The War Between the Land and the Sea writer reveals “massive effects sequence” which was cut from the Doctor Who spin-off

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Pete McTighe, the writer of ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea,’ shared some disturbing details about a scene that was ultimately removed from the ‘Doctor Who’ spin-off.

The spin-off series starred Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and centered around a battle between humans and the Sea Devils – classic Doctor Who monsters now called Homo Aqua. A major theme of the show was climate change, specifically the harm being done to Earth’s oceans and rivers.

But not everything writers McTighe and Russell T Davies dreamed up could make the cut.

According to CultBox, at the Gallifrey One convention, producer McTighe explained that they had to remove one large visual effects scene. It was intended to open episode 2, taking place in a stunning restaurant on the Italian coast.

A young and attractive couple arrived in a sports car and went into a beautiful restaurant with a stunning view of the ocean.

He was about to propose, telling her how much he loved her, when suddenly squids started hitting the restaurant windows. They were shocked, and before they could react, more and more squids began attacking, eventually shattering the glass!

McTighe explained that they had planned a large-scale visual effects sequence to start the episode. However, since it wasn’t essential to the plot, they decided to invest those resources into the ‘Plastic Apocalypse’ – a key element of the show instead.

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McTighe mentioned a striking scene where plastic waste, collected from the oceans and rivers, fell back to Earth like rain – a symbolic act of retaliation by the aquatic species, Homo Aqua.

Actor Alexander Devrient, who plays Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, previously told TopMob about filming that scene. He explained that no acting was needed, because the set – covered in plastic waste – felt incredibly real and unpleasant. He said the sight of all the waste was physically repelling and highlighted just how much we throw away.

Regarding how the show portrays the climate crisis, Davies has stated that one of the most unhelpful things you can tell a writer is to avoid being ‘preachy’.

For centuries, many religions have relied on teaching and sermons, and that’s generally been effective. I don’t need to be overly dramatic or present myself as superior. If I’m describing the state of the oceans in 2025, and they are indeed polluted, damaged, and unpleasant, then that’s simply the reality I need to convey.

I have to address these issues, and it’s only getting involved because it’s forced to.

The War Between the Land and the Sea is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Authors

Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor

Louise Griffin edits the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro and holds a degree in English Literature.

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2026-03-06 15:43