This year has been a big one for Doctor Who devotees. The show’s latest revival season showcased Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, with Varada Sethu joining as the pragmatic nurse Belinda Chandra. The season opened with strong moments, but reactions to the finale were divided among critics and viewers. Yet those debates haven’t stopped audiences from embracing a fresh spinoff from Russell T. Davies and director Dylan Holmes Williams: The War Between Land and Sea.
The new sci‑fi drama posted encouraging overnight figures after debuting its first two episodes on December 7, 2025, on BBC One. The premiere drew about 2.8 million viewers for episode one and roughly 2.1 million for episode two. As noted by TV Zone UK, those overnight numbers outperformed typical recent overnight ratings for Doctor Who episodes.
Notably, the series launched against the finale of one of Britain’s biggest reality shows, I’m A Celebrity. Even with the second episode airing throughout the ITV finale, The War Between Land and Sea still led the BBC’s comparable slot by approximately 400,000 viewers.
Image: BBC
The series’ strong start arrives not long after Disney reportedly ended its partnership on Doctor Who. According to a Deadline report, the decision was influenced by disappointing ratings and concerns — quoted sources suggested the show had become “too woke for Trump’s USA,” which factored into Disney’s calculus along with viewership trends and Gatwa’s decision to step away after two seasons, citing burnout.
Still, the reaction to The War Between Land and Sea suggests there remains a robust appetite for stories set in the Doctor Who universe — and those cravings don’t necessarily require the Time Lord to be present. Fans and critics alike are already speculating (and hoping) that the Doctor might make a surprise appearance before the series concludes.
The five‑part story centers on Barclay (Russell Tovey), a low‑level UNIT operative accustomed to extraterrestrial incidents. When an ancient species known as the Sea Devils emerges from the depths, UNIT scrambles. Barclay must act as humanity’s interlocutor, negotiating with Salt (Gugu Mbatha‑Raw) ahead of a pivotal summit, while UNIT leader Kate Lethbridge‑Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) pushes to safeguard the planet at any cost.
The cast also includes Colin McFarlane, Alexander Devrient, and Ruth Madeley.
Tonally darker than recent Doctor Who outings, the spinoff still appears to be resonating with viewers — and the overnight figures indicate that a grittier approach may be exactly what this corner of the franchise needed.
Source: Polygon
