Sea Devils Renamed In Doctor Who Spinoff The War Between The Land And The Sea

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Russell T. Davies, the creative force behind Doctor Who, has announced a significant name change for the main creatures in the new spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea. The show, which is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK this December, will bring back the Sea Devils, who haven’t been seen since Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Doctor. A release date for Disney+ outside the UK is still to be announced.

These new Sea Devils are quite different from the ones seen in the classic Doctor Who episodes with Jon Pertwee, or even the ones the Thirteenth Doctor faced in the 2022 special, “Legend of the Sea Devils.” They’ve not only had a complete visual update, but Russell T Davies has revealed they’ve also decided to change their name as a group.

The creator of the new Doctor Who series and the writer of War Between the Land and the Sea told Radio Times that referring to the Sea Devils as “Sea Devils” is problematic, and they prefer the term “Homo Aqua.” They also don’t like calling them “monsters,” arguing that it’s humans who are the true monsters in the story.

In “The War Between the Land and the Sea,” Russell Tovey plays Barclay, a negotiator who finds himself stuck between humans and the Homo Aqua in a growing conflict. The Homo Aqua, led by Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), are angry after years of pollution destroyed their underwater homes and are now seeking revenge. The story follows Barclay’s attempt to broker peace, but it remains to be seen if he can prevent a full-scale war with UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave).

Russell T Davies says the current situation feels like a ‘climate war,’ and that’s what inspired his latest Doctor Who story. He notes that many writers are grappling with how to address the climate crisis in their work, and this story is his contribution to that conversation.

Davies explained that when he was asked to return to Doctor Who in 2021, his initial idea was to feature the Sea Devils. He realized this concept worked particularly well within the Doctor Who universe, as introducing a new underwater race on its own might seem far-fetched. The established history of the Sea Devils within the show immediately makes the idea believable.

Even though the show has ties to Doctor Who and features some familiar faces from UNIT, don’t anticipate seeing the Doctor’s TARDIS appear in this limited series. Russell T Davies explained that The War Between the Land and the Sea will be a more intense and challenging story than a standard Doctor Who episode.

He explained that while the new series exists within the same universe as Doctor Who, it explores a different perspective and features events you wouldn’t typically see in the show. He added that he was very happy with how it turned out. Earlier, he described it to the BBC as a large-scale, exciting Christmas special filled with heroes, monsters, battles, and romance, all set in a world facing a crisis.

Now that the BBC and Disney have ended their partnership, the BBC has announced it will keep making Doctor Who, beginning with a Christmas special in 2026. The War Between the Land and the Sea will be a final, large-scale adventure before the show gets a fresh start.

Viewers in the UK can watch “The War Between the Land and the Sea” on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this December. It will become available on Disney+ in 2026.

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2025-11-06 17:58