Class Review - the Doctor Who Spin-Off That Didn't Get A Chance To Finish

When Class came out in 2016 as a Doctor Who spin-off, it came with little fanfare, minimal promotion, and a strange sense of being both too connected and not connected enough to its parent show. Watching it now, years after its cancellation, feels a little like discovering buried treasure. It has its faults of course, but what show doesn't? At its heart though it is a raw, daring, story that somehow got lost due to being dumped on an online only BBC channel.

And that is a big old shame - because Class is really good.

@BBC

The show was created by Patrick Ness, and is set in Coal Hill Academy, a location deeply tied to Doctor Who, all the way back to 1963. This was a show aimed at young adults, and perhaps aiming it at any group in particular was also part of its downfall.

Ignoring all the problems that Class had though, what stood out to me most about it was its braveness to tackle sensitive subjects. This isn’t just a show about alien invasions - it’s about grief, belief, sacrifice, trauma, guilt, and faith. The show never shies away from the consequences of violence or the psychological toll of having to grow up too fast in a world full of monsters.

For me, Class came as a breath of fresh air after watching so much Doctor Who of late. The past two years of Who have been a whirlwind to say the least, and everything around the show has become draining on Whovians. It seems that you can't just enjoy the show anymore, you have to tell the world it is woke, or defend it to the hilt!

Class is more gritty than Doctor Who is currently, despite the main show tackling varying issues itself. Maybe it goes to hard? I mean Tanya's dad has died, April's dad tried to kill himself (and her and her mum), Charlie is battling demons about genocide, Matteusz has a family that is not supportive of him being gay, and Ram has a dead girlfriend and a whole host of other problems during the series.

For Tonight We Might Die sets the tone with a few brutal deaths, which were made slightly surreal by our hero rocking up to talk about IKEA and the like. The Doctor didn't quite fit into this, even Twelve, but it was still fun to see him.

@BBC

As the series went on, each character got a story to excel in. Ram has trouble with his football coach, Tanya is visited by her deceased father in a fantastic episode, April gets caught shagging by her mum and has some serious shadow problems. Charlie fights his demons in Detained, and Quill gets a chance to shine in my favourite episode of the series.

Faith runs through the entire series a lot - not just religious belief, but the belief in what is real, what is true, and what is worth fighting for. I found that powerful, especially when reflecting on the state of faith today. There’s something comforting in the show’s idea that belief has value even if what is believed isn’t proven to be true (or false for that matter). In a world where Christians can somehow justify supporting people like Donald Trump - going as far to say he was sent by God himself - feels completely against the teachings of Jesus.

I find Class’s take on faith refreshingly honest, probably because I agree with the point it is trying to make. I'm not a believer myself, but I'm not a non-believer either. I love when faith is used for good. And Class understands that kind of faith.

The final episode, The Lost, is brutal. Killing off Ram's dad and Tanya's mum pretty quickly! But it wasn’t just shock for shock’s sake. It forced the characters, in particular Ram, into emotional turmoil that we don't really see in Doctor Who. Ram, especially, was incredible in the finale. Fady Elsayed gives a phenomenal performance. And Quill continued to be the show’s secret weapon, flipping between ruthless and vulnerable with ease.

The show ends on a massive cliffhanger - with Charlie sacrificing April (but maybe not), the Weeping Angels being involved with the Governors, Quill pregnant, and dead parents. It clearly wanted a second series.

@BBC

This is a shame, because Class would have been all the better for another series. It felt like it had a lot more to say. The BBC really cocked this one up.

Since finishing watching the show I have started to Google it. It seems there were some big plans for the future of Class, but the BBC just binned it with a throw away comment.

The Governors were going to play more of a part, there was talk of the planet of the Weeping Angels, a Weeping Angels civil war. Other writers were planned to come in, including Juno Dawson. Oh, it could have been so good.

Torchwood's first series didn't fire on all cylinders, but season 2 was better, and then we got the most amazing piece of television with Children of Earth. Things take time. Class never got that time and I really wish it had.

I shall definitely be looking at purchasing the Class Big Finish audio adventures so I can spend more time with the gang.

This is a show that deserved and deserves more love.

Expanding the Whoniverse

What did you think of Class? Would you have loved more time with all of the characters? Let me know in the comments below.

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