It has been announced that The War Between the Land and the Sea, which was set to air later this year, will now be broadcast in 2026.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will be Doctor Who’s latest spin-off, following on from popular and successful spin-offs of the past such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. These spin-offs took characters and concepts from Doctor Who and developed them in new and interesting ways while broadening the shows universe and expanding on its lore.
Torchwood followed the immortal Captain Jack Harkness from the Boeshane Peninsula, real name Javic Piotr Thane, and his activities in the organisation known as Torchwood, now based in Cardiff after the main organisation fell in Doctor Who’s series two finale. Jack was originally a brief companion of the Ninth Doctor before being left behind in the series one finale before also going on to encounter both the Tenth and Thirteenth Doctors.
The Sarah Jane Adventures followed Sarah Jane Smith, a journalist and former companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors who was left behind back home before encountering the Tenth Doctor and embarking on alien adventures of her own on Earth. Here she gained a family, friends and even had encounters with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. The show ended after actress Elisabeth Sladen sadly passed away at the age of 65.
Those shows reached their end a long time ago, with the last episodes of both being broadcast in 2011. A later spin-off, Class, was broadcast in 2016 but only lasted one season. This show followed six students and staff members of Coal Hill Academy, a school featured in the first Doctor Who story, and addressed the consequences the Doctor’s time travelling has had on the walls of time and space. Now, however, roughly a decade later, a new spin-off is ready to emerge: The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Starring Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Alexander Devrient; The War Between the Land and the Sea will focus on the Unified Intelligence Task force, UNIT, and their mission to stop a global war after the Sea Devils, an ancient aquatic race, emerge from the sea and reveal themselves to humanity. The series will also see Doctor Who star Ruth Madeley return as UNIT Scientific Adviser Shirely Ann Bingham, alongside Colin McFarlane who reprises his role from Torchwood: Children of Earth as General Austin Pierce. It will be the second time the Sea Devils return to the Whoniverse in modern times after their appearance with Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor in Legend of the Sea Devils.
Watching the trailer immediately gives viewers the impression of something darker, more grounded, and down to earth than Doctor Who itself. This is not to say that the far out and outlandish plots of the main show are bad, exactly the opposite, but this promises to be a welcome change and a breath of fresh air for those who prefer the darker, grittier side of Doctor Who lore.
The news, however, isn’t all good. With the initial release date originally set for 2025, fans will now have to wait until next year to see the first episode of The War Between the Land and the Sea. The reason for this is cited as being due to no decision on Doctor Who’s future until 2026. Therefore, without the show returning, The War Between the Land and the Sea will take its place and fill the 2026 void so fans have some Whoniverse related content to keep them going.
It is an understandable reason in all fairness. With the future of the Time Lord and the Tardis seemingly on the ropes, giving fans something whilst the decisions regarding the show are made in executive boardrooms behind closed doors is a nice thing to do. But it is a give with one hand and take with the other scenario. Keen fans eagerly awaiting the spin-off will now be left disappointed when the show that was tantalising close to releasing has now been snatched further away by as much as a year.
With a new spin-off featuring an exciting new storyline and lore, interesting times are certainly ahead for fans of the Whoniverse. But with Doctor Who’s future still in doubt and The War Between the Land and the Sea now also put on hold, this is not only a delay for the spin-off but also a worrying omen about the future of the main show. As giddy as fans may be to see The War Between the Land and the Sea, does the purpose behind its delay cast a shadow over the future of Doctor Who?
Words by James Jobson.
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