Class cast

Writer Patrick Ness recently spoke about his new series ‘Class’ which exists as part of the ‘Doctor Who’ universe and is set at the Coal Hill School, a location very important in this world.

“Coal Hill has existed in Doctor Who since literally episode one.  The Doctor’s granddaughter went there. So we thought, ‘All that time activity at the school, has that caused any problems?’ Well, what do you know, it has!”

Most recently, The Doctor’s last companion Clara Oswald worked at the school.  But ‘Class’ won’t focus on the faculty and obviously not on the 900 year-old Doctor.  This show features an ensemble cast of teenage protagonists, Greg Austin as Charlie, Fady Elsayed as Ram, Sophie Hopkins as April, and Vivian Oparah as Tanya.

Ness said:

“It’s happenstance that puts these people [at the centre of things]. What if your timing is just weird and things happen to you? How do you deal with it? I’m interested in real consequences. The Doctor is always exciting, but he never stays. He goes off on the next adventure. What happens to real people?”

Ness pointed to another teen-based action/fantasy series for a comparison — ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’:

Buffy-the-vampire-slayer“Adults watch that, because it’s a great show, but the POV and the agency are all teenage, and that’s what we want to do with Class. It needs to be from the point of view of the sixth-formers – but that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a ‘young show’.”

Joss Whedon’s legendary hit series ran from 1997-2003 and to this day still has one of the largest fandoms out there.  It also led to a popular spinoff series ‘Angel’ which lasted almost as long, from 1999-2004.

It should be interesting to see if maybe fans of the dearly departed ‘Buffy’ will connect with this new series and see it as a potential replacement, although Ness stressed “We’re not telling stories of the ‘chosen ones’.”

Are you a ‘Buffy’ fan and a ‘Who’ fan?  Does the idea of a slight mashup of the two intrigue you?

‘Class’ is due to arrive on October 16 on the digital-only BBC Three before airing later on BBC One and BBC America.

Source: Empire Online