When will Class air on BBC America? Class begins in October. At least, Class airs in the UK, but fans of Doctor Who must wait until 2017 before the show premieres on BBC America. In an age of near-instantaneous access to content, could this be considered a mistake?

When is Doctor Who coming back?

Fans of Doctor Who knew early in 2016 that there would be no new episodes of Doctor Who except for the Christmas episode. One – this is one episode.  Again…just one.  However, fans also knew that Class, a spin-off focusing around Coal Hill School, would help fill the gap.

Perhaps, licensing rights between the BBC and BBC America prevent same-day airings? After all, BBC America is now partly owned by AMC. Yet, would it not be in the best interest of both to air in the US as quickly as possible?

Will the Decision to Delay Class in America Make the Grade?

The decision to delay until 2017 will inevitably diminish ratings for Class, and reasons are as follows:

• Die-Hard Doctor Who fans likely to access content using other means prior to airing on BBC America.  
• Initial excitement surrounding the season’s arc will be – for lack of a better word – spoiled.
• Overall lack of excitement.

It is the hope of this podcast that BBC America’s dedication to Doctor Who, a show that has brought much attention to the network since it began carrying Doctor Who in 2010, has not begun to falter. While we commend and wholeheartedly thank BBC America for past and (hopefully) future Doctor Who events, we note the missed opportunity.

Class is about to begin, and we want to enroll THIS semester – not next.  

What do you think?

See our Twitter poll as shown below:

 

Are you happy to hear that #ClassDW won’t be on @BBCAMERICA until 2017?

— Discussing Who (@DiscussingWho) September 23, 2016