Doctor Who fans think Sea Devils spinoff is happening

A purported Doctor Who production document has some fans convinced a spinoff revolving around the Sea Devils is on the way.

The Sea Devils first appeared in the six-part Doctor Who serial of the same name in 1972. They’re a formidable race of amphibious reptiles who ruled the Earth during prehistoric times.

While the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) was the first incarnation of the Doctor to encounter the Sea Devils, several of his successors have crossed paths with them, as well.

The most recent of these meetings was in the 2022 Doctor Who Easter special, “Legend of the Sea Devils,” headlined by Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.

Doctor Who fans think Sea Devils spinoff is in the works

Fans will get to see the Sea Devils in action again soon, if an alleged production listing currently doing the rounds on X/Twitter proves legit. According to the listing, a Doctor Who spinoff titled “The War Between The Land And The Sea” featuring the Sea Devils is currently in development.

Many fans have already taken the spinoff news at face value – and predictably, their responses varied wildly. Some were seemingly excited at the prospect of a new Doctor Who side project, while others complained that a Sea Devils-centric story wasn’t on the fanbase’s wishlist.

“Well, [Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies] did talk about an eight-word title in [Doctor Who Magazine] in the last two Christmas issues! It’s this!!” enthused one franchise devotee.

“Incredibly strange decision to make a spinoff based on two warring races that, let’s be honest, nobody really gives a sh*t about actually seeing,” opined another, presumably referring to the Sea Devils’ land-based sister species, the Silurians. “It’s all just lip-service for lore which is how it should stay.”

There were also calls for The War Between the Land and the Sea to debut on Disney+ as well as BBC One and BBC iPlayer, unlike 2023 spinoff Tales of the TARDIS, which was a BBC exclusive.

However, it’s worth noting that two industry insiders, writers Fraser Coull and Joseph J. Bennett, cast doubt on the production document’s credibility.

“I have it on fairly good authority that no spinoffs are filming in March, so I don’t think this is a legit spinoff,” wrote Coull. “I wouldn’t trust it,” added Bennett. “Not really [a production resource] people in the industry use or trust.”

Is a UNIT-focused Doctor Who show happening?

With no official word from the BBC, fans will just have to wait and see whether The War Between The Land And The Sea materializes. By contrast, Doctor Who’s long-rumored UNIT spinoff was all but confirmed back in March 2022.

Little is known about the production at this stage, other than that Jemma Redgrave will return as the military outfit’s boss, Kate Stewart. Redgrave last reprised the role in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials, which aired in November-December 2023.

For the latest Doctor Who news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.