Russell T Davies argues new Doctor Who spin-off tackling climate change is only political because it has “no choice”

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Russell T Davies has a regular walking route near his home in Swansea. He walks over the hill, down to Langland Bay, and along the beach until he gets to a worn bench with a clear view of the sea.

He mentioned the sea wall had recently been rebuilt, but he doubts it will last, predicting they’ll need to rebuild it again soon due to rising sea levels. He feels living by the ocean makes you constantly aware of these kinds of issues.

Russell T Davies is known for creating hugely popular and critically acclaimed TV shows like Queer as Folk, Years and Years, and It’s a Sin, as well as his work on Doctor Who. Living by the sea, it’s not surprising that he’s concerned about the environment, and it’s natural to wonder how these anxieties influence his storytelling.

He explains that climate change is a difficult topic to address in writing. The challenge lies in effectively conveying the idea of gradual environmental shifts happening while people largely remain unaware or inactive.

Davies received an unexpected breakthrough thanks to a neighbor. He explains, “I met a wonderful 70-year-old woman who lives nearby, and she was dressed as a fish, marching along the beach with friends. They were protesting climate change, passionately warning that the seafront and nearby homes could disappear within 20 years.”

I began to explore that idea, combining it with my love for Doctor Who – I’m always imagining how someone could invade Earth! – and the story really came together. That’s when I envisioned a lot of people wearing much more elaborate, visually striking fish costumes.

I’m really excited about Russell T Davies’ new BBC series, The War Between the Land and the Sea. On the surface, it’s a gripping sci-fi story about an ancient species emerging from the ocean to threaten us all, but underneath that, it’s a powerful look at really important issues like climate change and the pollution ruining our oceans. It’s fascinating to learn it started with an idea from a Doctor Who episode he watched as a kid back in 1972 – it’s amazing how that early memory sparked this whole new series!

Davies explains the new series, ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea,’ is inspired by a classic ‘Doctor Who’ story called ‘The Sea Devils,’ which many from his generation remember as ‘the one with the sea monsters.’ It’s a very famous story, and to coincide with the new series, the BBC is releasing a remastered, 90-minute version of ‘The Sea Devils’ with updated music. Davies believes the new series is essentially a modern take on that beloved story.

This new story features the Homo aqua – the updated version of the classic Doctor Who Sea Devils – and stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Russell Tovey. Tovey plays Barclay, an ordinary man unexpectedly chosen to represent humanity as an ambassador. He was immediately captivated by Russell Davies’ script, finding it compelling from the very beginning. Tovey first gained recognition for his role as Rudge in Alan Bennett’s play, The History Boys, back in 2004.

Tovey says that strong dialogue is what immediately draws him into a character when he’s reading a script. He knew he wanted the role after just a few lines, describing the character as a man in his late 30s who’s lost his drive and is simply focused on providing for his child. He found the character compelling, especially because of the unexpected, exciting situation he’s suddenly thrown into.

This marks the third time Tovey and Davies have worked together. Their first project was in 2007, when Davies cast Tovey, then 25, as Midshipman Alonso Frame in the Doctor Who Christmas special, ‘Voyage of the Damned.’ He briefly reprised the role in 2010’s ‘The End of Time,’ and their working relationship truly flourished a decade later with Tovey’s praised portrayal of Daniel Lyons in ‘Years and Years.’ Now 44, Tovey still feels incredibly lucky to be collaborating with Davies after all these years.

I admire Russell so much – he’s a real hero to me. I’ll never forget watching Queer as Folk. It was both scary and exciting, and it meant the world to see someone like me represented on screen. It was incredibly important, not just to me, but to a lot of queer people my age.

Tovey was recently named Man of the Year at the Attitude Awards, and Davies had the honor of presenting him with the prize. He shared that if he could go back and speak to his younger, insecure 14-year-old self – a self who found comfort in Davies’ work – he wouldn’t have thought it possible that Davies would one day be giving him an award.

I asked Davies how he felt about Tovey’s kind words. He explained that while they don’t socialize outside of work, they’ve had a wonderful professional relationship for nearly 18 years, going all the way back to their time on ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Years and Years.’ He added that he greatly admires Tovey both as an actor and as a person.

Tovey’s character, Barclay, isn’t your typical hero; he’d much prefer spending time with his family to saving the world. According to writer Davies, Barclay represents everyday people – someone who’s struggled with bills and affording holidays. Davies asks, “Why shouldn’t someone with that experience be in Parliament, making laws? That’s what we really need, but rarely see.”

The series, The War Between the Land and the Sea, blends imaginative science fiction with strikingly relevant, real-world issues. While it touches on important topics like pollution in the Thames and plastic waste in the oceans, it avoids being preachy or overly serious – it’s a captivating story, not just a dry public service announcement.

Davies calls it hugely enjoyable, describing it as a grand, frightening, intense, and surprisingly romantic story that will leave you amazed.

Tovey agrees, saying viewers will be surprised to see this show on the BBC. He explains they’ve been able to include a lot of impressive and unusual elements.

As a lifelong cinema and TV fan, I can already anticipate some predictable reactions. Knowing how things go, a few critics on the right might claim Russell T Davies – and therefore the BBC – is being preachy with all the environmental stuff in the new Doctor Who. They’ll say he’s trying to force a ‘green agenda’ on us. But here’s the funny thing: using Doctor Who to tackle important issues isn’t new at all! Actually, this latest series feels very much like the original show from 1972, which wasn’t afraid to address social concerns either.

Malcolm Hulke, once a member of the Communist Party, wrote ‘The Sea Devils’. He cleverly used Doctor Who stories to explore important social issues – like class differences, racism, and the effects of colonialism – by representing them through the show’s alien creatures and storylines.

A key difficulty when telling stories about climate change isn’t just showing the effects, but also convincing people that there’s still reason for optimism. As Tovey points out, “We need hope – it’s what’s currently lacking, because we’re constantly told there isn’t any.” So, what kind of feeling does Tovey hope the series will leave viewers with?

He wants the film to make people feel passionately upset and motivated to take action. He hopes it will inspire a new generation to address the issues facing our planet, similar to how David Attenborough’s documentaries raise awareness, but using dramatic storytelling to really grab people’s attention and push them to realize we need to act now.

This could definitely motivate people to take action. However, considering the BBC is currently facing a lot of scrutiny, it makes you wonder if Davies ever considered he might be asked to focus solely on entertainment and avoid expressing strong opinions.

He argues that telling a writer ‘Don’t be preachy’ is unhelpful, pointing out that preaching has been a cornerstone of religion for centuries and can be effective. He believes he doesn’t need to be condescending; if he’s writing about the oceans in the future, and they are indeed polluted and damaged, it would be dishonest not to address those realities. He sees his work as simply reflecting truth, not necessarily as taking a political stance, but as an unavoidable consequence of accurately portraying the situation.

The War Between the Land and the Sea is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7th December.

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2025-11-28 20:12