The War Between the Land and the Sea, a Doctor Who spin-off from Russell T Davies, has confirmed its start date – and not only is it a matter of weeks away, but fans will be able to enjoy the premiere as a double-bill. The drama comprises five episodes overall, and they're all en route next month.
The show stars Russell Tovey as Barclay, a low-level UNIT staff member who has his work cut out when an ancient species rises from the sea.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave and Ruth Madeley are also part of the star-studded cast; alongside Alexander Devrient and Colin McFarlane.
The BBC announced today that the first two installments are on their way on Sunday, December 7, at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Davies said: "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!"
Related: Why Billie Piper isn't the new Doctor, according to one Doctor Who icon: "A load of old malarky"
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International fans will have a little longer to wait, with Disney+ set to air the show in certain territories in 2026.
The future of Doctor Who was confirmed late last month, with Davies revealing a Christmas special is planned for 2026.
After a period of uncertainty amongst fans, it was confirmed that although Disney's involvement in the long-running institution will end, the BBC is "fully committed" to it.
Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, said: "The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026.
"We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC."
Related: How Doctor Who is bringing back Sarah Jane Smith for "brilliant" new Tom Baker adventure
Ncuti Gatwa, the most recent actor to play the iconic character, was seen regenerating into Billie Piper in a massive end-of-season twist back in May.
"It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there," Piper said at the time.
"So to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see."
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The War Between the Land and the Sea begins on Sunday, December 7 on BBC One and iPlayer, with an international Disney+ release date to follow.
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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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
