'Doctor Who' Spinoff 'The War Between the Land and the Sea' Reportedly Begins Filming in Fall 2024

It's not exactly a secret that Doctor Who is one of the most popular franchises in the world. Over the years, it has already spawned several spin-offs (Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class) and a thriving world of audio adventures courtesy of Big Finish. But with the return of former showrunner Russell T. Davies, the size of the Whoniverse seems poised to become bigger than ever. 

Davies has long been an advocate for expanding the world of Doctor Who --- he helped shepherd Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures -- and has only gotten more explicit about these plans since he returned to the showrunner's chair for a second time last year. Thanks to the rise of the streaming era, we're used to seeing sprawling, interconnected onscreen worlds in big-budget franchises from Marvel to Star Trek, and the timey-wimey nature of Doctor Who's storytelling style means this is a world that has more space for such things than most. 

Since Davies' return, rumors have persisted that the first Who spin-off would likely be related to the Earth-based organization named UNIT, the not-so-secret-anymore military group that frequently works alongside the Doctor and is entrusted with protecting the world from alien threats. And let's face it, the signs are there: A shiny new set for UNIT headquarters, a careful build-out of various familiar supporting characters, including Jemma Redgrave's Kate Stewart and Bonnie Langford's Mel Bush. But if industry rumblings are anything to go by, UNIT won't be the next Who-based series to hit our screens. 

No, it appears the next Who-adjacent series will be The War Between the Land and the Sea, another long-rumored project that will ostensibly focus on the Sea Devils, the iconic monsters who were introduced during Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor era before returning to face Jodie Whittaker's Thirteen during one of her final specials. 

Eagle-eyed (eared?) fans most likely caught a reference to the show's purported title during the Season 1 episode "73 Yards," immediately after Fifteen and Ruby arrived in Wales. 

That smell. That green. That coastline, Ruby. Oh, the rocks and the water, it never ends. The war between the land and the sea.

The spin-off's existence has yet to be officially confirmed by the BBC, Davies, Disney or anyone directly involved with the production. But according to Deadline, filming on The War Between the Land and the Sea is set to begin in September. Very little is known about the series' actual plot, beyond the fact that it is likely to be set in the contemporary U.K. and the Doctor is not expected to be involved. (Though it seems likely that several familiar UNIT characters will probably pop up.)

Internet sleuths combing production listings and online CVs have determined that the series will most likely consist of six episodes, and its Fall filming schedule means that it could well be complete in time to air during the hiatus following the next season of Doctor Who, which has already been completed and is expected to air next spring.

Doctor Who Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+.