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  1. #1
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    So, now that the fuss about the pre-announced announcement has died down, what do we think about Doctor Who's newest spin off?

    BBC Three announces Doctor Who Spin Off

    BBC Three today announces Class - a new 8 x 45 minute Doctor Who spin off from the acclaimed YA author, Patrick Ness. Class is a YA series set in contemporary London. Incredible dangers are breaking through the walls of time and space, and with darkness coming, London is unprotected. With all the action, heart and adrenalin of the best YA fiction (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger Games), this is Coal Hill School and Doctor Who like you’ve never seen them before.

    Steven Moffat says, “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!”

    On his first television series, writer Patrick Ness says, "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."

    Damian Kavanagh, Controller BBC Three adds, “We’re excited to give Patrick Ness this opportunity to work with us at BBC Three and the Doctor Who family. Patrick understands young audiences and I’m delighted he will use his incredible skills as a storyteller to delight audiences on BBC Three. BBC Three will always innovate and offer opportunities for brilliant new talent."

    Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, adds, “I am thrilled that Patrick Ness is writing his first drama series for BBC Three. The combination of Patrick and Steven Moffat, is an exciting partnership that has created a brilliant Doctor Who spin off for our BBC Three audience.”

    Class is executive produced by Steven Moffatt, Patrick Ness and Brian Minchin. It was commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller BBC Three and Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning.

    An 8 x 45 minute series produced by BBC Cymru Wales in association with BBC Worldwide for BBC Three.

    The series will film in and around Wales from Spring, 2016 and be on air next year.

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  2. #2
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    From Patrick Ness on Twitter:
    Btw, plan is, "Class" airs on BBC3 online, then on BBC1, at which point the new episode of "Class" hits BBC3

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

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    "Torchwood.... The Sarah Jane Adventures..... and now we'll be bringing news of an exciting new addition to the Doctor Who family! Stay tuned to Twitter at 11pm"

    Now that's how you do it without pissing everybody off. It's not rocket science is it?

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    Or just announce it without fanfaring that there's an announcement coming. It's not difficult.

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

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    Can't say I'm too excited by this, so far the Coal Hill bits have been my least favourite in the series. Ah well, let's just hope that it's better than it sounds...
    "RIP Henchman No.24."

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    This was a PR disaster! And why? Well because strip away the guff about the writer being honoured to do it and how amazing it all is, and they don't actually tell you ANYTHING. Apart from the title, which is spectacuarly dull. They couldn't have made it less exciting sounding if they'd called it "cardboard". There's no cast, no news of monsters, no solid premise. Even the link to Doctor Who is tenuous - it's set in a school seen in a handful of Doctor Who stories. WOW! I always hoped that building would get its own show. I'm sure when we know more about it it'll get quite exciting, but basically they expect Doctor Who fans to be grateful because they are making a new show, about which we know nothing, and they tell us it's going to be vaguely connected to Doctor Who. Do they think we are morons or something?

    Also trumping up a big announcement the week after Philip Morris was letting slip details about missing episodes wasn't a good move either.

    Si.

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    I hope you don't mind my suggesting you were being "defeatist" this time - perhaps they've not decided anything concrete yet. Especially with the situation of what's happening with the main show (or not) next year; maybe they're just being cautious.

  8. #8

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    Former Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly has been cast as a teacher in Doctor Who spin-off, Class.

    She will be joined by four newcomers who will play sixth-formers at Coal Hill School - Greg Austin, Sophie Hopkins Fady Elsayed and Vivian Oparah.
    Award-winning Class creator Patrick Ness said: "How lucky we are to get Katherine Kelly!
    "She's been stunning in Happy Valley, The Night Manager and Mr Selfridge, just wait until you see her here."
    Class marks the TV screenwriting debut of young adult author Ness, best known for his book A Monster Calls.

    It is not the first time Coal Hill School has featured in Doctor Who - it was the setting for the very first episode in 1963.

    Moffat described the newcomers as future stars
    Steven Moffat, Class and Doctor Who executive producer, added: "There's nothing more exciting than meeting stars that nobody's heard of yet. We had the read-through of the first few episodes last week, and there was a whole row of them.
    "Coal Hill School has been part of Doctor Who since the very first shoot in 1963, but this new show is anything but history. Class is dark and sexy and right now. I've always wondered if there could be a British Buffy - it's taken the brilliant Patrick Ness to figure out how to make it happen."
    Class is the latest of several Doctor Who spin-off shows aimed at younger audiences, including Totally Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
    The eight-part series will be shown on BBC Three later this year.
    As the title suggests, each 45-minute episode will be set in a school in contemporary London, although most of the series will be be filmed near Cardiff.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35961037

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    Hmm. Interesting but nothing concrete yet. Will there be monsters?

    Also, will this be called "Clarse" in the south and "Clah-ss" in the north????
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

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    It'd be lovely if the head of the board of govenors turned up - hint-hint...

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    Note: this isn’t a TV show about five teachers battling demons. Just one of these actors is playing a teacher, the others are “teens”.

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    It'd be lovely if the head of the board of govenors turned up
    So if it's about a school, does that make the TV viewing audience a sort of all-seeing OFSTED?

    Is there going to be a 5-part special where the school is converted to an Academy? Coal Hill Academy doesn't have quite the same ring does it.
    Just one of these actors is playing a teacher, the others are “teens”
    Yeah, I think we're just going to have to accept the age difference. Wasn't the actor playing Xander in Buffy was about 40 by the time the show finished?
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob McCow View Post
    Wasn't the actor playing Xander in Buffy was about 40 by the time the show finished?
    Nicholas Brendon, Xander, was around 32 by the time Buffy finished - having been born in 1971 and with Buffy finishing in 2003.

    He's 44 now.
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    I'd just like to point out that according to Day Of The Doctor, Coal Hill's head of govenors is a certain Professor Chesterton... Just to save any confusion, and it would be a nice cameo...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob McCow View Post
    Hmm. Interesting but nothing concrete yet. Will there be monsters?

    Also, will this be called "Clarse" in the south and "Clah-ss" in the north????
    Just Clarse, to rhyme with ars.......
    Bazinga !

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    It's weird that one of the girls is wearing dungarees, I thought they were horribly out of fashion. I've lived in London for fourteen years now as well and never seen anyone wearing them. And I've seen a lot of people. Oh yes.
    "RIP Henchman No.24."

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    Oh look! Press Gang is back!



    Seems a few people were complaining about the high high high high heels that Kathering Kelly was wearing. Do teachers have a dress code and does it forbid high heeled shoes? Does it matter?

    In answer to my own question - no I don't really care. Just so long as we don't see her running down school corridors like an olympic athlete while she's wearing them.
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

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    I've got a lot of time for Katherine Kelly, will this be on a "real" tv channel apart from BBC Three?
    “If my sons did not want wars, there would be none.” - Gutle Schnaper Rothschild

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    According to Si's second post it will do.
    "RIP Henchman No.24."

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    Why's she got her hand in front of her face?
    And will all the 'student' be actors that are older than the teachers?
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  21. #21
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    This is the blurb that accompanied the casting announcement:

    Time has looked at your faces now. And time never forgets…
    What if your planet was massacred and you were the sole survivor?
    What if a legendary figure out of space and time found you a place to hide?
    But what if the things that want to kill you have tracked you down?
    And worst of all, what if you haven't studied for your A-Levels…?


    Like all sixth formers, these four Coal Hill School students have hidden secrets and desires. They are facing their own worst fears, navigating a life of friends, parents, school work, sex, sorrow - and possibly the end of existence.

    Coal Hill School has been a part of the Doctor Who Universe since the very first episode, but that has come at a price. All the time-travelling over the years has caused the very walls of space and time to become thin. There’s something pressing in on the other side, something waiting for its chance to kill everyone and everything, to bring us all into Shadow.

    Fear is coming, tragedy is coming, war is coming. Prepare yourselves, Class is coming.
    I think we can take that to mean there will be monsters or aliens or hopefully both

  22. #22
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    All the time-travelling over the years has caused the very walls of space and time to become thin. There’s something pressing in on the other side, something waiting for its chance to kill everyone and everything, to bring us all into Shadow.
    So it's like the rift in Torchwood then. Or the Hellmouth.
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

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    Or Sapphire & Steel.
    “If my sons did not want wars, there would be none.” - Gutle Schnaper Rothschild

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    Interesting comments on the Class trailer from We Are Cult website:
    http://wearecult.rocks/13-things-wev...-class-trailer
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

  25. #25
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    Having recently been confronted with my Facebook memories of how angry I was a year ago when this was first announced I've definitely warmed a lot more to the idea of this series.
    I'm just hoping that it strikes the right balance with its YA content and is more 12 certificate than 15 so my nephew (currently 10) doesn't have to wait too long to watch it.

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