Class is not yet available to Americans, and I was planning on writing this article closer to the BBC America release date, which I believe is sometime in April. However, rumors are circulating that the show has been cancelled. The BBC have not officially confirmed anything, but nothing has been denied either. It’s most likely that the rumors are true, and Class, like many other BBC shows, will end on a cruel cliffhanger.
I’m sad. Class might not have had the most amazing special effects or big names, but it did a lot of things right. A decent plot, likeable characters, and most importantly of all, amazing diversity. Not one of the 5 (arguably 6) main characters was a straight white male, something which is extremely rare, even as times are progressing and representation in popular culture is being taken more seriously.
In just 8 episodes, Class managed to show many of the struggles that everyday teenagers face, respectfully and accurately. It had light hearted, laugh out loud moments, but also serious speeches which called out many of the things wrong in society. I found myself relating to the characters and some of the struggles they faced, and loved watching them develop as people. I felt the character development was well paced and prominent, and one of the best parts of the show.
There wasn’t a lot Class didn’t do. It showed two LGBT+ characters in a healthy relationship, one of whom was an immigrant, along with the other main characters: a Sikh male, a WoC who also happened to be a certified genius, and a strong female who (spoiler) shares half her heart with the king of the ‘Shadowkin’. There was also some brilliant disabled representation; April’s mum is played by the actress Shannon Murray, who is an abilities advocate and uses a wheelchair.
While I’ll admit that it was no Game of Thrones, the sci-fi teen drama delivered to its audience well. Shows like Shadowhunters and Teen Wolf didn’t start out with award winning script writing or show stopping acting. Instead, unlike Class, those shows got the promotion they deserved, and were/are shown at reasonable times on reasonable channels. Class originally aired on BBC Three, an online channel, and when it eventually hit the small screen, aired on Mondays, at midnight. And I can count the times I saw it advertised on one hand.
If you’re in the U.K., you can still watch the box set of Class for free here. If you’re in America, it airs on April 15th. And if you’re elsewhere, you might be able to find information on how to watch (and potentially save!) the show here.
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