‘A brand-new show for a brand-new audience’: Russell T Davies on Doctor Who Spin-Off The War Between The Land And The Sea
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Writer Russell T Davies and Russell Tovey discuss their new Doctor Who spin-off series The War Between The Land And The Sea. By Lynn Rusk.
Russell T Davies, a lifelong Doctor Who fan, began writing reviews of the cult sci-fi series in the 1970s.
After the show ended in 1989, he lobbied the BBC to revive it and became the series’ showrunner for its 2005 return. Davies remained the main writer until 2010 and returned to the series in 2023.
The 62-year-old Welsh screenwriter has since created a five-part spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea, in which an ancient ocean-dwelling species rises up against humanity.
Starring Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jemma Redgrave, the show was co-written by Pete McTighe, who has also worked on Doctor Who.
The series follows Barclay, played by Tovey, a low-level UNIT staff member whose ordinary life turns into a world of terror when an ancient species rises from the sea.
He becomes humanity’s ambassador when the mysterious Salt, played by Mbatha-Raw, emerges from the Tank during a summit on the Thames.
Meanwhile, UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, played by Redgrave, struggles to maintain control as humanity faces destruction.
Davies, who also created Queer As Folk and It’s A Sin, says The War Between The Land And The Sea is based on former Doctor Who writer Malcolm Hulke’s 1972 script, The Sea Devils.
“The first version aired back in 1972 and was created by a writer called Malcolm Hulke, an absolute genius and a proper television pro and then it sat there for decades,” explains Davies.
“But it’s a really brilliant idea: What if there’s a race that came before us, living beneath the sea? It’s irresistibly good. It echoes; it resonates.
“And actually, as we continue to damage the world more and more, the story becomes even more relevant. So I’m glad we revisited it. It paid off in the end.”
Davies says that audiences who have never watched Doctor Who can still enjoy the series.
“It’s a brand-new show for a brand-new audience,” he explains.
“It’s all from Barclay’s point of view, that’s the key. He saw the Doctor, met the Doctor, but only for 10 seconds, so he knows nothing. He doesn’t have that perspective. Even within UNIT he’s the one ordering the taxis, so he doesn’t have that sort of cosmological frame of reference.
“And that’s exactly like new viewers coming to it: they won’t have that knowledge either. They’ll arrive with a completely blank slate. And that brings the whole story to life, it makes it fresh and new and dynamic.”
Tovey, who previously worked with Davies on Years And Years and has also guest-starred in Doctor Who, says he was thrilled to be reunited for this series.
“I’m in awe of Russell, as growing up, Queer As Folk had a huge impact on me,” says the 44-year-old actor.
“I also watched Bob & Rose with my Mum; it was something we shared.
“I remember sharing that with him when we did Doctor Who. At that time, David Tennant was at the absolute height of the show, the most culturally relevant character in the zeitgeist.
“To be invited into that story on Christmas Day was the biggest honour. It changed my life. It changed my career completely.
“Then we worked on Years And Years, which was a totally different character, and that again changed my life and my career. I’m so proud of that.”
The Essex-born actor adds: “So when this script came up, it was unbelievable.
“It’s the biggest privilege for Russell and Pete to create a character and want me to inhabit it.
“It’s an honour, because the material is amazing. It’s just been a joy. Every single day I was excited to get on set, to be with everyone, to work with everyone.”
Tovey, who is best known for roles in Being Human, Feud, and Looking, describes the journey his character Barclay goes on.
“I wanted him to be a Lost Boy. At the beginning, he’s drifted into the state he’s in now, he has no real ambitions, he’s just existing. He doesn’t have much. He goes to the gym, he goes to the pub, he earns his money, he tries to be the best dad he can be. And then he gets given this position,” he explains.
“What I wanted was to track how he becomes a lost man, essentially and that’s the journey. He has this choice placed before him, or really he doesn’t have a choice in the end; he gets chosen. “But I wanted him to step into that, to rally, to say, ‘OK, I’ve got a purpose. You’ve given me purpose. Someone sees me.’
“He’s never been seen before, you know? And suddenly this person, this incredible being, sees him for who he is. He’s celebrated for his kindness and his empathy. How rare is that? It’s not his heroism, it’s not about how well he can rally into battle. It’s the fact that he’s pure of heart.
“Isn’t that a wonderful message? That’s why I was so drawn to Barclay: he’s honest, he’s pure. And that, really, is the message.”
Mbatha-Raw, 42, who plays Salt in the series, has also appeared in Doctor Who.
“For me, having worked with Russell T Davies on Doctor Who as one of the first TV jobs of my career, reading the script and receiving a lovely letter from Russell just felt like such a full-circle moment,” says the Oxford-born actress.
“The scripts were so vivid, and of course you don’t get offered the chance to play an amphibian every day.
“So for me it was an extraordinary opportunity. I was definitely a bit cautious, because I didn’t know what the prosthetics process would involve, and I knew it would be quite an undertaking.
“But I loved the spirit of the piece. It had such momentum; it felt epic and fresh and like a wonderful challenge.”
Mbatha-Raw adds: “I just love the fact that she has this huge journey. When you first meet her, she’s all fight-or-flight, ferocious, regal, quite an intimidating presence. And I think Barclay is really the person who shows her respect, who shows her and her people humanity, and gives them that sense of presence and legitimacy.
“I loved the idea that for people who have been ‘othered,’ you can finally be seen in a pure, honest way. There’s something so beautiful about that.
“We get to see her humanity grow through her connection with Barclay. She becomes so much more multi-dimensional.”
The War Between The Land And The Sea airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, December 7.
