It’s not long now until Doctor Who’s latest spinoff begins, plunging us into a world of cross-species diplomacy.
Penned by Russell T Davies, the show (called The War Between the Land and the Sea) doesn’t feature the Doctor at all. Instead, our hero is Barclay (Russell Tovey), a low-level employee of the United Intelligence Taskforce (aka UNIT) who ends up being at the front line of negotiations with the Sea Devils, or Homo Aqua, when they re-emerge from under the Earth’s oceans.
With the season set to air on Sunday 7 December, it’s time to start getting excited – not only for the return of the old Who villains, but also the cast, which features both new and returning faces from across the Whoniverse.
Russell Tovey as Barclay Pierre-Dupont
A lowly UNIT staff member who’s responsible for doing things like booking the cabs. A few years ago, Barclay was somehow put on the list as the stand-in for the team’s alien expert, despite not having the right clearance or expertise. And when that expert is indisposed, it’s Barclay who’s suddenly whisked away to deal with a terrifying new threat.
Tovey is a British actor from Billericay in Essex. He first became famous for playing the werewolf George Sands in the BBC’s supernatural sitcom Being Human, appeared in the stage and film version of History Boys, and runs the Talk Art podcast with friend Robert Diament.
He’s also appeared on Doctor Who before – playing Alonso, the hapless midshipman of the Titanic space ship during the 2007 Voyage of the Damned Christmas special.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt
The mysterious leader of the Sea Devils, or Homo Aqua. Humanoid in appearance and able to speak English (as well as pretty much every other human language). What she wants is unclear but she appears to have a soft spot for Barclay.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an English actor who has appeared on stage (she received an Evening Standard nomination for her 2015 appearance as Nell Gwynn) and screen. She played the leading role in 2013 film Belle, played Kelly in Black Mirror episode San Junipero, and has appeared on Apple TV shows The Morning Show and Surface.
Mbatha-Raw has also appeared on Doctor Who: she played Tish Jones, the sister of protagonist Martha, for four episodes in 2007.
Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
The leader of the world’s global alien specialists UNIT, who ends up being responsible for managing the first-ever diplomatic talks between the Sea Devils and the human race. The daughter of Commander Lethbridge-Stewart, who founded the organisation in the first place.
Redgrave is part of the Redgrave acting family; she is the daughter of actor Corin Redgrave. She played Dr Eleanor Bramwell in the TV series Bramwell and Bernie Wolfe in Holby City, but is best known for playing Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in the Doctor Who franchise.
Alexander Devrient as Christofer Ibrahim
A high-ranking member of UNIT who has showed up in the main Who series. Currently in a relationship with Kate.
Devrient is a German-Lebanese actor who studied at the University of Birmingham and carved out a stage career in London and America. He’s best known for playing Jarkko in Apple TV series Ted Lasso – as well as his work in Doctor Who.
Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham
UNIT’s fifty-sixth scientific advisor and formidably clever. Kate’s right hand woman.
Madeley, who plays her, is a British actor. Born in Westhoughton, she was diagnosed with spina bifidia before she was born, and has spent much of her life advocating for charity Whizz-Kids, which provides wheelchairs to young people who need them. She studied scriptwriting, but is best known for her work in TV film Don’t Take My Baby (for which she was nominated for a 2016 BAFTA) and for playing Rosie Lyons in Russell T. Davies show Years and Years.
Colin McFarlane as Austin Pierce
A general at UNIT, and the person who is first called upon to handle things when a group of Spanish fishermen shoot a Sea Devil dead when it gets caught up in their nets. Pierce has appeared in the Whoniverse before – as the American military representative in Torchwood: Children of Earth.
McFarlane is a veteran of British acting. Born in London, he’s gone onto appear as Gillian B. Loeb in two of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, appeared as Ulysses in Outlander, and has done a lot of voice acting, including for children’s cartoons like Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends.
Unsurprisingly, he has also appeared in Doctor Who: he voiced the Heavenly Host in festive special Voyage of the Damned, and popped up in two episodes from 2015’s ninth series.
Adrian Lukis as Jonathan Hynes
A consummate politician. Hynes is appointed the world’s ambassador to lead diplomatic talks with the Sea Devils – that is, until he’s replaced by Barclay.
Another acting veteran. Lukis is best known for playing Sergeant Doug Wright in The Bill, and Marc Thompson in Judge John Deed, but also played the Home Secretary in the Black Mirror episode Hated in the Nation, and played General Claude Auchinleck in Steven Knight’s series SAS Rogue Heroes.
Francesca Corney as Hana Chakri
A sergeant who is part of UNIT and ends up being mostly responsible for Buckley’s welfare.
Corney hasn’t been in acting long, but she’s already building up quite the portfolio. Raised in the UK but with Thai heritage, she moved to Thailand when she was 18 and was cast in a Netflix film whilst working there. She was briefly cast to play Chloe in the third season of Mike White’s The White Lotus, before the role was given to Charlotte Le Bon (Corney looked too young for the part). Now, she’s in Doctor Who.
Ann Akinjirin as Barbara Pierre-Dupont
Buckley’s ex-wife. The two have been separated for some years now and sharing custody of their child. Their relationship is amicable – that is, until UNIT get involved.
Akinjirin is a British actor best known for playing Bobbi Kennedy in the Marvel series Moon Knight, Detective Sergeant Vanessa Ekwensi in BBC series Strike, and Fanny Kirrin in BBC series The Famous Five.
How can I watch the series?
It starts on BBC One from 8.30pm on Sunday December 7 and will be available to watch on iPlayer afterwards.
