The War Between the Land and the Sea review: Doctor Who spin-off could turn the tide for the Whoniverse

This review is based on episodes 1 and 2 of The War Between the Land and the Sea.

At such a crucial time for Doctor Who, it was either sink or swim for spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea. Thankfully, the series stays afloat in a way that Doctor Who hasn't always managed of late.

The five-part series, the title of which I'm going to have to abbreviate for fear of using up my entire word count with just a few mentions, follows Russell Tovey's Barclay Pierre-Dupont, who's just your average bloke (albeit one with a rather aristocratic name), a junior staffer at UNIT who usually spends his days arranging transport for the powers-that-be in the organisation.

But, after a series of unlikely events that see him replace a much more senior recruit on a top secret mission, he witnesses a horrifying incident, which leads to an encounter with a species that has secretly been inhabiting the oceans of our planet. And, quite understandably, they are not happy.

Before long, Barclay comes face-to-face with the leader of this species, Salt (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and is thrust into the spotlight as, to every politician, diplomat and world leader's chagrin, he's dragged into attempting to stop a major inter-species conflict. No pressure, then.

At a first thought, the Sea Devils might seem a strange choice to bring back for a full spin-off, especially when compared to other iconic foes like the Daleks and Cybermen. At one point, it was also reported that The War Between was going to be an anthology show about various different Who monsters, with some fans being disappointed when this turned out not to be the case.

Despite that, focusing the show on the creatures, which made their first appearance in 1972, works better than you might expect. The War Between grabs the opportunity to expand on the lore of the Sea Devils, and bring them into the modern era in a way that not only brings something special for Doctor Who fans and new viewers alike, but thoughtfully comments on the urgency of the climate crisis – something the show has to be commended for.

Because dedicating the latest instalment in a major British franchise to broadcasting the message that we are in the midst of a urgent and terrifying climate emergency is a bold move – and a risky one. And, although Doctor Who has never shied away from topics like climate change, the impact of the series could be far greater than just a singular episode of the main show, which might be quickly forgotten about.

Showrunner Russell T Davies has been honest about the fact that this spin-off was a big reason why he wanted to return to Doctor Who in the first place – and it shows. Already, in the first two episodes, the writing is much sharper than in recent seasons of Doctor Who. There are still some clumsy moments, but on the whole, it's emotive, funny, and gives the actors, especially Tovey, plenty to work with in a short space of time.

Tovey's character Barclay also benefits from the type of character development that we all loved about RTD's first Doctor Who era. By the end of the first episode, he's a fully fleshed out character. We don't just know his life story – we also get to know his ex-wife, Barbara (Ann Akinjirin), and his teenage daughter Kirby (Cat Gannon), a crucial addition that grounds the story beautifully.

Unfortunately, the same can't really be said for Kate Lethbridge Stewart, who we also learn more about. While Jemma Redgrave gives a fantastic performance, including a gloriously fierce entrance into the show, it's rather difficult to care about the ins and outs of her personal life, with those scenes being some of the weakest so far.

Much more gripping are the negotiation scenes in the stunning Empress Hall, which the series thankfully dedicates plenty of time to. While plenty of characters are present, they ultimately boil down to a two-hander between Tovey and Mbatha-Raw, which is glorious to watch. While Mbatha-Raw is slightly underused in the first episodes, there's a big indication in the second episode that we're about to see a whole lot more of her and her world – so watch this space!

It's not perfect, and there are still some jarring moments that let the script down, including one particularly silly scene in episode 2, as the action really amps up. But, ultimately, so far, The War Between does what it desperately needed to do, and stands on its own as a successful new entry in the Whoniverse.

Of course, there are three more episodes to come, and anything could happen in that time. But, for now, even if you're a little disillusioned with Doctor Who, The War Between is worth a watch. You just might want to avoid eating fish for a good while afterwards.

The War Between the Land and the Sea is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7th December.

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