BBC Worldwide LimitedGet ready to go back to school!
There's a new Doctor Who spin-off in the works, and it's just for the teens.
Of course, we, who are not teens, will also be tuning in, because we have the viewing habits of teens and also because it sounds pretty cool.
The show is called Class, and is set in a contemporary London high school in which "the horrors of the darkest corners of existence are just about on par with having to pass your A-Levels," which we Americans are assuming is sort of equivalent to a high score on your SATs.
Class will air on BBC Three in 2016 and will be written by YA author Patrick Ness, who wrote the Chaos Walking trilogy and both the book and the screenplay for 2016's A Monster Calls, which stars Liam Neeson, Felicity Jones, and Sigourney Weaver. Ness promises all new villains, monsters, and heroes in the new series, which will currently consist of eight episodes.
Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat praised Ness in a statement, saying, "No one has documented the dark and exhilarating world of the teenager like Patrick Ness, and now we're bringing his brilliant storytelling into Doctor Who. This is growing up in modern Britain - but with monsters!"
"I'm astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself," Ness told the BBC. "There's so much room there for all kinds of amazing stories, and to work with Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin to find a place to tell one of my own has been an absolute joy."
It sounds like the show is aiming for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hunger Games vibe, which is a vibe comprised of two things we're very into, so the idea of this show is absolutely also something we're into.
The spin-off is just the latest of many for Doctor Who, including Torchwood, K9 and Company, and the Sarah Jane Adventures.
Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on BBC America.