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 #23 : Lost in Time

"The tapestry of time is a fragile thing. Apply the slightest pressure, and the threads of history can unravel. But you understand that, don't you, Sarah Jane?"

Episode #23:        Lost in Time.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              8th to 9th November 2010.

A harmless investigation turns into an epic quest across time and space. Sarah Jane and the gang are separated by the enigmatic Shopkeeper to find themselves in three different time-zones throughout history – doing battle against ghost hunters, Nazis, Tudors and a mysterious parrot called Captain!

Along comes another Sarah Jane Adventures episode that I thoroughly enjoyed. Recruited my a mysterious shopkeeper and his parent, the adventurers are split up and sent into different time zones to recover pieces of a temporal artifact, the chronosteel. Clyde arrives during the second world war, and helps thwart a Nazi invasion. Rani finds herself in service to Lady Jane Gray in her last hours and Sarah Jane helps a 19th century ghost hunter save the lives of two children in the 21st century.

I like this story because it brings home the time traveling historical stories of the early days of Doctor Who. Although I wasn't a fan of them the modern stories can be done so much better even in just a brief hours worth of television. In particular the life and death of Lady Jane Gray, an historical figure I had never heard of prior to watching this episode when televised. Having watched it, I was moved to read up on the actual events.

As for the mysterious shopkeeper we never learn who he or his parrot companion are but according to The Brilliant Book 2012, and a blog post from Neil Gaiman, Gaiman and Russell T Davies were both of the personal opinion that the Shopkeeper was in fact the Corsair, a swashbuckling Time Lord friend of the Doctor's mentioned in the television story The Doctor's Wife.

I do like this particular adventure a lot and it shows what the show could do when the writers put their minds to it. More like this would have been preferable to the overly basic children's stories.

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 #19 : The Nightmare Man

"Our world has always been full of nightmares. Creatures and aliens who want to destroy us. But we've always been protected. The Doctor. His friends. My mum. But tonight... Tonight I don't think anyone can save us. The world's going to end, and it's my fault, because he's coming for me, you see? He's been waiting for me for years."

Episode #19:        The Nightmare Man.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, K9, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              11th to 12th October 2010.

Luke faces life-changing events, and Bannerman Road will never be the same again. But when Sarah Jane's son has his first nightmare, he's haunted by a dark figure from his dreams: the Nightmare Man. A strange entity is reaching out to our world through Luke, with terrible consequences for the whole human race. With Luke, Clyde and Rani trapped in a bizarre dreamscape, Sarah Jane must fight alone. As the Nightmare Man grows stronger, only K9 might hold the key. But can Luke summon the courage to face his adult life before the whole world is trapped in an endless nightmare?

The new season of the Sarah Jane Adventures starts with a fairly bland adventure. It exists simply to serve as a vehicle for Tommy Knight (Luke Smith) to depart the series while he focuses on his real life school studies. The story itself, like so many under the SJA banner it seems, is just uninspired and doesn't really go anywhere. It is a story where nothing really happens, the villain is two dimensional (barely) and the whole thing feels like a bore to watch.

At the culmination Luke leaves to go to Oxford and takes K9 with him. He makes occasional webcam appearances throughout the rest of the season but for now isn't a major character. Shame about K9 about his creator was (as I understand it) more interested in an unofficial K9 spin off made in Australia and didn't want to continue with the Sarah Jane Adventures.

Frankly this adventure could have been so much better with a more interesting villain and less time wasted on the angst of Luke Smith and the others.

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 #16 : The Eternity Trap

"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. 

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 #14 : The Mad Woman in the Attic

"There were these two races, and they had a war. My people weren't involved, but because we could read the timelines, they attacked us. So many were exterminated. My parents put me in a ship and sent me out into space."

Episode #14:        The Mad Woman in the Attic.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              22nd to 23rd October 2009.

The year is 2059. In the derelict attic of 13 Bannerman Road, an elderly Rani Chandra tells the story of the day she met the alien Eve and her life went wrong.

In this story we see a future that will never come to pass where the heroes of Bannerman road no longer exist, except for an elderly Rani living in the attic of Sarah Jane's old house. In the modern day the companions have a falling out and come to investigate stories of a red demon in an abandoned theme park. Here they meet the alien named Eve, a survivour of the Time War between the Daleks and the Time Lords, who has the power to control people and read the time lines.

Eve however is not a villain in the traditional sense of the Whoniverse. She doesn't want to destroy or rule the Earth. She just wants friends and to not be alone. Unfortunately she is only a teenager in theory and she doesn't know how to control her powers. As in typical science fiction tales she needs the guidance of another to control her gift and it is this sort of growing and coming of age tale that we have. It makes a nice change from the usual faire of the Doctor Who universe even if it is an overdone science fiction trope.

Part of the future reading shows us that the Doctor is "coming back" which is a reference to the next episode. At the culmination of the adventure we get K9 back and I hope he's going to be a regular character.

While I watched this episode I had an odd thought considering the events of Children of Earth and major stories like it, how do those aliens on Earth handle the strange events that plague the Earth in the early 21st century? Maybe we will never know.

The Mad Woman in the Attic is an entertaining episode but for me I felt that it needed something more. The plot is slow and it is another SJA adventure were really nothing happens.

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 #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.