Milton Keynes actor to star in Dr Who spin-off show this Christmas
A Milton Keynes actor has landed a role alongside Russell Tovey and Jemma Redgrave in a big Christmas TV sci-fi show to air at the beginning of December.
Waseem Mirza is joining the cast of a Dr Who spin-off called The War Between The Land And The Sea for Disney+.
The five-part sc-fi drama centres around a powerful ancient species rising from the ocean and declaring its presence to the world. Humanity is thrown into turmoil and, with international tensions climbing, UNIT moves to protect the population as conflict rises between land and sea.
Created by “Doctor Who” showrunner Russell T Davies and written by Davies and executive producer Pete McTighe, the series marks the return of the iconic Sea Devils, first seen in 1972.
Waseem plays a newsreader covering the global crisis at the heart of the series, which stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, along with returning “Doctor Who” actors Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim.
Russell T Davies said: “I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.”
Filmed under director Dylan Holmes Williams, whose recent “Doctor Who” work includes the episodes “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble.” The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from December 7 as a double bill and then air weekly each Sunday night until the end of December and stream exclusively on Disney+ later in 2026.
For Waseem, the role adds to a growing list of screen credits. A former journalist and presenter, he began his career with the BBC before moving into acting. His recent work includes Pennyworth, Emmerdale, London Kills and The Diplomat.
Born and raised in Peterborough and Milton Keynes, and a graduate of the University of Lincoln, Mirza continues to build a career that bridges broadcast journalism and dramatic storytelling.
“The War Between the Land And The Sea” is produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC. Executive producers include Russell T Davies, Pete McTighe, Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.