Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea praised by Greenpeace: "Shows like this have a real superpower"

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.

"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.

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