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Credit: BBC/Bad WolfDisney is tightening its grip on the Doctor Who universe, as per a recent announcement at San Diego Comic-Con.
Doctor Who only became part of the Disney family in 2022, but its place on the cultural landscape goes much further back than that. The sci-fi show – which was born and still lives on the BBC in the UK – is a British cult classic that has scared young children behind the sofa with the likes of Daleks, Cybermen, and other alien species since 1963.
The show follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time machine that looks like a British police box on the outside but is much larger on the inside. At his side is a revolving cast of companions, most of whom tend to stick with the show for a handful of years before their exit.
But the companion isn’t the only character recast on a regular basis. The Doctor, who can regenerate into a new form when near death, has been portrayed by over a dozen actors throughout the years. At present, it’s Ncuti Gatwa at the helm of the TARDIS.
The actor’s charismatic portrayal of the Fifteenth Doctor has been universally praised. His episodes under the Disney banner have also been generally well-received, despite initial fears of the “Disneyfication” of Doctor Who.
The latest run of the series (which was helmed by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, who previously exited the series back in 2010) currently holds 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Ncuti Gatwa’s dashing interpretation of The Doctor brings a breath of fresh air aboard the TARDIS, piloting this perennial sci-fi series into an exciting new era.”
However, the new edition of Doctor Who isn’t totally free of complaints. While some negative reviews come from the usual band of “fans” opposing any form of inclusivity, others make some valid points about the quality of writing in some episodes (the less said about “Space Babies,” the better).
Viewership reportedly also hasn’t lived up to expectations. As per Parrot Analytics, the latest series of Doctor Who peaked at number seven on the most-watched streaming series on Disney+, easily outperformed by even the weakest Star Wars series and The Simpsons. That’s not exactly ideal when you’re pumping $100 million into a licensing deal.
However, that hasn’t stopped Disney from pushing ahead with new Doctor Who projects. At last weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con, a new standalone series was announced for Disney+ (and the BBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK) that will feature a handful of Doctor Who side characters.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will be a five-part series starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as its leads, alongside returning Doctor Who actors Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart) and Alexander Devrient (Colonel Ibrahim).
The official synopsis gives us an idea of what to expect from the show, which will apparently see the return of the 1970s villain of the Sea Devils.
When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.
“There’s a race that lives beneath the oceans,” showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies explained while appearing on the Comic-Con panel. “It’s war on an epic scale, and it’s got a tremendous cast.”
Diehard fans will note that Tovey and Mbatha-Raw have both appeared in Doctor Who before. Tovey portrayed Titanic midshipman Alonso Frame in the David Tennant Christmas special “Voyage of the Damned” back in 2007, giving the Doctor the chance to finally utter the phrase, “Allons-y, Alonso!”
Tovey later reprised the role for a cameo in Tennant’s swansong as the Tenth Doctor, “The End of Time,” where the Doctor connects Alonso with his friend, Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).
Meanwhile, Mbatha-Raw appeared in four episodes of Doctor Who – coincidentally, also in 2007 – when she played Tish Jones, sister of the Tenth Doctor’s second companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). Her character worked for Harold Saxon (AKA The Master, portrayed by John Simms), who ultimately held the Jones family hostage until being defeated in the series finale, “Last of the Time Lords.”
However, before you get too excited about a random Alonso and Tish team-up, Davies has confirmed that both actors are “not playing the same parts.”
Davies went on to hype up the show’s stakes in The Who universe (which Disney seems to be intent on eventually building up into its own mini MCU-style franchise).
“This is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Who universe to its foundations,” Davies said. “When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.
Filming will apparently start on the spinoff series next month, with Dylan Holmes-Williams directing and Davies co-writing with Pete McTighe. The latter previously wrote two episodes of Doctor Who during Jodie Whittaker’s stint as the Doctor: “Kerblam!” and “Praxeus,” which he co-wrote with then-showrunner Chris Chibnall.
What are your thoughts on The War Between the Land and the Sea?