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.

TW #26: Children of Earth

"There's one thing I always wanted to ask Jack. Back in the old days. I wanted to know about that Doctor of his. The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the world; except sometimes he doesn't. All those times in history where there was no sign of him … I wanted to know why not. But I don't need to ask anymore. I know the answer now: Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame. I'm recording this in case anyone ever finds it, so you can see. You can see how the world ended."

Episode 26 :            Children of Earth.
Companions:           Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, and Ianto Jones.
Air Date:                 6th July to 10th July 2009.

When all children on Earth stop and start chanting "We Are Coming", the Torchwood team investigates. Could this be the start of a global crisis?

Children of Earth was a five part series which took on a much darker tone than any previous Torchwood story had done. Specifically it dealt with an alien visitation who wanted to take 10% of the world's children to be used as an addictive narcotic. The story deals with how people handle this and the potential loss of their children. In that regard elements of the story are rather disturbing.

There is a lot to this story. The alien 456, the British government being corrupt in the light of these events - willing to do anything and screw over anyone who may get in the way, the destruction of Torchwood, Jack having a daughter and grandson, and the death of another main character, Ianto. In some instances it has too much going on but the story is compelling enough to keep you watching.

One thing I like a lot about Children of Earth is that it is the first Torchwood story to truely embrace that fact that it is set in the same universe as Doctor Who. The above quote from Gwen in the final part is especially true in my mind as I often wonder why when Torchwood deals with some pretty major events that the Doctor doesn't appear.
One character, Rupesh, states that due to recent events (not specifically referenced but likely to include things like the Webstar attack and the relocation of Earth, half the world now knows of or believes in the existence of alien life, while the other half is in denial. Suicide rates have risen, which Rupesh ascribes to crises of faith. This may also be reflected by the insanity and suicide of Alex Hopkins, who learnt about upcoming events in 1999.

The aliens known as 456 are suitably alien, as you can see from the photo above. At last we get an alien species which isn't a man in a suit. These are not the typical Whoniverse alien whose motives are simply evil. These creatures want to use human children as drugs. I don't think there is anything quite so evil previously in the Whoniverse. As such I love that they brought us such a species even just once.

One element that isn't covered is with the destruction of the Torchwood facility what becomes of everything that was in there? Weevils, the pet pterodactyl, and even Jack's brother are all unaccounted for.

Children of Earth features Peter Capaldi (the future 12th Doctor) in the role of a rather screwed over civil servant. This is the second appearance for Capaldi in the Whoniverse as he also appeared in Fires of Pompeii with David Tennant

I enjoy dark stories in TV and literature. I find them the most intriguing and fascinating stories in fiction. As such, I should have a good rating for this story. However it is one episode too long for me in being a single continuous story. It is four hours stretched out into five and it feels like it. But it is still entertaining to watch.

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.