Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, will launch with a double bill on Sunday 7th December 2025, beginning at 8:30pm simultaneously on BBC One and iPlayer.

Co-writer and showrunner, Russell T Davies, has further confirmed that the next two episodes, i.e. Episodes 3 and 4, will be available from Sunday 14th December, and the “shattering climax”, that is Episode 5, will screen on Sunday 21st December. He says this means “it’s a great, big 5-episode box set to watch over the Christmas holidays!”

Seeing as the first two episodes will air at the same time as the finale of ITV’s perpetually-popular I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, it’s pretty likely that more people will watch on catch-up over the festivities than on the launch date…

Here’s what The War Between the Land and the Sea is all about:

The five-part series follows Barclay (Russell Tovey), a low-level UNIT staff member whose ordinary life becomes a world of terror when an ancient species rises from the sea. Barclay becomes humanity’s ambassador when the mysterious Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) emerges from the Tank at a summit on the Thames. UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), fights for control as humanity faces destruction.

Davies says:

“We’re so proud to launch this show at the height of the schedules – and then all five episodes will combine to make a terrific box set to watch over the Christmas holidays!”

The series also stars: Ruth Madeley as Shirley Bingham, Alexander Devrient as Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, and Colin McFarlane as General Austin Pierce as well as Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, Vincent Franklin, Waleed Hammad, Iestyn Arwel, Hannah Donaldson, Manpreet Bachu, and Ann Akinjirin.

Co-written by Davies and Pete McTighe, The War Between the Land and the Sea is directed by Dylan Holmes Williams. A re-edited version of The Sea Devils, which ties into the spin-off as the titular creatures have been refashioned as Homo Aqua, will also be available on 7th December.