The BBC has announced a new Doctor Who spinoff aimed at young adults. The series which will air sometime in 2016 will be named Class, and is expected to consist of eight 45-minute episodes. Award winning children’s book author Patrick Ness will write the British science fiction series; the American born novelist is known for blending adult themes with fantasy elements.
This will be the fourth spinoff from the modern reboot of Doctor Who; previous projects include the adult centred Torchwood, which garnered a large American audience for the ‘Whoniverse’, also the Sarah Jane Adventures and Totally Doctor Who which were aimed at younger viewers. Speaking to BBC News, Ness expressed excitement about the new series, stating: “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“.
The author’s previous works include the novel A Monster Calls, in which a young boy struggles to cope with his mother’s terminal cancer, while receiving nocturnal visits from a storytelling monster. A Monster Calls is currently being adapted for the screen at Focus Features with Ness as scriptwriter.
Fans of Doctor Who may be intrigues by the location of the spinoff, London’s Coal Hill school. The institution was first seen the the first ever Doctor Who serial in 1963, ‘The Unearthly Child’, which featured William Hartnell as the eponymous time-traveller. The school played a further part in Peter Capaldi’s season 8, with the Doctor’s companion Clara Oswald teaching at the institute. Clara, played by Jenna Coleman, has confirmed her departure the show this season. However, Ness confirmed on twitter that she will not be a part of Class.
The series is expected to air on BBC3, but with the channel’s future still uncertain – BBC3 may be an online only service by the release date of The Class – Ness also confirmed plans to air the show on flagship station, BBC One. Little else is known about the series at this point, but we’ll keep you posted on further announcements.
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