Making waves... but without the Doctor

WRITER RUSSELL T DAVIES AND STARS RUSSELL TOVEY AND GUGU MBATHA-RAW DISCUSS NEW DOCTOR WHO SPIN-OFF SERIES, THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA, WITH LYNN RUSK

- WITH LYNN RUSK

LIFELONG Doctor Who fan Russell T Davies began writing reviews of the cult sci-fi series in the 1970s.

After the show ended in 1989, he lobbied the BBC to revive it and became the series’ showrunner for its 2005 return. Davies remained the main writer until 2010 and then returned to the series in 2023.

Now the Welsh screenwriter, 62, has created a five-part spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, in which an ancient ocean-dwelling species rises up against humanity.

Starring Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jemma Redgrave, the show was co-written by Pete McTighe, who has also worked on Doctor Who.

The series follows Barclay, played by Tovey, a low-level staff member at the military organisation UNIT, whose ordinary life turns into a world of terror. He becomes humanity's ambassador when the mysterious Salt, played by Mbatha-Raw, emerges from the Tank during a summit on the Thames.

Meanwhile, UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (played by Redgrave), struggles to maintain control as humanity faces destruction.

Davies, who also created Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin, says The War Between the Land and the Sea is based on former Doctor Who script, The Sea Devils, which is being rescreened on BBC4 this weekend.

“The first version aired back in 1972 and was created by a writer called Malcolm Hulke, an absolute genius and a proper television pro and then it sat there for decades,” he explains.

“But it’s a really brilliant idea: What if there’s a race that came before us, living beneath the sea? It’s irresistibly good. It echoes; it resonates.

“And actually, as we continue to damage the world more and more, the story becomes even more relevant. So I’m glad we revisited it. It paid off in the end.”