2 Major Doctor Who Spinoffs Prove This Release Trick Works Perfectly & Should Be Repeated

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Russell T. Davies’ latest Doctor Who series is using a successful strategy from his previous work on the show, and it seems to be working well. While the main Doctor Who series has faced some criticism lately regarding its stories and approach, the new spinoff – following the classic Sea Devils as they fight to reclaim Earth – has been very well-received. We believe we understand the reason for its success.

The five-episode miniseries, The War Between the Land and the Sea, is a Doctor Who spinoff that echoes the success of the similarly structured Torchwood: Children of Earth. Children of Earth originally aired over five consecutive days in 2009, and both series are considered particularly well-made. This approach – releasing a short, focused event series over a single week – seems to work very well for Doctor Who spinoffs, and fans hope to see more releases using this format in the future.

Why Five-Episode Doctor Who Event Spinoffs Work Best

In 2009, Torchwood: Children of Earth aired as the third season of Torchwood, but it was different from previous seasons. Instead of focusing on individual cases, the story followed a single, large-scale event. The series introduced the alien race known as the 456, who demanded 10% of the world’s children, using them as a kind of drug. This created a massive conflict for both humanity and the Torchwood team, ultimately leading to a tragic outcome for everyone involved. Because it only had five episodes, Children of Earth was fast-paced, action-packed, and exciting – a style that’s also found in The War Between the Land and the Sea.

In The War Between the Land and the Sea, we meet Barclay (Russell Tovey), an ordinary transport clerk who unexpectedly becomes humanity’s negotiator with the Homo Aqua. However, he eventually teams up with Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the Sea Devils’ ambassador. While the story is still unfolding, the series maintains the fast-paced, exciting, and dramatic feel of Children of Earth, likely due to its shorter five-episode run. It appears this length works particularly well for Doctor Who spin-off series.

A great case study is the 2011 series Torchwood: Miracle Day, which many felt dragged on for too long and would have been stronger as a five-episode story. Keeping it concise would have also helped control costs, created more focused action, and maintained a fast pace. With renewed interest in Doctor Who spinoffs following Russell T. Davies’ return and the release of The War Between the Land and the Sea, we’d like to see more short, impactful spinoffs – ideally around five episodes each – to help restore Doctor Who’s strong reputation.

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2025-12-21 15:41