Doctor Who debuted more than half a century ago, and the show currently has fans of all ages all across the world. It has also spawned a couple of hit spinoffs over the years, so the odds were pretty good that Class was going to be a success on the small screen. Unfortunately for fans of Class, however, the show has officially been cancelled after only one season.
The news of the cancellation comes courtesy of BBC Three controller Damian Kavanagh, who announced at a Broadcasting Press Guild event (via Digital Spy) that Class would not be back for a second season. Kavanagh was clear that "there was nothing wrong with it" and creator Patrick Ness "explored an amazing world," but Class simply didn't fit with the vision for the future of BBC Three.
For Class fans who have followed Patrick Ness on Twitter, the cancellation might not have come as a surprise. Back in June, the writer/creator of Class revealed via tweet that he had decided he wouldn't be writing for the show anymore, even if a second season happened. Ness went on to state that he was "baffled" by the scheduling decisions of BBC, but he maintained that he was grateful for the opportunity to bring the show to the small screen.
Unfortunately, Class is the first modern live-action Doctor Who spinoff to get the axe after only one season, as both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures aired for several successful seasons. That said, both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures had a big advantage due to the fact that the leads were already immensely popular characters in the Doctor Who universe. Sarah Jane was one of the Doctor's longest-running companions in the original run of Doctor Who, and Elisabeth Sladen delighted fans when she reprised the role for the 2005 revival. Her spinoff was bound to be a success.
As for Torchwood... well, John Barrowman was a big hit when he turned up in Season 1 of the revival as a temporary companion for the Ninth Doctor. A whole new generation of Who fans were already attached to Captain Jack Harkness, and many were willing to follow him to his own spinoff. Unlike Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class was starting with a totally clean slate. While it did exist in the Doctor Who universe, the connections to the Doctor himself were relatively minor. Folks who love the Doctor Who mothership may not have felt the need to check out a show that seemed so unrelated to the Doctor.
It would have been interesting to see if Class started creating more buzz after the upcoming departures of Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and star Peter Capaldi. The show will be different under the guidance of new showrunner Chris Chibnall and star Jodie Whittaker, who will be the first woman to play the Doctor. Perhaps the new era of Doctor Who could have led to increased interest in the spinoff. Who knows? Maybe Class fans will get to see some spinoff characters appear on Doctor Who.
For all the shows that have not been cancelled and will be back on the airwaves this fall, check out our TV guide.
