DEEP trouble

An underwater species claims ownership of the Earth in a Doctor Who spin-off starring Russell Tovey.

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The re-emergence of an ancient sea-dwelling humanoid race sparks a fierce battle to determine who the rightful owners of our planet are in new Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea.

Russell Tovey stars in the five-part miniseries as Barclay Pierre-Dupont, a low-ranking employee of top-secret intelligence agency UNIT, who is chosen as a civilian witness to the first encounter between humankind and the species dubbed 'homo aqua.

However, when a summit between the two parties turns antagonistic, Barclay's unexpected connection with aquatic ambassador Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) puts him at the heart of the conflict.

In an exclusive interview with TV Satellite Week, Tovey, 44, and showrunner Russell T Davies, 62, reveal what's in store...

Where did the idea for The War Between the Land and the Sea come from?

Davies I've got a house in Swansea, and I go and sit at a place called Langland Point to watch the sea a lot - it is beautiful, but kind of scary as well. I've been doing that since 2009 or so, having many thoughts, but, of course, the Doctor Who part of my brain can't help going, I'm looking at the sea - what if it's looking back?' And here we are!

How does Barclay handle this huge, sudden responsibility?