Russell T. Davies Confirms He’s Changing the “Racist” Name of a Classic ‘Doctor Who’ Villain

The uncertainty surrounding the future of Doctor Who finally came to an end recently, as it was confirmed that the sci-fi series would return for a 2026 Christmas Special, written by showrunner Russell T. Davies. Most notably, the series would return without the Disney partnership, as the two part ways following what many would consider a turbulent and overall unsuccessful era. It is now time to move on from Ncuti Gatwa‘s 15th Doctor and look to a future for the series that, hopefully, won’t rely so heavily on the past.

However, over a year is a long time to wait for fans of any series, with Whovians thankful for the upcoming release of the spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea. Starring Jemma Redgrave‘s Kate Stewart, as well as Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ruth Madeley, Colin McFarlane, Alexander Devrient, and more, the spin-off promises a more grounded drama compared to the universe-spanning adventures of the main series, with it confirmed that the UNIT team will go head-to-head with the classic Doctor Who monsters, The Sea Devils. However, showrunner Davies has now revealed that he intends to change the discourse around the ‘villains,’ suggesting somewhat playfully that their current image is somewhat “racist,” at least within the world of the series that is.

“It’s racist to say Sea Devil,” Davies confirmed in a recent interview, confirming that they prefer to be called “Homo Aqua.” “I think every writer in the world is thinking, how do you write about the climate crisis?” Davies added. “We’re already in a climate war. This just dramatises it. When they first approached me about coming back to Doctor Who in 2021, this was the first bit of my pitch,” he said. “I had this idea separately first. But weirdly, it needs the Doctor Who setting. If I just go and pitch this cold, saying, ‘There is a race of creatures that live in the sea…’ They’d say, ‘Really? You sure?’ The pre-existence of the Sea Devils takes all the problems out of it.”

What is ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea’ About?

As already mentioned, this upcoming spin-off will look to take the concepts of Doctor Who and ground them on Earth with a grittier central story. But what exactly is The War Between the Land and the Sea about? “When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered,” the official synopsis for the spin-off reads. “With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war.” Will they be successful, or perhaps will they need to call on the help of their favorite Time Lord? Only time will tell, with the show expected to debut very soon.

The most recent Doctor Who is available on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest updates.

Release Date

May 11, 2024

Network

BBC One

Directors

Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Ben Chessell, Julie Anne Robinson, Jamie Donoughue, Amanda Brotchie, Dylan Holmes Williams

Writers

Steven Moffat, Pete McTighe, Kate Herron, Inua Ellams, Juno Dawson

Franchise(s)

Doctor Who / Whoniverse