7 Doctor Who Spin-Offs That Could Replace Class

This month brought the inevitable news that Doctor Who spin-off Class has been cancelled after just a single eight-episode season. First dropped on BBC IPlayer last October, the teen-oriented sci-fi show somehow never managed to earn a lot of viewers or even form much of a cult fanbase. Despite its connections to a globally-beloved franchise, Class ended up flunking big time.

Let's hope this doesn't put the BBC off attempting any more Doctor Who spin-offs in future, though. As was proven with Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures a few years ago, shows set within the Whoniverse that focus on a familiar character can achieve great success. Class' downfall was probably that it featured an entirely fresh cast, so there was no real reason for Who viewers to follow the show.

To save face about Class' failure, the BBC could make a different Doctor Who spin-off each year. Perhaps with the same eight-episode format and dropped on IPlayer. With the right ideas, this could really help to expand the Doctor Who universe, as we would get a different part of it highlighted each time. Thankfully, there are many characters who are ripe for being promoted into their own spin-off.

Steven Moffat definitely had his finger on the pulse last Christmas when he wrote The Return of Doctor Mysterio, a fun romp that gave a Doctor Who twist on the classic superhero story. Comic book TV is everywhere right now, so it was a canny move from the show to get into the tights n' flights game for one episode.

But why not take it further? Given the success of the multitude of Marvel and DC series out there, it would surely be a sound investment for the BBC to produce their own superhero show. You might remember that the 2016 Christmas special left Grant Gordon AKA The Ghost with his vast array of superpowers in tact, so it would be very simple to continue his adventures. In fact, The Ghost is already the star of his own comic book, produced by Titan Comics, so there is already a thirst for more from the character. Plus, actor Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds) is established enough to helm his own show.

Part of Class' problem was that it was aimed squarely at a teenage audience, which put lots of fans off. A show about The Ghost would not have this problem as, hey, everyone loves superheroes nowadays.