The War Between The Land And The Sea episode five achieved a consolidated 7-day rating of 3.08m.
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 15 Dec 2025 – 21 Dec 2025 is as follows:
| Audience | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Programme | Broadcaster | TOTAL |
| 1 | STRICTLY COME DANCING: SERIES 23, EPISODE 25 | BBC | 8,489,000 |
| 2 | MICHAEL MCINTYRE’S THE WHEEL: SERIES 6, EPISODE 9 | BBC | 4,961,000 |
| 3 | BEYOND PARADISE: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 4,793,600 |
| 4 | BLANKETY BLANK: SERIES 5, EPISODE 1 | BBC | 4,158,600 |
| 5 | HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 4,125,500 |
| 6 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 295 | ITV | 4,104,399 |
| 7 | THE ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 1 | ITV | 4,087,300 |
| 8 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 293 | ITV | 3,993,600 |
| 9 | CORONATION STREET: SERIES 66, EPISODE 291 | ITV | 3,869,100 |
| 10 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,788,300 |
| 11 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10469 | ITV | 3,764,400 |
| 12 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 201 | BBC | 3,714,300 |
| 13 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 200 | BBC | 3,547,000 |
| 14 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10466 | ITV | 3,540,800 |
| 15 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10467 | ITV | 3,501,400 |
| 16 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10464 | ITV | 3,482,100 |
| 17 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,472,900 |
| 18 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,435,200 |
| 19 | EMMERDALE: SERIES 54, EPISODE 10465 | ITV | 3,430,100 |
| 20 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,426,600 |
| 21 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,421,300 |
| 22 | EASTENDERS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 199 | BBC | 3,390,400 |
| 23 | BBC NEWS AT SIX: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,331,900 |
| 24 | MATCH OF THE DAY: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 3,313,900 |
| 25 | ANTIQUES ROADSHOW: SERIES 48, EPISODE 18 | BBC | 3,297,000 |
| 26 | BBC WEEKEND NEWS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 38 | BBC | 3,196,000 |
| 27 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 5 | BBC | 3,083,200 |
| 28 | INSIDE M&S: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 1 | ITV | 3,027,300 |
| 29 | ALAN CARR’S PICTURE SLAM: SERIES 3, EPISODE 6 | BBC | 2,936,400 |
| 30 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,735,500 |
| 31 | COUNTRYFILE: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,675,500 |
| 32 | BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,662,000 |
| 33 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,594,700 |
| 34 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,589,000 |
| 35 | THE ONE SHOW: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,502,700 |
| 36 | THE ONE SHOW: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,496,500 |
| 37 | THE ONE SHOW: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,486,600 |
| 38 | BBC WEEKEND NEWS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 38 | BBC | 2,473,100 |
| 39 | A MARY BERRY CHRISTMAS: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,472,300 |
| 40 | BBC WEEKEND NEWS: SERIES 2025, EPISODE 38 | BBC | 2,471,500 |
| 41 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,372,500 |
| 42 | THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW: SERIES 33, EPISODE 12 | BBC | 2,319,200 |
| 43 | BBC NEWS AT TEN: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,301,700 |
| 44 | CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF: SERIES 20, EPISODE 14 | BBC | 2,290,200 |
| 45 | CELEBRITY ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY: SERIES 3, EPISODE 1 | BBC | 2,275,700 |
| 46 | ITV EVENING NEWS: SERIES 10, EPISODE 253 | ITV | 2,266,700 |
| 47 | ITV EVENING NEWS: SERIES 10, EPISODE 249 | ITV | 2,264,900 |
| 48 | PANORAMA: SERIES 2025 | BBC | 2,243,000 |
| 49 | ITV EVENING NEWS: SERIES 10, EPISODE 251 | ITV | 2,239,400 |
| 50 | FILM: RED ONE (2024) | ITV | 2,194,300 |
THE COMPLETE SET OF 7 DAY CONSOLIDATED RATINGS FOR “THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA” IS AS FOLLOWS:
| Audience | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Programme | Broadcaster | TOTAL |
| 14 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 1 | BBC | 4,308,000 |
| 22 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 2 | BBC | 3,560,700 |
| 12 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 3 | BBC | 3,712,600 |
| 33 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 4 | BBC | 3,202,800 |
| 27 | THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEA: SERIES 1, EPISODE 5 | BBC | 3,083,200 |
