New Doctor Who Spinoff Gets BBC Release Status After Losing Disney Partnership

The BBC has confirmed a release window for the upcoming Doctor Who spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, following confirmation that the British network’s partnership with Disney has come to an end.

After months of uncertainty over the fate of Britain’s most iconic and longest-running sci-fi series, it was finally confirmed that the BBC would be moving ahead with Doctor Who without Disney’s involvement. The BBC’s deal with Disney spanned two full seasons, led by showrunner Russell T Davies and the Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. It also encompasses the five-episode Doctor Who spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea.

The War Between the Land and the Sea was originally expected to drop in the UK and globally via Disney+ simultaneously in 2026. However, the BBC has now stated that the limited series will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK “later this year.”

It also announced that Doctor Who would return with a Christmas special in 2026, written by Davies, and that it would reveal “plans for the next series in due course.” It has yet to be confirmed whether The War Between the Land and the Sea will be released this year on Disney+.

Starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the official logline for The War Between the Land and the Sea reads: “When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.“

Tovey will be portraying a new Whoniverse character called Barclay, who gets caught in the conflict between UNIT and the newly emerged Sea Devils. This isn’t Tovey’s first Doctor Who adventure, however, as the actor previously starred in two episodes of the rebooted NuWho between 2007 and 2010.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing a wholly redesigned Sea Devil called Salt. Raw is no stranger to the Whoniverse, either, having played a character named Tish Jones for four episodes in 2007. The War Between‘s trailer, released earlier this year, teases an incredibly tense, politically charged conflict between UNIT and Mbatha-Raw’s character. You can watch the trailer below.

Given the return of UNIT, it should be no surprise that Doctor Who‘s Jemma Redgrave, who plays UNIT leader Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, has joined the cast for the upcoming miniseries. Other cast members include Alexander Devrient, Ruth Madeley, Colin McFarlane, Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, and Vincent Franklin.

The exact release date for The War Between the Land and the Sea in both the UK and worldwide is still unknown.