Class: Industry and Audience

Industries

1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched? You can find the answer in the notes above.

The objective of BBC3 when it was launched was to provide innovative programming to a young adult target audience.

2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2016? 

BBC3 went online-only in February 2016 as the BBC recognised that younger people watch TV at different times using different devices due to the rise of streaming and on-demand services.

3) How does Class meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

Class meets the BBC's mission statement to mainly entertain as it has engaging storylines, relatable characters and exciting plot development however it also does educate the audience in history by talking about war in lesson.

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

Class had inconsistent time slots as well as very late airing times which meant that a majority of audiences were not able to watch the show. Also, the target audience for the show no longer watch media traditionally instead they use streaming services or recordings which meant that less people would watch the show on TV. 

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 with Doctor Who which already promoted the show to Doctor Who fans. The show was also presented as extremely Sci-Fi, however this mislead Doctor Who fans to only find out that the Doctor is barely featured in this show and is barely connected to the Doctor Who universe and is less Sci-Fi than Doctor Who.

Audience

1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly? Look at the notes above to find out the answers.

On it's debut, the show only gained a viewing of 0.28 million, only 5.1% of the total TV audience and then 250,000 views on BBC iplayer. The strange airing times and poor advertisement could be big contributing factors to the reason why Class did so badly. 

2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class? You can revise Pyschographics here.

It could be seen as for the mainstream audience as it is linked to Doctor Who, Sci-Fi lovers as it contains elements of the science fiction genre and people who enjoy watching shows which include futuristic technology.

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 which allows a range of age groups to relate to.

Personal Relationships:The show includes references to the Doctor Who universe, which fans would actively seek out and enjoy seeing as well as characters whose stories can be very engaging. 

Diversion (Escapism): The show is set in an almost fantasy world and includes exciting and violent scenes which are vital to create a show for entertainment.

Surveillance (Information / Facts): The show includes some elements of information like the war discussion in April's lesson.

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 be applied to this episode since the show includes blood and violence. As well as Vicarious pleasure could be gained as 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 the 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 it's violent nature and inexperienced actors, however some fans did enjoy the show, the references to the original series and how these characters interact with the Whoniverse. 

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 includes more advanced technology and mise-en-scene than Doctor Who which was aired in only black and white. Class consits of more realistic, lifelike props and well- developed graphics contrasting the lack of such technology in Doctor Who. Doctor Who also contained many still and stationary shots much unlike Class which has continously moving shots.

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 explore the concept of aliens, however Doctor Who contains many more concepts of Sci-Fi, like the TARDIS with bright, white lights, unlike Class which has less of a Sci-Fi 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 Who actually includes although little but still includes actual facts and some geniuine science as well as science concepts explored in real life which contrasts to Class which includes less factually based science and more entertainment driven Science-fanatasy. Both shows do offer entertainment for their target audiences 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 mainly included a middle class, educated, all white characters and cast, 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 a small degree of Surveillence for it's audience whereas Class doesn't.