In the spirit of Torchwood…well, maybe more in the spirit of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Doctor Who will be getting another spin-off show – this one, focused on the teens of Coal Hill.
The show, called Class, focuses on the students at Coal Hill, where Clara Oswald currently teaches (and where First Doctor companions Barbara and Ian taught), and is set in the world of The Doctor. What’s unclear, however, is whether Jenna Coleman’s Clara will appear at all, or whether The Doctor himself will make any appearances. Steven Moffat will be producing with Brian Minchin, and the series will be written by YA writer, Patrick Ness (the Chaos Walking trilogy).
In an official statement, Moffat has this to say about the premise:
No one has documented the dark and exhilarating world of the teenager like Patrick Ness, and now we’re bringing his brilliant story-telling into Doctor Who. This is growing up in modern Britain – but with monsters!
Here’s what Ness has to say about delving into the Doctor Who universe:
I’m astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself. There’s so much room there for all kinds of amazing stories, and to work with Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin to find a place to tell one of my own has been an absolute joy. I can’t wait for people to meet the heroes of Class, to meet the all-new villains and aliens, to remember that the horrors of the darkest corners of existence are just about on par with having to pass your A-Levels.
Honestly, I’d love to see Courtney (played by Ellis George) as the lead character, as her appearances on Who always provided her episodes with a welcome jolt of energy. It’s interesting to see how many students of color are now attending Coal Hill, and it would be awesome to see them at the center of things! Hopefully without the racial microaggressions. Making working-class students of color the stars of a Who show would go a long way toward redeeming those for sure.
Class sounds very reminiscent of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, books like the Harry Potter series, comics like Gotham Academy – monsters and strange happenings as a metaphor for the torment and hell of high school. Class has an 8-episode first series that set to air on BBC 3 sometime next year. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing it on this side of The Pond on BBC America!
What do you think? Are you interested in Class?
(via io9)
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