Class is the must-see new drama set in the Doctor Who universe written by acclaimed YA author, Patrick Ness. The show follows a group of teenagers as they attempt to save Earth from aliens and monsters whilst navigating their own love lives and everyday burdens… Scary, funny, moving and bang up-to-date, two episodes drop on BBC Three on Saturday, 22nd October.
We caught up with Class’s producer, Derek Ritchie (Doctor Who, Wizards vs Aliens) and persuaded him to spill the beans about this extraordinary new show, how it was written, Patrick Ness and starring in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot…
Class act – Derek Ritchie.
Gavin Collinson: Why should anyone not falling into BBC Three’s target demographic watch Class?
Derek Ritchie: Because Class is great drama! When you set out to make any drama, you have an audience in mind, but you should never be so reductive as to think that only one particular demographic will find it appealing. Class is hugely character-driven - honest, heartfelt, challenging, exciting and unexpected. There's big emotional drama here, with all of the spectacle that you'd expect from the Doctor Who universe. What's not to love?! So anyone who likes engaging and innovative storytelling should give Class a go!
GC: Can you talk about how much input – as the producer – you have in the writing of a series like Class?
DR: Very little! When I joined Patrick already had three scripts underway, and had fully planned and structured the other five. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with the series, and had the stories for each episode mapped out and the on-going character arcs plotted. My input at the script level was very much focussed on production notes, or broader story notes where I felt concepts or plotting needed clarity. This I think is very much the case on a series like Class when you have a huge writer at the heart of the project with a very clear direction and vision for the series.
The future lies this way… Watch the trailer for Class.
GC: You know Patrick Ness as a writer pretty darn well… What are his top two strengths?
DR: Passion for his audience. Patrick cares deeply about writing for, and about, young adults. The depiction of their approaches to the world around them is absolutely at the core of what he does. He's completely engaged with that demographic - with their experience of the world around them, and the urgency and importance they invest in every aspect of their lives. It makes for very front-footed storytelling where everything matters, and where humour plays as vital a role as heartbreak. Although the universe of Class may be heightened, this has meant the characters who populate it feel very, very emotionally truthful.
Passion for the genre. Patrick loves Buffy and he loves Doctor Who, to name but two shows. He knows genre television inside-out. Which means when he's writing his own he knows exactly how to use concept as allegory. Everything is tied tightly to the story, and every monster, situation or idea serves a purpose in enriching the heart of the drama. And everything feels fresh. This is someone who knows what's gone before and wants to do something both new and very distinctly in his own voice. Very big ideas, which very much matter.
They don't teach you anything useful at the Academy, do they?
GC: You’ve worked on some of the BBC’s coolest shows like Being Human, Doctor Who and now Class. What advice would you give any newbies looking to enter the business and eventually produce dramas like those?
DR: Don't be shy of your passions! I wanted a career in the industry because I loved shows like Doctor Who. Anything science fiction or horror really, and in devouring everything anyone had to write about them, I learned about how TV was made. And that's what I decided was all I ever wanted to do! When I started, there was very little sci-fi or horror drama being made in the UK, but I worked on every kind of production in both film and TV, and learned as much as I could.
Then when genre dramas came up, and people knew I firstly had experience and skills, and secondly had a passion and knowledge for it, that's when I began to get jobs making the kind of shows I loved watching. And once I started in sci-fi and horror drama I managed to keep going. I think no small part of that is down to being passionate about what I do, and knowledgeable about the genre. With any production, you want a creative team who understand and care about what you're making. So never ever be afraid to demonstrate that! Even if people call you a geek!
Splendid fellows - all of them… Behind the scenes of The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
GC: Gotta ask! You starred in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot! How cool was that, and what’s your abiding memory of your cameo?
DR: It was mind-blowing. In fact now I'm thinking about it, it's blown my mind again! It was very exciting being at BBC Wales at the time of Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary, and there was a huge buzz around the show and all the fun projects that went along with it. Peter Davison was the driving force of The Five(ish) Doctors, and working with him was really fantastic. I grew up watching Peter, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy all as the Doctor. They were all my Doctors!
And the day on set when I had to actually act with them (if you can call what I was doing in ANY way acting) was surreal, and terrifying and brilliant. And after we'd shot the scene I came clean and told them exactly how much the show they'd starred-in meant to me, and how I wouldn't have been standing there that day as a script editor on Doctor Who if it hadn't been for each of them. And then I had to drive a Dalek. On camera...
The word 'awesome' doesn't even cover it! So that's testament to my last answer - if you're really passionate about something, find out how to be part of it, work hard, and very awesome things can happen!
Big thanks to Derek Ritchie! Class begins on BBC Three on Saturday, 22nd October and you can find out more about it on the show’s official website!