keery) is coaching little-league baseball and teaching the next generation. Robin (Maya Hawke) is attending Smith College in Massachusetts and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) has dropped out of Emerson College to take a job at the Boston Herald. While the four of them have gone their separate ways, they agree to meet up every month. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/StrangerThingsS50652R-286a61b-e1767269277821.jpg" width="2880" height="1920" alt="Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 5" title="Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 5" /> Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper get their happy ending. Hopper reveals he's been offered a job in Montauk (a little nod to the original title of Stranger Things). He then proposes and the pair get engaged, dancing to Etta James's At Last. With peace finally descending on Hawkins, Mike and the gang end their campaign and head upstairs - only to see Holly (Nell Fisher) and her friends race into the basement to begin an adventure of their own. Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix. Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is coming to Netflix in 2026. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 release schedule and runtimes: What time is the finale out?
It all comes down to this - we are now just hours away from the release of the Stranger Thing series finale. The show's final ever episode comes just less than a week after season 5 volume 2 was released on Netflix, and a thrilling trailer has now been unveiled, teasing the battle ahead. It looks to be an almighty showdown with Vecna, but creators Matt and Ross Duffer have reassured fans that there won't be a "Red Wedding situation" like in Game of Thrones, where many of their favourites perish. Matt told The Hollywood Reporter: "I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there’s something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn’t feel painful but feels satisfying." Beyond this, plot details about the finale have been kept tightly under wraps, but the Duffer Brothers did tell RadioTimes.com recently that "there's a sense of inevitability" about the ending of the series. "When you're looking at shows that don't work, or the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different," Matt said. "So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for." If you're as excited as we are to find out how it all comes to a close, read on for everything you need to know about the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule, including all those lengthy runtimes, the finale's release time and its title. Want more from Stranger Things? Check out our season 5 review, or delve into the epic soundtrack that we'll be bopping along to for weeks to come. Stranger Things season 5 episode runtimes The Duffer Brothers have officially revealed all of the runtimes for the episodes. All of the below are now confirmed: Volume 1 Chapter One: The Crawl - 1 hour and 8 minutes Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler - 54 minutes Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap - 1 hour and 6 minutes Chapter Four: Sorcerer - 1 hour and 23 minutes Volume 2 Chapter Five: Shock Jock - 1 hour and 8 minutes Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz - 1 hour and 15 minutes Chapter Seven: The Bridge - 1 hour and 6 minutes The finale Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up - 2 hours and 8 minutes Stranger Things season 5 release schedule Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts. Volume 1 is out now and was released on 26th November (27th November in the UK due to time zones). Volume 2 is also out, and was released on 25th December (26th December, Boxing Day in the UK). The finale will be here on 31st December (1st January, New Year's Day in the UK). That means the release schedule is as follows: Volume 1 Chapter One: The Crawl - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now Chapter Two: The Vanishing of... - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now Chapter Four: Sorcerer - 26th November (27th November in the UK) - out now Volume 2 Chapter Five: Shock Jock - 25th December (26th December in the UK) - out now Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz - 25th December (26th December in the UK) - out now Chapter Seven: The Bridge - 25th December (26th December in the UK) - out now The Finale Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up - 31st December (1st January in the UK) Stranger Things season 5 release time Usually, Netflix releases arrive at 8am UK time, but Stranger Things season 5 will buck this trend, with episodes dropping at 1am GMT. Here's what time that works out to some time zones around the world: 2am CET (Central Europe) 10am JST (Japan) 5pm PST (United States) 8pm EST (United States) 12pm AEDT (Australia) Netflix also has a comprehensive list of when the episodes will be released depending on which country you're in. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Stranger Thing season 5 will conclude on New Year's Day. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 star teases “resolution” for key character in “emotional” finale
Star Linnea Berthelsen teased what's ahead in the long-awaited finale.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2. The end is near for Stranger Things season 5, with fans now awaiting the finale, which has been in the making for almost a decade. For Kali star Linnea Berthelsen, it marks the end of a unique journey, with the actress returning for season 5 after she was first introduced to viewers eight years earlier in season 2. By the end of season 5 volume 2, Kali and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) have an impossible decision ahead of them, grappling with the idea of sacrificing themselves for the greater good after the reveal that Dr Kay (Linda Hamilton) has used Kali's blood to restart Dr Brenner's programme. As for where Kali is headed in the finale? "Towards some sort of resolution," Berthelsen teased in an interview with RadioTimes.com. "I think that's the only thing I can say. There is an end to her storyline, and it's something that, for me, felt very right and very emotional." She added of the ending in general: "I think for the fans, who've been so supportive of the whole show, for the creators, for the cast, it's just going to be very emotional. "I was there for the table read. I was lucky enough to be in that room and see the whole ending, and I feel like everybody was crying in there. It was just so emotional. And every time I've read the rest of it, it's just been really emotional, really beautiful, really well done." <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/wvpublicitypostlaunchstill26.000001-5abd8fb-e1764675810617.jpg" width="5573" height="3720" alt="Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 2. Eleven is holding her arm out to use her powers as Kali looks on, egging her on" title="Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 2" /> Speaking previously to RadioTimes.com, Stranger Things creator the Duffer Brothers opened up about the intention behind their finale, saying: "There's a sense of inevitability. When you're looking at shows that don't work, or the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different. "So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for." Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Stranger Things season 5 concludes on New Year's Day. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 star reveals how volume 2 creates “existential” crisis for Eleven
The sisters have a huge decision to make.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2. Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 has left sisters Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) in an impossible situation, forced to grapple with the idea of sacrificing themselves for the greater good. The new instalment of Netflix's sci-fi hit saw returning Kali discover that Dr Brenner's (Matthew Modine) programme has been restarted by Dr Kay (Linda Hamilton) who will stop at nothing in her hunt for the sisters. After realising that the cycle will just continue as long as the pair of them are alive, the end of volume 2 sees Kali tell Eleven that the pair of them must sacrifice themselves and that, when the Upside Down disappears, they must go with it. Asked where this leaves the sisters as we head into the finale, Kali actress Berthelsen exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "I think it creates a really interesting dynamic within Eleven and very existential questions about what is the right thing to do. "And what's really brilliant for Kali for this season is that, I think it's very valid what she's trying to say. Like, if we do this, not only is it going to benefit your friends, but it's actually going to benefit the rest of the world. There is a point to be made. "It's a very human question. Like, what do you do in those moments? What are you willing to sacrifice? It's an internal battle, I think, within Eleven. Can you leave everything that you've built, the relationships, the people in your life to go and do what may be right?" Eleven and Kali are coming to that conversation from very different places, with Berthelsen adding: "There is a difference between Eleven's relationship to family and just having a mother, because Kali never had a mother, and I feel like there's part of her that's still waiting for those parents to show up. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/wvpublicitypostlaunchstill26.000001-5abd8fb-e1764675810617.jpg" width="5573" height="3720" alt="Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 2. Eleven is holding her arm out to use her powers as Kali looks on, egging her on" title="Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Linnea Berthelsen as Kali in Stranger Things season 2" /> "I think for me, that was a huge part of what's underneath, especially in episode 5, as an orphan, so to speak, is she still waiting for those parents to come and save her? And I think that's very specific to the character that makes her different from Eleven. That's just my perspective." Meanwhile, Berthelsen, of course, worked very closely with Eleven actress Millie Bobby Brown for the new episodes, saying of their relationship: "There is something very natural to the way that we connected, also for season 2. I think we work really well together...There's something very raw, just very natural in the moments that we create together." Stranger Thing season 5 concludes on New Year's Day. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 has already stuck the landing with one monumental scene
Will's coming out scene is a striking reflection of the fears that can haunt that process, and the power of chosen family.
*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2.* We might still be waiting for the Stranger Things season 5 finale, but the show has already stuck the landing in one big way, with a scene that we've been waiting for for a long time. For years, the show has teased that Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) might be gay. In the first couple of seasons, fans noticed that Will just seemed to feel a little different from his friends, something that many viewers flocking to the Netflix sci-fi hit related to. In season 4, it became pretty obvious that he was struggling with his sexuality, that he was in love with his best friend Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard) and that he was unable to tell anyone about it. Viewers were left in little doubt about what was going on with him after that heartbreaking and widely-shared scene of him attempting to open up to Mike in the car, telling him: "When you're different, sometimes you feel like a mistake," before silently crying while looking out of the window. In season 5, after being underestimated for years, the ending of volume 1 saw Will finally start to accept himself. Following a pep talk from Robin (Maya Hawke), which saw her open up about her sexuality, it was Will's acceptance of himself that allowed him to channel Vecna's powers and stop the Demogorgons in their tracks. Now, in volume 2, he's been able to go one step further, opening up about being gay in a scene that will likely go down in TV history. Will realises that, with Vecna able to see and use his secrets against him, he must open up to his actual family, as well his chosen family. But the part that hits hardest about Will coming out isn't the actual moment he tells them that he doesn't like girls – it's when he speaks about his fears and worries about that moment. "Today, Vecna showed me what would happen if I did this," he says. "He showed me a future. In this future, some of you are just worried for me, worried that things will be harder for me. It just makes me feel like something's wrong with me, so I push you away. And for the rest of us, we just drift apart more and more until I'm alone...it just felt so real." Now if that doesn't sum up the fear of coming out, I don't know what does. With that scene, the Duffer Brothers and Schnapp have perfectly conveyed the lurking fears of what will happen when you finally say it out loud. You might know for sure that your loved ones won't have a homophobic response (of course, not everyone is this lucky), but there's still a voice in the back of your mind that tells you that things are going to change, that everyone will see you differently. The context of Stranger Things being set in the 1980s also makes this scene even more impactful, considering the intense homophobia and fear-mongering towards LGBTQ+ people at the time as a result of the AIDS epidemic. If coming out in the 2020s is still difficult, coming out in the 1980s, particularly for gay men, must have been absolutely terrifying. As if that wasn't enough, in 1988 in the UK, Section 28 was introduced, banning councils and schools from "promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". But of course, efforts to erase the voices of the LGBTQ+ community could never work. After all, gay people and queer culture have existed since ancient civilisations. It would take more than Margaret Thatcher to silence them. There was also the fact that queer culture had a huge impact on pop culture and particularly mainstream music at the time. Dustin Henderson actor Gaten Matarazzo said it well when he recently told Attitude: "Sometimes people that are critical of [queer representation in Stranger Things] will say, 'That didn't happen in the '80s.' I'm like, 'It didn't happen to you because no one felt comfortable telling you.' There were out gay people constantly in the '80s. Queer culture existed in the '80s, you just didn't happen to be part of it because there wasn't an opportunity for it to be vocal." So, for Stranger Things not to address all of this in some form would have been remiss, and even irresponsible. We've been leading up to Will's coming out for so long, and it's tackled in such a touching and powerful way that, for me, it means season 5 has already succeeded. After all, Stranger Things has never really been about the sci-fi or the action, but more about the relationships between beautifully nuanced characters, which have always stolen the show. Without these, I don't think the show would have succeeded in the first place. With that in mind, Will's coming out scene, a striking reflection of the fears that can haunt that process, and the power of chosen family, is perhaps the most important moment in the show's history – more so than the final battle for Hawkins, or whatever the finale will hold. In some ways, the LGBTQ+ community has come a long way since the 1980s. In others, it feels like we're inescapably being pulled back in time. But TV has and probably always will have a power to get through to people who might not want to listen otherwise. That's not to say that LGBTQ+ representation and coming out scenes are exactly rare any more – and I don't think we should take that for granted. But sometimes a TV moment comes along that hits home in a way that not many others really have. It should be a reminder to studios, to showrunners, to actors and writers that you can make a big difference with even small moments of representation. There is no doubt that we very much still need it. Stranger Things 5's finale premieres on Netflix on New Year's Day. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Stranger Things star reacts to "devastating" reveal and "tough" Eleven scene in volume 2
Kali has to have an impossible conversation with Eleven, which could change everything.
*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2.* With Kali's return in Stranger Things season 5 has come a devastating storyline and a chilling reveal that the terrors that haunted her and Eleven's nightmares as children are not over yet. After she's rescued from Dr Kay's lab by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Hopper (David Harbour), Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) recounts the horrors she saw there – Kay keeping countless pregnant women captive and infusing them with Kali's blood in an attempt to restart Dr Brenner's programme. Kali then realises she has to tell Eleven all of this, and ask something impossible of her – to sacrifice herself along with Kali so that the cycle can finally end. Breaking down that devastating moment, actress Berthelsen exclusively told RadioTimes.com: "I think there is a part of [Kali] that's just realised what happened to her, like the given circumstances of that character in particular, what she's going through, and being brought back to this place and everything that she has tried to avoid for so many years. "The other thing is like, how do you explain this to Eleven? How do you convey all of this, knowing that her circumstances are so different from hers? She's devastated. She's falling apart, I think. "And then there is this very deep love for Eleven at the same time and asking her to do something that's quite tough. It's just a really difficult conversation." At the end of volume 2, Eleven is left reeling from that conversation, and forced to grapple with what to do for the best, with the finale presumably set to show her decision and its aftermath. Kali was first introduced to fans in season 2, with viewers left stunned at her surprise return in season 5. But now, Berthelsen is relishing getting to delve deeper into Kali's character, adding: "Every time you get to develop a character and do a bit more work...it's just such a human place, like it's a very vulnerable place that she's in. "It's very rare, I think, that you get to work on a character like that, and take a character from what I believe is a persona into something that's quite raw." It was this development of Kali's character that the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, first pitched to her when they asked her to come back. "We had a great conversation about what they wanted to do," she recalled. "And I thought it was quite exciting and different, just the way they took the character in a different direction." Stranger Things season 5 concludes on New Year's Day. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 ending explained: What actually IS the Upside Down?
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2. The dramatic arrival of Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 has made a few things very clear: Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is growing stronger, our heroes are in more danger than ever before, and the entire Wheeler family only deserves good things after this absolute nightmare. Episodes 5 to 7 of the hit Netflix sci-fi are officially here and, with just the finale left to go, the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, have answered plenty of questions while teeing up the very last battle for Hawkins. The new episodes see Sadie Sink's Max return to her body after being imprisoned in Vecna's mind. Meanwhile, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) nearly die in the Upside Down, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) casually figures out exactly what the Upside Down is (a question we've been asking for nigh on a decade), and Will (Noah Schnapp) finally has his big moment. Oh, and Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) saves the day yet again. Every single character will have a huge part to play in what comes next but, while we're waiting for the finale, here's your breakdown of exactly what happened in season 5 volume 2. Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 ending explained: What actually IS the Upside Down? Buckle up, nerds. We've got Dustin to thank for this explanation. The Upside Down is an unstable inter-dimensional bridge, or a wormhole, that rips through space and time, held together by exotic matter and connecting Hawkins to another world, the Abyss. Dustin theorises that everything they've faced in the Upside Down (the Demogorgons and the Mindflayer etc) truly originated in the Abyss. It's where Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) previously banished Henry but, since Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine) forced her to make contact with him in the Abyss, the bridge formed - and Vecna and his minions have been using it ever since to return to Hawkins. So the Upside Down is not, as we previously assumed, another dimension in itself. That means the true challenge is not just cutting off the bridge, but destroying the Abyss once and for all. What's Vecna's plan and why does he need the kids? Vecna wants to merge the Abyss and Hawkins, but he needs the children to amplify his abilities. He believes he can use the 12 children he's kidnapped, including Holly (Nell Fisher) and Derek (Jake Connelly) as "vessels" to amplify his powers, due to his belief that they are weak and can be easily controlled. During his time away, Vecna was building rifts and weakening the Abyss like he weakened Hawkins, so that when the two collide, they will become one. So, as Mike (Finn Wolfhard) lays out, the plan to fight him just got a whole lot more complicated. The gang need to get 2,000 feet in the air, get into the Abyss, free Holly and the children and kill Vecna. Oh, and Dustin's little addition - set off a bomb in the Abyss to destroy it forever. Easy! How did Max escape and what happened to Holly? Max (Sadie Sink) escaped her imprisonment in Vecna's prison through his most traumatic childhood memory, with the help of her connection to Lucas in the outside world. While Vecna comes after them, Will temporarily inhabits his body, slowing him down and telling Max and Holly to run. But Holly is unable to fully escape Vecna's clutches, and is forced to return to his mind prison, with Vecna manipulating the rest of the children into believing Max is a monster. After searching Henry's most traumatic memory, the cave, Max and Holly see a young Henry stumble upon a scientist, clutching a briefcase, who appears to believe that Henry has been sent to hurt him. The scientist shoots Henry in the hand and, in a bid to save himself, Henry hits the scientist repeatedly with a rock, eventually killing him. While Max tries to pull Holly away, the youngest Wheeler sibling witnesses Henry opening the briefcase (although she doesn't see what's inside - more on that in a moment). Around the corner in the cave, Max and Holly find their way out. Max sees Lucas on the other side but tells Holly she has to find her own way out. After a pep talk from Max, which sees her remind Holly of how strong she is, and helps her to find her connection to the outside world through her Holly the Heroic pendant, Holly finds her way out too. Max believes Holly will wake up in the Upside Down and promises to find her there if she heads to its version of the Wheeler house, and the pair go their separate ways. But, as Dustin realises, Holly isn't being kept in the Upside Down - she's in the Abyss. She wakes up and finds herself and the other children attached to the vines in the Abyss, just like Will was. After freeing herself, she makes a run for it, with Vecna following closely behind her. In a stroke of good luck, Holly trips over and sees part of the ground light up - a gate to the Upside Down. Steeling herself, she pushes herself through it and starts to fall thousands of feet to the ground in the Upside Down. Nancy, who has narrowly escaped death there after shooting at the exotic matter, hears her screams and races to find her - only to see her sister hovering in the air and being pulled back into the Abyss by Vecna. Vecna takes Holly back into his mind, convincing the other children that Max is a monster and has manipulated Holly. While Holly attempts to escape again, she fails, and episode 7 ends with Henry placing the children into a trance and executing the final part of his masterplan. What was in the briefcase in Henry's memory? Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things: The First Shadow. This has only been teased thus far in the series, but the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow reveals that Henry grew up near those caves in Nevada. On the day he entered the caves and found the scientist, he discovered technology that transported him to Dimension X. While he was there, he encountered the Mind Flayer for the first time, which transformed him for good and turned him into the villain we know and hate. No doubt, the cave is going to play more of a role in the finale episode. What's going on with Eleven and Kali? Volume 2 also sees Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) recount the horrors she saw in Dr Kay's (Linda Hamilton) lab before Eleven and Hopper (David Harbour) rescued her. She recalls seeing countless pregnant women, who Kay infused with Kali's blood in an attempt to restart Brenner's programme. But that makes her realise that Kay will never stop hunting Eleven and Kali for their blood. In her view, the pair of them will never be free. While Mike attempts to convince Eleven that they could kill Kay or escape to a faraway place, Kali convinces her that they'll find her, kill Mike and everyone she loves, and, using her blood, they'll create more children who will suffer, and more worlds. So, as episode 7 ends, Kali comes up with a plan, which she thinks is the only way to stop the vicious cycle - a suicide pact. She tells Eleven that, when the plan to kill Vecna and destroy the Abyss works, the pair of them should stay on the bridge and, when the Upside Down vanishes, they'll vanish too. Eleven now has a big choice to make - and whatever she decides will change the course of the world forever. Stranger Things season 5's finale will be released on New Year's Day. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart to return for new UNIT adventures next year – and she's not alone
The heroes of UNIT are set to be celebrated in the audio series.
If you're already missing keeping up with UNIT in The War Between the Land and the Sea, a replacement is on its way in the form of a new series of audio adventures. Big Finish's new series, UNIT Eras, which is set for release in April 2026, will highlight heroes from across the history of the Doctor Who organisation, beginning with a four-episode anthology, Hostile Universe. Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge Stewart), Ingrid Oliver (Osgood), and Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush) are among the Doctor Who stars set to reprise their roles for the new audio adventure focused on Earth's line of defence against alien threats. The series will also see the return of Sarah Jane Smith (Sadie Miller), Harry Sullivan (Christopher Naylor), and The Vlinx (Nicholas Briggs), and will mark the Big Finish debut of Colonel Mace (Rupert Holliday-Evans) from 2008 Doctor Who story The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky. Producer Heather Challands said: "UNIT has long been a reliable, exciting and ever-evolving part of the world of Doctor Who. It's one of my favourite parts, showcasing the flaws and triumphs of human nature through iconic characters such as the Brigadier, Osgood, Harry Sullivan and Kate Stewart. “I was thrilled by the opportunity to delve deeper into times when the TARDIS isn’t around and the Doctor's friends simply have to do the best that they can against impossible odds. This new range is an anthology series, with each story standing alone, going from the 1970s right up to the 2020s, to see how much UNIT has changed in its long history. “Hostile Universe features a close encounter with Daleks during The Stolen Earth, finds the Vlinx feeling a bit frosty, shows the toll UNIT takes on some of its soldiers, and answers the question of how Kate Stewart was spending her time after her house was blown up!” The upcoming box set, which may help to tide fans over until the Doctor Who Christmas special in 2026, will consist of four adventures: Rise of the Valiant by Andrew Smith, The Indigo Child by Ken Bentley, The Life and Death of Private Eddie Wise by Hannah Kennedy, Deadstar by Joshua Pruett and Jonathan S Powell. The Worlds of Doctor Who – UNIT Eras: Hostile Universe is now available to pre-order as a digital download to own for £24.99 at bigfinish.com. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The War Between the Land and the Sea finale's overnight ratings revealed after tragic conclusion
The dramatic conclusion to the Doctor Who spin-off is here.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea. The overnight ratings for the last episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea have officially been revealed. The final episode of the Doctor Who spin-off, The End of the War, averaged 1.79 million viewers during its broadcast on BBC One on Sunday 21st December. That's very consistent with the figure from episode 4, which averaged 1.70 million viewers. The overnight figures must be taken with a pinch of salt as they do not include any viewers who watched the episodes on catch-up. The final episode of the five-part spin-off saw the devastating reveal that a faction of humans had committed genocide against Homo Aqua, killing 90% of their population, decimating the species and leaving them terrified of humanity. In a heartbreaking scene, Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) faced Barclay (Russell Tovey) for a final diplomatic meeting in the Empress Hall, with the pair unable to speak freely to each other. However, a surprise came at the end of the episode, with it being revealed that Barclay's brain and body chemistry have changed, allowing him to develop gills and escape into the oceans with Salt. Meanwhile, Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) is clearly spiralling following the death of Colonel Christofer Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient), with a credits scene showing her pointing a gun at a runner who refuses to pick up a plastic water bottle after littering. Doctor Who fans will now have a while to wait until the show is back on screens, with showrunner Russell T Davies set to pen a Christmas special for 2026. Looking for something to tide you over in the meantime? It's the perfect time to delve into Doctor Who's vast history of Christmas specials, with RadioTimes.com's team of superfans ranking our favourites! Doctor Who will return for Christmas 2026. The War Between the Land and the Sea is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dan Da Dan confirms when fans can expect season 3 - and it's not good news
Dan Da Dan season 3 is officially on its way - but it's going to be a long time until it's on our screens. A striking new key visual for the anime confirmed that season 3 will arrive in 2027. A specific release date has not yet been set. It's going to be a long old wait for fans, after seasons 1 and 2 arrived in pretty quick succession in late 2024 and then in mid-2025. Hopefully the new instalment of the anime will be worth the wait! While we don't yet have a synopsis for season 3, the anime will continue to adapt Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga, which has sold more than 12 million copies. We'd potentially expect the show to continue with the Kaiju arc - although confirmation of this will come nearer the time. The anime follows Momo, a high school girl from a family of mediums, who believes in ghosts, and her classmate Okarun, who believes in aliens. View oEmbed on the source website After the pair become embroiled in an argument about their respective beliefs, Momo goes to explore an abandoned hospital and UFO hotspot while Okarun explores a haunted tunnel. The pair both find more than they expected, with supernatural adventures ensuing. Season 2 delved into the Cursed House and Evil Eye arcs, but there's a lot more to come from the beloved series. The series' director, Fûga Yamashiro, previously teased that he does have ideas for season 3, telling ScreenRant: "There’s an arc coming up in Dan Da Dan that’s full of aliens and new characters. Luckily, it’s not in season 2! "If I kept adding new colours for every new character, I’d run out of options really fast. But with this season, I’ve avoided that problem." Dan Da Dan season 3 will be released in 2027. Seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix and Hulu. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Stranger Things season 5 release date and latest news
Hawkins's final battle is fast approaching.
With the countdown to Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 in full swing, Netflix has treated fans to a new trailer for the upcoming instalment. The new footage shows Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) growing in strength, as well as taunting viewers with the prospect of major character deaths, as Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) look to be in grave danger. The cast and crew have kept tight-lipped over what we can expect from the final season, including whether any fan-favourite characters will meet their end. However, asked whether volume 2 will get "bloodier", Matt Duffer previously told Variety: "I’ve said this before: The show is not Game of Thrones. I’m hoping it surprises people. But there’s no Red Wedding, if that’s what you’re asking. That would be depressing." Meanwhile, speaking about how fans can prepare for the conclusion to the Netflix series, Dustin actor Matarazzo previously told ET: "I understand the anxiety. I hear you. We're all here for all that support for whatever happens. If your favourite is no longer with us or not, who knows?" He continued: "I don't really have any words of comfort. To do the most prep you can: Get some tissues, get some ice cream, get some friends, and some family." Are you excited to learn all the secrets that Stranger Things season 5 has in store? Fear not: we've got everything you need to know about the upcoming run, which is dropping in three epic volumes. Stranger Things season 5 release date: When is it coming out in the UK? The first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 (aka Volume 1) landed on Wednesday 26th November in the US and on Thursday 27th November in the UK, meaning they're available to watch now. The next three episodes (aka Volume 2) will be released on Christmas Day (Thursday 25th December) in the US and on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) in the UK. And the grand finale will cap things off on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 31st December) in the US and on New Year's Day (Thursday 1st January 2026) in the UK. Each volume releases at 5pm PT, which equates to 1am here in the UK. The two-hour finale will also be shown in over 350 cinemas in the US and Canada at the same time as it drops on Netflix. Alas, the episode does not appear to be getting a theatrical run in the UK. How many episodes are in Stranger Things season 5? Stranger Things season 5 will consist of eight episodes. This is the same number of episodes as seasons 1 and 3, but one less than seasons 2 and 4. Regardless, this is likely to clock in as one of the longest entries in the saga due to the extensive runtimes already announced (more on that below). What are the Stranger Things 5 episode titles? Netflix has revealed the titles to all eight episodes in Stranger Things 5, and they have stirred up plenty of speculation among the fanbase. Here's an overview of all the episodes in Stranger Things season 5 and their runtimes: Episode 1 - The Crawl (1 hour and 8 minutes) Episode 2 - The Vanishing Of... (54 minutes) Episode 3 - The Turnbow Trap (1 hour and 6 minutes) Episode 4 - Sorcerer (1 hour and 23 minutes) Episode 5 - Shock Jock (TBC) Episode 6 - Escape From Camazotz (TBC) Episode 7 - The Bridge (TBC) Episode 8 - The Rightside Up (approx. 2 hours) The title of the second episode has left people particularly intrigued over who exactly will be "vanishing" this time around. (It also serves as an homage to the first ever episode, The Vanishing of Will Byers.) In an Instagram post (below), Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer described The Crawl as the "most eventful first episode since season 1" and said that The Vanishing Of... boasts the "craziest cold open we've ever done". When is Stranger Things season 5 set? Stranger Things season 5 will feature a time jump to explain why the appearances of the young cast have changed, bringing the characters' ages in line with those of the cast. A brief description of Stranger Things season 5, released along with the episode titles, stated that "in the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins" – confirming that this story will take place roughly one year after the fourth. Who stars in Stranger Things season 5? Of course, it wouldn't be Stranger Things without the original 'kids' (now all grown up), with a behind-the-scenes clip during production teasing more scenes of them together after season 4 split them up. That means you can look forward to more scenes of Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven). For Schnapp, this included shooting season 1 flashbacks of his younger self lost in the Upside-Down, which relied upon a body double and state of the art 'de-aging' technology to recreate his childhood look. Brown had previously gone through the process for Stranger Things 4, which revealed Eleven's backstory in greater depth, and so Schnapp asked his co-star for advice on how to achieve the best result. "It was fun to step into those director shoes that we don't really get the chance to do on the show," he told Deadline. "And think introspectively and reflectively of how I act and how I did act and move and breathe and turn and look and kind of relay that onto this little kid, who was so cute." In terms of the scenes themselves, which see a young(er) Will going toe-to-toe with a Demogorgon, he added it was "gratifying" to find out what happened between the scenes in season 1, and teased that his character is "stronger than we may have believed". Sadie Sink is also back as Max Mayfield, who befriended the group in season 2 and has since grown particularly close to Lucas, but the nature of her role remains unclear for the time being. Max had a close brush with death in season 4, which left her comatose and potentially braindead. The first Stranger Things 5 trailer only featured her in an unconscious state, although Sink has previously teased that she may have more action to come. Other returnees include Winona Ryder as Will's mother Joyce, David Harbour as Eleven's adoptive father Hopper, plus Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery as love triangle trio Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. Here's a list of the confirmed Stranger Things 5 cast – read on for more on the additions and absences in the line-up. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers David Harbour as Jim Hopper Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers Joe Keery as Steve Harrington Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/One/Vecna Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow Alex Breaux as Lt Akers Amybeth McNulty as Vickie Joining the line-up as a newcomer is Terminator icon Linda Hamilton, whose casting was announced at a TUDUM fan event. She said at the time: "I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I'm gonna work on that." More recently, child actors Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) and Jake Connelly have joined the Stranger Things family, alongside Alex Breaux, who recently played a young Dr Brenner on Broadway's edition of stage play The First Shadow. As for the show's Dr Brenner, it seems unlikely that he'll be returning after his expanded role in season 4 ended in calamity, despite actor Matthew Modine positing that his character might have survived (again). Another character who won't be returning is Eduardo Franco's Argyle. Introduced in season 4, Argyle was a stoner friend of Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton), who quickly became a key part of the season. He rescued Jonathan, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Agent Harmon (Ira Amyx) before helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) fight Vecna at the pizza parlour where he worked. However, when asked if he'll be part of the final season on the Steve Varley Show, he said: "It's nice to hear that there's, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I never got a phone call. So I think, yeah, I think that's it." What will the plot of Stranger Things season 5 be? Stranger Things season 5 will follow the final battle for Hawkins – and the world – after season 4 saw the barrier between our reality and the Upside-Down seemingly rupture for good. The official synopsis for Stranger Things season 5 reads: "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown. "Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. "The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time." Co-creator Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that season 5 sticks to the "north star" ending that the team have had in mind for "a really long time," but allowed room for added detours that "often surprised" even them. "Really the way we approach every season... was as if every season was a movie. Let’s not leave anything on the table," he explained. Expanding further in an interview with RadioTimes.com, the Duffers revealed that they had studied past series finales in an attempt to avoid the pitfalls of the most infamous misfires. "When you're looking at the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different," theorised Matt. "So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for," he continued, citing Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under and Friday Night Lights as influential success stories. In keeping with earlier seasons, we know this is going to be an emotional one. While promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, producer Shawn Levy said: "It's not too far away but also not soon enough... When the Duffers pitched the story of season 5, nobody wasn't crying, including me. Not a dry eye in that room." Stranger Things season 5 trailer The latest trailer teases plenty of doom as the gang continue their battle for Hawkins, and shows Vecna growing in strength, while fan-favourites Steve and Dustin look to be in grave danger. Watch below: View oEmbed on the source website The first full-length trailer was released earlier this year, and it shows our heroes being put through the wringer this season as Vecna emerges from the darkness. Watch below: View Green Video on the source website A second trailer focused on Volume 1 (consisting of episodes 1-4) followed, which had a more fun and optimistic tone – but still carries foreboding signs of trouble ahead. You can watch it on YouTube. Will Stranger Things season 5 be the final season? Yes, it's true! When season 5 was announced, it was confirmed that it would be the final season of the show. However, spin-offs are in the works at Netflix, with an animated series titled Tales of '85 being first up, followed by a live-action anthology influenced by the unique style of Twin Peaks (via Deadline). It's unclear just how involved the Duffer brothers will be in the latter project, given they recently closed a film and television deal with rival media giant Paramount. Explaining the shock pivot, the filmmakers said that they were keen to release features for the big screen and support the embattled cinema experience, while Netflix's model is primarily focused on home viewing. Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the premiere, producer Shawn Levy said that he'd love to see a Stranger Things spin-off focused on odd couple besties Dustin and Steve, but made no promises that such a project would become a reality. Previously, Dustin actor Matarazzo has suggested that he would consider reprising the role, but only after a break to pursue other opportunities – understandable after committing about a decade to Stranger Things. He said: "If you were to ask me a year from now if I wanted to come back, I'd probably be like, 'I’m gonna do some other stuff for a bit initially,' but who knows what it's going to be like?" "I would love to see, potentially, if there's a continuation of Dustin after [season] 5, if any of us make it up to that point, I would love to see what would happen, what Dustin would be like as a 30-year-old." Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The War Between the Land and the Sea ending explained: What is Severance?
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea episode 5. The War Between the Land and the Sea has aired its devastating final instalment, with episode 5, The End of the War, brutally reminding us that war has no winners. The finale episode of Russell T Davies's climate-focused series shows the impact of humanity's murderous actions towards Homo Aqua, as well as Salt (Gugu Mbatha Raw) and Barclay's (Russell Tovey) bittersweet ending. Plus, after much teasing from the showrunner, that post-credits scene has finally aired, showing Jemma Redgrave's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in crisis after the war and the loss of Christofer (Alexander Devrient). So, here's exactly what went down in the finale episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea. The War Between the Land and the Sea ending explained: What is Severance? Severance turns out to be a plot to murder 90% of Homo Aqua's population by means of biological warfare, thereby 'winning' the war for humanity by committing genocide. The plot was orchestrated by General Oscar Gunsberg (Stewart Alexander) and General Dominique Dussolier (Barbara Probst), with Prime Minister Harry Shaw (Vincent Franklin) also involved, as well as the officer stationed outside of Barclay's room, who is spying on him. The officer reports that he sees Barclay leave his apartment every night to look for Salt - but that she can't find him. Dussolier suspects that's down to the bafflers that her government has placed in the water to disrupt the Homo Aqua's communications, and orders them to be paused, meaning Salt is able to hear and get to Barclay the next night. Meanwhile, Gunsberg's agents spike Barclay's drink and inject him with the virus in his sleep, meaning he unknowingly passes it onto Salt when they kiss. Salt brings the virus back to her people, later realising what's happened when it's too late, before telling Barclay: "The virus brought fire to the world of water. And we burnt." What happened to Homo Aqua? With their people all but destroyed, Homo Aqua surrender to humanity in a heartbreaking scene between Salt and Barclay, with the pair still acting as ambassadors for their species. In an act of revenge, Salt tells the humans in the room that she knows who orchestrated the genocide, and that the water will eventually come for them - and we see flash-forwards of the imminent deaths of Gunsberg, Dussolier, and Shaw. She also reveals that Homo Aqua have hidden their technology far beneath the ocean, where humanity will never reach. On behalf of humanity, Barclay offers a "haven" to Homo Aqua in the Mariana Trench and says they will be protected. Speaking for Homo Aqua, Salt says they will accept the offer - but that they are under no impression humanity will keep them safe. Before leaving, she tells him a devastating truth: that Homo Aqua will do whatever humanity wants, because they are terrified. Finally, the water tank in the Empress Hall cracks and shatters, signalling the final crack in the relationship between Homo Aqua and humanity. What happened to Barclay - and what was Accord? Earlier in the episode, Salt attempted to convince Barclay to ask Homo Aqua for "Accord" - but she didn't explain what it was until the end, when she tells him: "It's a way of two species joining and celebrating, which is now lost." However, clearly it's not entirely lost. Kate receives a phone call from Barclay's doctor, who has Barclay's brain scan lighting up his computer, with the word "Accord" next to it. It appears that Barclay's brain chemistry has changed and, when Kate drives him to the coast, he races to Salt's side. When she touches him, he founds he has grown gills, and the pair swim off into the ocean, safe in the knowledge that, despite everything that has happened between their two species, at least they can now be together. What will happen to Kate? In the post-credits scene, Kate is walking away from the beach where she leaves Barclay, when she sees a runner who litters, dropping a plastic bottle on the sand. When he refuses to pick it up after multiple requests from Kate, she pulls out a loaded gun, demanding: "Pick it up." As we saw earlier in the episode, Kate is struggling after the devastating loss of Christofer, leading her to make increasingly questionable and damaging decisions (not least, blackmailing her psychiatrist in order to increase her prescription dosage). Clearly, Kate needs to take some time to heal - but whether she will allow anyone to enforce this is another matter. Perhaps she needs a voice with higher authority than her - someone like the Doctor... The War Between the Land and the Sea is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who producer reveals how classic episode narrowly avoided "alarming" hospital incident
Producer Innes Lloyd oversaw a momentous time in Doctor Who history.
During his time on the early years of Doctor Who, producer Innes Lloyd witnessed the series narrowly avoid what he described as an "alarming" incident in British hospitals. Lloyd documented his thoughts about his life and work in personal notes that were found upon his death in 1991, which are the focus of new BBC Four documentary, Innes Lloyd: The Producer. In an exclusive clip shared with RadioTimes.com, one undated personal note from the 1970s sees him reflect on the violence in Doctor Who, particularly in one scene from The Underwater Menace. He said: "I think one was always aware of the violence because I had, at the time, very young children. "One incident that did alarm us at the time was in an episode where we showed one of the characters in the programme being given an injection. I've forgotten why. When it went out, a nurse rang up and said, 'Do you realise how many children will be coming into hospital and having injections today? Your programme has probably made them very afraid.'" However, as Lloyd recalled, the scenes had quite the opposite impact. "As it happened, that next day we had reports of children in hospital and doctor's surgeries, asking for injections like the ones shown in Doctor Who," the note adds. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Lloyd's tenure on Doctor Who began in 1966 and saw him oversee iconic serials like The Celestial Toymaker and The Gunfighters. He also oversaw the first ever regeneration, which saw William Hartnell hand the baton over to Patrick Troughton. The producer stayed with Doctor Who for two years, leaving in 1968, and handing over to Peter Bryant after The Enemy of the World. In 1991, Lloyd died of cancer at the age of 65, however his legacy continues to live on. The new documentary, narrated by Jane Asher, features excerpts from his interviews over the years and from his personal notes, as well as interviews with those close to him, including his wife, Susan Lloyd, and former Doctor Who star Frazer Hines. Innes Lloyd: The Producer will air on BBC Four on 23rd December at 8:25pm. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who's best 10 Christmas specials ranked – from The Christmas Invasion to The Church on Ruby Road
Missing the Doctor Who Christmas special this year? We've got you covered.
Dear reader, we have terrible news to impart. There will be no Doctor Who Christmas special this year. "Christmas won't be Christmas without Doctor Who!" we hear you shout. We agree! Luckily, there are masses of Christmas/festive specials from over the years to dive into. As a disclaimer, yes, these are technically all classed as festive specials, as they were released over the festive period. Incredibly, this year marks 20 years since the very first modern Christmas special, The Christmas Invasion (feeling old yet?). So, clearly, it's the perfect time to share what we think are the best of the best. And if you're desperate for something new? Check out all the details we have so far about the 2026 Christmas special, which will be written by showrunner Russell T Davies. Until then... 10. Spyfall (2020) Glossy, confident and unapologetically big, this James Bond-inspired opener gave Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor her most cinematic outing yet, with globe-trotting action, genuinely unsettling villains and a show-stopping cliffhanger. The episode smartly reintroduces the Doctor and her companions while making room for character moments, emotional fallout and a huge twist with the return of the Master (Sacha Dhawan) that instantly reshaped the era. Not festive, perhaps – and technically not a Christmas special at all, with Part One instead airing on New Year’s Day – but undeniably event television. - Morgan Jeffery 9. Twice Upon a Time (2017) Christmas is always a nice time to take stock and look forward with a sense of renewal. Steven Moffat certainly delivers this principle in spades with the final outing for Peter Capaldi’s contradictory and charismatic Twelfth Doctor as he comes face to face with the First Doctor, here played by the magnetic and transformative David Bradley. In an episode laced with nostalgia, Yuletide tragedy, and the emotive use of time travel, Twice Upon a Time certainly adds bittersweet final outing to Twelve’s canon. There’s also time for some final goodbyes to the likes of Bill Potts (the underrated Pearl Mackie) and the long-running companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman returning for an emotive cameo here). Get your tissues ready and prepare for a sweet rewatch and the end of an era (for Moffat too as his reign over the franchise came to an end) - Lewis Knight. 8. Voyage of the Damned (2007) What more do you need from a campy Christmas special than Kylie Minogue, the Titanic, and an endearing red alien named Bannakaffalatta? The 2007 Christmas followed followed David Tennant's Tenth Doctor as he steps aboard a spaceship called the Titanic, only to discover that someone has purposefully set it on a collision course with Earth and that robots dressed up like angels are going about killing people. Somehow, he and Kylie (excuse me, Astrid Perth) have to save humanity – and Christmas! It's a gloriously fun watch and still remains the most-watched Christmas special ever. Plus, keep an eye out for Bernard Cribbins's first appearance as our beloved Christmas-loving Wilf! - Louise Griffin. 7. The Snowmen (2012) Surely one of the most visually festive Christmas specials so far, The Snowmen manages to do a lot of things all at once, and do each of them exceptionally well. The episode has to tell a one-off, Christmas-centric story, while also introducing this version of Clara and setting up the character’s ongoing arc, as well as dealing with the fallout from the Doctor losing Amy and Rory. Throw in a terrific villain in the form of Richard E Grant’s Dr Simeon, and a best-ever appearance from the Paternoster Gang, and it all makes for a special which is oft-overlooked on many best-of lists, but really shouldn’t be - James Hibbs. 6. The Church on Ruby Road (2023) Christmas 2023 brought us the gift of a brand new Doctor – and what a gift he was! Ncuti Gatwa rocketed onto screens in The Church on Ruby Road, bringing all the energy and charm we could ever want from the Fifteenth Doctor. The festive tale saw the Doctor meet his new companion, foundling Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson) who, after an interview with none other than Davina McCall, finds herself running into a whole bunch of bad luck thanks to a hoard of ghastly goblins. Bringing fun, silliness, and even an unexpected musical number, courtesy of the iconic herself Janis Goblin (voiced by Christina Rotondo), The Church on Ruby Road was a stellar start to Gatwa's run as the Doctor - Louise Griffin. 5. The Runaway Bride (2006) Some Doctor Who moments stick in your memory forever and, "They had the reception without me?!" is one we certainly didn't forget in a hurry. Comedian Catherine Tate was a complete coup for Doctor Who, providing out and out hilarity in her first appearance as Donna Noble. Reluctantly teaming up with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor after she's unceremoniously teleported into the TARDIS, Donna discovers her fiancé Lance (Don Gilet) is in cahoots with the Racnoss Empress and plans to use Donna as a key to awaken the Racnoss children hibernating at the centre of the Earth. It's an unforgettable adventure, completely elevated by the glorious chemistry between Tennant and Tate, which would go on to define season 4 - Louise Griffin. 4. The End of Time Part 1 and 2 (2009/10) We have to admit that David Tennant’s swansong isn’t particularly Christmassy, but what it lacks in tinsel and turkey it more than makes up for in emotional heft. Bernard Cribbins gives his best-ever turn as Wilf, who is rightfully given a prominent role here, while John Simm brings the chaos as he reprises his role as the Master. It all leads up to what is perhaps Tennant’s finest hour, as he makes his devastating sacrifice. The farewell tour pre-regeneration and the Tenth Doctor’s reluctance to change may not be to every fan’s tempo, but there’s no doubt it was a bold, different take, a brilliant capper to the Time Lord Victorious arc, and it captured the audience sentiment perfectly. There really wasn’t a dry eye in the house when part 2 first aired back in 2010 – and there hasn’t been on any of the plentiful rewatches since. - James Hibbs. 3. Last Christmas (2014) Steven Moffat’s Last Christmas is a festive special that refuses to play it safe. Blending Yuletide whimsy with genuine horror, it filters Doctor Who through Inception-style dream logic and Alien-inspired scares, resulting in something far smarter than a throwaway seasonal romp. Nick Frost’s charming Santa adds warmth, but it’s the nightmarish Dream Crabs that linger in the memory. Crucially, the episode digs deep into the fractured relationship between the Doctor and Clara, using its dreamscape to explore grief, guilt and love. Funny, frightening and thoughtful, it proves Christmas Doctor Who can still have real bite - Morgan Jeffery 2. A Christmas Carol (2010) Steven Moffat declared that he'd "waited a lifetime" to write A Christmas Carol, and it's easy to see why. The showrunner's first festive special riffs on the Charles Dickens classic but smartly avoids just retreading old ground. Instead, the familiar tale serves as a loose template to frame an adventure that bounces around from dimly lit streets where fish lurk in the fog, to impending disaster on a spaceship carrying Amy and Rory, to a chilling basement of frozen loved ones. Matt Smith is at his fast-talking, big-hearted best, and the script perfectly balances moments of moving humanity with sci-fi silliness that would have been pure humbug in the hands of lesser TV series. After all, what other show could have you feeling emotional at the sight of Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins riding through the air on a rickshaw being pulled by a flying shark? - Christian Tobin. 1. The Christmas Invasion (2005) The very first Christmas special, by our estimations, simply can't be beaten. Companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), her incomparable mum Jackie (Camille Coduri), and boyfriend Mickey (Noel Clarke) are forced to try to save humanity from an alien invasion by the Sycorax, with the Doctor (David Tennant) out of action after his regeneration. The episode balances heart-racing tension with festive fun as Tennant's Doctor is introduced to the world – with a hint of the silliness that has come to be a staple of the Doctor Who Christmas special (who could forget Jackie Tyler almost being killed by a spinning Christmas tree?!). It's an absolute joy to watch and should be revisited at least once a year – if only to hear Murray Gold's beautiful Song for Ten again. Not only did The Christmas Invasion begin Tennant's beloved run as the Tenth Doctor, it immediately secured Doctor Who's status as an essential part of the Christmas TV schedule. Long may it continue! - Louise Griffin. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Beloved '60s sci-fi returning with new adventures as iconic British-American actress is cast
The Time Tunnel is set to take us on new adventures in audio form, with a sci-fi legend being cast in the series. Actress Sandra Dickinson will guest star in Irwin Allen’s The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time from Big Finish, with the boxset due for release in February 2026. Dickinson is known for roles including Trillian in the 1981 TV adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and has also appeared in the likes of The Tomorrow People and Thunderbirds Are Go, as well as Superman III, Space Truckers, and The Batman. She also happens to have a fair few connections to Doctor Who. She was married to Fifth Doctor actor Peter Davison for 16 years, and the pair share their daughter – none other than the Doctor's Daughter, Georgia Tennant! Of course, that also makes her mother-in-law to Tenth Doctor actor David Tennant. The box set will see Lewis Haworth (Seán Carlsen), MB (Safiyya Ingar), Cole Smith (Jay Reum), and Clare MacGregor (Rachel Handshaw) continue their quest throughout history, with Dickinson guest starring in the first episode, Family and Lies. She'll play Hazel Hawkins, a landlady to a young trans woman, Lily Dovecote (Kim Tatum) in Greenwich Village, New York, with the episode following the travellers arriving in Manhattan on the day before the Stonewall uprising. “It’s a part to die for! The woman I’m playing has a rich history of being a very good human being, a loving, caring person, and is a tough cookie, so it was really fun to play, and to use the New York accent, which has been in my mind for a long time. <a id="menuraan" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=radiotimes.com" href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=radiotimes.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google">Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google “The 1960s was an amazing time. It’s so apt at the moment to be talking about the LGBTQ rights movement. It’s really nice to hear how it all started off in New York. "And my dear son-in-law, David Tennant, has been standing up for them, bless him! So it’s a great one to have done.” The Time Tunnel first aired in 1966, and followed a top-secret government project to build an experimental time machine. Irwin Allen’s The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time is available to pre-order now at bigfinish.com for £19.99 (download to own) or £24.99 (download to own + collector’s edition 3-disc CD). Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea praised by Greenpeace: "Shows like this have a real superpower"
"Unlike Homo Aqua, the environment and all the magnificent life it supports do not have a voice."
The War Between the Land and the Sea has been praised by Greenpeace, with the non-profit organisation highlighting how TV has a "superpower" in being able to motivate audiences into taking action on environmental issues. The Doctor Who spin-off has explicitly tackled climate change, showing the classic Doctor Who monster, the Sea Devils (now known as Homo Aqua), emerging from the waters and confronting humanity about the state of the Earth's oceans, as well as demanding immediate action to reduce water pollution. One particularly striking shot at the end of episode 2 saw Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Salt remove all of the rubbish from the oceans and let it rain down on the streets, giving humanity a taste of their own medicine. Sharing a statement with RadioTimes.com, Greenpeace co-executive director Will McCallum said: "Shows like this have the power to visualise the unseen harm we inflict on our fragile planet. "Without special effects, it's hard to imagine the 460 million tons of plastic produced globally, or the 3.6 million hours’ worth of sewage spilled into rivers and seas in England alone last year. "Unlike Homo Aqua, the environment and all the magnificent life it supports do not have a voice. But the real superpower of shows like this is to move millions of viewers to sit up and do something about it. "When Greenpeace made a short film showing the plastic waste the UK exports to other countries falling on Downing Street, politicians took note and began calling for a Global Plastics Treaty." Russell Tovey, who stars as Barclay, has also been open about his hopes for how the series will be received - and how it could motivate viewers. <a id="menuraan" class="fui-Link ___1q1shib f2hkw1w f3rmtva f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1s184ao f1mk8lai fnbmjn9 f1o700av f13mvf36 f1cmlufx f9n3di6 f1ids18y f1tx3yz7 f1deo86v f1eh06m1 f1iescvh fhgqx19 f1olyrje f1p93eir f1nev41a f1h8hb77 f1lqvz6u f10aw75t fsle3fq f17ae5zn" title="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=radiotimes.com" href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=radiotimes.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google">Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/08/539619-72a4712.jpg" width="4743" height="3162" alt="Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge Stewart, Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim and Mei Mac as Min Tso in The War Between the Land and the Sea. They are all stood by computers, Min is holding a tablet and they are looking shocked and distressed at something off screen." title="539619" /> "I would want [viewers] to feel activated and angry," he recently told Radio Times. "I hope that there will be a whole generation who will watch this and feel that this is going to inspire them to do something. I hope, through the humanising of what the hell is happening on our planet, it will do what David Attenborough does, but through drama, to compel people to wake up and recognise that we have to do something about this." Showrunner Davies also didn't mince his words, adding: "One of the most boring things you can ever say to a writer is, ‘Don’t be preachy. "Quite a few religions have been based for thousands of years upon preaching. It’s not bad as a system, it works. The truth is, I don’t have to get on a high horse at all. If I’m writing about the oceans in 2025, then they really are filthy and stinking and half-destroyed. I would be lying if I didn’t mention these things. It’s only politically engaged because it has no choice." The War Between the Land and the Sea will end on Sunday 21st December. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Add The War Between the Land and the Sea to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Avatar 3: Release date, cast, trailer and latest news for Fire and Ash
It's a good week to be an Avatar fan – and if the staggering box office results achieved by the first two films are anything to go by, those are not in short supply. The third entry in James Cameron's epic sci-fi arrives in cinemas in just a matter of days, three years after the second film secured another mammoth hit for the world's most reliably successful commercial filmmaker, and we'd expect it to once again rake in huge amounts of cash. That's despite some rather mixed reviews for the new film. Although our own 4-star verdict was very much on the positive side, some of the write-ups in other publications have been far less enthusiastic, with the film earning just one-star from The Telegraph and the BBC and two-stars each from The Times and The Guardian. Still, if you were a fan of the previous film then you probably needn't worry too much: this latest trip to Pandora looks likely to give you more of the same, as well as some bonus treats. One of the exciting new additions comes in the shape of a new Na'vi clan known as the Ash People, who are led by Oona Chaplin's antagonist Varang, whom the star told Radio Times is a "magnificent beast of a lady." Of course, Cameron has long been vocal about making as many as five Avatar films in total, but recently he has started to manage expectations as to just how likely that plan is to come to fruition. Indeed, he even told us that this film could end the franchise – so fans should really relish this trip to Pandora as much as they can, just in case this really is their final visit. Ahead of the release, fans have been treated to a number of trailers hinting at another rich visual experience, while they've also been told to expect a personal film that taps into Cameron's own experiences with grief. Meanwhile, it's also been confirmed that the film will once again be an epic not just in scale but in length, with a runtime of more than three-hours revealed ahead of release. Read on for everything you need to know about Avatar: Fire and Ash. Avatar: Fire and Ash release date Avatar: Fire and Ash will arrive in UK cinemas on Friday 19th December 2025 – so really not long to wait at all. That's one year later than the initially announced date of 20th December 2024, and comes three years after the previous instalment, The Way of Water – a significantly shorter gap between films than the 13-year wait fans had to endure for the second entry. At present, the as-yet-untitled fourth and fifth entries in the saga are scheduled to arrive in December 2029 and December 2031 respectively, although those could obviously be pushed back – or cancelled entirely – due to any number of factors. Avatar 3 cast: Who stars in Fire and Ash? The confirmed cast for Fire and Ash is: Sam Worthington as Jake Sully Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri Sigourney Weaver as Kiri Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore Britain Dalton as Lo'ak Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro Bailey Bass as Tsireya Kate Winslet as Ronal Jemaine Clement as Dr Ian Garvin Michelle Yeoh as Dr Karina Mogue CCH Pounder as Mo’at Cliff Curtis as Tonowari Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet Oona Chaplin as Varang Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge Joel David Moore as Dr Norm Spellman Dileep Rao as Dr Max Patel Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby Filip Geljo as Ao'nung Duane Evans Jr as Rotxo David Thewlis as Peylak Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña reprised their roles from the original film for The Way of Water – and there's no surprise that they'll be back once again on this occasion. Worthington previously told Variety of returning for The Way of Water: "We were doing something that had never been done before. "But Jim and I get along because I’m fearless. If he asks me to, I’m going to dive in. I’m good at putting aside all the mechanics and just focusing on, 'What does the boss need me to do?'" Meanwhile, the film also introduced a host of new characters, including Sigourney Weaver's Kiri. Fans were surprised to see the actress voicing a teenager, but she relished the role and will again be back this time around. She told USA Today: "I was just sitting on the side (of the classroom) listening to the pitch of the voices: everything from a childlike voice to an adult voice." Meanwhile, Kate Winslet will also be back in her role as Ronal, while younger stars Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion and Bailey Bass will once again be pivotal to events as the younger generation of Na'vi. And there's plenty of new faces joining for the third instalment as well, with David Thewlis the biggest name to be making his maiden voyage to Pandora – but it's Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin who as the most significant new role in the film as antagonist Varang. Meanwhile, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has been confirmed to be joining the cast for subsequent instalments, but Cameron has explained that she won't be involved until the fourth instalment – so don't expect to see her here. And with that film now in a little more doubt than it was previously, perhaps Yeoh will never actually become part of the Avatar universe – we'll just have to wait and see. Avatar 3 plot: What will happen in Fire and Ash? 20th Century Studios understandably haven't released too many plot details for the film just yet, the studio has released an intriguing synopsis – and it certainly looks like the action is going to go up another notch for this entry. "One year after settling in with the Metkayina Clan, Jake and Neytiri's family grapples with grief after Neteyam's death," the synopsis reads. "Eventually, they encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences." Actor Jack Champion previously told The Hollywood Reporter of the upcoming film: "I was very shocked by it. It just takes a hard left turn, and that’s not a bad thing. You think you know where it’s going, but then a wrecking ball comes. "So you’re completely like, 'Oh wow, I never thought that would’ve happened.' You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures. So I think it’s even better than Avatar 2. Collectively, they’ll each get better." Meanwhile speaking at the 2024 D23 Expo, Cameron teased: "It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before. We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love." Animators Richard Baneham and Joe Letteri previously opened up to RadioTimes.com about the movie. "It's fair to say we are expanding the world and you will be exposed to different biomes and new tribes," Baneham explained. "And that was the idea even behind this one," added Letteri. "A lot of people asked after the first one, where is Jim [Cameron] going to take it? But his idea – and he's talked about this – is that it's a big planet and there are a lot of stories to tell. And I think that's what's great about it is we have this license to explore." Is there a trailer for Avatar 3? Yes! The action-packed first trailer for the film arrived in July 2025 – five months ahead of releasee – and contains plenty of the visual splendour we've come to expect from Cameron. A second trailer then followed in September, which you can watch below. View Green Video on the source website Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for release on Friday 19th December 2025. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Fallout season 2 cast: Full list of actors in Prime Video's adaptation
The epic streaming series continues to be one of the best live-action video game adaptations to date.
Fallout season 2 has exploded onto Prime Video, bringing the iconic video game location of New Vegas into live-action as the post-apocalyptic odyssey of Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) continues. The plucky former vault dweller enters a shaky pact with seasoned mercenary The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) in season 2, as she follows the trail of her father, who isn't the plainly heroic figure she once imagined. Aaron Moten (Maximus), Kyle MacLachlan (Hank) and Frances Turner (Barb) are among the other returning faces, while Justin Theroux joins the roster as video game antagonist Robert House. He appeared in the season 2 premiere, streaming now on Prime Video, but other high-profile additions Macaulay Culkin (American Horror Story) and Kumail Nanjiani (Only Murders in the Building) are still waiting in the wings. Read on for your reintroduction to the Fallout cast as season 2 airs on Prime Video. Fallout season 2 cast: Full list of characters and actors View Green Video on the source website Here's an overview of the Fallout season 2 cast members on Prime Video – read on for more details on the key characters and the actors playing them, including where you might have seen them before. Ella Purnell plays Lucy MacLean Aaron Moten plays Maximus Walton Goggins plays The Ghoul/Cooper Howard Kyle MacLachlan plays Hank MacLean Leslie Uggams plays Betty Zach Cherry plays Woody Thomas Frances Turner as Barb Annabel O'Hagan as Steph Matt Berry plays Mr Handy Justin Theroux plays Robert House Chris Parnell plays Ben Sarita Choudhury plays Moldaver Xelia Mendes-Jones as Dane Mike Doyle as Mr Spencer Moisés Arias as Norm MacLean Johnny Pemberton as Thaddeus Cherien Dabis as Birdie Dale Dickey as Ma June Dave Register as Chet Rodrigo Luzzi as Reg McPhee Kumail Nanjiani as TBC Macaulay Culkin as TBC Ella Purnell plays Lucy MacLean Who is Lucy? Lucy is a young woman who lived in one of many underground vaults dotted around post-apocalyptic America, designed to protect inhabitants from nuclear radiation on the surface. In spite of the near-total collapse of society, she maintains a remarkably optimistic attitude to life. However, that has been tested since unforeseen circumstances forced her to venture out of the relative safety of her bunker. During the first season, she learnt that her father is not the man she believed him to be, and is now seeking to bring him to justice. To this end, she has entered an uneasy alliance with a mercenary known as The Ghoul. What else has Ella Purnell been in? Purnell recently starred in nightmarish Paramount Plus thriller Yellowjackets and Zack Snyder's Netflix zombie flick Army of the Dead. Earlier gigs include ITV's Belgravia and the Tim Burton-directed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, as well as voice roles in Arcane, Invincible and Star Trek: Prodigy. In addition to Fallout, she currently stars in Sky's darkly comic drama Sweetpea, where she plays an unassuming serial killer. Walton Goggins plays The Ghoul/Cooper Howard Who is The Ghoul/Cooper Howard? In a previous life, Cooper Howard was an actor and spokesperson for the Vault-Tec company. Hundreds of years later, he stalks the wasteland as a ruthless mercenary – but not without honour. We see both distinct eras of his life in Fallout, which Walton Goggins described as an "extraordinary opportunity" for him as an actor. He explained: "It took understanding who Howard is to live in a moment of eternal optimism and positivity... of American exceptionalism and being a product of that environment, to seeing the worst that the world has to offer [as The Ghoul]. "[He's] kind of a modern day hero anti-hero, he's like a cynical superhero. That seems like his power. He fell a long way, and he's seen a lot. And as the story progresses, you'll see how it's affected him even greater." What else has Walton Goggins been in? Goggins recently gave a celebrated performance in The White Lotus season 3, where he appeared opposite Sex Education alum Aimee Lou Wood. Previously, he was best known for roles on crime dramas The Shield and Justified, including its recent follow-up series City Primeval. He currently voices Cecil on Prime Video animated series Invincible. On the big screen, you may have seen his supporting roles in Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Aaron Moten plays Maximus Who is Maximus? Maximus is a soldier who fights for a paramilitary group known as the Brotherhood of Steel, who he sincerely believes can bring order to the wild and unruly wasteland. He'll do anything to help further their goals, but is his devotion misplaced? The brutality of the cult-like organisation has caused him to question his allegiance at times. In season 2, we'll learn more about how he came to be mixed up with them in the first place and see Maximus continue down a path of self-discovery and soul-searching. What else has Aaron Moten been in? Moten has previously appeared in HBO's The Night Of, Prime Video's Mozart in the Jungle and Netflix's Disjointed. On the big screen, he starred in Mark Wahlberg's Father Stu and Will Smith's Emancipation. Kyle MacLachlan plays Hank MacLean Who is Hank? Hank is Lucy's father and was a so-called 'overseer' in their vault – the leader, to put it simply. This sought-after role has been interpreted differently by various individuals in the Fallout universe, with some taking a relaxed, advisory approach and others seizing their chance to wield absolute power. Hank had appeared to be firmly in the former category, but season 1 revealed he isn't as wholesome as he first appears. Speaking of his character's worldview, MacLachlan said: "It appears that he's doing something nefarious, and he kind of is, but he's also doing it because he really believes in the mission [and] the company. To him, he's trying to do something good. It's just his methodology is flawed." What else has Kyle MacLachlan been in? MacLachlan is known for his collaborations with director David Lynch, including cult television series Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and the original screen adaptation of Dune. His other TV credits include Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, while he also voices Riley's father in Pixar's Inside Out films. Most recently, he appeared in the Charli XCX-produced Prime Video sitcom Overcompensating, which has been renewed for a second season. Frances Turner plays Barb Who is Barb? Barb was Cooper's wife in his pre-Ghoul days. In season 1, as the mercenary dug deeper into his previous (and largely forgotten) life, he learned that his ostensibly sweet spouse was actually a key architect of the apocalypse. What else has Frances Turner been in? Fans of sci-fi may recognise Turner from X-Men spin-off The Gifted or Prime Video's edgy superhero series The Boys. She has also appeared in medical drama New Amsterdam and the final three After films (a set of romantic dramas on Prime Video). Justin Theroux plays Robert House Who is Robert House? Robert House is a big tech boss, who will go to any length to achieve his self-serving goals. Executive producer Nolan explained: "House is your all-powerful technocrat; measured, diabolical, protective. He's sort of this cautionary tale [or] fantasia and an amalgam of characters we're fascinated by – and he's delicious fun. I know as a fan of the game I would be disappointed if he didn't make an appearance." What else has Justin Theroux been in? Theroux is best known for roles in Six Feet Under, The Leftovers and The Mosquito Coast. In the past year, he appeared in Netflix sitcom Running Point and detective drama Poker Face. He is the cousin of famous documentary maker Louis Theroux. Matt Berry plays Mr Handy / Sebastian Leslie Who is Mr Handy? Mr Handy is a robotic assistant typically used by the overseer of a vault to perform helpful tasks and defend attacks from the wasteland. Berry's other role is Sebastian Leslie, a pre-war actor who lent his voice to the robot units, and was a peer of Goggins' Cooper Howard. What else has Matt Berry been in? After rising to fame in the UK through comedy projects like Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, The IT Crowd, Toast of London and Year of the Rabbit, Berry went on to find international success on FX's What We Do in the Shadows. Sarita Choudhury plays Moldaver Who is Moldaver? The central antagonist in the show, after taking Lucy's father, Hank, hostage. What else has Sarita Choudhury been in? Choudhury is known for hit thrillers Homeland and Marvel's Jessica Jones, as well as comedy-drama And Just Like That.... She also played Egeria in the two-part The Hunger Games: Mockingjay adaptation and starred opposite Dev Patel in The Green Knight. Annabel O'Hagan plays Steph Who is Steph? At the start of season 1, Steph is introduced as a close friend to Lucy. They go their separate ways after their vault is attacked in a violent raid, during which Steph suffers a horrific injury. Fortunately, she lives to tell the tale and goes on to become overseer at a different vault. What else has Annabel O'Hagan been in? O'Hagan has previously appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Moisés Arias plays Norm Who is Norm? Norm is Lucy's brother. When we first met him, he was notably more timid – perhaps even cowardly – but season 1's events forced him out of his comfort zone as he uncovered shocking truths about his family. Alas, those revelations landed him in jail. Fallout co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet said: "[Norm] is a character that we really love because he's something of a detective. He's quietly courageous and is always trying to uncover deeper and deeper secrets about the place where he lives and what is really happening in his vault." What else has Moisés Arias been in? Arias is best known for playing Rico in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Leslie Uggams plays Betty Who is Betty? A resident of Vault 33 and an authoritative member of their committee. What else has Leslie Uggams been in? Uggams's career spans decades, with credits including the original 1977 Roots drama, plus more recent hits including Fox's Empire and NBC's New Amsterdam. On the big screen, she recently featured in Academy Award winner American Fiction, and is also known for playing Blind Al in the Deadpool films. Zach Cherry plays Woody Thomas Who is Woody? Woody is a resident of Vault 33 and another member of their decision-making panel. What else has Zach Cherry been in? Cherry is known for playing Dylan in the Apple TV+ thriller Severance and Kevin in HBO comedy-drama Crashing. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has played the small cameo role of Klev in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Shang-Chi. Other big screen projects include Julia Louis-Dreyfus's acclaimed You Hurt My Feelings. Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video. Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime Video and pay £8.99 a month after that. Add Fallout to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The War Between the Land and the Sea overnight ratings revealed for devastating new episodes
The Doctor Who spin-off aired a double bill on Sunday 14th December.
*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea episodes 3 and 4.* The latest overnight ratings for The War Between the Land and the Sea have officially been unveiled. The Doctor Who spin-off aired a devastating double bill of episodes on Sunday 14th December, which saw a major character's sudden demise. It's now been confirmed that episode 3, The Deep, averaged 2.45 million viewers, while episode 4, The Witch of the Waterfall, brought in an average of 1.7 million viewers. That shows a drop of about 370,000 viewers from last week's launch episodes. The overnight figures must be taken with a pinch of salt (if you will) as they do not include any viewers who watched the episodes on catch-up. Episode 3 saw Russell Tovey's Barclay make a descent into the land of the Homo Aqua on Salt's (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) demand, with a certain member of his party making a destructive decision that puts the entire world at risk. Meanwhile, episode 4 followed Barclay and Salt as their relationship deepened while on the run, with Jemma Redgrave's Kate Lethbridge Stewart mourning a heartbreaking loss. Fans are now awaiting the all-important finale episode, with showrunner Russell T Davies previously teasing a dramatic post-credits scene. He told RadioTimes.com: "I will say, stay tuned for the very end, keep watching, adding: “That doesn't mean... that sounds like the Doctor appears – that's not what happens! But within the story, the credits start to roll... keep watching!” The showrunner went on to say: “It's one of the most powerful endings within the most amazing performance from one of this cast you'll ever see.” Watch this space! The War Between the Land and the Sea concludes on 21st December. Add The War Between the Land and the Sea to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The War Between the Land and the Sea has sacrificed one key character - and here's why it's the right call
While the events of the episode were heartbreaking, they were necessary.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea episode 3. In mere moments, The War Between the Land and the Sea has changed everything for one Doctor Who character - and, while it may be a heartbreaking watch, it was definitely the right call. So far, the Doctor Who spin-off has massively proven its worth by finally developing the character of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, and the devastating events of episode 3 have amped this up in a big way. First portrayed by Beverley Cressman, Kate was reimagined by Chris Chibnall in the 2012 episode The Power of Three, being played by Jemma Redgrave, and she's remained a constant in the Whoniverse ever since, becoming the commander-in-chief of UNIT. But, in those 13 years, what have we actually learnt about Kate? Despite her longevity in the Whoniverse, Kate is one of the most underdeveloped major characters, with audiences knowing little to nothing about her life outside of being UNIT's commander-in-chief and the daughter carrying on the legacy of Nicholas Courtney's Brigadier. As Redgrave herself alluded to in a recent interview with RadioTimes.com, the most we ever really learn about Kate's backstory is a passing mention of her being a divorcee and an "outstanding bridge player" in the episode Death in Heaven. For a character that's been around for over a decade, it's not exactly much to go on. It's not hard to see why Kate has often been sidelined in the main show - seasons of Doctor Who are incredibly time-limited and the priority must be developing the relationship between the Doctor and the companion, not the ins and outs of UNIT's personnel. But to finally see such a long-serving figure get her time to shine is a huge relief - even if it is at the expense of another character. While not everyone loved romance between Kate and Colonel Christofer Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient), being confirmed in episodes 1 and 2, it showed us a different side of UNIT's commander-in-chief - a woman conflicted about how how her relationship and her work can co-exist, not to mention the issue of the age difference and the power dynamic which she was clearly grappling with. We see even more of Kate in episode 3, after war is declared. This time, she's at her limit, exhausted and battle-weary, yet refusing to rest despite her sleep deprivation as Barclay (Russell Tovey) and co descended to the ocean floor on their diplomatic mission. Notably, it's only an intervention from Christofer that gets her to return home and rest, as he shows deep concern for her. But, after that relationship was built up, it's been swiftly ripped away with Christofer's sudden and tragic death at the hands of the assassin, who was aiming to kill Kate herself. It's the most significant death in the Whoniverse for quite some time, driving home just how much danger the world is in in the new spin-off. After Kate was sidelined for so long in Doctor Who, I felt that she deserved more in The War Between than just giving her a home life. But sacrificing Christofer? That has set the stage for an interesting internal conflict for Kate, who somehow has to help humanity through a world-threatening crisis while clearly spiralling after a deeply painful personal loss. And that is certainly something to work with. She also has to manage the destructive wills of the world leaders around her, while grappling with her survivor's guilt, knowing that that bullet was meant for her, and the trauma of seeing the man she loves - seemingly the only person who could get through to her - die in her arms. Presumably, we're now set to see her torn between what's right for humanity, and her personal vengeance. Already, in the wake of Christofer's death, Redgrave has been able to show so much more range as an actress in a way that completely outshines what she's been working with before, and I'm excited to see that continue. For more than a decade, Kate's main role in Doctor Who has been carrying the legacy of the Brigadier. Now, finally, we get to see her shine on her own. That, for me, is worth the sacrifice of another character - and worth the wait. The War Between the Land and the Sea will end on Sunday 21st December. Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. 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