🌊 The War Between The Land And The Sea (2026): Cast, Story, Release Date & Everything You Need to Know!

“When the ocean rises to speak… humanity has no choice but to listen.” 🌙🌊

Brace yourself for a tidal wave of fantasy, fear, and full-blown war. The War Between the Land and the Sea, the massive new sci-fi fantasy drama from Doctor Who creator Russell T Davies, is ready to pull viewers into a world where ancient ocean beings collide with humanity’s future.

This high-stakes, mythology-driven series stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Russell Tovey, and premieres December 7, 2025 on BBC iPlayer / BBC One, with a global release coming 2026 on Disney+.

This isn’t just another alien-invasion thriller. It’s a chilling, emotional, politically charged story where UNIT faces its deadliest crisis yet — and humanity learns the sea remembers everything.

🌊 Option 4 — Stylish & Modern (Magazine style)

Title: The War Between the Land and the Sea

Genre: Sci-Fi • Fantasy • Thriller

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Russell Tovey, Jemma Redgrave

Showrunner: Russell T Davies

Director: Dylan Holmes Williams

Episodes: 5

UK Premiere: December 7, 2025

Global Streaming: Disney+ in 2026

🌊 The Story – When the Deep Decides to Rise

Humanity believed it owned the land.

The ocean disagreed.

In this intense five-part thriller, a long-forgotten ancient species — the Sea Devils — emerges from the depths and reveals itself to humanity for the first time in centuries. Their arrival triggers a global crisis, shattering governments, terrifying civilians, and testing the limits of diplomacy.

UNIT is forced into action.

Barclay (Russell Tovey), a low-ranking UNIT staffer used to filing reports instead of saving the world, suddenly becomes humanity’s spokesperson when he encounters Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) — a mysterious and powerful sea-born being who may be humanity’s executioner… or its final chance at peace.

“Humans always feared the monsters in the deep,” Salt whispers.

“You never imagined the deep feared you more.”

As the oceans rise and political tensions explode, Barclay faces a terrifying question:

Are the Sea Devils enemies… or the rightful heirs of Earth?

🌊💫 Main Cast & Characters

🧜‍♀️ Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt

An ethereal, commanding sea-born leader whose arrival threatens global stability. Salt is calm, intelligent, and devastatingly powerful — a being who carries centuries of oceanic memory. Her character radiates mystery and danger.“I did not come to conquer your world. I came to reclaim mine.”

🌊 Russell Tovey as Barclay

A mild-mannered UNIT employee whose quiet life is overturned when he becomes the unexpected bridge between land and sea. Barclay’s empathy becomes his greatest weapon — and possibly humanity’s salvation.

🌫️ Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart

Head of UNIT and a veteran of impossible crises. This war pushes her leadership, loyalty, and courage to the breaking point.

⚔️ Alexander Devrient as Colonel Christofer Ibrahim

A disciplined soldier forced to choose between military protocol and moral truth.

🌟 Ruth Madeley as Shirley Bingham

A brilliant UNIT scientist who uncovers hidden truths about the Sea Devils’ history — and humanity’s role in the coming war.

🎖️ Colin McFarlane as General Austin Pierce

A man ready to declare war before asking questions — and that impatience may doom the planet.

The supporting cast includes Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac, Waleed Hammad, Manpreet Bachu, Ann Akinjirin and more — each adding layers to a world on the brink of collapse.

🌌 Behind the Scenes – The Team Guiding the Storm

From the mind of Russell T Davies — the storyteller behind some of sci-fi’s most iconic episodes — comes a new chapter in the Whoniverse. Filmed from August to December 2024, the series blends blockbuster cinematography with political thriller intensity.

Director Dylan Holmes Williams crafts a tension-filled world where the ocean feels alive — beautiful, terrifying, and infinite.

With music by Lorne Balfe, expect a haunting, swelling score echoing sonar pulses, rising tides, and ancient voices from the deep.

🌊🔥 Why You Should Watch The War Between The Land and the Sea

✅ A fresh, thrilling expansion of the Whoniverse

✅ High-budget visuals + cinematic underwater mythology

✅ Gugu Mbatha-Raw delivering one of her most electrifying performances

✅ Perfect for fans of Torchwood, Andor, and War of the Worlds

✅ A tight five-episode structure — no filler, all impact

✅ UNIT at the center of a moral, global, emotional war

This is the kind of series that hooks you with its scale… and breaks you with its humanity.

📺 Where to Watch

🇬🇧 UK BroadcastBBC One & BBC iPlayer

Premiere: December 7, 2025

Double Bill • 8:30 PM

🌍 International ReleaseDisney+ — 2026(All five episodes available globally)

Episodes will stream with English subtitles worldwide.

🌊💬 Fan Buzz & Early Hype

The trailer instantly sent the fandom into meltdown:

“Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt is pure power.”

“RTD bringing back the Sea Devils? This is peak Whoniverse.”

“This is giving Children of Earth energy — I’m already scared.”

“Russell Tovey as an unlikely hero?? Inject it.”

Fans are calling it the “biggest UNIT story ever put on screen.”

💬 Final Thoughts – A Battle Written in Water and Blood

The War Between the Land and the Sea is more than a sci-fi thriller — it’s a haunting echo of humanity’s greatest fears and deepest mistakes.

It reminds us that the planet belongs to more than just us…and the ocean keeps every secret we try to bury.

“When the deep rises, destiny shifts — and the world must decide what it’s willing to sacrifice.” 🌊

⭐ Verdict: 9.6/10 – Epic, emotional, visually breathtaking.A must-watch for sci-fi lovers and anyone who enjoys stories where humanity is forced to confront the truth.

📢 Don’t miss the double bill premiere December 7, 2025 on BBC One & iPlayer.

🌍 Streaming worldwide on Disney+ in 2026.