Russell Tovey stars in first-look images from Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea
"This is a huge, spectacular Christmas treat, with heroes and monsters and battles and romance," says Davies
By Aaron Sugg
Russell Tovey, recently named Attitude’s Man of the Year, stars in first-look images from the BBC‘s The War Between the Land and the Sea, created by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
Premiering on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this December, the five-part science fiction drama explores what happens to humanity when a fearsome ancient species emerges from the ocean, triggering a global crisis.
Attitude cover star Tovey will play Barclay, one of the central characters navigating a world on the brink of disaster.
“Heroes and monsters and battles and romance” – Russell T Davies on the series, The War Between the Land and the Sea, starring Russell Tovey
Davies, who presented the Plainclothes actor with his award at the 2025 Attitude Awards, serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer of the fantasy series.
He said: “This is a huge, spectacular Christmas treat, with heroes and monsters and battles and romance, in a world on the edge of disaster. And remember, watch the seas!”
Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams, Tovey’s casting in the Davies project marks a notable continuation of the Doctor Who creative universe, which Davies famously revitalised.
The series starring Tovey will stream exclusively on Disney+ outside the UK in 2026
The 62-year-old first served as Doctor Who showrunner and head writer from 2005 to 2010, returning to lead the show again from 2023 to now.
Produced by Bad Wolf in collaboration with BBC Studios and Disney Branded Television, the series will stream exclusively on Disney+ outside the UK in 2026.
Joining Tovey is a star-studded cast including Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Ruth Madeley as Shirley Ann Bingham, Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim, and Colin McFarlane as General Austin Pierce.
Other cast members include Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, Vincent Franklin, Waleed Hammad, Iestyn Arwel, Hannah Donaldson, Manpreet Bachu and Ann Akinjirin.
