It's been a rough year for Doctor Who, which lost a budding star in Ncuti Gatwa, as well as its co-producing partner, Disney. While there was some excitement about actress Billie Piper returning to the series to potentially play The Doctor, there are still many questions about the series' future as we wait for its return in 2026.
Fortunately, there is some good news to report at the end of the year, and it came from the latest spinoff from the flagship series. The War Between the Land and the Sea won't be available with a Disney+ subscription in the United States until 2026, but it's off to a great start in the UK.
The War Between The Land And The Sea Had A Strong Debut In The UK
Overnight ratings are in for The War Between the Land and the Sea, which premiered last weekend in the UK on BBC One. 2.8 million people watched Episode 1, and 2.1 million watched Episode 2. As Polygon explained, that's a higher viewership than a lot of recent Doctor Who episodes, and managed to beat out ITV's finale of I'm A Celebrity, which went up against it.
For reference, Doctor Who's latest season finale, "The Reality War," drew 2.2 million overnight viewers according to Radio Times. Those stats marked the second-biggest viewership the series earned that season, and Episode 1 of The War Between the Land and the Sea outdid that. Fingers crossed future episodes can maintain that momentum!
Russell T. Davies Has Praised The Spinoff Quite A Bit
I've always maintained that the hardest element to get right with a Doctor Who spinoff making it feel as enjoyable without The Doctor as a lead. Removing the main character from the equation makes it feel as though something is missing when watching these spin-offs, which may be why Russell T. Davies went for a different tone when making The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Assuming the show's high viewership was indicative of interest in the series, and it's sustained throughout the limited series' run, I have to wonder how it will inform the upcoming episodes of Doctor Who. Davies admitted he had not yet begun work on the 2026 Christmas special, though he did remark he had an idea in mind for what he would write.
Now, assume The War Between the Land and the Sea is a hit, will RTD shift his plans for the Christmas special? I'm kind of hoping that's the case, as we need something else for this series beyond stunt castings to get people excited about Doctor Who again. Here's hoping this is the start of a strong year for the show, after 2025 wasn't quite as kind.
The War Between the Land and the Sea does not have a release date in the United States as of yet, but we will see it eventually released on Disney+. I'm now extra eager to see the series, and hope that if it does become an acclaimed hit, someone has more ideas for limited shows set within the Doctor Who universe.
