Russell T Davies' latest Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, has sparked sharply divided reactions following its premiere on BBC One yesterday evening.
The five-part series, which launched with a double-bill, stars Russell Tovey as Barclay, a low-ranking UNIT employee thrust into the role of humanity's ambassador when an ancient aquatic species emerges from the depths.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrays Salt, the enigmatic representative of the Homo Aqua, better known to Doctor Who fans as the Sea Devils.
The series marks the latest expansion of the Whoniverse franchise, joining previous spin-offs including Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Before the series even hit screens, Mr Davies's spin-off faced an uphill battle to impress, given the reception it received among professional critics.
The Telegraph's review branded the programme "inadvertently hilarious," noting that while Mr Tovey "very nearly pulls this off" as a likeable everyman alongside his family, the shift into the Whoniverse proved problematic.
The critic wrote that when the show became "propelled by some rather obvious politics", suggesting an ulterior agenda from the show's writers was at play.
The Daily Mail's Christopher Stevens was considerably harsher, describing the spin-off as "astoundingly bad" and "the drippiest sci-fi slop ever to dribble out of our screens." He also alluded to the show's political themes throughout.
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