Coming out in August 2018 are six new adventures from the world of Coal Hill Academy.

Coal Hill School (later Academy) was introduced in the first television episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, in 1963, and has had numerous appearances ever since including the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor.

Class, a Doctor Who spin-off series created by young adult author Patrick Ness, consisted of eight episodes in a self-contained series that were broadcast in 2016. But Coal Hill Academy still has more secrets hidden in its walls…

Class is now returning on audio with six new adventures made in arrangement with BBC Studios.

Set during the television series, Class is back in session with the original cast. Greg Austin plays Charlie Smith, Fady Elsayed plays Ram Singh, Sophie Hopkins plays April MacLean, Vivian Oparah plays Tanya Adeola, Jordan Renzo plays Matteusz Andrzejewski and Katherine Kelly plays Miss Andrea Quill.

1.1 Gifted by Roy Gill

When a talent scout arrives in Shoreditch, Ram sees an opportunity to further his goals, whilst April strikes up a friendship with new boy, Thomas Laneford. Their choices draw all three to Carterhaugh House – but who is the mysterious Mab that waits for them there…

1.2 Life Experience by Jenny T Colgan

After signing up for work experience at Sevelin Laboratories, Tanya and Ram find themselves thrust into the world of medical research. But dark secrets lie at the heart of Sevelin Industries – and not everyone can make it out alive…

1.3 Tell Me You Love Me by Scott Handcock

The school day has ended. Charlie and Matteusz find themselves alone – though not quite as alone as they first believed. Three little words could mean the difference between life and death… and Quill is the only person they can turn to.  

2.1 Everyone Loves Reagan by Tim Foley

When Reagan Harper joins Coal Hill Academy, everybody instantly loves her – everybody except for April. Is there really more to Reagan than meets the eye? Or are there other forces at work in Coal Hill?

2.2 Now You Know… by Tim Leng

Following a series of freak attacks on staff and pupils, Tanya and Matteusz find themselves investigating a mystery that dates back to the 1960s. Together, they hope to solve it – even if that means turning on one another to do so…

2.3 In Remembrance by Guy Adams

When an alarm is triggered at Coal Hill Academy, Quill and Charlie encounter a mysterious intruder prowling around school premises. Worse, they also encounter a Dalek. Their only hope of survival lies with the stranger: a woman who calls herself ‘Ace’…

Spread over two volumes, the six new adventures find the students of Coal Hill Academy reunited and crossing paths with characters from the Doctor Who universe.

Seventh Doctor companion Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, returns to Coal Hill in an adventure following up her previous skirmish with the Daleks in the Doctor Who television episode, Remembrance of the Daleks.

Director and Producer Scott Handcock tells us more: “It’s a real thrill having brought Torchwood back on audio, to do the same all over again with another slice of the Doctor Who universe, and to play in a world created by Patrick Ness. The characters and their relationships are key to the success of a series like Class, and the intimacy of the audio medium allows us to bring that to the fore.

“We’ve had a great deal of fun reuniting the original cast for the audio series, telling brand-new stories set within the TV run, whilst tackling a host of alien menaces. Of course I couldn’t resist linking up to the Doctor Who universe, and bringing Ace and the Daleks into the world of Class has been an absolute treat. And for full authenticity, we’re lucky to have series composer Blair Mowat return to the world of Class as well.”

Nicholas Briggs, executive producer and voice of the Daleks: “Big Finish has a strong tradition of venturing into all areas of the Doctor Who universe, so it’s great that we’re invading Coal Hill Academy too. We’ve had so many requests from listeners about us producing audio drama based on Class, so this is something we’ve been keen to do for some time. For me, personally, it’s going to be great to bring some good, old fashioned exterminating to the format!”

Class in two invididual volumes is available for pre-order now at £20 on CD or £15 on download from the Big Finish site and will remain at this price until general release when it will be available for £25 on CD or £20 on download. Class will have a limited CD run of 500 copies for each volume. 

Class: The Audio Adventures Volumes One and Two can also be purchased as a bundle together at the price of £38 on CD and £28 on download. All CD purchases from the Big Finish website unlock a download exclusive from the Big Finish website and app.

Don’t forget to check the Doctor Who: The New Series section of the Big Finish website for more titles from the New Series of Doctor Who.