THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: RUMOURS OF NEW DOCTOR WHO SPIN-OFF
Some information contained below is from speculative reports for which the BBC declined to comment.
A new addition could be set to join The Whoniverse next year when the latest Doctor Who spin-off series 'The War Between The Land And The Sea' lands on BBC One and iPlayer.
The Mirror newspaper were the first publication to reveal the commission late last year, where it was reported the series would focus on classic Doctor Who foes The Sea Devils, a villain first seen opposite Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor in the 1970s before returning opposite Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor in 2022.
A source later told The Sun: "Doctor Who fans love the monsters and The War Between The Land and the Sea will hopefully give viewers something new and different to enjoy. The Sea Devils and their cousins, the Silurians, have both featured in 21st-century Doctor Who, so modern audiences are familiar with them too."
Production listings for The War Between The Land And The Sea suggest the fantasy drama is to commence production in September 2024, suggesting the series will air mid-late 2025 after Season 2 of Doctor Who.
Online CVs from those involved in the series state that the show will comprise of five 60-minute episodes which will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK. Also stated is that the series will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, who directed Doctor Who Season 1 episodes 73 Yards and Dot & Bubble.
When it comes to casting, a member of Doctor Who forum GallifreyBase has suggested the series will be led by Freeman Agyeman, reprising her role as former Doctor Who companion Martha Jones.
She will reportedly be joined by Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart), Ruth Madeley (Shirley Anne Bingham) and Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush) as members of UNIT.
The same contributor suggested the Sea Devils will appear in the series, however will not be the main focus of the show, which will be set in present-day in a rural English village. The series will be produced by Bad Wolf Productions.
The BBC declined to comment on The War Between The Land The Sea when approached by TV Zone.
Meanwhile, the latest series of Doctor Who has become the BBC's biggest drama of the year so far for younger viewers, as well as consistently being one of the best performing titles on iPlayer.
Season 1 of Doctor Who saw Ncuti Gatwa return as the Fifteenth Doctor, alongside Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday after they made their highly acclaimed debut on Christmas Day in The Church on Ruby Road. Within the series, the Doctor and Ruby travel through time and space on adventures to unknown lands, to the Regency era in England, to outer space worlds and the sixties.
A BBC spokesperson told The Times: "Overnight ratings no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch drama in an on-demand world. This season of Doctor Who premiered on iPlayer nearly 24 hours before broadcast, and episode 1 has already been viewed by nearly 6 million viewers and continues to grow...
"Doctor Who remains one of the most-watched programmes on iPlayer and is the BBC’s top drama for under-35s this year, making it one of the biggest programmes for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters."
Doctor Who is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ worldwide where available.