Doctor Who spin-off adds Ruth Madeley and surprise Torchwood character in first look
The pair join the previously announced Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Alexander Devrient.
The cast of Doctor Who spin-off series The War Between The Land And The Sea has assembled in a first-look image, with two new additions.
Ruth Madeley is now confirmed to be reprising her role as UNIT's scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingham in the spin-off.
Madeley previously appeared as the character in two Doctor Who episodes aired in 2023, The Star Beast and The Giggle.
Though fans might have anticipated Shirley's appearance in The War Between The Land And The Sea, the second new cast member is rather more surprising...
Colin McFarlane will also appear in the series as General Austin Pierce, a role he last played in the 2009 miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth – 15 years ago.
Madeley and McFarlane join previously announced cast members Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave (returning as Kate Stewart), and Alexander Devrient (Colonel Ibrahim).
The complete cast can be seen in a photo from a table read that was released today (23rd August).
A plot synopsis 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."
Filming begins on the series this month, with Dylan Holmes-Williams – who directed the Doctor Who episodes 73 Yards and Dot and Bubble – helming the five episodes, which will be co-written by Pete McTighe and Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.
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Announcing the show at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Davies said of the series: "What happens when the Doctor isn't in town? That's what this show is about. How does the world cope?
"And so, we've got a five-part spin-off coming called The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is the story of the Sea Devils from Doctor Who, who were originally from 1972.
"There's a race that lives beneath the oceans, they wake up and they see the state of the oceans that we have put it in. We have wrecked the place, and it is war. And it's war on an epic scale."
Read more:
- Doctor Who's Russell T Davies teases "thrills, deaths and seven seas of danger" in spin-off
- Doctor Who casts Sherlock and Casualty stars in Christmas special
Doctor Who will return at Christmas on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across the brand's digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.
