Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw lead cast of Doctor Who spin-off

Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star in a Doctor Who spin-off called The War Between The Land And The Sea, it has been announced.

The show was created by Doctor Who showrunner and Executive Producer Russell T Davies, who co-wrote it with Pete McTighe.

Russell T Davies said:

“I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.”

The five-part series will also see UNIT alumni Jemma Redgrave make a comeback as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, alongside Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim.

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.

Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC said:

“The War Between The Land and The Sea is another utterly unique and gripping drama from Russell T Davies and we’re delighted to welcome the show to The Whoniverse! Featuring a stellar cast, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw taking on leading roles, this brand new epic mini series will leave audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch UNIT take on one of their biggest battles to save humanity.”

Filming begins next month and will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, director of two Doctor Who Season One episodes – ‘73 Yards’ and ‘Dot and Bubble’.

The series is produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television, and will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and exclusively on Disney+ outside of the UK where available.

Executive Producers for Bad Wolf are Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins and Phil Collinson.