The War Between the Land and the Sea finale's overnight ratings revealed after tragic conclusion
The dramatic conclusion to the Doctor Who spin-off is here.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The War Between the Land and the Sea.
The overnight ratings for the last episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea have officially been revealed.
The final episode of the Doctor Who spin-off, The End of the War, averaged 1.79 million viewers during its broadcast on BBC One on Sunday 21st December.
That's very consistent with the figure from episode 4, which averaged 1.70 million viewers. The overnight figures must be taken with a pinch of salt as they do not include any viewers who watched the episodes on catch-up.
The final episode of the five-part spin-off saw the devastating reveal that a faction of humans had committed genocide against Homo Aqua, killing 90% of their population, decimating the species and leaving them terrified of humanity.
In a heartbreaking scene, Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) faced Barclay (Russell Tovey) for a final diplomatic meeting in the Empress Hall, with the pair unable to speak freely to each other.
However, a surprise came at the end of the episode, with it being revealed that Barclay's brain and body chemistry have changed, allowing him to develop gills and escape into the oceans with Salt.
Meanwhile, Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) is clearly spiralling following the death of Colonel Christofer Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient), with a credits scene showing her pointing a gun at a runner who refuses to pick up a plastic water bottle after littering.
Doctor Who fans will now have a while to wait until the show is back on screens, with showrunner Russell T Davies set to pen a Christmas special for 2026.
Looking for something to tide you over in the meantime? It's the perfect time to delve into Doctor Who's vast history of Christmas specials, with RadioTimes.com's team of superfans ranking our favourites!
Doctor Who will return for Christmas 2026. The War Between the Land and the Sea is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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.
