Doctor Who spin-off star Russell Tovey says show will give you "palpitations" – as he reveals key difference to main show
Prepare for The War Between the Land and the Sea.
As the wait continues for Doctor Who's upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, star Russell Tovey has given us plenty to look forward to.
The actor, who's leading the cast of the spin-off alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw, raved about the series at Edinburgh TV Festival, promising "heart palpitations" for viewers.
He said: "You can expect heart palpitations. You can expect love. Again, I keep going back to that, it's driven by love. This guy [Tovey's character Barclay] loves his life, loves his family, and will do anything to protect them. You're going to be moved and entertained with this."
Tovey also opened up about the main difference between the spin-off and the main show, saying: "It's set in this world and this force comes upon us. I feel like that's different, in some ways, to the way that Doctor Who has been before, because it's always [us] visiting them, whereas this is like Independence Day.
"That's what sort of drew me to it, is that it's our world, and this impending danger is thrust upon us."
During a panel with Rylan, Tovey also revealed that climate change will play a big part in the series.
While details about the show's release date have been thin on the ground recently, Kate Phillips, the BBC's director of content, has also now confirmed that it will air next year.
While assuring fans about the future of the main show, she said: "Rest assured Doctor Who is going nowhere. Disney has been a great partnership and it continues with The War Between The Land and the Sea next year."
The spin-off will follow Tovey's "everyman" character Barclay as he's drawn into attempting to prevent a world-threatening conflict with iconic Doctor Who monsters, the Sea Devils.
Alongside Tovey, the series will star Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt, with Doctor Who stars including Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart) and Ruth Madeley (Shirley Bingham) reprising their roles.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2026.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
