First reviews praise Doctor Who spin-off series as Russell T Davies’ ‘best’ work in years

There’s just a few days to wait until Russell T Davies’ new Doctor Who spin-off series The War Between the Land and the Sea drops, and now the first reactions are in.

Davies’ new five-part series follows Plainclothes actor Russell Tovey as low-level UNIT staff member Barclay, who somehow becomes a spokesperson for humanity as the Homo Aqua – also known as age-old Doctor Who villains the Sea Devils – come out of the sea after years of being dormant.

They’re furious about the destruction humanity has caused to our oceans, and they want their planet back. 

The strange sea species is led by enigmatic leader Salt, played by former Doctor Who star Gugu Mbatha-Raw, while fellow Doctor Who alum Jemma Redgrave reprises her role in the sci-fi series as UNIT head, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. An international crisis is declared, and Barclay must navigate the relationship with the Homo Aqua through communication with Salt.

While the most recent series of Doctor Who – which featured Ncuti Gatwa in his final series as the titular Doctor – failed to win over fans and critics alike, The War Between the Land and the Sea is a “return to form” for the show’s writer Russell T Davies, according to early reviews.

In a four star review in Metro.co.uk, writer Asyia Iftikhar praised how the series is imbued with messaging around climate change, without being didactic. Iftikhar wrote that it “doesn’t seem contrived or forced, but natural and explored in a genuinely fun way that Doctor Who thrives on – pushing ideas to their most bonkers limit.”

In another four star review, Radio Times writer Louise Griffin agreed that the series “thoughtfully comments on the urgency of the climate crisis,” which it should be “commended for”.

“Already, in the first two episodes, the writing is much sharper than in recent seasons of Doctor Who,” Griffin added. “There are still some clumsy moments, but on the whole, it’s emotive, funny, and gives the actors, especially Tovey, plenty to work with in a short space of time.”

In a more lukewarm, three star review in the Financial Times, Rebecca Nicholson described the show as being “entertaining but frothy” with Davies’ writing aligning more closely with his 2019 series Years and Years rather than Doctor Who. Nicholson described Tovey as having “buckets of charm”, while Iftikhar dubbed Tovey and Mbatha-Raw as a “compelling duo”.

However, praise for Tovey’s character isn’t unanimous. In another three star review, Digital Spy’s David Opie wrote that “Barclay isn’t particularly interesting as a lead,” and while the character is intentionally lacking in crisis-busting energy, “Tovey pulls this off a little too well”.

Overall, Opie added that The War Between The Land and The Sea “lacks the spark” of fellow Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, as it’s “ambitious yet awkward” and “as endearing as it is clunky”, but concluded that there is still “certainly some fun to be had” with Davies’ latest effort.

Iftikhar agreed that the series’ writing can “veer into the cringy and awkward” but argued that, ultimately, the series will “thrill and delight” Doctor Who aficionados, and is Davies’ “best” work in years.

The largely positive reviews will be sure to delight Davies following on from the light controversy that surrounded the most recent series of Doctor Who in the spring.

Doctor Who series 15 was seen as a disappointment to swathes of long-term fans of the sci-fi smash, with lead Gatwa departing from the role at the end of the series. He regenerated – bafflingly – into the Doctor’s former companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). At the time, no plan for series 16 had been announced.

In October, the BBC confirmed the next series of Doctor Who would not be released in partnership with Disney+, as both of Gatwa’s series had been, and revealed that the next Doctor Who installment would come via a Christmas special, due for release at the end of 2026.

The first two episodes of The War Between the Land and the Sea will air on BBC One on 7 December, with the remaining three episodes being released weekly on Sundays. The series will also stream on BBC iPlayer.

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