Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has shared an update about a new spinoff show.
The War Between the Land and the Sea was officially announced at Comic-Con last month, after being heavily rumoured among fan circles for quite some time.
Davies announced that pre-production is ramping up on the series on Monday (August 20) as he gave fans a sneak peek at the first script readthrough.
"Day One. The war begins. Readthrough day for all 5 episodes of THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA," he wrote on Instagram. "So much excitement. What a cast! Thrills, deaths, chases, fish, and seven seas of danger. Can’t wait!"
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The War Between the Land and the Sea will bring back Doctor Who cast members Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient as UNIT's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, along with several newcomers.
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Former Doctor Who guest stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw both have major roles in The War Between the Land and the Sea, but as entirely new characters.
"I'm so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast," RTD recently said of his cast. "And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake the Whoniverse to its foundations."
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An official synopsis has teased that UNIT will have to defend the land-living population of Earth when "a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean".
Fans have been speculating that humanity's enemy in The War Between the Land and the Sea will be classic Doctor Who monsters the Sea Devils — first seen in the series in 1972 and most recently in 'The Legend of the Sea Devils'. The BBC has yet to confirm a Sea Devils appearance.
The War Between the Land and the Sea is expected to premiere next year.
Doctor Who airs on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
