So that’s it for Doctor Who – at least for the time being. In the season two (or season 14, depending on who’s counting) finale, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated into Billie Piper – whether as Rose or not, we don’t yet know – and the series wrapped up for at least the next year.
But fortunately, Who fans seeking their fix will not be left in the lurch. For there is a new spinoff series coming to the BBC, that’s set to explore a little-known part of the Whoniverse: the oceans on planet Earth.
Titled The War Between the Land and the Sea, it won’t feature the Doctor (or at least, not as far as we know) but it does promise a rollicking story, written by showrunner Russell T Davies.
Here’s what we know so far.
What’s it about?
The show’s official synopsis hints that there’s more alien action on the horizon.
“When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered,” it reads. “With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.”
All very vague, but we do know that the species in question are the Sea Devils: an intelligent, warlike, amphibian race who live deep under the sea. They lived on Earth before the humans, and put themselves into deep hibernation to escape a predicted meteor strike on the planet. That meteor strike never came, and so they’re still slumbering under the ground.
They have appeared on the show before – but back in 1972, during an episode where they woke up and decided to go to war over ownership of the Earth.
Back then, the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) destroyed the Sea Devils’ base – and again in 1984 when they teamed up with the Silurians. But according to Who lore, there are still many other bases in which thousands of them lie in hibernation – or at least until the start of the series. This will be their first appearance on New Who.
Who’s in the cast?
Sharing top billing are returning Who stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. They’ve appeared in previous seasons – Tovey as Alonso in the 2007 Christmas special and Mbatha-Raw as Tish Jones, Martha Jones’ sister – but will be taking on new roles here, as characters named Barclay and Salt: a human and a Sea Devil who seem to be trying to work together to bring about peace between their species.
It’s also set to feature some of the UNIT faces we’ve come to know over the past few years – including Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Alexander Devrient, Ruth Madeley and Colin McFarlane.
When is it airing?
So far, we don’t have a set date, but the series looks set to launch soon on BBC One. Set those alarm clocks…
