The War Between the Land and the Sea: Release date speculation for Doctor Who spin-off

We got a dramatic trailer for the five-part miniseries after The Reality War aired, with this new show marking the first fully fledged spin-off, barring the delightful vignettes of Tales of the TARDIS, since 2016's Class.

But what is The War Between the Land and the Sea about, who is set to star in it and when is it likely to be released? Read on for everything you need to know.

When will The War Between the Land and the Sea be released?

The War Between the Land and the Sea is expected to be released in 2025, but no official release date has yet been announced.

Filming on the miniseries began in August 2024 and finished in December, and a previous issue of Doctor Who Magazine from 2024 reported that it would arrive "next year".

We'll keep this page updated if and when we get any further information regarding the show's release.

A week after the show was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, executive producer Jane Tranter told Deadline: "We announced last week that we’re doing The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is the first time there’s a miniseries within the whole universe. So we’re thrilled that the BBC and Disney Plus have awarded us that to do."

When the show was first announced, Russell T Davies said: "I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake the Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble."

Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, added: "The War Between the Land and the Sea is another utterly unique and gripping drama from Russell T Davies, and we’re delighted to welcome the show to the Whoniverse!

"Featuring a stellar cast, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw taking on leading roles, this brand new epic miniseries will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch UNIT take on one of their biggest battles to save humanity."

What will The War Between the Land and the Sea be about?

The War Between the Land and the Sea will be a five-part miniseries set in the Whoniverse, written by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies along with Pete McTighe, who previously wrote the Thirteenth Doctor episodes Kerblam! and Praxeus, and Fifteenth Doctor instalment Lucky Day.

All five episodes will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, who previously directed season 14 episodes 73 Yards and Dot and Bubble.

The official synopsis says: "When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war."

Announcing the show in Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Davies said of the series: "What happens when the Doctor isn't in town? That's what this show is about. How does the world cope?

"And so, we've got a five-part spin-off coming called The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is the story of the Sea Devils from Doctor Who, who were originally from 1972.

"There's a race that lives beneath the oceans, they wake up and they see the state of the oceans that we have put it in. We have wrecked the place, and it is war. And it's war on an epic scale."

The Sea Devils last appeared in Doctor Who in 2022's The Legend of the Sea Devils, a Thirteenth Doctor episode. It marked their first appearance in the revived series.

Who will star in The War Between the Land and the Sea?

The first four cast members for The War Between the Land and the Sea were announced on 26th July, 2024.

The spin-off will be led by Doctor Who alumni Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Russell Tovey, who previously played Tish Jones and Midshipman Alonso Frame - however, neither of them will be reprising their roles, and instead will be playing new characters.

Tovey will be playing Barclay, while Mbatha-Raw will be playing a Sea Devil called Salt. She is seen in the trailer, while Tovey previously teased her impressive acting underneath prosthetics.

They will be joined in the series by Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient, who will be reprising their Who roles as UNIT boss Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT staff member Colonel Ibrahim.

Further casting was confirmed on 23rd August, following a table read for the series, with Ruth Madeley reprising her role as UNIT's scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingham in the spin-off.

Though fans might have anticipated Shirley's appearance, more surprising was the return of Colin McFarlane as General Austin Pierce, a role he last played in the 2009 miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth – 15 years ago.

Also included in the cast, in currently undisclosed roles, are Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, Vincent Franklin, Waleed Hammad, Iestyn Arwel, Hannah Donaldson, Manpreet Bachu and Ann Akinjirin.

It is, of course, possible we could see some appearances from more Doctor Who stars. However, given that we're currently in between Doctors, we're not expecting an appearance from Ncuti Gatwa (or Billie Piper) unless some timey-wimey shenanigans are involved.

Is there a trailer for The War Between the Land and the Sea?

There is! A trailer was released for the series following the end of the most recent Doctor Who season finale, The Reality War, which introduces us to a number of the key players, but is light on story detail.

You can watch that right here now.

The War Between the Land and the Sea will air on BBC One on BBC iPlayer.

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