"Legend of the Sea Devils" is the second and penultimate of three special episodes that followed the thirteenth series of the British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

programme ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. The episode was first broadcast on 17 April 2022 as an

Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...

special. It was written by Ella Road and

Chris Chibnall Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV (TV network), ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' (2013-17) and as the third showr ...

and directed by Haolu Wang. In the episode, the

Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She is played by Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, in three series, five specials and a ...

(

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Auckland Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017) and the Thirteenth Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022, 2025). She came to pro ...

) and her two companions, Yasmin Khan (

Mandip Gill Mandip Kaur Gill (born 5 January 1988) is an English actress and narrator. Her first television role came in 2012 when she was cast as Phoebe McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. After departing the series in 2015, Gill went on to ...

) and Dan Lewis (

John Bishop John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer. His first television appearance was in 2007 on the RTÉ topical-comedy show '' The Panel'', where he was a regular panelist until 20 ...

), set out to find the hidden treasure of the

Flor de la Mar ''Flor do Mar'' or ''Flor de la Mar'' ('Flower of the Sea', spelled ''Frol de la Mar'' in Portuguese chronicles of the 16th century) was a Portuguese ''nau'' (carrack) of 400 tons, which over nine years participated in decisive events in the In ...

. However, they end up in the wrong time period and team up with Madam Ching (guest star

Crystal Yu Crystal Yu is a Hong Kong-British television, film and stage actress. She played Lily Chao on the British BBC medical drama ''Casualty'' from 2013 to 2017. Life and career Yu, born in Hong Kong, came to London at the age of 11 when she was of ...

) as they battle the Sea Devils for an important gem. "Legend of the Sea Devils" was filmed in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

across July 2021 and was impacted by COVID-19 in its production process. The episode received mixed to negative reviews from critics. The special was also broadcast internationally.

Plot

In 1807

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, the pirate Madam Ching raids a village and, using a gem, unwittingly releases the Sea Devil Marsissus from a stone statue. Marsissus kills Ying Wai, the young Ying Ki's father, who was tasked with keeping Marsissus contained.

The Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

, Yaz, and Dan arrive to confront Marsissus and investigate the village. Ying Ki and Dan take the gem, split off, and swim to Ching's ship to take revenge. Ching reveals she is after the treasure of the legendary sailor Ji-Hun (who disappeared while searching for the ''

'' treasure) because she needs it to pay the ransom for her kidnapped crew. The Sea Devils unleash a leviathan, the Huasen, on Ching's ship. The Doctor and Yaz take the

TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...

back 274 years and witness a Sea Devil betraying Ji-Hun aboard the latter's ship. Upon returning to 1807, they try to find the shipwreck to no avail. The Huasen takes the TARDIS to the Sea Devils' undersea lair. The Sea Devils seek the gem, the Keystone, to execute their plan. Pretending they have it, the Doctor and Yaz use it as leverage to board Ji-Hun's ship, which has been retrofitted with alien technology. They are shown Ji-Hun, who has been kept in stasis. He reveals he tricked the Sea Devils in their deal. Marsissus calls the Doctor's bluff, claiming the Huasen has located the Keystone. Ji-Hun, the Doctor, and Yaz board Ching's ship. Ji-Hun finds out Ying Ki is the descendant of his most trusted crew member Lei Bao and reveals he gave the Keystone to Lei, who escaped his ship. Marsissus seizes the Keystone from Ying Ki just as the Doctor realises the Sea Devils plan to use it to flood Earth. The protagonists fight the Sea Devils aboard Ching's ship. The Doctor tampers with the technology on Ji-Hun's ship, but destroying it requires two cables to be held together. The Doctor volunteers to stay back while the others escape, but Ji-Hun offers to sacrifice himself instead. Madam Ching announces she has recovered enough treasure to pay the ransom and will make Ying Ki a member of her crew. The Doctor takes Yaz and Dan ashore. Dan leaves a message for his love interest Diane and is surprised when she calls him back. The Doctor, who had acknowledged Yaz's feelings for her on Ji-Hun's ship, solemnly expresses her wish that she could spend more time with Yaz.

Production

Development

"Legend of the Sea Devils" was the final episode produced as part of the eight episodes ordered for the thirteenth series of ''

''. Despite this, it stands alone from the six-part series. Along with the previous episode and the following episode, which was ordered later, it is the second and penultimate episode in a trio of specials. The episode was co-written by first-time writer for the programme, Ella Road, along with the

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

. Road wrote the episode with Chibnall at his house in

over the course of three days. Road stated that she initially expected Chibnall to have an idea for the story drafted when she was hired, but this was not the case.

Script editor A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television and radio programs, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas wit ...

s Becky Roughan and Caroline Buckley also participated in brainstorming sessions. The Sea Devils make their return in the episode for the first time since the 1984 serial ''

Warriors of the Deep ''Warriors of the Deep'' is the first serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 5 to 13 January 1984. In the serial, two human power b ...

''. It is their third major televised appearance, following their introduction in ''

The Sea Devils ''The Sea Devils'' is the third serial of the ninth season of the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 26 February to 1 April 1972. It was written by Ma ...

'' in 1972. Chibnall revealed that he did not always have intentions to bring the Sea Devils back to ''Doctor Who''. One of Road's contributions was the addition of the historical figure

Zheng Yi Sao Zheng Yi Sao (c. 1775 – 1844), also known as Shi Yang, Shi Xianggu, Shek Yeung and Ching Shih, was a Chinese pirate leader active in the South China Sea from 1801 to 1810. Born as Shi Yang in 1775 to humble origins, she married a pirate name ...

, also known as Madam Ching, to the special. Also depicted is the

, a

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on Mast (sailing), masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing Square rig, square-rigged or Fore-an ...

that sunk off the coast of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

with stolen goods that were never recovered. Chibnall wanted to use these elements after a pirate-themed story had been planned for the thirteenth series but did not come to fruition. The episode also continued to explore the same-sex romance between

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

and her companion Yasmin Khan. Road said that she and the producers insisted on handling the situation "delicately", but that they recognized the story needed to be told. She further explained this aspect of her writing in an edition of ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...

'', "I think it's good to be able to include these real relationship questions that people can relate to, outside the whole sci-fi aspect of the show. The question of whether or not to enjoy a relationship for what it is now, versus worrying about the future – that's a very universal thing." As part of the promotion for the episode, Scottish musician Nathan Evans released a ''Doctor Who''-themed adaptation of the sea ballad "

Wellerman "Soon May the Wellerman Come", also known as "Wellerman" or "The Wellerman", is a folk song in ballad style first published in New Zealand in the 1970s. The "wellermen" were supply ships owned by the Weller brothers, three merchant traders in th ...

Casting

starred in the episode as the thirteenth incarnation of

and

portrayed the Doctor's

companion Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

s, Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis, respectively.

was cast to play Madame Ching while Arthur Lee and Marlowe Chan-Reeves guest starred as Ji-Hun and Ying Ki. David K. S. Tse appeared as Ying Wai. Craige Els, who portrayed Karvanista in series thirteen, played Marsissus, the chief Sea Devil, while Simon Carew, Andrew Cross, Jon Davey, Chester Durrant, Mickey Lewis and Richard Price were additional Sea Devils. Nadia Albina made an uncredited appearance as Dan's love interest Diane.

Filming

"Legend of the Sea Devils" was directed by Haolu Wang. Known previously for her work on short films, the episode is Wang's television directorial debut. Portions of the episode were filmed on location at Sully Beach and

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it is the river mouth of the River Taff and River Ely, Ely. The body of water was converted into a lake as part ...

standing in for locations in

South China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...

. Filming was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Waters was the episode's

Director of Photography The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

. The primary pirate ship set was built on a

sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...

. Although Whittaker had a

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

on set, she preferred to perform some of the

stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...

s herself. Whittaker said that it was her first time doing any

stage combat Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet pr ...

since her time at

drama school A drama school, stage school, or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or Academic department, department at a college or university, or a free-standing institution (such as the drama section at the Juilliard School) that ...

. Yu's background as a dancer also allowed her to excel in the sword fighting scene.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

wrapped on 25 July 2021.

Executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

Matt Strevens confirmed that the special was in

picture lock Picture lock is a stage in editing a film or editing a television production. It is the stage prior to online editing when all changes to the film or television program cut have been done and approved. It is then sent to subsequent stages in the ...

by February 2022. The updated designs for the Sea Devils were created by costumers Ray Holman and Maker Robert Allsop. The Sea Devils were made shorter than they were in previous episodes to compensate for the height difference between Whittaker and

Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...

portrayer

Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...

. In their original appearance, the Sea Devils wore outfits made of silver fish netting. The new look included revised outfits for the Sea Devils; however, Holman "included some nods to the original look, weaving netting through the costumes" and their armour. When creating the head pieces, Allsop took measurements from a cast that was created for the Sea Devils in the 1980s. He also used photos from their previous appearances. The newer masks enabled the Sea Devils to have "more realistic expression".

Release and reception

Broadcast and home media

When planning ''Doctor Who''s thirteenth series, two specials were set to be held for 2022. It was later reported that "Legend of the Sea Devils" would air on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

on 17 April as an

special. The episode was

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...

in the United States, with an additional broadcast later that same day. It also aired on

ABC TV Plus ABC Family is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television (Australian TV network), ABC Television network. The television channel, channel broadcasts a range of f ...

in Australia on 18 April. " Eve of the Daleks" and "Legend of the Sea Devils" received a joint DVD and Blu-ray release in Region 2/B on 23 May 2022, in Region 1/A on 28 June 2022, and in Region 4/B on 13 July 2022. The episode was included in the home media set for the 2022 specials, released in Region 2/B on 7 November 2022. On 18 November 2022, composer Segun Akinola announced that selected pieces of the score from this special would be digitally released on 9 December 2022. A physical CD release containing all three soundtracks of the 2022 specials was released on 13 January 2023.

Ratings

The episode was watched by 2.20 million viewers overnight, becoming the eleventh most-watched programme of the day. The final consolidated ratings for the episode were 3.47 million viewers. It was the twenty-fifth most watched programme of the week. In the United States, the simulcast was seen by 283,000 viewers, while the later broadcast was viewed by 209,000 viewers.

Critical response

Benji Wilson, writing in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'', said that his kids thought the Sea Devils were "cute", which undermined the perceived scariness of the episode. However, he praised the "nascent queer relationship between the Doctor and Yaz", commenting that the interplay between the two characters was "genuinely affecting". Awarding it three stars out of five, Martin Belam of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' said the episode "promised a swashbuckling Easter special, and it partially delivered", but he felt that the scenes between the Doctor and Yaz towards the end "didn't necessarily ring true". The '' i''s Stephen Kelly gave the episode one star, criticizing a thinly written supporting cast and "a frenzied plot", but opined that the Doctor and Yaz's affection was one of the only redeeming qualities of the episode.

References

External links

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