Premiere Date for Class, Twelfth Doctor’s Appearance Confirmed

After months of waiting, we finally have a premiere date for the new Doctor Who spin-off, Class… and that first episode is confirmed to have a special guest, as well.

Since being announced, one of the biggest questions surrounding Class was when it would air. We knew it would be sometime in the fall, and with the show wrapping up filming recently, one would have assumed that the release date would be coming in the near future. However, as the days passed, that release date still had yet to be announced.

That has changed. Yesterday, it was announced by the BBC that the latest Doctor Who spin-off will be making its debut on October 22nd on BBC Three. That night will feature two episodes, with ‘For Tonight We Might Die,’ followed by ‘The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Unfortunately, we do not yet know when the show will appear stateside, but that will hopefully happen in relatively short order.

Here is the tweet, including a new promo shot of the cast:

There is also a special surprise in that first episode. Not only will we be introduced to the students at Coal Hill School, but we will see the Doctor himself welcome them to the Whoniverse. For his part, Peter Capaldi is excited about the spin-off, saying, “The Doctor Who family is growing, and it’s fantastic to be able to welcome the young new cast of Class into the Whoniverse.”

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In just under a month, we will get to see for ourselves what Class will be like. Yes, the early reports sound promising — about how it will contain adult themes and will not be a kids’ show — but those initial previews can only go so far. That moment of truth comes when the show is finally out there in front of the public, getting its first true test.

Class is certainly doing what it can to tip the scales in its favor. Bringing in Capaldi for the first episode will likely increase viewership, as fans hungry for anything Doctor Who will tune in to see the Doctor in action. And airing the second episode on the same night will potentially help ratings, as well.

Now, it is up to Class to deliver on its promise. The pilot episode is certainly set up to make an excellent first impression, but that needs to continue. If the characters can be compelling enough, and the show grabs the interest of the viewers off the bat, it could be set up for success. We will find out soon enough.

Next: Tenth Doctor Nominated for Greatest Fictional Television Character of 21st Century

We have less than a month until Class will make its debut. It will be interesting to see what type of impression it makes.