Class - For Tonight We Might Die + The Coach With the Dragon Tattoo - Advance Preview + Teasers

© BBC Pictures
Saturday sees the release of the first two episodes in the new series set in the Doctor Who universe. Set in the familiar surroundings of Coal Hill, albeit the new sixth form Academy rather than the high school we have been used to, this new show is firmly aimed at a generation of fans which have perhaps been overlooked in any of the previous spin-offs.

The first scene dives straight into the action, in typical Whoniverse style, with a character we get to know more about later in the episode running down some dimly lit corridors before the big bad makes itself know. The Shadow Kin, and Corikinus in particular, are slated to be the recurring villains throughout the eight episode run, and they are certainly a formidable beast for our band of haphazard heroes to face. Standing over six feet tall and with a hunting technique second to none, they are a deadly foe when compared to a handful of Coal Hill Academy students and their teacher, not all of whom are happy to be working together or indeed at having been given the job of fighting aliens at all.

As to be expected, the first episode is centred more on who these characters are, what drives their fears and what brings them together. This means there are the inevitable exposition dumps on the audience at certain points, but on the whole, these are handled fairly well throughout the set action pieces. The second episode moves on to explore the experiences the characters have been through, with emotions ranging from excited, horrified, loathing and various levels of trust being brokered between certain members. Alongside this is the Monster of the Week aspect of the show, which manages to tie in fairly seamlessly with the background plots of the personal changes the various characters are attempting to deal with.

Patrick Ness’ highly successful hand in the YA (Young Adult) market is keenly felt throughout these opening episodes, although, that’s not to say that this show is just for the BBC Three demographic either. Personally, I wouldn’t be showing this to anyone in the younger range of the Who fandom, as I feel that there are images and themes which would be too graphic or beyond their grasp. Yet, as someone who is very much on the more mature side, I was impressed with these two episodes and am looking forward to the rest of the season immensely.

I have seen it described as a half-way house between Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, but I don’t find myself totally agreeing with that analogy, because it stands out as being its own creation rather than a mishmash of what’s come before. If really pushed to liken it to anything, I would have to say it’s more like episodes of a Doctorless Who itself, as Ness has skilfully incorporated echoes back to the main show without it feeling overpowering. Talking of the Doctor, Capadli’s appearance in the first episode is a delight, and he is wonderfully Twelvish during his scenes, but even then he distinctly remains a cameo in someone else’s show, which is as it should be I feel.

For Tonight We Might Die and The Coach With the Dragon Tattoo are released on BBC Three at 10am on Saturday 22nd October. Below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then, and please don't forget to come back to vote in our poll after you have seen the episodes and let us know what you thought.

Episode 1.01

The graphics in the opening titles are of a typical Who style, using the characters and important pieces from the stories, set to the extremely catchy Up All Night by British singer songwriter Alex Clare

“This is a bit of a mess isn’t it! I used to be the caretaker here you know, before it got all fancy. This is going to be quite a clean-up job”

“No, I’m telling you I see it right now. There’s someone attacking her!”

“Look at you all, the cream of the crop. High achievers. No wonder this country only exports Downton Abbey”

“All volunteers welcome. All volunteers are welcome. Big decoration tonight? I need your help. Come and help me. Anyone?”

“Anyway, about, the prom. Um, I was thinking, that maybe you and I could, you know…”

What keeps a shadow monster at bay?

“My deeply religious parents are very happy I’m going to dance with a boy”

“Well, there’s nothing left to do then, is there, but to die well”

“Everyone knows students at the school disappear. They just pretend it isn’t happening”

“I know you have got the whole sporting ego thing going on, but I like you because I know that deep down that’s not true”

“You’re too young to be dancing with boys. Your brain is smart enough to have allowed you to skip ahead, but you are still a little girl”

Episode 1.02

“Tell me Ram, was there a great big window of porn open as you typed?”

“My dad died, almost two years ago. A stroke. He was fine at dinner, just never woke up the next morning”

Someone is trying to hack into U.N.I.T. but not getting much help

“You know what, fine. You and your little team, you go and pretend to save the world. I’ll just stick to saving you from boring, old death”

“Look, you’re my best player Singh, but I meant what I said. I’m not a councillor, I look forward to getting the real you back”

“This world was partially invaded, we seem to be the only ones who remember it”

Ness has utilised Sherlock’s onscreen visual graphics when it comes to communicating with the audience what the characters have sent each other via a text or email on their phone

“I saw something. At first I thought I was imagining it, like PTSD, or something. But, it was horrible, like really horrible”

“Have you got any idea what the discipline of a Nigerian parent is like? I’ll be lucky to end up in a convent if she catches me”

The themes in this one are definitely more weighty and not for the younger end of the Who fandom, especially for Fady Elsayed’s character, Ram, who isn’t feeling quite so drawn into the group as the others are as yet

“The school is being inspected Miss Quill. And your class is part of the school, although your continuous surprise of that fact is troubling”

“I’m done. Kill me. Skin me. I don’t wanna keep seeing the things I’ve seen. I don’t want the future to keep feeling impossible”

Trailer Teaser

“Come on Tanya, where are you?”

About the Author - Sandi

Sandi is part of the Senior Staff at SpoilerTV having been a contributor from back in the Lost days of DarkUFO, and who now writes previews for Vikings, Knightfall, Poldark, Doctor Who and other UK shows. She also enjoys watching and commenting on other shows such as Orphan Black, Game of Thrones and The Flash.

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