The future ofDoctor Whois currently unpredictable, but showrunner Russell T. Davies teases that new spinoffThe War Between the Land and the Seais an exciting surprise for the Whoniverse. The spinoff series diverts focus from the TARDIS to UNIT’s battles with the Sea Devils.The War Between the Land and the Sea’s castis led by Russell Tovey.
AsDoctor Whofans await word on the series' potential future with Disney+, Davies opened up about the franchise’s next chapter with thePilot TV Podcast, later reported on byRadioTimes.Davies described the creative process behindThe War Between the Land and the Sea, stating that the spinoff surpassed his expectations. Check out Davies' response below:
“Sometimes you finish a show, and they’re like, ‘Great, good, we did a really good job. Sometimes they go through post-production where everything comes in. You work on the effects, on the music and the grading of it. Sometimes magic happens — and it’s happening with this. It’s even better than we thought it was! I’m delighted with it.”
What Davies' Tease Means For The War Between The Land And The Sea
The Series' Surprising Tone Could Ease Skeptical Doctor Who Fans' Woes
Currently, there is a fair amount of uncertainty within theDoctor Whofandom towardsThe War Between the Land and the Sea. Alongside questions about whether the series will continue to be a BBC and Disney+ co-production,Doctor Whoseason 15’s finalewas poorly received, leading to a lack of confidence in the franchise’s future.
As such, there have been some discussions on whether it was wise to use the current agreement to greenlighta newDoctor Whospinoff, despite over a decade passing since the last. Disney+’s initial order encompassed three sets of episodes, which would become seasons 14 and 15, as well asThe War Between the Land and the Sea.
Because of this, many fans have questioned whether it would have been best to dedicate all three sets of episodes to three full seasons of the mainDoctor Whoseries led byNcuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, rather than leading to him departing in season 15’s finale. This would give the actor a more fulfilling tenure as the Time Lord.
However, Davies' tease of how differentThe War Between the Land and the Seahad turned out could still intrigue skeptical viewers.Doctor Whoseasons 14 and 15 had no shortage of standout episodes, but their inconsistent overarching stories and tones have also proved divisive. As such, a more consistent, serialized story could offer an alternative that could win fans over.
Our Thoughts On Davies' The War Between The Land And The Sea Tease
The Spinoff’s Success Could Renew Disney’s Interest In Doctor Who
Despite the BBC’s clear insistence thatDoctor Whowill continue, no matter what Disney’s decision will be, the unclear future of the series has still left many concerned. The franchise has already been subjected to an extended hiatus following theconclusion of the classicDoctor Whoseriesin 1989, and many fear that the series wouldn’t recover from going off-air once more.
However, Davies’s faith inThe War Between the Land and the Seamay not be unfounded.The War Between the Land and the Seais seemingly a darker, more grounded series that is comparable toAndor, and could expand the general audience’s perspective on whatDoctor Whocan be, similar to howAndorexpanded the scope ofStar Warsstorytelling.
ShouldThe War Between the Land and the Sea’s writing live up to Davies' tease and impress critics and viewers alike, while also providing acceptable viewership numbers, the series could provideDoctor Whowith a new chance to continue with Disney’s involvement. As such, there is a lot of pressure onDoctor Who’s latest spinoff’s potential success.
