SJA #27 : The Man Who Never Was

But there's not much time. How are you going to feel tonight if everyone's walking down Bannerman Road with their arms out, going, "Serve the computer!"

Episode #27:        The Man Who Never Was.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mr Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, Luke Smith & Sky.
Air Date:              10th to 11th October 2011.

Joseph Serf has launched his new SerfBoard, the must-have computer that no one can resist owning. Everyone wants the brand new device — and why not? What could be so dangerous about a computer?

This is the final ever episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures before the death of Elizabeth Sladen.

The story goes back to Sarah Jane's roots as an investigative journalist, which is something we rarely saw after her initial appearance on the show with the 3rd Doctor. In this adventure she is drawn into the story by a mysterious glitch seen by Sky and Luke. An investigation leads them to a group of alien Skullions who have been enslaved and forced to work for the villain.

As a story goes it is very straight forward and basic but very much in keeping with the nature of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It is also the sort of story that if expanded upon could have worked well for Torchwood.

Although not intended it is good that for this adventure that we see everyone together again (minus K9 though he is mentioned), and Luke finally gets to meet Sky in person. Their interaction is nicely written and it ends with them being a proper brother and sister. With the show coming to such a sudden end it does make me wonder where their characters and relationship could have gone in the future.

As this is the last SJA episode I'm going to be very honest here. I find them enjoyable and fun to watch but as they are written primarilly with children and younger teenagers in mind I have found it difficult to adequately review them as I can the more grown up Doctor Who and Torchwood. The adventures are a little too simplistic and I have a hard time really getting into them. But anything that adds to the Whoniverse is always good.

"I've seen amazing things out there in space but strange things can happen wherever you are. I've learned that life on Earth can be an adventure too."

SJA #26 : The Curse of Clyde Langer

"According to legend, Hetocumtek was a vicious warrior god who descended from the skies and tried to enslave the people of the Great Plains. But the story goes that the tribe's greatest medicine men came together and tricked Hetocumtek, imprisoning him in a totem pole."

Episode #26:        The Curse of Clyde Langer.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mister Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer and Sky.
Air Date:              10th to 11th October 2011.

It's raining fish from the skies! Sarah's investigations lead the gang to the Museum of Culture, where the ancient god Hetocumtek may offer answers. Yet when Clyde touches the totem pole, his family and friends savagely turn against him and he is thrown out of their lives!

The Curse of Clyde Langer is a really rather good episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It's another good horror themed story, perfect for children. They can enjoy the spooky elements while the rest of us can read between the lines and see a story that might have done well (or better) as a Doctor Who or Torchwood episode.

The story is about a mysterious totem pole which holds the essence of some evil alien. Clyde somehow has the power to defeat it and in order to protect itself, it turns everyone against Clyde. The essence of a good horror story is in there. I really would have liked to see this expanded beyond just the two part story format.

Unlike the previous story Sky is no longer an annoyingly naive young girl and she feels like a part of the Sarah Jane family at last. Shame that the show ended before she could get further into the role. Although this story is about Clyde and not her, which may have helped.

This is a great story but without knowledge of the characters and what has gone before it can't stand on it's own like many Doctor Who episodes. You need to feel the connection between the characters.

SJA #25 : Sky

Miss Myers: "My name is Miss Myers."
Clyde: "That doesn't sound like much of an alien name."
Miss Myers: "We don't spell it the same way."

Episode #25:        Sky.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mister Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer and Sky.
Air Date:              3rd to 4th October 2011.

Sarah, Clyde and Rani try to figure out why a baby abandoned on Sarah's doorstep is undergoing rapid maturation, and how she's connected to a war between the Metalkind and the Fleshkind.

The short fifth and final season of the Sarah Jane Adventures starts with this story. The basic premise is that with Luke away at university (and Tommy Knight studying for his exams in real life) Sarah Jane gets a new young person to looks after in the form of a young girl names Sky. Couple that with a war between two alien species - Metalkind and Fleshkind, and you have the story pretty much complete,

Sky, unfortunately comes across as just another Luke Smith being naive but also very intelligent. Perhaps because it is just a kid's show that they didn't worry about the comparison but I find it rather unoriginal.

There is a brief appearance by the mysterious shopkeeper who originally appeared in the SJA story Lost in Time. He would have had a larger role further into the season had it not had to cease production following the death of Elizabeth Sladen.

I have to be honest that I don't really get much out of this story but I can't fault what the writers were trying to do and so I give it an average rating. It's a Sarah Jane Adventures story after all and perhaps should not be held to a more exacting standard.

SJA #24 : Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith

"That's my stomach and it's hungry for your soul!"

Episode #24:        Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mister Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer and Luke Smith.
Air Date:              15th to 16th November 2010.

Sarah Jane has begun developing a form of dementia, and she realises that her ability to defend the Earth is diminishing. She must now hand over the task to surer hands. A seemingly suitable replacement, Ruby White, has arrived on Bannerman Road, but can she be trusted?

The end of the current series and it is one of the more disappointing episodes. Essentially it revolves around Sarah Jane becoming unwell and having to hand her responsibilities over to another who turns out to be a alien masquerading as another "Sarah Jane" in order to devour the Earth. Had the character of Ruby made appearances previously in the season it might have worked but just coming in one story doesn't make her believable. The story also doesn't feature any real action and it's absence makes the story just seem to drag.

The problem is that recently there have been some good episodes and this is another, that yet again, could have been better just be adding Ruby into some prior episodes this season. Laying the groundwork as it were. 

SJA #22 : The Empty Planet

"Weird alien noise, terrified kid and what do we do? Run to the window and start talking all Star Trek. We must have looked really normal."

Episode #22:        The Empty Planet.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, and Mr Smith.
Air Date:              1st to 2nd November 2010.

Clyde and Rani are apparently the only survivors of the human race. The whole of Earth is empty – even Sarah Jane has vanished. A deserted London holds terrors of its own, mainly in the form of two mysterious and menacing robots.

The Empty Planet is a Sarah Jane lite story. In fact she only appears at the start and the very end. The story instead focuses upon Rani and Clyde stuck in a world where everyone else has vanished, except for a young school boy. They find themselves pursued by two robots with a mysterious mission. The story itself is nothing special and is simply a hunt for a missing individual. The same sort of story we have seen before in the Sarah Jane Adventures.

For an episode where really, nothing actually happens, this is still a rather good story. Rani and Clyde by themselves make for an excellent pair of adventurers, and it is a refreshing change to have the show focus on just two characters rather than the whole gang. A bigger threat than what is presented might have made it a better story though.

SJA #21: Death of the Doctor

"Because your memories are more powerful than anything else on this planet. Just think of it. Remember it. But properly. Properly. Give the Memory Weave everything. Every planet, every face, every madman, every loss, every sunset, every scent, every terror, every joy, every Doctor. Every me."

Episode #21:        Death of the Doctor.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, Mr Smith, the 11th Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:              25th to 26th October 2010.

When the Doctor is declared dead, old companions Sarah Jane and Jo Grant meet for the first time and join forces to discover the truth. As an interstellar conspiracy gathers around UNIT HQ, Clyde finds he holds the fate of the Time Lord in his hand – quite literally!

They are not many adventures among the Sarah Jane Adventures that get me as excited as many Doctor Who ones do, but Death of the Doctor hits nearly all my buttons. Any story that brings in so many references, and a former companion, from the classic show is bound to do it. Throw in the Doctor and we're away! This story unites Sarah Jane with the 11th Doctor and her predecessor Jo Grant, and together this adventure works so well for both younger fans and us grognards who remember the good old days.

The story itself revolves around a group of renegade aliens, the Shansheeth, a sort of space vultures who also serve as the galaxy's undertakers (I guess Necros puts them out of business one day?) who come up with a plan to stop death all together and for that they need the TARDIS. Stealing the time machine and trying to use his former companions to create a psychic version of the key kicks things off. The bannerman road gang are joined by Jo Grant and the 11th Doctor to stop them and recover the TARDIS. It is a simple enough plot hook but as I have mentioned it is the frequent references both in dialogue and in screen snippets to the classic show that really make it so enjoyable.

However, it isn't all just fun and games. Although used perhaps as a throwaway filler section of dialogue there is some wonderful exposition between Clyde, Rani and Rani's father about how people handle the death of a loved one which is really quite moving.

CLYDE: Luke says Sarah Jane's gone mad. 
HARESH: Don't be so rude. He wouldn't say mad about his own mother. 
CLYDE: No. He said, nutty, fruity, loop the loop, tonto, barmy, bonkers. Be fair, though, sir, he's worried. 
HARESH: It's like your mum. Remember when Grandad died? 
RANI: She washed everything. Curtains, furniture, me. She even washed the walls. Who washes walls? It went on for days, and then she just started crying. 
HARESH: It takes time, because when someone dies it's so massive, it's like you can't fit it all inside your head. That's what Sarah Jane's doing. She's denying it. 
CLYDE: So, what do we do? 
HARESH: Wait. That's all you can do. Friends just wait. 

Death of the Doctor was written by Russel T Davis and oddly I find that he does a better job in this episode of writing the 11th Doctor than was done for the 10th Doctor in The Wedding of Sarah Jane. Maybe that's just me though but it certainly sounded a lot better.

This adventure is one I certainly would consider watching if you want the best of the Doctor's adventures.

SJA #20 : The Vault of Secrets

"But we're going to save your mum now, so if it's the Universe against Clyde Langer, then the Universe had better bring some mates!"

Episode #20:        The Vault of Secrets.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              18th to 19th October 2010.

When an old enemy, Androvax the Veil, returns to Earth asking for help, the gang face a dilemma — should they trust him? Or does the legendary Vault hold an even greater terror? A second threat arises, when android guardians threaten to destroy anyone who uncovers their secrets. As the battle between Sarah Jane, Androvax and the androids reaches its climax, Rani has to save her mother from being caught in the crossfire. The Vault opens and the destiny of the entire Veil species is at stake. Is it too late to save them?

A rather typical Sarah Jane adventure but one that fits squarely where I expect the show's target stories should go. Androvax returns but not necessarily as the villain. Sometimes while being the bad guy a recurring character can have a bit more depth and this time Androvax feels more like an individual who has a goal and reasons for doing what he does. SJA doesn't always accomplish this very well but this time they do. We also have the return of the mysterious Men in Black who we last saw in the animated adventure Dreamland, including the lead MiB Dr Dread although different actor unfortunately. Nice to see some cross jumping between shows here.

In this story we get more background on the mysterious Men in Black. It turns out that they are androids tasked in the 20th century (up until the early 70's) with preventing the human race from learning about aliens and their technology. They served something called the Alliance of Shades, an alien organisation that wanted to either protect humanity from alien influence or keep them clueless. Since the Men in Black were retired in 1972 does that mean the Alliance of Shades decided to leave things in the hands of UNIT and/or Torchwood? We may never know although I'd like to see them make an appearance in Doctor Who some time.

Like many Sarah Jane adventures this one suffers from being directed too much at a child audience but also at being dragged out over two episodes when one might have sufficed. The more SJA that I watch the more I come to that latter conclusion. Some work just fine but others not so much and in this story that shows all too well in the later half.

SJA #18 : The Gift

"So they farted themselves to death?"

Episode #18:        The Gift.

Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, K9, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.

Air Date:              19th to 20th November 2009.

When the Slitheen's latest scheme to destroy Earth for profit is foiled, another family from the Slitheen's planet arrive, the Blathereen. Though they seem helpful, can they be trusted? As a generous gesture of peace, the Blathereen gift the gang with a plant called Rakweed, which could end world hunger. However, the Rakweed goes wild, spreading spores about London and infecting people, including Luke. Sarah Jane must fight alone, not only to save the Earth, but also her son. Meanwhile, Clyde smuggles K9 into school to help him cheat at a test, and he, Rani and the metal dog find themselves trapped in the school — surronded by Rakweed. Can the team work together across Ealing — and Antarctica — to prevent Rakweed from devouring the entire planet?

The end of this season of the Sarah Jane Adventures starts off well but fails to ultimately deliver anything interesting. It starts off with a bait and switch where you believe that the gang are going up against two members of the Slitheen but instead they are tricked by two members of the Blathereen, a rival branch of the family who are actually quite nice. These two however aren't. Rather than fighting the aliens the story ends up being a save the world from plants and if the gang happen to deal with the Blathereen then all's good.  Not impressed really.

The only nice element to this story is one of trust. Sarah Jane and Clyde initially distrust the new arrivals but Rani is more about accepting the aliens and not treating them like every invader that they come across. In this case Sarah Jane was correct but normally she is all about don't judge by appearances and expectations but here she outright doesn't trust them just because they come from the same world as the Slitheen.

At least the fart jokes are kept to a minimum.

SJA #17 : Mona Lisa's Revenge

"The Mona Lisa has existed for five centuries. There has to be a reason she's come to life and it has to be about this gallery."

Episode #17:        Mona Lisa's Revenge.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              12th to 13th November 2009.

Strange forces bring the Mona Lisa, on exhibit at an art gallery in London, to life. Clyde, Rani and Luke are at the gallery on a school trip as the Mona Lisa rampages with a Sontaran blaster, taken from another painting. Sarah Jane comes to the rescue, but ends up trapped in a painting. It's all down to Clyde, Rani and Luke to save the day as the Mona Lisa searches for her brother, the Abomination, hidden in another place in the art gallery.

Mona Lisa's Revenge is a very strange story. It doesn't really make much sense. Somehow the Mona Lisa painting comes to life and seeks to continue existing outside of the canvas. The Mona Lisa talks in a bad East End/Essex accent with chav mannerisms which is just weird. It doesn't sounds right. She then animates a highwayman painting to assist her in restoring her "brother in paint" the Abomination to life. None of them can leave the building so what is the point? It's another silly story that doesn't feel like it is going anywhere. A filler episode if you will.

The Mona Lisa seems to have been conscious in her painting since she was created. This means she must have memories of the events from City of Death and it would have been nice to have some reference from that story but nothing. I'd have had a reference to the painting having FAKE drawn on the back. Oh well.

I'm afraid this one gets a low rating from me because it is, as I mentioned earlier, a filler episode with no real reason. There are much better SJA adventures that are stand alone than this one. The only character development in the story is Luke's growing into a real teenager and the disruption it causes at home. There are plot elements for this as the next season goes along but all the same a disappointing story really.

SJA #15 : The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

"And I know the legends of the Doctor! The man of ice and fire, who walked among gods. Once held the key to time in his hands! Now, he is surrounded by children!"

Episode #15:        The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, the 9th Doctor, K9, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:               29th to 30th October 2009.

After Sarah Jane starts acting suspiciously, Luke, Clyde, Rani and K9 investigate. They discover she has a boyfriend, Peter Dalton, and they are going to get married. Clyde suspects Peter may be an alien. At the wedding, an old enemy returns. As the gang find themselves trapped in a time loop in Limbo, can a very special friend from the past save Sarah Jane, her friends and the entire planet Earth from the wrath of the Trickster?


It has taken three seasons but we finally get the much anticipated appearance of the Doctor in an episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It isn't his best as even once he turns up it is still a show about Sarah Jane and her friends, and they solve the adventure with him as the effective companion. Still, it's about time that he showed up in the show.

The story itself is okay. The Trickster has tricked Sarah Jane and her chums into becoming trapped within a second in time unless she agrees to be married and have her memory of saving the Earth erased. The Doctor tries to rescue her but first must use the TARDIS to break through that second barrier. Clyde becomes charged with Artron energy (temporal energy basically) and uses it to defeat the Trickster. As plots go it is fairly basic but worth a watch just for the Doctor.

This episode features another well known British actor, Nigel Havers. Havers was a household name in the 1970's and 80's. The first time I saw this adventure I was quite impressed as he's another actor who I wouldn't have pegged as the sort to appear in a show like the Sarah Jane Adventures. 

However, sitting here writing this I am finding it difficult to write anything interesting about this story. It is fun to have the Doctor on the show but the story is otherwise average with little to really talk about or get excited about. It's him that makes it. Without the Doctor it would have been a fairly bland SJA story. Watch it just for the appearance of the Doctor.

SJA #13 : Prisoner of the Judoon

"The Judoon's only interest is in stopping that creature getting away. Humans don't matter. Under the Articles of the Shadow Proclamation we barely exist. Too primitive."

Episode #13:        Prisoner of the Judoon.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              15th to 16th October 2009.

Sarah Jane and the gang face the most dangerous day of their lives as the rhino-like Judoon return. When prisoner Androvax the Annihilator crash-lands on Earth, the Veil is set free to turn Earth's technology against itself. His next intended victim is Sarah Jane. As the Judoon fleet approaches Earth, it's a race against time to stop Androvax. With Genetec Systems' technology on the rampage and Rani's parents taken prisoner, can anything stop the Army of the Infinitesimal?

The third season the Sarah Jane Adventures opens with a rather good story. The writers have come up with a quite a good idea in Prisoner of the Judoon which works on a number of levels. Children will enjoy the adventure but teens and adults will pick up on a deeper story surrounding the reasons for the villains actions.

As you can guess from the title we see the return of the Judoon, last seen in The Stolen Earth. Another proper Doctor Who is nice to see. There are also references to the upcoming animated episode Dreamland, where we learn the true account of the Roswell UFO crash. I'm going to be interested to see if it links up correctly.

The episode deals primarily with the plot involving the Judoon but also has Androvax' attempt to destroy the Earth via nanites (microscopic machines). Even with this the episode also features a heavy humorous element which detracts a little from the adventure. The Judoon, never the brightest creatures as far as we could see, appear even more dumber than normal in this episode and the writers cover it up with uncharacteristic humour.

A good start to the season but we'll see if it holds.

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 #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.

SJA #7 : The Last Sontaran

"If every phenomenon reported as a UFO was in fact an alien spacecraft, I assure you the Earth would be at the centre of a solar gridlock stretching back to the outer rings of Saturn."

Episode #7:         The Last Sontaran.
Companions:       Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer, amd Mr Smith.
Air Date:             29th September to 6th October 2008.

Reports of strange lights around the Tycho Project's radio telescope lead Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Maria into a terrifying forest encounter. Sarah Jane comes face-to-face with her oldest enemy. Meanwhile, Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.

The second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures kicks off with a great little two part story that features a Sontaran survivour from the Sontaran Strategem/Poison Sky episode of Doctor Who. One of the Sontarans survived and has been trapped on Earth looking for a way to escape and avenge his battle fleet. Sarah Jane and her friends must find a way to stop the alien before he destroys the world.

Unlike later on in the Whoniverse the Sontaran in this story isn't treated like a joke and feels quite reminiscent of the classic episodes that featured them. Kaagh is a clever opponent for a Whoniverse opponent who feels like he could actually defeat our heroes for a change.

This is the last episode to feature Maria Jackson as her character is leaving to live with her father in America. The actress gave up the show to focus on her exams and this was how her departure was explained in the show. I don't feel anything about the loss of the character as Maria Jackson never really stood out to me like the others do. She'll be replaced by a better character anyway.

The Last Sontaran is a good episode and definitely one of the better SJA adventures so far. It is better written than the previous adventures and doesn't come off as typical of children's television, in other words a little (appropriately) childish. It sets a nice new trend for the show, mostly.

SJA #6 : The Lost Boy

"The Xylok are a crystalline lifeform. We crashed here as what you would call a meteorite, beneath the Earth our crystals have regrown and become strong again, but nevertheless remain trapped. The release of the Xylok is my purpose. You gave me the chance to fulfill it, the chance to plan."

Episode #6:       The Lost Boy.
Companions:     Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer, K9 and Mr Smith.
Air Date:            12th to 19th November 2007.

A missing child turns out to be, both visually and genetically, Luke. Sarah Jane is forced to hand him over to the "parents". Heartbroken, Sarah Jane rejects Maria and Clyde, and with Maria's dad threatening to sell the house to keep his daughter out of danger, it seems the gang's adventures have come to an end, whilst Luke discovers his new "parents" are not all they seem — an old enemy has returned, and this time, they are in league with a member of Sarah Jane's faithful team in a plot to bring the moon crashing to Earth.

Although not the best episode The Lost Boy is a fitting end to the first series of the Sarah Jane Adventures. The plot itself isn't much but it is more the revelation that the genius super computer in Sarah Jane's attic, Mr Smith, is in fact an evil computer seeking to free a malevolent crystalline race, the Xylok, from their confinement within the Earth makes up for it.

Unfortunately the story continues the irritating family issues from the Jackson family. Now that Maria's father knows about aliens and what the team get up to he steps in to a both save the day and wanting to move away to protect his daughter. We'll get that in the start of the next season.

We do get the return of the Slitheen from the start of the season. The youngest is seeking revenge for the death of his father but has been manipulated by Mr Smith. This time they seem to have solved the farting problem in their skin suits.

The Lost Boy isn't a terrible story but it just didn't grab my interest at all. Uninteresting story and the addition of the Slitheen really didn't serve any purpose. At least we get a cameo from K9 again.

SJA #5 : Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?

"You were never forgotten, never! What I saw that day, it changed me forever. I saw how precious life is, and it made me fight to defend it across all these years, because of you, Andrea! It was all because of you! My best friend."

Episode #5:       Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?.
Companions:     Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer and Mr Smith.
Air Date:            29th October to 5th November 2007.

One day, Sarah Jane Smith exists. The next, only Maria Jackson knows of her. Andrea Yates takes her place, but Maria knows that Andrea has done something to remove Sarah Jane from the space/time continuum. It is up to Maria to uncover the identity of the "Trickster" if the human race is to survive. But with Sarah Jane and Luke wiped from existence and Clyde having lost all knowledge of his former adventures, Maria must save the world single-handedly. But she finds it may be time to tell her father about her secret life with Sarah Jane if the whole world is to survive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It was, for children's television a little darker than expected which made it much better in my eyes. Essentially some strange alien device protects Maria from alterations in the time line when a mysterious figure called the Trickster decides to alter the past so that thirteen year old Sarah Jane is killed and her best friend, who should have died, survives in her place. Maria has to resolve things in time to prevent an asteroid from striking the Earth and killing everyone.

It is a good story but suffers from the usual time alteration story line issue... ignoring what went before. The Trickster removes Sarah Jane so she wasn't around to help the Doctor and UNIT during the 1970's defeat all those alien invasions.We know the Doctor is good but there doesn't appear to be any real changes to the time line and since Sarah Jane was important to those events, surely something should have been referenced? However, there is a nice reference where the Trickster decides to see what things would have been like without the Doctor about to stop them, which leads into the upcoming Turn Left story.

The Trickster is an interesting villain though I can't help feeling that he is superfluous when you have an almost identical figure in the Black Guardian. Perhaps it was decided that it would require too much of an introduction for children? Either way, it gives the show it's own nasty otherworldly recurring villain so I can't complain. Alongside the Trickster the episode introduces a creature called a Grask which serves the Trickster in some way. I'm sure he'll make an appearance as well in the future.

SJA #4 : Warriors of Kudlak

"Oh, please don’t be offended, but this isn’t the first time I’ve had a gun pointed at me. And guns from other planets – ooh, afraid I’ve rather lost count!"

Episode #4:       Warriors of Kudlak.
Companions:     Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer and Mr Smith.
Air Date:            15th to 22nd October 2007.

Children have gone missing, but how? Will Luke and Clyde win Combat 3000? And who is the mysterious Mr. Kudlak?

Not an original story but entertaining all the same. While trying to teach Luke the hows and whys of being human, they decide to play a game of laser tag at a nearby venue called Combat 3000. This laser tag outfit is a cover for an alien general, Kudlak, who is looking for worthy would-be soldiers to fight in his people's war against someone called Malakh. Children with the right skills are abducted, crated and sent off to fight in the war. Unfortunately the war ended ten years ago and his battle computer fearing having nothing to do in peace time doesn't bother informing him. Kudlak turns out to be not such a bad individual after all and vows to find the children and return them home.

The story focuses more on Luke and Clyde than Sarah Jane. It is nice to see the companions getting their own story so soon into the show. Already Clyde is becoming more likeable than when he first appeared but the "learning humanity" elements of Luke's story are already a bit annoying.

The effects aren't bad and I especially like how well the production team managed to pull off a fully insectoid face and mask for Kudlak. Worthy of proper Doctor Who if you ask me. What I like most about this particular villain is that at the end of the day he isn't the villain. The human minion, Mr Grantham, on Earth is far worse in my opinion than the alien. Kudlak was doing what he thought he needed to but when the truth of the situation comes out he realises the error of things and sets out to correct them. Not something that you normally see in science fiction shows like this.

SJA #3: Eye of the Gorgon

"Sarah Jane was right, wasn’t she? I thought meetin’ creatures from other planets was gonna be excitin’ and cool, but she told me, she said it wasn’t anythin’ like that. In the end it just messes you up. Your whole life, and the people you love…. That’s why Sarah Jane’s always been on her own. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it, Bea? With no one in the world who really knows you or cares. This is how we all end up, isn’t it?"

Episode #3:       Eye of the Gorgon.
Companions:     Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer and Mr Smith.
Air Date:            1st to 8th October 2007.

A haunted nursing home leads Sarah Jane to a mysterious order of nuns with an ancient - and alien - secret.

Eye of the Gorgon is a story revolving around the existence of a secret order of women who protect, serve and host, a monstrous alien entity called in Earth lore as a Gorgon. In order to allow the Gorgon race to invade the Earth they need an alien talisman which has been hidden from them for three thousand years. When the team investigate supposed haunting of an old peoples home by a phantom nun they sent in motion events that could end the world.

If this was a Doctor Who episode it would fit nicely in during the early Tom Baker years when there was more of a horror element. Although written with children in mind this adventure has some nice creepy story elements. It may seem strange to say this, but it is nice to see horror featuring in children's television rather than the usual nicey nicey programming that normally appears. 

This time we see more of the interaction around the Jackson family, Maria's mother and father having split up before the start of the series but still irritating one another. You do need a family element, again, because of it being children's television but only two episodes in and I hate the pair of them. The family element doesn't add anything interesting except to play the secondary plot lines. At this time I haven't seen all the SJA episodes but already I am hoping that the family elements, which have been awkward in Doctor Who, drop to the wayside a little bit more.

Eye of the Gorgon is a nice episode but I'm hoping for better as the show goes along.

SJA #2 : Revenge of the Slitheen

"Let’s have a High School Musical moment! A group hug will sort everything out."

Episode #2:       Revenge of the Slitheen.
Companions:     Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Clyde Langer and Mr Smith.
Air Date:            24th September to 1st October 2007.

First days at school are always difficult. For Maria Jackson and Luke Smith, the task of blending in is made all the more difficult when their teachers turn out to be aliens from outer space, back for revenge!

The Sarah Jane Adventures kicks off properly with this entertaining adventure. Luke Smith has to start school for the first time and with his friends he uncovers a plot by members of the Slitheen family to destroy the Earth in revenge for the loss of their family during Aliens of London/World War Three. First off, it is nice to see that they are including events from Doctor Who into the show. This doesn't happen enough between the three shows in my opinion. Secondly, it is still just as silly as that first Slitheen episode was what with farting and appropriate childish humour. Given that SJA is a children's show, it does work well here.

Thankfully the writers dropped the character of Kelsey Hooper in favour of a new one, Clyde Langer. Clyde is a typical teenager boy who thinks he's better than he is and has his world turned around when he learns that aliens are real - despite Earth and London in particular, being invaded quite clearly in recent years. Now that he has seen aliens he becomes apart of the regular gang and becomes more likable as the show goes along.

This adventure features a young Slitheen boy of about 12 years old which adds a nice dilemma as to whether he should be left to die with the rest of his kind. Obviously with this being child friendly the Slitheen boy escapes perhaps to come back and bother the team in the future? 

Revenge of the Slitheen is a good start to the show and a lot better than the awful Invasion of the Bane. Reusing a well liked monster race, making references to those Doctor Who episodes and maintaining a hint of a dark plot with some fun moments makes it watchable. Plus it has Sarah Jane too.