The Fantasy Review’s guide to everything we know about The War Between the Land and the Sea, including release dates, casting, plot, and more.
The War Between the Land and the Sea is an upcoming five-part Doctor Who spin-off miniseries created by Russell T. Davies, centering on the return of the classic enemies to the Doctor, the Sea Devils.
The series is part of the expanded “Whoniverse” franchise and it’s the first spin-off we’ve gotten since Class. The story puts UNIT up against the Sea Devils, and we follow as they try to prevent a catastrophic war.
Here is everything we know so far about The War Between the Land and the Sea – from the release dates and the episode schedule to the cast, and plot.
The War Between the Land and Sea Release Date and Where to Watch
The BBC has confirmed that The War Between the Land and the Sea will premiere in the UK on Sunday, 7 December 2025. The launch will be a double-bill event, with the first two episodes airing back-to-back that evening on BBC One and streaming on BBC iPlayer at 8:30 pm.
Then we get two episodes the next week, and the final episode the week after, just before Christmas. This is the closest we will get to a Doctor Who Christmas episode this year, but the 2026 Christmas Special has been confirmed, so there’s that to look forward to!
Outside the UK, the series will stream exclusively on Disney+.
Episodes and Schedule
There will be five episodes in total for The War Between the Land and the Sea. Below is the episode order and air dates in the UK:
- Episode 1 – “Homo Aqua” – 7 December 2025, 8:30 pm
- Episode 2 – “Plastic Apocalypse” – 7 December 2025, 9:15 pm
- Episode 3 – “The Deep” – 14 December 2025, 8:30 pm
- Episode 4 – “The Witch of the Waterfall” – 14 December 2025, 9:20 pm
- Episode 5 – “The End of the War” – 21 December 2025, 8:30 pm
The Sea Devils Name Change?
From the title of Episode 1, it seems the “Sea Devils” will be known in this show as “Homo Aqua,” and Sea Devils will be remembered for a more colloquial term – there have been hints this will be explored in the show.
Cast and Characters
- Russell Tovey – Barclay Pierre-Dupont
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Salt
- Jemma Redgrave – Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
- Alexander Devrient – Colonel Christofer Ibrahim
- Ruth Madeley – Shirley Anne Bingham
- Colin McFarlane – General Austin Pierce
- Adrian Lukis – Jonathan Hynes
- Vincent Franklin – Harry Shaw
- Francesca Corney – Hana Chakri
- Mei Mac – Min Tso
- Waleed Hammad – Tariq Hashim
- Hannah Donaldson – Louise Mackie
- Ann Akinjirin – Barbara Pierre-Dupont
Plot Premise and Tone
Much like previous stories with the Sea Devils, this Doctor Who spin-off promises a world-threatening plot as the Sea Devils clash with humanity. However, this time there is no Doctor there to save the day.
It is up to UNIT to deal with an international crisis and prevent all-out war.
According to marketing and promotional material released by the showrunners, this story will have a focus on environmentalism. The Sea Devils, angry about how humanity is destroying the planet – with their focus on the ocean – will emerge to stop humans from causing more harm.
Watch The World Between the Land and the Sea
You can watch The World Between the Land and the Sea online on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ internationally from 7th December, 2025.
