The War Between the Land and the Sea is only the “first”, says Bad Wolf’s Julie Gardner
An MCU-style Whoniverse – one giant pulsating Cthulhu-like Doctor Who monster with multiple tentacles and limbs stretching in every direction – has always been the plan. Showrunner Russell T Davies has made no secret of that. He wants Doctor Who to be everything, everywhere, all at once, and why shouldn’t it be?
The first part of that plan was officially announced at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. A five-part miniseries entitled The War Between the Land and the Sea is about to go into production, starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. It’ll be available to watch in 2025 on BBC One and Disney+.
So (drums fingernails on desk) what else you got? According to the SDCC 2024 diary from Bad Wolf’s Julie Gardner, published as part of the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine, there are plans. Or at least hints of teases of plans. In Gardner’s entry for Thursday July 25 she writes:
“7.30 p.m. Russell and I have dinner with the BBC – Nick Lambon, commissioning editor, and Lesley Bailey. But, hush, spoilers…”
Does that simply mean a third series commission for the current team (worth celebrating in itself), or could they have been talking spinoffs?
After all, Nick Lambon, who was appointed in February 2023, is no ordinary BBC commissioning editor – he’s also a former Doctor Who script editor with credits on 17 episodes from the Capaldi/Moffat era including acclaimed entries The Doctor Falls and Heaven Sent. Who better to discuss potential Doctor Who spinoffs with over breadsticks and hummus?
Later in the diary, Gardner recounts the fevered atmosphere during the Doctor Who panel at Hall H, when The War Between the Land and the Sea was finally made public, describing the show as “…our first spin-off series” (my italics).
“It’s a blur and we’re back in the green room. Disney, our global partners, are happy. Charlie Andrews our lead executive is buzzing. It’s a moment.”
Executive vice-president of live-action and alternative series for Disney Branded Television, Charlie Andrews is somebody who needs to be kept happy for the much-discussed Disney international distribution deal to continue.
And with another mention of “our dream for a Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover”, Gardner signs off with “Until next year.” Until next year indeed…