The Sarah Jane Advenures, News, Reviews, Gossip

Cult Spy Review: 'Sarah Jane' Season One

Sunday, December 9 2007, 09:30 GMT

By Ben Rawson-Jones, Cult Editor
Cult Spy casts its beady eyes over the fantastic first season of the Sarah Jane Adventures, offering a rather alternative take on what went down...

Best Guest Star

Phyllida Law's superb performance as Mrs Nelson-Stanley in ‘Eye Of The Gorgon’ reigns supreme in this category. She manages to evoke a sense of wonder at the adventures her character has experienced earlier in her life, along with a great degree of sadness about the effects of time on her wellbeing.

Jane Asher’s role as Andrea in ’Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane?’ is also worth noting for its power and pathos.

Stinker of the Season

A performance fittingly bathed in flatulence, Martyn Eliss’ portrayal of the Slitheen-inhabited Headmaster in the opening story was truly dire. Any sense of drama or danger was eradicated by the sheer weight of gurning, mugging and sub-pantomime villainy on display.

Scariest Moment

Given the surprisingly creepy tone of the show, there are quite a few contenders for this accolade. The sinister ‘Trickster’ stalking the street at night outside Maria’s house and the sudden evil inclination of Mr Smith were definitely enough to send a few shudders down the spine.

But we’re plumping for the opening scene to ‘Eye Of The Gorgon’, in which an evil-looking nun suddenly appears in the bedroom of an elderly lady in a nursing home. Emitting a piercing gaze and bathed in eerie moonlight, the look of this nun would be enough to make viewers steer clear of convents for life.

Most Overt Political Analogy

In the second part of ‘The Warriors of Kudlak’, the titular General discovers that he has been waging a war based on a lie. All we needed was a cameo from Hans Blix…

Most Crowd Pleasing Moment

Alan Jackson taking out the Graske with a skateboard in ‘Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane?’ and Sarah Jane’s use of her sonic lip gloss to dispatch an enemy motorcyclist in ’The Lost Boy’ were both occasions when viewers would have felt compelled to leap from their seats and punch the air with joy. Well, maybe.

Nonetheless, both pale in comparison to the winner - the shock and brief return of K-9 during the season finale! Seemingly forgotten about since his cameo in ’Invasion of the Bane’, the metallic mutt quickly dispatched the evil Mr Smith and trundled off into the cosmos again. Short, but very sweet.

Tearjerker of the Year

This category is particularly tight, with one contender being Maria’s realisation that the talisman cannot cure Mrs Nelson Stanley of her Alzheimer’s disease at the end of ‘Eye Of The Gorgon’. The police prizing Luke away from his surrogate mother Sarah Jane in ’The Lost Boy’ is another runner-up. However, the most emotive moment occurs near the denouement to ‘Revenge of the Slitheen’ when the alien father begs for Sarah Jane to spare the life of his son., who is trapped by a door while trying to escape. However, a blast seemingly kills them both and Sarah Jane is consumed with sadness for not showing mercy.

A few toys have been released (and they have them at Minotaur).



Sarah Jane With Star Poet



Alien Communicator With UV Reporters Pen & Pad



Sonic Lipstick with Wrist Scanner

Invasion of the Bane is already out in the UK on DVD.

The Revenge of Slitheen & Eye of Gorgon DVD will be out in the UK on March 18th, 2008.

Friday, March 07, 2008

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that "The Sarah Jane Adventures" have been recommissioned for a second, 12-part series. It also confirms that Phil Ford (writer of "Eye of the Gorgon" and "The Lost Boy") has been promoted to the role of 'Head Writer' for the series. This means he'll oversee the entire script process, and will work closely with other writers to develop their ideas. He'll contribute scripts himself, too.

Gareth Roberts will also return, scripting at least one adventure of the second year. There's an interview with Roberts in the magazine, where he talks a little about his time writing for the SJA, his first Doctor Who adventure ("The Shakespeare Code") and the forthcoming series four story, "The Unicorn and the Wasp". Oh, and he loves classic series adventure "Terror of the Vervoids" for the sole fact that it's a little naff!

Two's Company
Friday, April 04, 2008
The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms several details regarding the second series of "The Sarah Jane Adventures". There's a new producer joining the show; Nikki Smith takes over Matthew Bouch's job, as Bouch moves up to occupy the "Series Producer" role.

According to Russell T Davies, "The first block consists of four episodes, to be directed by Michael Kerrigan. Michael's an old Doctor Who hand, having directed 1989's Battlefield, and was a brilliant choice to launch Series Two, so it's great to welcome him to Upper Boat."

Writers for the 12 part series include Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts and Joseph Lidster.

The magazine also has a look behind the scenes of 1975's "The Sontaran Experiment", in the lastest 'Fact of Fiction' feature - to tie in with the return of the Sontarans to the new series, opposite David Tennant's Doctor, in a two part adventure, "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky" which airs on BBC One later this month.

Also included (for anybody interested!) is a terrific Steven Moffat interview, a brand new comic strip, and a querstion & answer session with Who's current overlords Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson - which is worth a read in itself because one of my questions got published, and answered by the trio. Result!

Doctor Who Magazine issue 394 is out now, priced £3.99.

Elsewhere, and SFX Magazine confirms the reason why, ultimately, the BBC chose not to film the second and third seasons of the SJA together in one huge, money saving production block: "It's an easier life," Davies tells the magazine, "If we can make series two and then get a commission for series three next year and make series three." Hmmm... BBC spin, anyone?

Finally, the press were granted a preview screening of the first two episodes of Doctor Who's fourth series earlier this week, which concluded with a series long trailer - and numerous journalists have confirmed the presence of Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith!

Yep, she's definitely back for the finale!

Me want Sonic lipstick!(LOL)
Will ABC get it?

Looks like it's been pushed back to January, 2009!

The BBFC has released classification details for the entire first series of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" - indicating that the show will receive a "Complete series one" boxset sometime in the near future! DigitalSpy's Tube Talk backs up this claim, stating that a SJA boxset is due September time, to tie in with the new series!

Series 2 has now entered production, according to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Filming is underway on production block one, which comprises of episodes 3/4 (Adventure Two - by Phil Ford) and 5/6 (Adventure Three - by Gareth Roberts).

Ford's adventure guest stars Bradley Walsh, whilst Russ Abbott appears in Robert's latest story.

Further cast details have emerged. A new family will be moving to Bannerman Road! Meet the Chandras! Headed up by mother Gita (Mina Anwar), father Haresh (Ace Bhatti) and - last but not least! - daughter Rani Chandra (played by newcomer Anjli Mohindra). The new cast members were chosen by casting director, Andy Pryor.

The Sarah Jane Adventures


Dani M. Sanders
BellaOnline's Prime Time TV Editor

When searching for viewing options that are safe for the entire family, we can't forget to look at contributions from other countries. One such option that my children have been enjoying is The Sarah Jane Adventures from the BBC. The show premiered in the US on the SciFi Channel on April 11, 2008 in the 7p time slot.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a spin-off of the popular Doctor Who series. For those not familiar with Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Smith (played then and now by Elisabeth Sladen) was a traveling companion to the Doctor in four seasons of that show. An investigative reporter by vocation, Sarah Jane couldn't go back to a normal life after traveling through time and space. When we meet her again in the new series, we find that she has been using the knowledge she gained during her time with the Doctor to investigate incidents involving aliens on Earth.

Unlike the Doctor who usually has only one companion at a time, Sarah Jane has three. Maria Jackson is a 13-year-old girl who moves in with her divorced dad over the road. She discovers Sarah Jane's secret life almost immediately. Luke Smith is Sarah Jane's son, a boy that Sarah Jane adopts after one of her adventures. He has the mind of a computer but the naivete of someone new to the world. Rounding out the trio is Clyde Langer, a rough-and-tumble kid who attaches himself to Maria and Luke because all three of them are new kids at the local school.

Although Doctor Who is already considered a family show, the trio of younger characters gives The Sarah Jane Adventures extra kid appeal. The stories in both shows are similar, yet there is something about the protagonists being younger that grabs my kids attention a bit more. The parents aren't left out, though, because the writing team did not dumb down the new show for a younger audience. This is good news for parents who want to watch TV with their kids but get turned off by most child-oriented fare. My husband even watched a few episodes on his own because he wasn't home to watch them with the rest of the family. That showed me that he was interested in the show and not just suffering through it.

I would say that this show is safe for any kid who can understand the plot, which would probably be ages 10 and up. There is no foul language, no sexual situations, and the violence is usually of the cartoon variety directed against the aliens. Sarah Jane, as she learned from the Doctor, usually tries to go for the non-violent option first and give the aliens the chance to leave Earth peacefully. Even when she has to destroy them, it isn't done in a way that would give the kids nightmares. The Sarah Jane Adventures is one show that you can definitely add to your list of family-friendly shows.

After almost four months of shooting, filming for the second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures has finally concluded in Cardiff! The cast and crew were spotted saying their goodbyes to eachother on the Bannerman Road set two days ago, and most of them will no doubt be heading off to their respective homes around the country to have a well-earned summer break.

Top children's sci-fi drama, The Sarah Jane Adventures, rockets on to DVD on November 10th 2008.



This complete first series boxset from BBC Worldwide captures the hugely successful CBBC series with the same talented writing team as Doctor Who, including multi-award winning creator, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies.



The perfect gift for Doctor Who fans this Christmas, this out-of-this-world DVD is priced at £24.99.



Sarah Jane Smith is known to Doctor Who fans as the vivacious, daring, investigative journalist who since returning to Earth after travelling with the Doctor has dedicated her life to tracking alien activity right here on Earth.



She inhabits a world of mystery, danger and wonder where aliens, supercomputers and monsters are commonplace!



Farting aliens in human body suits and an equal balance of laughs and scares, the show and has proved an intergalactic hit for both kids and adults alike. Sarah Jane's intrepid adventures have consistently enjoyed fantastic ratings on BBC1 and now here is the chance to own them on DVD.



This four disc DVD boxset features the following episodes from series 1:

Possible Spoilers

[spoiler]

The Invasion of the Bane
Maria Jackson and her father, Alan have moved into a new house opposite journalist Sarah Jane Smith.



On their first night, Maria is awoken by a strange light coming from Sarah-Jane's house. To her shock and amazement, Sarah is interacting with a butterfly-like alien species.



Is there more to Sarah-Jane than what seems?



The next day, Maria meets with Kelsey who befriends her and suggests that they go on the free "bubbleshock" bus for a tour around the factory and some free drinks.



Sarah Jane overhears the girls plans and decides to go and do some investigating herself. What is the mystery surrounding Mrs Wormwood and what is the secret behind the unique ingredient to the drink, 'Bane'?



Revenge of the Slitheen
On their first day at their new school, Maria and Luke meet another Year 10 pupil Clyde. Together the three of them discover something weird going on at the school involving their headmaster and science teacher.



Along with Sarah Jane, they discover that the school, like a number of other new buildings around the world has been infiltrated by members of the Family Slitheen, as part of their master plan to drain power from Earth in order to sell it on the black market.



Eye of the Gorgon
At an old people's care home, Luke is given a trinket by a sweet but apparently deluded old lady who seems to know about aliens. Meanwhile nuns, who run a nearby Abbey, are seeking the key to open a portal to the homeworld of the alien Gorgath, whose Medusa like powers have already turned a number of unfortunate victims to stone.



Warriors of Kudlak
A Carcaroth has arrived on Earth, seeking soldiers to help fight his war back home. Using a local laser-tag arena to sift out the best, most aggressive and instinctive fighters he then transports them to his spaceship - awaiting transfer to the war.



Clyde and Luke find themselves amongst the "warriors" while Sarah Jane and Maria must infiltrate the alien’s headquarters and bring him down from inside.



Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Maria wakes up to discover that everyone apart from her has forgotten Sarah Jane Smith ever existed, even Luke. In reality, an alien being has found a moment in time where a teenage Sarah Jane lost a friend in an accident, but has swapped them around, imprisoning Sarah Jane in some kind of limbo.



Now Angela survives and because Sarah Jane never existed, the world is on the brink of nuclear annihilation. After Maria herself is stolen from time and erased from everyone's memories, it's up to her dad, Alan, to rescue Sarah Jane and Maria so they can set time back on the right course…



The Lost Boy
The gang are shocked to see an appeal on TV by the distraught parents of a missing boy named Ashley - he is the exact visual and genetic double of Luke. Sarah Jane is forced to return Luke to the parents, but whilst she investigates the Pharos Institute which has been experimenting with alien technology, Luke discovers his new family are actually Slitheen and he is reunited with a child prodigy that he once knew…

[/spoiler]

This action-packed DVD includes a stack of extras including CBBC trailers, character, tools & alien profiles, Elisabeth Sladen interviews, timeline to chart Sarah Jane's journey from journalist to time traveller and beyond with approx.



30 minutes of video clips, photographs and facts, a quiz with outtakes as rewards, set visit broadcast on Blue Peter with the cast making a Slitheen mask, behind the scenes photo gallery and audio clips from Glittering Storm & The Thirteenth Stone from BBC Audiobooks.

As already reported, the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine previews the second season of the Sarah Jane Adventures by interviewing executive producer Russell T Davies, who reveals a few plot details regarding the new 12 episode run (see below) as well as all six story titles.

[spoiler]

"We're waving goodbye to Maria, Alan and Chrissie, as the Jacksons take their leave after the first story," Davies tells, "Though it's a busy old universe - don't be surprised if it's not the last you see of them! But life on Bannerman Road goes on - and that's where Rani comes in! The Chandra family soon arrives, with Rani's mother and father, Haresh and Gita. Can Sarah Jane have a quiet life, and stop her new neighbours becoming involved in her extraordinary adventures? Well, what do you think?!"

Davies goes on, "There's a lot of focus on Luke and Clyde - we even get to meet the rest of the Langer family, and trouble's not far behind..."

"With a longer run than last year," Davies comments, "We've got a wide and bold range of stories. One's a sequel to a SJA story from last year. One's even a sequel to one of the Doctor's adventures! But as ever, there are new monsters, new villains, and new problems for the regular cast."

RTD also confirms the return of Nicholas Courtney, appears by Bradley Walsh (playing an alien with three identities) and Russ Abbott - as well as the return of Floella Benjamin (last seen in "The Lost Boy") and Samantha Bond as the villainous Mrs. Wormwood, who - through Bubbleshock! - attempted to conquer the world in nthe very first SJA "Invasion of the Bane".

Filming concluded on the series Friday August 2nd. DWM were on set, and will be reporting what they saw over the next couple of issues. Though the next issue preview doesn't confirm any details about what to expect from the celebatory 400th issue, SJ.tv has it on good authority that they'll be a two page series preview, much like there was at the same time last year.

[/spoiler]

DWM issue 399 is out now, priced £3.99. Go buy it - and read Catherine Tate's superb interview regarding her time in Doctor Who. Happy times and places!

Nickelodeon Australia has bought the first 2 series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, airdate unknown at this time.

Sarah Jane Adventures

[spoiler]Meet Sarah Jane's new sidekick



Doctor Who may be off air until Christmas, but The Sarah Jane Adventures will be back in short order to help tide us over. The second series, airing on BBC One from later this month, promises to offer more action, more monsters and at least one familiar face from Doctor Who history. Sarah Jane's team is also changing, as Maria Jackson departs and feisty new girl Rani Chandra arrives. Tube Talk grabbed a quick chat with young actress Anjli Mohindra to find out more about the new arrival.

How have you found working on Sarah Jane?
"It's been really great. Sometimes when you come into a show, everybody has already formed a little tight group and you feel a bit intimidated, but not at all. Everyone's been really welcoming."

When does your character join the group?
"Fairly near the start, after bidding farewell to [Maria]. I have a bit of a nosey into the lives of the world-saving team and plot my way in!"

What's Rani like?
"I'd say she's pretty keen. She shadows Sarah Jane a lot. If there's a moment where she doesn't quite know how to deal with the situation - whether to be quiet, scared or worried - she will always watch Sarah Jane. If Sarah Jane goes in being really bolshy, you'll see Rani up there a few seconds later as well. She's also a girl between two guys at times, which is nice!"

How does Sarah Jane feel about having a new apprentice?
"It does take some getting used to for Sarah Jane, because at first she's not that interested in taking on another child. But she does, and it turns out to be a nice relationship."

Are there any similarities between Rani and Maria?
"I'm not here to play the next Maria Jackson. It's a completely different character, which is lovely. The only similarity that she has is that she's a girl and she lives in the same house. In personality terms, I don't think they're that similar. They're both quite strong-willed, though."

Did you watch the first series?
"Yes. It was a lot younger than my age range - I'm eighteen - but I saw it a few times. Obviously I got more into it after I'd found out I had the audition! I thought it was great because normally children's TV is patronising, but not with this. There's no morals at the end of every story. It's completely the same as Doctor Who. Adults can watch it as well, which is great."

Even more so, with Doctor Who not being on the air as much next year.
"I just finished sixth form and more of my teachers were excited [about my new job] than the pupils! A lot of the teachers don't actually have kids that are young enough to justify them watching it. So I think adults are already interested in it and hopefully that's going to go up this series."

Series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures airs on BBC One and the CBBC Channel from later this month.[/spoiler]

Soap stars line up for sci-fi show

A children's sci-fi drama is probably the last place you would look to find soap stars, but The Sarah Jane Adventures is positively bursting at the seams with them.

Now, former EastEnders actor Gary Beadle - best known for playing bad boy Paul Trueman - is joining the cast.

He found fame as the wheeler-dealer who was never far from trouble and broke many a fluttering female heart.

Eagle-eyed fans of the Doctor Who spin-off will have spotted him among the characters in the new trailers on the show's official website.

But he is not the only member of the cast with soap connections.

Ace Bhatti and Juliet Cowan have both served time on ITV1 crime drama The Bill, while Mina Anwar counts a stint in Coronation Street among her many screen credits.

Daniel Anthony has appeared in daytime serial Doctors as well as EastEnders, and Joseph Millson has notched up roles in EastEnders, Doctors and Holby City.