Class: Audience and Industries

 Audience

1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly?

On its debut, the show only gained a measly viewing of 0.28 million, only 5.1% of the total TV audience. It later gained only 250,000 more viewers on BBC iPlayer. The lack of clarity about the show's target audience and its strange airing time are possibly two of the key contributors to this show's horrible viewing figures

2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class?

It could either be seen as enjoyable for the mainstream audience since it is linked to the Doctor Who universe, but it is also very violent and in a completely different age group than Doctor Who, so it could be seen as a show for niche audiences. The Explorer psychographic group may also enjoy this show since it's new and unique. Additionally, the Struggler psychographic group would enjoy this show due to its violent nature

3) What audience pleasures are offered by Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity:The show includes many relatable teenage characters, but it also includes older key characters, allowing a range of age groups to relate to and project themselves onto.

Personal Relationships:The show includes references to the Doctor Who universe, which Whovians would actively seek out and enjoy seeing, as well as characters whose stories can be very engaging, leading to people wanting to discover the outcomes for their favourite characters.

Diversion (Escapism):The show is set in an almost Fantasy world and includes many exciting and violent scenes, which are vital components of shows that are designed to entertain

4) Thinking of the 3 Vs audience pleasures (Visceral, Vicarious and Voyeuristic pleasures), which of these can be applied to Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart?

Visceral Pleasure can undoubtedly be applied to this episode since the show includes a large amount of blood and violence. Also, this episode contains a sex scene, which also could provide adrenaline to the audience. Additionally, Vicarious pleasure could also be gained from this show since the characters are very relatable, so it is easy for the audience to project themselves onto the character and live the experiences in the show through those characters.

5) How did fans in the 'Whoniverse' (also known as 'Whovians') react to Class? Watch the fan reaction video (and read the YouTube comments) embedded above or check the comments in the extension articles below to help with this.

A majority of fans didn't enjoy the show due to its violent nature and inexperienced actors, however, a significant proportion of Whovians did enjoy the show, in particular, the references to the original series and how these characters interact with the Whoniverse. Personally, I think the show had a lot of potentials to be enjoyable as a spin-off to Doctor Who, but it's lack of developed acting was extremely off-putting and lets down what could have been a great show. The later, better refined, less violent episodes are much more enjoyable and promised a lot for the second season.

Industries

1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched?

To be a channel for young adults which could be relatable and easily accessible.

2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2013? 

The channel did not receive enough live viewers and to combat this made the channel online-only. Additionally, since how the target audience for BBC3 has changed how they consume media, the BBC opted for a more approachable and user-friendly option.

3) How does Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

The show is made in the majority for entertainment purposes, it has engaging storylines, relatable characters and exciting plot development, which adds to how entertaining the show is.

4) How did the distribution of Class contribute to the failure of the show with audiences?

Its inconsistent time slots, as well as its strange airing time, meant that a majority of audiences were not available to watch the show. Additionally, the target audience for the show no longer consume media traditionally, but through recordings and online providers, like Netflix, which meant less were available to watch the show on TV. Its shift to iPlayer worsened this, and most audiences chose other, better-acted options for viewing over this show, leading to its eventual failure.

5) What advertising and marketing was used to try and promote Class to an audience? Why do you think this wasn't very successful?

The show was associated very closely with Doctor Who in its promotional material, with the trailer for the show containing only the Doctor's voice. The show was also presented as extremely Sci-Fi, which led many audience members to feel mislead since they found out that the show is only loosely related to the Doctor Who universe and is less Sci-Fi more C-o-A, further disappointing fans.

Comparison: An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2016 Class (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?

Class: Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart includes much more advanced technology and mise-en-scene than Doctor Who, which was aired in only black and white. Class consists of a much more realistic and well-developed graphics and lifelike props and costumes, contrasting the lack of such technology in Doctor Who. Doctor Who also contained many still or stationary shots, much unlike Class, which has continuously moving shots and a range of camera angles.

2) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of the science-fiction genre?

Both shows include lead alien characters and continuously explore the concept of aliens, however Doctor Who contains many more conventional tropes of Sci-Fi, like the TARDIS, with bright white lights, unlike Class which has less of a Sci-Fi genre in favour of a Science Fantasy genre, with oranges and shadows which contrast Doctor Who.

3) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain?

Doctor, though in the little and few, includes actual fact and some genuine science as well as science concepts that are genuinely explored in reality, contrastingly, Class includes less factually based science and more entertainment-driven Science Fantasy. Both shows do offer entertainment for their audiences, however, with plenty of action and danger in every episode.

4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?

While Doctor Who included a mainly middle class, educated, all-white cast and characters, Class include a racially diverse, approachable cast and characters, of all classes and sexualities. However, both shows do contain some form of dominant female and male characters.

5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart?

While both shows present pleasures of Diversion, Personal Identity and Personal Relationships in their shows, with relatable characters, engaging storylines and action-filled episodes, Doctor Who provides  some form of Surveillance for its audience, whereas Class does not.