Does anyone know whether viewing figures are available for the first couple of episodes?

Oooooo thanks.

Should be in the next TV Player Report on Wednesday.

I enjoyed episode 3 more than the previous two. It felt genuinely (young) adult, with subtle and properly creepy moments which were far more effective than the "LOOK, BLOOD! INTESTINES! SO ADULT!" approach of the first two episodes, and there were less wild swings in tone. I like Ram a lot, even if he does react to everything like a suspicious model, and Tanya is great. April continues to be terminally dull though, no matter how much tragedy they try to pack into her backstory.

I still get the impression that this is being written by someone who thinks they totally 'get' teens because they went on Tumblr a few times.

the point is in what seems to be every BBC program now in just a 45 minute program every person is fat thin ginger wheelchair gay transgender asian jamaican chinese old etc etc.

it is NOT realistic

No, I don't think I did suggest you are a white, straight, athletic man; that's what you read it as. I only suggested you were being silly (the word "bigot" was not even used by me).

I fail to see the problem here. Why is it "patronising" for TV to try and appeal to a more diverse audience instead of refusing to move with the times? Or to accept that homosexual relationships happen instead of shying away from them? Is it a "silly PC checklist" or is it television just getting real, acknowledging that we all have a story to tell; regardless of who we are and accepting that many of us are disabled, or gay, or Asian, and that these things may affect us in different ways?

One day, yes, one day....no-one will notice and just engage with the characters. Then again, as a fat thin ginger wheelchair gay transgender old person of asian/Jamaican/Chinese descent, I would say that, I suppose.

Being less smartarse, I don't notice or really care about such things. I really don't. What programmes do you mean? Genuine question. I watch a bit of BBC Drama and it's not something I've noticed as being a 'thing'...I have noticed that a lot of the dramas aren't particularly realistic, mind!

I did try to turn back to topic. Of course your fail to see the problem, people like you always do. It is not real, believe me I know. But thank God that there are people like you out there to speak on behalf of people like me, and who know what's good for us.

Anyway, I am about to watch episode three, I'm a little behind everybody else it seems.

And who's "us"? People have different opinions regardless of whether they belong to a group or not. But there are many out there who feel they aren't being represented much in fiction over something as little as skin colour or sexuality, hence why some shows or films or such make the effort to offer a diverse cast of characters. I fit in one such group discussed myself, so I'm not sure what you mean by "people like me". Are you assuming I'm a straight white athletic guy?

I'm enjoying the show a lot, much more than I thought I would. I think some criticisms leveled here are fair, it is a bit muddled and it's not clear who it's aimed at and a spot more character development and consistency would be good. But I'm still enjoying it a lot, it's fun and creepy and sometimes exciting, I quite like the characters even if they're not well rounded yet.

I'm not sure why some people always hate diversity being represented so much though. Why do some people react so badly when minority races and sexualities are represented, even in a show set in a school in London!? Does it really matter? People talk about what is realistic but I'm not sure what that means in this context since groups of friends, workmates etc rarely conform to a demographic standard. And would it be more realistic if characters were limited to white heterosexuals only? I genuinely didn't notice anything out of the ordinary in terms of this show.

I've no issue with the make up of the cast but I suppose your view can be formed in terms of the area you're from. Certainly where I am, it's not the most diverse of areas and although I don't people here have an issue with it, it's just very similar here. There is little variety in terms of people. So I suppose if I went into their heads so to speak, to see the diversity of Class, they may not think its true to life because it's not what they know so it can seem to them to be OTT or for the sake of things.

As I say I have no problem with any of the cast, but I can see where the views are coming from.

I can see where you're coming from but I don't come from a particularly diverse area either but I wouldn't assume that TV should only reflect my experience, especially not a show based in London or indeed any of our bigger cities.

I do take exception to the idea of it not being realistic though. People's friend groups and groups of people they work with, hang out with etc are not representative or realistic in terms of the population as a whole so why would they be on TV? I also don't see the problem in making sure that as many different demographics are represented in a TV show.

I agree with you but I suppose to someone what they know their area is like, there is a kind of assumption it's like that everywhere. I don't believe in that and have little experience in big cities so I don't know how diverse they truly are. I've no issue with diversity, but for those with little experience of it I suppose it can seem a bit in your face.

I think your last sentence is what can irk people though. If the representation is being done just because it can and everyone possible is being included, that's where the checklist type claims come in because it lacks a natural feel about it.

I don't understand why it's any more or less natural than putting any group of actors together. It depends on the actors, not the colour of their skin, sex, sexuality etc. but whenever minorities appear in TV shows we always get this complaint about it being unnatural or box ticking. Heaven forbid our TV shows should reflect the diverse nature of our communities. It makes me feel uncomfortable when people talk about it as if it's a bad thing.

Credit to the producers and casting staff in having the main cast from a range of backgrounds . About time.

Exactly i don't get why it bothers people, so what if the cast are diverse and even if they are selected from a checklist it still shouldn't matter. It's time people looked at people and saw them as normal instead of following the status quo, which is where this issue arises because people aren't used to seeing minorities.

Even in many parts of London you don't typically get 'one of everyone' in a group of a dozen or less people. You're more likely to get several from one background, you may get a gay or disabled person within that number but the chances of a representative of each specified 'minority' is rather unlikely. I think that's why some people think it comes across as tick box rather than realistic or within their own experience.

But why does it matter? I don't see people complaining how unrealistic it is for 2 aliens in the school, so why would this be an issue?

But we're not talking about a group of friends, these are people that were thrown together by circumstance, first by being in the same (advanced?) class at school and then by the Doctor. I don't think it would be realistic if in that situation the cast had been made up only of one demographic only. They had some links to each other but they were definitely not friends in the first episode apart from possibly April and Tanya although they seemed to hang out simply because they didn't have anyone else.

And we're talking about a school situated on a rip in space and time which has aliens pouring through it each week. It seems odd (and as I said it makes me a little uncomfortable) to get annoyed about the demographic make up of the cast being unrealistic when that is the premise of the story.

I don't see why that wouldn't be unrealistic. People from all walks of life can all be one demographic but different personalities etc - the geek, the sporty one, the posho etc. They don't need to be different backgrounds.

I asked this earlier in the thread, but who's Jamaican in this show?

Also, what the heck kinds of shows are you watching in which every character is one of those types?!

I think hes just overexaggerating, I mean really in EVERY BBC Programme.

Well that escalated very quickly. My favourite episode yet, some very good development, interesting twists and loved the shadow kin/April connection scenes.

Also this governor thing does show that people in the area know about the tear in space and time addressing some major issues.

So all in all a very good episode which moved the plot along majorly.

The Shadow Kin Leader wants a bit of cuddling. (Genuinely laughed out loud.)

Very enjoyable stuff! And a decent cliff hanger to set things up for the next episode. Sophie Hopkins crucially played the 'possession' stuff very well and was the standout. Good to see developments in the overall story, with the enjoyably creepy new Headteacher and more hints about the 'Governors' brooding over, and possibly 'tidying up' the aftermath of, events. They're not just ignoring those who have died. (and it looks like April's mum being in a wheelchair was an integral part of the on going plot too.)

Before the series, I was v much "Weeeell, I'll give it a go." but at the halfway stage I'd say it's been a pleasingly entertaining effort all around.

And nice to see Con 'Joe Meek' O'Neill appearing in the Who Universe.

Crikey, episode 4 was quite a surprise! I hope they continue in this vein (and not some sort of miracle resolution where everyone is saved by love, or something).

The Governors are intriguing as well, especially if Ian Chesterton is still head of the governors, what does that imply?!

I don't know about anyone else, but I found it quite difficult to understand the Shadow King (or whatever it is) and his species, slightly too much processing on the voices for my liking. Might have to watch again with subtitles!