Revamped Version of the Classic Doctor Who Sea Devils Episode Coming in December

‘Tis the season for Sea Devils, apparently. Not only is The War Between the Land and the Sea, the Doctor Who spinoff that revolves around the classic monsters, finally set to premiere (at least in the U.K.), but the BBC is also set to release a special version of the original episodes that featured their debut. 

The original story, “The Sea Devils,” was a Third Doctor adventure that first aired in 1972 and introduced the franchise to the amphibious creatures who once ruled the Earth before humanity wanted to reclaim it for themselves. It starred Jon Pertwee as the Doctor alongside Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant, and features an appearance by Roger Delgado as infamous villain The Master.

The plot is pretty basic: The Doctor’s investigating some random ship disappearances when he discovers that the Master has not only escaped from the maximum security island prison in which he was being held — just go with it; it’s kind of his thing — but has built a device that allows him to control the Sea Devils and use them as his own personal army to conquer Earth. This all goes haywire in predictable ways that involve the creatures turning on the Master, the Doctor being really clever, and the aversion of nuclear war. (Or at least a nuclear explosion.) 

The original six-part serial has been re-edited into a new feature-length format, though whether or not we’re still actually allowed to refer to these creatures as Sea Devils remains to be seen. The new version will feature updated sound design by Mark Ayres and an enhanced score woven together with the original (admittedly, kind of weird) experimental electronic score by Malcolm Clarke.  

The corporation has been testing the waters with updated versions of classic installments for some time. Still-existing audio recordings of some of the franchise’s infamous “lost episodes” have led to classic adventures being recreated in an animated format, and the Tales of the TARDIS BBC limited series saw former Doctors and companions explore some of the franchise’s most famous older episodes in depth. And Doctor Who has dabbled in these condensed versions before, dropping an updated take on The Daleks alongside the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations and Second Doctor saga The War Games last year.

 “Fifty-two years after they first rose from the depths, it’s Sea Devil night across the BBC!” Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies enthused when the program was announced. “ A great idea never dies, and viewers young and old can now heed the warning: watch the seas!”

Of course, your mileage may (and likely will) vary on whether these adaptations that cut stories originally told over multiple hours into manageable 90-ish minute chunks are a good idea or not. It’s true, some of the classic stories are a bit unwieldy, narratively speaking, and can drag in places. But, there’s also something inherently uncomfortable about cutting and/or shifting so much of the original content. We’ll just have to watch and judge for ourselves. Eventually. Maybe. With everything else going on behind the scenes in the Whoniverse at the moment, there’s no firm news about any sort of broader release plan for this new installment might be. (Or if one even exists) Americans might have to wait for the DVD.

The special version of The Sea Devils will air on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on December 7 and will be followed by the double episode premiere of The War Between the Land and the Sea on iPlayer and BBC One.