Summary
Doctor Whohas been a monolith on the small screen for decades, but one of its ongoing attempts to branch out even further might not be moving toward completion as quickly as many eager fans of the franchise might have hoped.
Doctor Whoholds a place in science fiction TV programming that is only ever rivaled by the likes ofStar Trek,influencing all sorts of homages and spoofs across multiple decades of the show. Enjoying the perks of a protagonist able to regenerate after taking fatal damage with a new visage and personality, the show has been able to cycle through 14 talented leads through its mainline history before crowning the young star Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th iteration of the iconic character. After a bit of an experimental first season, Gatwa’s run is set for a second installment packed with even more of the franchise’s new approach, with theDoctor Whoshowrunner even giving fans interesting details on a co-lead for a particularly frightening episode.
While there’s a few things thatDoctor Whoseason 15 can avoid doing to succeed, the franchise also has some other outlets for storytelling cooking, and fans have been eager for an update on one particular spin-off series. Unfortunately, the latest on that front might not be the sort of news that fans were hoping for. In a recent interview withDoctor Who Magazine, franchise legend and current showrunner Russell T. Davies discussed progress on the upcoming spinopffThe War Between the Land and the Sea.“It’s my job to hype, but the hype for that show is still way, way off — it’s far from transmission,” he said. “Here, right now, in the cool, dry downloads of a distant gaze, I can tell you… that’s one of the greatest shoots of my life and one of the greatest shows of my entire career. You can doubt me and cry hype… and get left behind. Oh my God, it’s good!”
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 step into action as the land and sea wage war.
The War Between the Land and the Sea,which Davies first announced at San Diego Comic-Con, will follow Emma Redgrave, Alexander Devrient, and Ruth Madeley reprising their roles as members of UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce that serves as an international military force in theDoctor Whouniverse. The plot of the spin-off, slated for five parts, will see the titular war go down between humans and the Sea Devils, a race that older fans will remember from their time conspiring with The Master.The War Between the Land and the Seareally has the potential to beone of the bestDoctor Whospinoffsin a long time, thanks in no small part to the chosen plot material and the return of multiple great characters. While the progress on it does seem slow, fans have to account for all the moving parts and work that goes into the mainlineDoctor Whoseasons and the spinoff itself. It would be best to have a long production process and do the concept justice than blow it all to get the show out in record time.
Somecomments from a writer onDoctor Whopaint a worrying picture for the show, which has always had to go to great lengths to get the perfect balance between its serious plot points and comedic moments. While that balance has looked different under each subsequent Doctor, the series has been doing a shaky job of it more recently. WhenThe War Between the Land and the Seafinally hits screens, it might be just the panacea needed to return the tone of the show back to equilibrium.
TheDoctor Whoseries is available to stream on Disney+.
Doctor Who / Whoniverse
BBC’s Doctor Who debuted in 1963, with the franchise producing more than 25 seasons since then. Along with the beloved main sci-fi show(s), the franchise has spawned multiple spin-offs, books, games, etc.
