Russell T Davies wants to "show the BBC" the Doctor Who universe's potential with new spin-off
It's the Whoniverse's first spin-off in years.
As spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea nears, Russell T Davies has explained he wants to show off what the Doctor Who universe is capable of to the BBC.
It's a crucial time for Doctor Who, with it recently being announced that the BBC's deal with Disney is no more. While the Doctor won't be back on our screens until Christmas 2026, The War Between is this year's festive offering.
Showrunner Davies has given fans a tease about what to expect, telling Empire: "I wanted to show the BBC what this universe is capable of. And the potential that it has, and the punch that it can deliver.
"It’s very 2025 in its bones. We even deal with the water companies and their profiteering bosses laughing in our faces. In a series about the water you have to!”
The War Between the Land and the Sea will follow everyman Barclay (played by Russell Tovey) as he's drawn into attempting to prevent a major conflict involving the classic 1972 monsters the Sea Devils (although, according to Davies, we should no longer be calling them by that name!).
The five-part series, which will begin airing on 7th December, will see him meet Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Salt, with the pair forming an unexpected connection.
Davies previously opened up to Radio Times about how the series is set to tackle the climate crisis, explaining: "I think every writer in the world is thinking, how do you write about the climate crisis? We’re already in a climate war. This just dramatises it.
"When they first approached me about coming back to Doctor Who in 2021, this was the first bit of my pitch," he added. "I had this idea separately first.
"But weirdly, it needs the Doctor Who setting. If I just go and pitch this cold, saying, ‘There is a race of creatures that live in the sea…' They’d say, 'Really? You sure?' The pre-existence of the Sea Devils takes all the problems out of it."
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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.
