Doctor Who boss claims upcoming spin-off series is "even better than we thought it was"
Details are slowly emerging about the long-awaited spin-off.
After Doctor Who season 15 ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, Russell T Davies is looking ahead to the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, describing it as "absolutely brilliant".
Details are slowly starting to emerge about the spin-off, which will follow UNIT as they attempt to prevent a global threat caused by the return of iconic Doctor Who monsters the Sea Devils.
Showrunner Davies recently said of the five-part series: “I’m immensely proud of it. I think it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s like we had a good idea.”
He added on the Pilot TV podcast: “Sometimes you finish a show and they’re like, ‘Great, good, we did a really good job.’
"Sometimes they go through post-production where everything comes in. You work on the effects, on the music and the grading of it.
"Sometimes magic happens — and it’s happening with this. It’s even better than we thought it was! I’m delighted with it.”
While The War Between was previously thought to be scheduled to air before the end of 2025, Davies said a release date is still "up in the air" – so we could be waiting longer than we previously thought.
The show will be led by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (playing a Sea Devil named Salt) and Russell Tovey (who will play a man named Barclay).
They'll be joined by fellow cast members and UNIT legends Jemma Redgrave (Kate Steart) Alexander Devrient (Colonel Ibrahim), and Ruth Madeley (Shirley Bingham).
Davies' comments come at an uncertain time for Doctor Who, with fans still awaiting a decision from Disney about whether more series of the sci-fi will be commissioned.
During the Pilot TV interview, Davies insisted there's nothing to report on that front just yet – although BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell has previously reassured fans that the BBC remains "really committed" to the show.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will air on BBC One on BBC iPlayer.
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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.
