DOCTOR WHO Spinoff CLASS Announces Cast

So now we know.  Class is the British version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

BBC Three has announced the principal cast for Class, the upcoming spinoff of Doctor Who that will air later this year on BBC America.  Shown above, new actors Vivian Oparah, Greg Austin, Sophie Hopkins, and Fady Elsayed, will be joined by Katherine Kelly, who has the role of "a teacher and powerful new presence at Coal Hill School."  

The 8-part series is set in contemporary London, where incredible dangers are breaking through the walls of time and space, and with darkness coming, London is unprotected. Here's a description of the series from the BBC...

Like all sixth formers, these four Coal Hill School students have hidden secrets and desires. They are facing their own worst fears, navigating a life of friends, parents, school work, sex, sorrow - and possibly the end of existence.

Coal Hill School has been a part of the Doctor Who Universe since the very beginning, but that has come at a price. All the time-travelling over the years has caused the very walls of space and time to become thin. There’s something pressing in on the other side, something waiting for its chance to kill everyone and everything, to bring us all into Shadow.

Fear is coming, tragedy is coming, war is coming. Prepare yourselves, Class is coming.

"We searched far and wide for this amazing cast, fantastic actors who understand what we’re aiming for with this show," said Young Adult writer and Class creator Patrick Ness. "And how lucky we are to get Katherine Kelly!  She’s been stunning in Happy Valley, The Night Manager and Mr. Selfridge, just wait until you see her here."

Steven Moffat, executive producer of Class and Doctor Who, added, "There’s nothing more exciting than meeting stars that nobody’s heard of yet.  We had the read through of the first few episodes last week, and there was a whole row of them.  Coal Hill School has been part of Doctor Who since the very first shoot in 1963, but this new show is anything but history. Class is dark and sexy and right now.  I’ve always wondered if there could be a British Buffy -- It’s taken the brilliant Patrick Ness to figure out how to make it happen."

Class is from writer Patrick Ness, director Ed Bazalgette (Poldark, Doctor Who), producer Derek Ritchie, and executive producers Patrick Ness, Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin. The BBC Cymru Wales production, co-produced with BBC America and BBC Worldwide, starts filming today and will premiere on BBC Three this year.