Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea finally confirms start date - with extra treat for fans
The five-part spin-off is now just weeks away.
Just a week after it was confirmed that new Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea would be airing sooner than expected, and coming to BBC One and iPlayer this year, we now know exactly when it will debut – and there are just a matter of weeks left to wait.
It has now been confirmed that the five-part series will debut on Sunday 7th December 2025, meaning Whovians can mark their calendars now. The series will debut with a double bill, too!
Russell T Davies, the series' showrunner and writer, added: “We’re so proud to launch this show at the height of the schedules - and then all five episodes will combine to make a terrific box set to watch over the Christmas holidays!”
While Doctor Who more traditionally airs on a Saturday, the show and its spin-offs aren't strangers to Sunday releases. Who itself aired on Sundays all throughout Jodie Whittaker's era, while the first season of the spin-off show Torchwood did the same.
Viewers outside of the UK will have to wait a while longer for the series, as it will debut on Disney+ in 2026, marking the official end of Disney's deal to co-produce and distribute Doctor Who.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will star Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jemma Redgrave, and will seemingly see UNIT going up against a threat from the Sea Devils.
The BBC's official synopsis for the show reads: The five-part series follows Barclay (Tovey), a low-level UNIT staff member whose ordinary life becomes a world of terror when an ancient species rises from the sea. Barclay becomes humanity’s ambassador when the mysterious Salt (Mbatha-Raw) emerges from the Tank at a summit on the Thames. UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Redgrave), fights for control as humanity faces destruction."
Other stars set to appear include Alexander Devrient, Ruth Madeley and Colin McFarlane, the latter of whom hasn't been seen as his character Austin Pierce since Torchwood: Children of Earth (even if he has played a different Doctor Who character since then).
The War Between the Land and the Sea will be the last piece of Who-related content fans can expect to see for around a year, before the show returns for a Christmas special in 2026 – one which will no doubt deal with that huge cliffhanger that saw Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor appear to regenerate into Billie Piper.
Beyond that, we know that Doctor Who itself will return for another season, but details of how that season will be financed and produced – and whether the BBC will find another partner to do so – remain to be seen.
Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
