Class

The main influence of this series isn't Doctor Who but Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There is a long list of similarities, from the high-school grounds being the center of adventures, to the teen angst, and to easy parallels between the two monster-fighting gangs (prime example: the reluctant ally who would hurt the main characters if it wasn't for a brain implant). The show does well to openly acknowledge this influence (mentioning the similarity to Buffy's "Hellmouth" in the very first episode), which is actually part of a very good start: at first, the show doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, throwing in lots of jokes and pop-culture references.

This good start is later spoiled by the very wrong pacing, which makes the show run out of steam and out of ideas remarkably quickly. It's as if the creators decided to condense 22 episodes into 8. The development of the characters and of the dynamics among them skips several steps, there's hardly any bonding, team-building and character-developing episodes, since almost every single episode past episode 3 addresses the main story arc and feels like a finale. The rushed nature of the whole season is so obvious that I can't help but thinking it was for external reasons (budget cuts leading to a much shorter season than originally planned maybe?). In any case, a good opportunity has been missed in this show. It *could* recover if a second season returns to a normal pace, but there are a lot of rushed plot lines that need to be fixed for this to work.

Having watched every available Doctor Who episode from the beginning, K9 (2009), The Sarah Jane adventures and Torchwood I have seen a wide range of stories from the Doctor Who universe. This series is an odd mix from the SJA and Torchwood. It is geared to a younger audience but not too young. The blood, violence, and partial nudity seem out of place for a viewer too young. Overall the series feels like kids from SJA being thrown into Torchwood but without Captain Jack. That said, previous programs had an anchor that makes the show interesting and is a focal point. The Doctor, Captain Jack or Sarah Jane all fit that mold. This show lacks a leader or a team effort (so far). This may change since at this writing only three episodes have aired. The plots are pretty basic and the characters have a long way to go in development. However, this is true of any new show (case in point Star Trek: TNG took two seasons to hit it's stride). The brief appearance of the Doctor also felt very forced and not well written. The board on the school wall of student names was a nice touch though (freeze frame it to see several names you recognize). The show has potential but right now it is fair at best. I am hoping for better writing and character development. I even grew to like Matt Smith a little after he grew into the part of the Doctor after David Tennant left so there is hope if the production team put some effort into this.

OK, so Class is, on its own, a very good show if you are a young adult (like myself) and are into sci-fi. Of course, compared to Doctor Who, it can't compete but by looking at it from an objective, individual point of view its rather brilliant. After watching the first two episodes, I wasn't hooked but I liked it. But by episode 3, I think the best episode of the series (so far), it really highlighted Ness's capability as a writer. Class was still going through its growing pains for the first couple of episodes but, for me, the series started to shine as it progressed. The characters really developed into something unique and special, particularly April who has become one of my favourites. 'Her' two parter focused on her character's development which was done really well, even if the actual story wasn't amazing. After watching "Detained", the sixth episode, made me start to properly love the series as much as Torchwood. The acting, particularly by Greg Austin (Charlie) stood out and helped the lesser experienced actors along Episode 7 was different. But in a good way. Ms Quill, who had really been the comic relief of the series had uncovered a completely different side of her character, opening up to the viewers in a way. I am really looking forward to the finale, the trailer looks amazing and hopefully Patrick Ness can really end this new, ambitious series on a high. I would love a second series and I think not only will it help the show itself but also Doctor Who since there hasn't been a spin- off, which makes the Whoniverse bigger, for 5 years

Overall, a decent television series with a whole lot of potential in it

This show is completely different. It's sci fi teenage horror ish all in one. It's bloodier and has sex scenes inappropriate for children. It is, however, entertaining if you go into it thinking of it has an alien sci fi series. I think it's quite creative in its invasion ideas. The writing, yeah it's teenage based thinking. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't disappointed. No spoilers here. It was pretty entertaining. Not as "kiddie" as The Sarah Jane Adventures (which I did enjoy), but sort of along those lines. Too soon to judge the format after watching only one, but it seems to mix the idea of a monster of the week with an arcing subplot. I was hoping for grittier visuals but they fall more along the lines of the RTD era of Doctor Who. We all already know it's a spin-off, so I don't think this is a spoiler - but just in case - a guest appearance really elevates the episode. I'm only going to go 6 out of 10, based on the single episode, but I could see future episodes bringing that rating higher. Hoping for more character development as we go on, which I can't imagine not happening. All in all a solid start, not earth shattering, but strong enough to get me to see episode 2.

***Updated*** Okay, I'm 4 episodes in, and re-rate this a 7.5 (it only gives whole number options), it's getting better. Not Doctor Who good, but worth watching. At the end of episode 4, I'm left wanting episode 5. And that is how good television should be.