"No-one really knows just when Ashen Hill Manor was first built, but through history there has always been a house here. And so they say, just as long as there's been stone and oak, there has always been evil. They say it was the reputation of the house that attracted the magician Erasmus Darkening. He entered the service of the young lord of the manor, the widower, Lord Marchwood. Darkening promised that in return for his protection, he would replenish the family's fortunes with the secret of making gold from base metal. But after two years working in a secret chamber far beneath the house, Darkening's alchemy had failed to bear one ounce of gold. And the people on Marchwood's land were uneasy. There were stories of how Darkening came among them at night, of how he took away people that never returned and that he was not human."
Episode #16: The Eternity Trap.
Companions: Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date: 5th to 6th November 2009.
A haunted house, mysterious whispers and secrets in the shadows attract Sarah Jane's attention. When Professor Rivers and the gang investigate an old legend, a monstrous creature appears in the night. The terrifying grasp of Erasmus Darkening reaches out from centuries past. Sarah Jane and the gang discover the secrets of Erasmus Darkening, but are they too late? Ghosts from the past rise up and the quest to find the missing children reaches a climax. It seems that nothing can stop the ancient alchemist's rise to victory.
A haunted house story has been long overdue in the Sarah Jane Adventures. This is the sort of show where such a story makes so much sense and in this instance it is a really fun episode with some nice spooky elements. Ultimately the ghostly villain is revealed to be an alien of some sort and the tone of the story changes to one of rescuing the poor souls trapped in the house. Just my sort of story really. I just wish it had a slightly darker tone but being a SJA adventure it's a children's show it's not going to happen.
There does seem to be some fan speculation that due to references that Erasmus makes that he could be another Time Lord. Not sure of that myself but I can see where that theory comes from. Erasmus certain does sound like it and his style of dress isn't too dissimilar to that of the classic Time Lords. But following his defeat we will never know.
Luke, K9 and Mister Smith do not make an appearance in this story. Mostly because this is the only SJA story not to feature the house on Bannerman Road but also because Tommy Knight who plays Luke Smith was busy with his GCSE's at the time.
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