Fans of the Whoniverse will no doubt be keeping their eyes peeled for any familiar faces and nods to the wider Doctor Who franchise when spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea debuts on the BBC next week.
The Earth-based drama explores an impending conflict between mankind and returning foes the Sea Devils, as the Unified Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) are forced to step up in the Doctor’s absence.
The series features the return of a whole host of characters, including Jemma Redgrave, Alexander Devrient and Ruth Madeley reprising their UNIT roles, along with Colin McFarlane returning as General Austin Pierce from Torchwood: Children of Earth.
And with the focus on the Sea Devils – who were last seen clashing with Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor in the 2022 special Legend of the Sea Devils – fans are finally set to discover more about this formidable but somewhat mysterious foe.
When asked about ties to the wider Doctor Who universe, writer Pete McTighe revealed: “There are absolutely Easter eggs to be seen – if you get the pause button ready, you’ll be seeing plenty of stuff.”
“What’s great about the Sea Devils as a civilisation is we didn’t really know much about them before,” Davies explains. “Essentially, they were monsters on a beach in Portsmouth, or in Sea Base, we didn’t really delve into their culture and their society, and that’s what we’re able to do a lot more of here.”
And it looks like Whovians will finally get a glimpse at their home world. “We spend a lot more time with them, we actually go to their world in episode 3, which is incredible,” he continues.
“You get to see how they live and their environment and all the different species, so that’s been a huge amount of fun to expand the backstory.”
First debuting in the 1972 serial The Sea Devils alongside Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor, the species has certainly had quite the makeover since its original appearance. They’ve dwelled in the Earth’s oceans for millions of years, but upon awakening to find that mankind has polluted the seas, they soon take action.
Stay tuned for more about The War Between the Land and the Sea, including news, interviews, features, and more. The War Between the Land and the Sea is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7th December.
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