Episode #206 : Planet of the Dead

"It is returning, it is returning through the dark. And then Doctor... oh, but then... he will knock four times."

Episode #206:      Planet of the Dead.
Companions:        The 10th Doctor.
Air Date:              11th April 2009.

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Tenth Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

In this adventure the Doctor teams up with professional cat burglar Lady Christina de Souza to escape an alien world, rescue the stranded passengers of a London bus and foil the activities of a race of metal omnivorous flying ray aliens. As you may guess from this it is yet another strange and at times silly adventure. It is entertaining though which is why I don't disapprove quite so much with this one.

Essentially the story revolves around the passengers of a London bus which is drawn through a "worm hole" to a distant desert world. On board is the Doctor and a famous criminal who for this story becomes the companion. The planet turns out to once been the seat of power for a space faring race but they, and everything on their world has been eaten and turned to a sort of dust by strange swarming alien rays. The wormhole is their means of moving from world to world. Trapped on this world they have to work together, and briefly with fly-headed aliens, to find a way home.

As a Doctor Who story goes Planet of the Dead isn't bad. I could for the most part imagine this being done with dodgy BBC graphics for any of the classic Doctors. It is another silly element, a flying bus, which again has me rolling my eyes. I don't think I will ever get used to the weird elements that new Who has included. I must stop grumbling about that. Seriously.

I liked the character of Lady Christina de Souza (played by Eastenders veteran Michelle Ryan) and I was disappointed at the time because she didn't become a new companion for the Doctor. She could have been a good foil for him but in hindsight she might also be the sort of dominant companion that could upstage him. Shame all the same. The other guest star in this story is Malcolm, played by British comedian Lee Evans. He seems to be there for comic relief and not much else, although he does help save the day.

Planet of the Dead sets up certain references for the end of year finale. One of the passengers on the bus seems to have some sort of psychic ability and she delivers what amounts to a of prophecy, which you can read above.

As a one off adventure if you can get past silly things like a flying bus and some of the awkward humour Planet of the Dead is an enjoyable hour of fun.

Episode #205 : The Next Doctor

The "Next" Doctor: It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen... from the stars... and you don't blink, Mr. Smith.
The Doctor: Ah, don't blink, whatever you do, don't blink, remember that? The blinking and the statues and... Sally and the angels? No?
The "Next" Doctor: You're a very odd man.
The Doctor: Mmm... I still am.

Episode #205:      The Next Doctor.
Companions:        The 10th Doctor.
Air Date:              25th December  2008.

Christmas 1851, and Cybermen stalk Victorian London. The Tenth Doctor discovers a spate of mysterious deaths, and he's surprised to meet another Doctor! Are two Doctors enough to stop the rise of the CyberKing?

The Doctor is travelling alone again and winds up at Christmas in 1851 just in time to be drawn into the evil schemes of the "Pete's World" Cybermen who have escaped the Void by somehow using Dalek technology. They now plan to convert the Earth using the villainous Mercy Hartigan. On the way he encounters someone he thinks is his future self but ultimately isn't. Much running ensues, the mystery solved and a rather obvious Cyberking is stopped.

The Next Doctor is a story where I cannot decide whether I like it or not. On one had I find the adventure somewhat lackluster and with a glaring historical issue at the end, but at the same time it's not a bad little romp. Some aspects obviously trigger a little OCD in me I guess but I'll come to that shortly. Either way i have decided that since I cannot decide it is unfair to mark the episode down so it gets an average rating from me.

Jackson Lake, the supposed "next Doctor" is quite a good character though I don't see much use for his companion Rossita. It almost makes me wish that Lake had been the next incarnation as until his amnesia/fugue is fixed he makes quite a good Doctor personality. Making him a confused personality thinking he is a Time Lord is a clever idea but once unraveled it feels like a bit of a let down and you almost wish he was the next incarnation of the Doctor.

So, jumping ahead to the historical issue that I mentioned. Well, we have a two hundred foot high Cyberman battle mech stomping all over London. Even Lake says that it will be mentioned of in the history books for years to come. But it wasn't and it really irks me that such a thing was included. Doctor Who is more subtle than that. Even when we had the Loch Ness Monster popping up in London the Doctor does make a point that humans are self deceiving at times. But this wasn't a couple hundred people seeing something in the river Thames, this is thousands of people seeing a giant robot battle suit. Now, this brings me to events from the 11th Doctor... did the reboot of the universe erase these events from ever happening in the first place? It's all timey-whimey again.

One last comment though that does make this episode better for me than other Christmas specials is that it doesn't make too much of a point of it being Christmas in the episode. There are a couple references and then they focus on the adventure, and just get on with it.

SJA #12 : Enemy of the Bane

"In my day UNIT battled Daleks, Cybermen, Autons and Zygons and all manner of space-thuggery."

Episode #12:        Enemy of the Bane.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              1st to 8th December  2008.

Gita Chandra is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood. This turns out to be a snare for Sarah Jane. Mrs Wormwood has joined forces with another of Sarah Jane's enemies, Kaagh. As they prepare to settle old scores, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend.

The final adventure of this season brings back Kaagh and Mrs. Wormwood, this time working together for their own nefarious schemes. They pretend to be allies and then as expected, stab the team in the back. As stories go it isn't very original and I think even the young audience this was aimed at worked it out within the first few minutes. It is the problem with these short episodes that the writers cannot put enough content into the show and keep it good. I know it is kid's television but I am sure CBBC can do better than this.

This episode features the final "proper" appearance in the Whoniverse of fan favourite Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. This was Nicholas Courtney's final appearance before he died in 2011. It's rather heart warming to see him back as the Brigadier and it brought back many fine memories of his time on the show.

Enemy of the Bane introduces us to the Black Archive, which we see later on in Day of the Doctor. I was genuinely surprised by this as I didn't know it existed before that episode. Things have changed though as in this story the Archive is a fortified building outside London so I guess everything gets moved to the Tower of London following the events of this story.

Sitting here writing this review I am having trouble thinking of anything really positive to say for this episode. To repeat myself, I understand that the Sarah Jane Adventures are children's programming so I can't expect the same level of awesomeness as I feel for Doctor Who and Torchwood. But still I find episodes like this are dumbed down somewhat. There just isn't anything to them and it is very frustrating because I know that the writers and everyone behind the show can do so much better.

SJA #11 : The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

"Luke, I have saved the lives of so many people, people I didn't even know, I don't know – miners on Peladon, all the people drinking BubbleShock, without a second thought, but this is my mum and dad!"

Episode #11:        The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              17th to 24th November 2008.

When Sarah Jane returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure to 1951, she realises she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. Is it a trap? Sarah Jane and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by the Trickster.

The Sarah Jane Adventures finally gets a time travel story and long overdue too it is. The story continues with the references to Sarah Jane's parents and this time the Trickster draws her back in time with the temptation of meeting, or rather saving her parents. By preventing their deaths Sarah Jane causes the downfall and eventual enslavement of humanity by the Trickster.

Elements of the story are very similar to the Doctor Who story "Father's Day". Both stories deal with wanting to go back in time to see a deceased parent only for the companion to mess it up and cause some pretty terrible damage to the time line which only the death of the parent can fix. This adventure is different enough though for it to be a good story in it's own right.

This is an entertaining story that uses the expected tropes for the subject matter. I think it rather good though it could always have been better. The only real disappointment for me is the Trickster himself. He doesn't get enough screen time and he's the sort of SJA villain that I want to see more of.

SJA #10 : The Mark of the Berserker

"You don't know what we've seen! Slitheen, Sontarans, we've stopped them, all of them."

Episode #10:        The Mark of the Berserker.

Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:             20th to 27th October 2008.

An alien pendant which gives its wearer the power to control others is stolen from Sarah Jane's attic. Luke and Rani enlist the help of Clyde's mum to track down Clyde and his father, who has the alien pendant. The chase leads to a terrifying waterside confrontation when the pendant takes control of Paul and begins transforming him.

This episode is a showcase for Clyde Langer and the backstory that we had hints of with regards to his father. The science fiction element of the berserker amulet is just a tacked on element. With that in mind you can't fault the episode but much the previous episode in this season of Sarah Jane Adventures it doesn't really go anywhere or grab your attention. It does however end on a shot of a photo of Sarah Jane's parents which leads into the next episode's story.

One bonus point for this story is that it at least references the recent Dalek invasion. It doesn't happen often enough in the spin off shows so in this case when Clyde's dad makes mention of Daleks it gets a thumbs up from me.

Although it is nice to have some background on a character like Clyde it feels like a waste of an episode. Maybe if it expanded on the "Berserkers" alluded to in the title and less on the family elements it may have been better.

SJA #9 : Secrets of the Stars

"Some years ago, you travelled far and wide. And oh, the things you have seen! There was a man, a very special man. No, no, let me think. It wasn't a romance, no, it was something much, much more than that. He taught you so much. There was laughter and adventure, and you prayed that your time with him would never, ever end. But then suddenly he left you. The man was lonely. A scientist? No, a doctor. The Doctor. Am I right?"

Episode #9:         Secrets of the Stars.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, and Mr Smith.
Air Date:             20th to 27th October 2008.

Astrologer Martin Trueman causes a stir with his uncanny insights and predictions. Sarah Jane doesn't believe in astrology, but she does believe that all is not as it seems with Trueman. Around her, people are falling under Trueman's sinister spell and even Mr Smith doesn't understand what's going on.

After the last couple of decent SJA episodes the show falls back into the usual weird episodes that I expect from the show. Once again, I know it is purely a children's show but does it need to have these weak episodes that I would expect from a cheap low budget science fiction show? This is the Whoniverse so why does it have to have stories like this even for a kids show?

The story uses astrology as it's basis. We see that astrology isn't just something humans do but which exists on other planets in the universe as well. The problem is that it doesn't really work for me in the sense that it is being shown. Star signs allow Mr Trueman to control people of that star sign when it becomes aligned, much like the Sycorax used blood groups to control people when they invaded. That worked for me but I cannot fathom why astrology doesn't in this episode.

The episode feature Russ Abbott, a former household comedy name in the 1980's, in the role of the villainous Mr Trueman. I can only wonder whether he was desperate for money or something. In the story Mr Trueman is "possessed" by an ancient force of starlight that predated the Big Bang. How did it survive and is it somehow related to the Great Old Ones? Who knows?

I'm sure that this story could have been done better had some more thought gone into it. It isn't bad by any stretch but again, like a lot of SJA, but may have been more enjoyable if written for a more teen level audience.

SJA #8 : The Day of the Clown

"I'm going to offer you a choice, Rani. Cross over the road, go back to your parents and the life you lived before you moved here, and nothing will have changed. Or you can come with me. If you do that – nothing will ever be the same again."

Episode #8:         The Day of the Clown.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, amd Mr Smith.
Air Date:             6th to 13th October 2008.

Rani Chandra is the new girl on Bannerman Road. She is haunted by a sinister clown. Does it have anything to do with local children who have gone missing? When Clyde's friend Dave disappears, the trail leads to a strange circus museum and the legend of the Pied Piper.

When I started watching this episode I didn't think I was going to be impressed. The Sarah Jane Adventures does have a habit of doing the weird child-friendly type episodes that I just find a bit too odd and well, childish. It is a show for Children though so I can usually forgive it. The Day of the Clown actually grabbed my attention a lot more than I expected it to. Clowns are usually a dead give away for a science fiction story to be a bit too weird for me, but I rather enjoyed this one. Takes a while to get going but once it does you are rooted to your seat.

The episode seems to be based on the exploration of fear and what it can do if you let it control you too much. In this case, fear is personified by a malevolent alien entity that feeds upon fear. Personally I've never found clowns to be frightening but I understand that to many they are perhaps the very personification of that emotion. I was also surprised to realize, as I prepped to do this review that the role of the evil clown was played by comedian and game show host Bradly Walsh. I didn't recognise him at all under the make up.

We are also introduced to a new character on Bannerman road, Rani Chandra, who is the replacement for Maria Jackson. Maria was a bit of a wishy-washy character for me but already I like Chandra a lot. She's much more of a braver character running off to investigate things. I like that. Her father however, the new school headmaster, at least from this episode seems to be a nasty piece of work and I immediately disliked him. Hopefully he'll calm down to be a nice character and we won't have too much of the family trend in the show.

A good episode and worth a watch.