The War Between The Land And The Sea episodes two and three have consolidated to 3.71m and 3.20m respectively.
The show, created by Russell T Davies, launched with 2.8m for its first episode, followed by 2.1m for its second episode*. These figures are higher than most regular episodes of Doctor Who in recent years – with Episode 1 of The War Between rating higher than any episode in Season 1 or Season 2.
The show has become one of – if not the – biggest new drama launch of the year for the BBC based on overnight ratings only, ahead of Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women and other new titles including King & Conqueror, This City Is Ours and Virdee.
The five-part series follows Barclay (Russell Tovey), a low-level UNIT staff member whose ordinary life becomes a world of terror when an ancient species rises from the sea. Barclay becomes humanity’s ambassador when the mysterious Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) emerges from the Tank at a summit on the Thames. UNIT, led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), fights for control as humanity faces destruction.
Alongside Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jemma Redgrave, the series features a star-studded cast including Ruth Madeley as Shirley Bingham, Alexander Devrient as Colonel Christofer Ibrahim, and Colin McFarlane as General Austin Pierce.
The full top 50 for 08th Dec 2025 – 14th Dec 2025 is as follows:
| Audience | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Programme | Broadcaster | TOTAL |
| 1 | STRICTLY COME DANCING: SERIES 23, EPISODE 23 | BBC | 7,533,000 |
| 2 | STRICTLY COME DANCING: SERIES 23, EPISODE 24 | BBC | 7,226,400 |
| 3 | CELEBRITY RACE ACROSS THE WORLD: SERIES 3, EPISODE 6 | BBC | 5,774,400 |
| 4 | HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU: SERIES 70, EPISODE 10 | BBC | 5,369,300 |
| 5 | SHETLAND: SERIES 10, EPISODE 6 | BBC | 5,169,500 |
| 6 | MICHAEL MCINTYRE’S THE WHEEL: SERIES 6, EPISODE 8 | BBC | 4,671,900 |
| 7 | I’M A CELEBRITY… GET ME OUT OF HERE!: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 1 | ITV | 4,499,700 |
| 8 | KINGDOM: SERIES 1, EPISODE 6 | BBC | 4,137,800 |
| 9 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 287 | ITV | 3,791,800 |
| 10 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,781,300 |
| 11 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 285 | ITV | 3,755,800 |
| 12 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 3 | BBC | 3,712,600 |
| 13 | MAN VS BABY: SERIES 1, EPISODE 1 * | NETFLIX | 3,686,000 |
| 14 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10458 | ITV | 3,617,400 |
| 15 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 289 | ITV | 3,614,100 |
| 16 | FILM: WAKE UP DEAD MAN A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2025) * | NETFLIX | 3,593,000 |
| 17 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,592,700 |
| 18 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 198 | BBC | 3,581,100 |
| 19 | THE 1% CLUB ROLLOVER: SERIES 1, EPISODE 1 | ITV | 3,573,900 |
| 20 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,547,600 |
| 21 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10459 | ITV | 3,521,400 |
| 22 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10460 | ITV | 3,499,300 |
| 23 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,437,700 |
| 24 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,380,700 |
| 25 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10461 | ITV | 3,299,900 |
| 26 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 196 | BBC | 3,294,700 |
| 27 | ALAN CARR’S PICTURE SLAM: SERIES 3, EPISODE 5 | BBC | 3,290,600 |
| 28 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 195 | BBC | 3,289,300 |
| 29 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10463 | ITV | 3,284,000 |
| 30 | THE 1% CLUB ROLLOVER: SERIES 1, EPISODE 2 | ITV | 3,282,000 |
| 31 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 197 | BBC | 3,261,200 |
| 32 | 24 HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 8 | CHANNEL 4 | 3,208,900 |
| 33 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 4 | BBC | 3,202,800 |
| 34 | ACCIDENTAL TOURIST: SERIES 1, EPISODE 1 | ITV | 3,174,200 |
| 35 | 24 HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 7 | CHANNEL 4 | 3,110,200 |
| 36 | MATCH OF THE DAY: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,065,200 |
| 37 | MAN VS BABY: SERIES 1, EPISODE 2 * | NETFLIX | 3,053,000 |
| 38 | THE 1% CLUB ROLLOVER: SERIES 1, EPISODE 4 | ITV | 3,050,200 |
| 39 | RETURN TO PARADISE: SERIES 2, EPISODE 6 | BBC | 2,953,700 |
| 40 | THE 1% CLUB ROLLOVER: SERIES 1, EPISODE 3 | ITV | 2,911,400 |
| 41 | COUNTRYFILE: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,838,900 |
| 42 | THE 1% CLUB ROLLOVER: SERIES 1, EPISODE 5 | ITV | 2,819,800 |
| 43 | BBC WEEKEND NEWS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 37 | BBC | 2,740,100 |
| 44 | BBC WEEKEND NEWS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 37 | BBC | 2,633,900 |
| 45 | MAN VS BABY: SERIES 1, EPISODE 3 * | NETFLIX | 2,632,000 |
| 46 | THE ONE SHOW: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,617,800 |
| 47 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,610,100 |
| 48 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,490,700 |
| 49 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,445,000 |
| 50 | THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW: SERIES 33, EPISODE 11 | BBC | 2,433,100 |
So, by the end of episode 4 it had lost 25% of the viewers… That’s gone down quicker than Salt on Barclay