The War Between The Land And The Sea finally drifts up on BBC1’s shores…
Is it the catch of the day, or does it smell a bit fishy?
As a Doctor Who spin-off, the BBC haven’t exactly rushed to show it, given how Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure crashed and burned.
It was shot during the summer & autumn of 2024, then held back until the last series of Who had finished. I presume they meant to air it over the summer, but given how everything crashed & burned, it’s clear that this spinoff had to contractually be shown by the end of 2025, and since despite being aimed at kids, they’ve ignored the Saturday slot, and gone straight to Sunday 8.30pm, after kids have gone to bed…. and not to mention being up against the final of I’m A Celeb, which is still somehow popular!
Oh, and bear in mind that 60-70% of ratings come from overnights, before anyone tries to claim “BUT EVERYONE WATCHES ON CATCHUP, THESE DAYS!!”
For this five-parter, the Sea Devils are back, and with the reshowing on the tellybox of their first appearance, with Jon Pertwee, from 1972 in a slimmed-down, re-cut 90-minute form. I’ve never seen any episodes from that Doctor, so I will check this out.
Russell Tovey‘s (Allelujah!) back, except that instead of being Alonso in the first David Tennant era, he’s now Barclay Pierre-Dupont, working in the background of the government. In the switch of name, he’s no longer gay, but now, straight and in a mixed race relationship with a fat kid? Of course…
He’s also moaning about being the replacement for some chap called Roger, having been designated as his regular swapover, so it’s a typical plot device of “Let’s have someone who’s wet behind the ears” – albeit not one of the fish-types who’ve just sprung up from the Thames.
And the Sea Devils are intersex… Well, this is RTD!
But with just five episodes to tell its story, it’s slowwwwwwwww, having taken the first entire episode just to arrange a meeting with the enemy… Just like real life then. Most meetings take forever to put together, and get nowhere.
In a further example of lazy writing, because reasons, we have the age old plot device of the aliens only wanting to speak to the man least likely to know anything, hence Tovey’s character ended up being the only chap they’ll speak to. So, Russell has to dance like ‘big fish little fish cardboard box’.
The script is also just a big rant about water pollution. Valid point, but it’s dull for sci-fi, and has the Sea Devils’ spokesthing being Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw – The Woman In Cabin 10), who’s kids were unalived by said crap in the water.
Still, on the plus side, we have two stunning additions to the cast, firstly Sergeant Hana Chakri, played by Francesca Corney (below), who’s from Bangkok, oriental setting, and And the city don’t know that the city is getting… as well as Mei Mac, as Min Tso.
Hot East Asian woman. That'll do.#TheWarBetween#TheWarBetweenTheLandAndTheSea#doctorwho https://t.co/Av2DOgM1RA pic.twitter.com/QCTymgl9xe
— DVDfever.co.uk 💙 (@DVDfever) December 7, 2025
As an aside, Russell Tovey’s date of birth is 14.11.81, but his character is the similar 15.11.82. Spooky!
And along the way…
- It’s so obvious that the tech volunteering to examine Salt’s offspring is a plant for a baddie Sir Keith Spears (Patrick Baladi).
- Barclay’s daughter (maybe) also has the worst dialogue: “Why’s dad on the news?” – Erm… haven’t you been paying attention love?
- Still, for the next attempt to have a meeting, since the amphibian types haven’t yet mastered Zoom calls, they want to go like Homer Simpson and meet… under the sea…
The War Between The Land And The Sea‘s first two episodes are now on the BBC iPlayer. Episodes 3 and 4 will air next Sunday, and episode 5 on the following Sunday. It was not available prior to broadcast.
The series is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, with the release date TBA.
Doctor Who Season 2 is available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD.
You can also buy Season 1 on Limited Blu-ray Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD.
Score: Meh… except for Mei, and Francesca.
Director: Dylan Holmes Williams
Producer: Edoardo Ferretti
Creator: Russell T Davies
Writer: Pete McTighe
Cast:
Barclay Pierre-Dupont: Russell Tovey
Salt: Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart: Jemma Redgrave
General Austin Pierce: Colin McFarlane
Sergeant Hana Chakri: Francesca Corney
Sir Jonathan Hynes: Adrian Lukis
Colonel Tariq Hashim: Waleed Hammad
General Dominique Dussolier: Barbara Probst
Min Tso: Mei Mac
Homo Aqua: Gethin Alderman
Homo Aqua: Charles Sandford
Colonel Christofer Ibrahim: Alexander Devrient
Kirby Pierre-Dupont: Cat Gannon
Shirley Bingham: Ruth Madeley
Barbara Pierre-Dupont: Ann Akinjirin
BBC Newsreader: Jennifer Jones
UK Reporter: Alys Metcalf
Trinity Wells: Lachele Carl
Felix Gladstock: Tim Wallers
Prime Minister Harry Shaw: Vincent Franklin
Steve Chesney: George Robinson
Captain Louise Mackie: Hannah Donaldson
Dr Kadie Bangura: Lucy Vandi
Marko Novak: Benito Curteanu
Sir Keith Spears: Patrick Baladi
Esther Spears: Cordelia Bugeja
General Oscar Gunsberg: Stewart Alexander
Rose-Marie Hunt: Antonia Bernath
Platoon Leader: Iestyn Arwel
Chinese Newsreader: Edward Wu
Russian Newsreader: Zina Ida
UK Newsreader: Waseem Mirza
USA Reporter: Shanice Archer
Australian Diplomat: Douglas Hansell
Ted Campbell: William Gaminara
Sierra Leone Delegate: Ray Sesay
Homo Amphibia: Joshua Sinclair-Evans
Previously…
The War Between the Land and the Sea…
New images have been released!
Synopsis: UNIT must take action to prevent a global war once an ancient species, the Sea Devils, comes out from the sea, revealing itself to humanity.
Starring: Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, Alexander Devrient, Ruth Madeley, Colin McFarlane, Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Vincent Franklin, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac
The War Between the Land and the Sea is expected in December 2025. Given the absolute – and deserved – bombing of Doctor Who, I’m surprised it’s still coming. After all, if no-one wants Doctor Who, who wants a spinoff?! And the BBC really don’t want that getting sub-1 million viewers per episode!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.