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Russell T Davies, the writer behind a new BBC Doctor Who spin-off drama, has stated that the series will adopt a “tougher tone.”
Titled The War Between the Land and the Sea, the five-part science fiction series stars Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jemma Redgrave. It chronicles humanity’s response to an ancient species emerging from the sea, triggering a global crisis.
Davies, citing his environmental concerns as inspiration, explained that the characters will be “pushed to the limit” without the usual “safety net” provided by the Doctor.
The series, produced by Bad Wolf, premiered on December 7th and features extensive underwater sets. Filming primarily took place in Cardiff.
The narrative centers on Barclay, a UNIT employee portrayed by Tovey, whose life is upended by the emergence of the ancient species.
UNIT is the military organization within the Doctor Who fictional universe.
Barclay becomes humanity’s representative following the appearance of Salt, played by Mbatha-Raw, during a Thames summit. Meanwhile, UNIT, under the leadership of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Redgrave), struggles to maintain order.
Davies, originally from Swansea, revealed that the story had been “stewing for a long time,” influenced by his coastal upbringing and concerns regarding “the state of the environment and the awful things we’re doing to the sea.”
He aimed to expand the Doctor Who universe by removing the Doctor and exploring humanity’s resilience, resulting in a “properly entertaining thriller” complete with monsters, romance, chases, and gunfights.
Davies also noted that research involved consulting geneticists and revisiting the history of the Sea Devils, exploring the possibility of Homo Aqua “branching off from mankind millions of years ago.”
He emphasized that the series remains accessible to new viewers while refreshing long-time fans on the “lores of what’s gone before” and introducing novel elements.
Filming locations in Cardiff included the Bay and Penylan areas, as well as the City Arms pub in the city center, Hodge House (a Welsh government building), Cardiff City Hall, and the National Museum Cardiff.
Other Welsh filming locations encompassed Merthyr Mawr, Town Bridge in Newport, the University Building and Guildhall in Swansea, and Atlantic College (St Donats Castle).
Mbatha-Raw described the Cardiff sets as “really, really epic.”
“One of my favorite sets was under the ocean in Salt’s domain,” she stated.
“Everything else up until that point, Salt is out of her comfort zone in the human world and breathing human air.”
“Stepping onto that set really transported you to another world.”
Davies also expressed his excitement about the sets, calling them “absolutely gorgeous.”
“Our design team has done such a brilliant job,” he added.
The series will conclude at the end of 2025 – 40 years and more than 9,000 episodes after its debut.
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The pair are told they will face no further action and “should undertake reflective practice”.
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