Why Did Stranger Things Succeed While Class Faded Into the Shadows?

This is a completely unfair comparison, but I am going to make it anyway. In 2016, two sci-fi shows focussed on school children hit our screens, Stranger Things and Class. On paper, they had a lot in common. Both featured young people battling terrifying supernatural forces. Both had deep emotional themes, strong character arcs, and a sense of mystery at their core. They both explored what is underneath our world. Yet one became a global phenomenon and pop culture juggernaut… and the other quietly disappeared after just one series.

So what happened? Why did Stranger Things take off like a Demogorgon on a rampage, while Class, a Doctor Who spin-off, faded into the shadows with the Shadow King?

Having just watched Class for the first time, I find myself asking that question more and more. Because Class isn’t bad. In fact, it’s pretty bloody good. It is emotional, and weird, it explores faith, sexuality, relationships - all things a good sci-fi drama should be and have. And yet, hardly anyone talks about it. Let’s dig into why.

@Netflix @BBC

Platform Matters: Netflix vs BBC Three

Here’s the big one. Stranger Things launched on Netflix in July 2016, and by then, Netflix was starting to change how we all watch TV. You cannot really compare something chucked on BBC Three online to that of something that pretty much the whole planet can watch together at the same time. I know I am comparing them by the way, humour me!

Whilst we used to have event TV in each country, every once in a while something comes along that really does seem like the whole of the world is watching. Stranger Things is one such show.

Class, on the other hand, debuted a few months later in October 2016 on BBC Three, which had just moved online. It its TV slot, meaning loads of people didn’t even realise Class had started, and that's even in the country it was released! Releasing it online-only without much promotion meant it never had a chance to gather steam.

Tone: Hitting the Right Balance

Stranger Things nailed its tone. It was creepy but fun, thrilling but heartwarming. It had monsters and mystery, but it was also soaked in 80's nostalgia. Kids and adults alike could latch onto it - younger viewers related to the characters, while older ones enjoyed looking back at a simpler time in their lives.

Class, meanwhile, went darker, tackling themes of grief, identity, and trauma. Which isn’t a bad thing at all. But it made it hard to pin down who the show was really for. It wasn’t quite Doctor Who, not quite Buffy, and maybe too intense for younger teens but not edgy enough for older viewers. Tonally, it sat in an odd middle zone.

Being a Spin-Off vs Being Brand New

Stranger Things had zero expectations attached. It came out of nowhere, and people could jump in without needing any background. It was a new mystery, a fresh world.

Class, on the other hand, came from the Whoniverse, which was a blessing and a curse. While Who fans were curious, many expected more direct connections to the main show. Apart from a brief cameo from the Doctor in Episode 1, it stood apart. And for non-Who fans, spin-off might have sounded like something you can only watch if you watched Doctor Who.

It was caught in a weird space. Too Doctor Who for some, not enough for others.

Characters and Star Power

Stranger Things gave us instant icons. Eleven, Dustin, Hopper… they became household names almost overnight. They also had Winona Ryder!

Class had interesting characters as well - Ram, April and Quill stood out for me. Critically though, Stranger Things episodes were longer:

The Vanishing of Will Byers	49 mins	For Tonight We Might Die	50 mins
The Weirdo on Maple Street	56 mins	The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo	43 mins
Holly, Jolly	52 mins	Nightvisiting	44 mins
The Body	51 mins	Co-owner of a Lonely Heart	43 mins
The Flea and the Acrobat	53 mins	Brave-ish Heart	45 mins
The Monster	47 mins	Detained	42 mins
The Bathtub	42 mins	The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did	45 mins
The Upside Down	55 mins	The Lost	46 mins
TOTAL	405 mins	TOTAL	358 mins

Four or five minutes an episode don't seem a lot, but when added up to the whole series totals then you basically have an extra episode worth of getting to know the characters. This was a huge issue with the past couple of series of Doctor Who - we all know that though don't we? Who is Ruby? Who is Belinda? Who really is the Fifteenth Doctor? Ruby's Mums? No, I don't know either, not really.

If you are going for a show you want to put on streaming, structuring it like it needs to be crammed into the BBC One or Three schedule really isn't the way to do it. The fourth series of Stranger Things was some of the best television I have watched, and each episode was close to, or longer than the length of a film. The lengths varied wildly, but they were made for streaming, so it didn't matter. They had a story to tell, and it could last as long as they damn well wanted.

@Netflix

Marketing and Momentum

Netflix pushed Stranger Things hard. People saw it everywhere. It had posters, trailers, word of mouth. Within a week of release, it was the show to watch.

Meanwhile, Class felt like it was thrown onto the iPlayer and forgotten about. Even Doctor Who fans, and I count myself in this, missed its arrival or didn’t know when or where to watch it.

Class could have even grabbed on to the coattails of Stranger Things and clung on for dear life. It could have been something people watched whilst they waited for Stranger Things.

Is it an autistic thing to want to watch similar shows? Does everyone Google 'shows like Stranger Things'? Anyway, Class could have been high up on that list when people searched that.

Resolution and Confidence

The first series of Stranger Things had a complete arc. It told a gripping story, wrapped it up with enough mystery to keep people guessing, and ended on a high. You could binge it and feel satisfied.

Class left a lot open. Some storylines felt rushed, others underdeveloped. It was clearly setting up for a bigger second series that sadly never came. It was just starting to find its voice, and then it was cancelled.

@BBC

Final Thoughts: Could Class Have Been the UK’s Stranger Things?

Maybe. If it had launched on BBC One or Netflix, had a bit more faith and marketing behind it, and was given a second series to let those characters grow, I genuinely believe Class could’ve become a cult favourite. It had ambition. It had heart. And it had some properly brilliant moments. Of course it would never have got to Stranger Things levels, but it could have gone on for a few series at least.

Maybe I should be fairer, and judge it against Torchwood or Sarah Jane! If that was the case, then I see no reason it couldn't have got to those levels.

As it stands though, it’s a bit of a lost gem. But it is one that I’m glad I finally discovered. I can’t help wondering what could’ve been though.

Class Review

Why Doctor Who Needs to Refocus on the Monsters

Do you think Class could have survived and gone on to be a popular show? Or do you think they cancelled it at the right time? Let me know in the comments below.

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