Competition Time!

To celebrate the SJA trio making an appearance at Memorabilia on November 22nd, SARAH-JANE.tv have teamed up with the organisers of the show to offer our readers the chance to win one of FIVE Sunday tickets to the event! Entry to the show will give you the opportunity to meet sci-fi celebs, sit in on their panels and peruse through dozens of stalls and activities, including robots battling it out with each other and live American-style wrestling matches!

The tickets are for the Sunday ONLY [you can attend the SJA panel and signing!], and will apply to either a child or an adult! All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a ticket is answer this [somewhat] simple question!:

How many incarnations of the Doctor has
Sarah Jane Smith encountered on-screen?

A) 1
B) 3
C) 6

Pick the correct letter and email it in to win@sjadventures.co.uk before the closing date on 17th November 2009! Five randomly selected winners will be chosen out of the correct answers and announced the next day!

And to those who own a non-Widescreen computer and can only see part of the background, here's what you're missing out on :) Good luck to all!

The Wait Is Over...Or Is It?

Have you had the chance to pop along to your local High Street to pick up a copy of the second series boxset, yet? Or like me, are you still waiting on your online order to pull through? According to Amazon, I shan't be getting mine till tomorrow... Though almost every other person I know who's ordered with 'em got their boxset dayyyssssss ago. Sod's law at work, I tell ya =P To tide you over until tomossy, you could take a gander at our sneak-peak review of Disc 3, which SARAH-JANE.tv got sent a review copy of a few weeks ago.

Alternatively, the results of our Bubbleshock contest may be of interest, too!

Place	Entry	Points
1st	Entry 2	207 Points
2nd	Entry 4	235 Points
3rd	Entry 8	236 Points
4th	Entry 1	245 Points
5th	Entry 9	248 Points
6th	Entry 3	254 Points
7th	Entry 6	254 Points
8th	Entry 5	262 Points
9th	Entry 7	338 Points

To celebrate SARAH-JANE.tv's third birthday, we asked our readers to come up with SJA fan art, fan fiction and fan viddy's to have a chance of winning some super-rare goodies from the show! After the submissions were judged by a panel of experts, including Doctor Who Magazine illustrator Ben Morris, we asked you guys to vote for your favourite entries by ranking them in your order of preference! Following the voting deadline, the various ranks awarded to each entry were added up together to come up with a final number of points. The fewer the points awarded to an entry, the more the voters liked it!


So congratulations to our 1st place winner, LEE - whose stunning fan video homage to 'A day in the life of the SJA gang' has won him a highly-coveted Bubble Shock! Bottle Prop from Invasion of the Bane, an Enemy of the Bane script page dedicated to him and signed by Tommy Knight and a year-long paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base, home to the best SJA fan community on the net! For good measure, I'll be throwing in a super-rare CBBC drawstring rucksack containing some promotional CBBC goodies not available elsewhere!

Congratz also to our 2nd place winner, American SJA fan INDIA alias GraphicbyDesign. =D Her fan video entry proved very popular with voters and judges alike. She'll be getting an Enemy of the Bane script page dedicated and signed by Tommy Knight, a year-long paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base and a copy of the complete first series of The Sarah Jane Adventures on DVD! She'll also be receiving a CBBC drawstring rucksack containing rare CBBC goodies!

Finally, congratulations to 3rd place winner, KATIE - whose imaginative and well-written fan fiction entry has won her a copy of Stephen Cole's The Ghost House, a chilling SJA audiobook released last Autumn! She'll also be getting a paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base for a year, a CBBC drawstring rucksack and some last-minute bonus goodies including a rare Series 3 promotional postcard and something personally signed to her by Tommy Knight!

Thank you SO much to all our entrants for their participation. The points awarded were really close, and at times it took as little as a single voter to make the difference between an entry getting one rank placement or another. Corny as it sounds, you're all winners in my books(!) It's an honour being part of such a creative fandom, and it was truly a pleasure seeing what you guys came up with. If you missed out on the prizes this time, fear not - this certainly won't be the last contest we ever have, and hopefully not the rarest SJA goodies we're ever likely to offer! Speaking of goodies, I'll be getting in touch with the prize winners shortly to arrange delivery. So Lee, India and Katie - check yer email!

Remember!! Mona Lisa's Revenge Part One, which sees Luke returning after his Eternity Trap hiatus, is airing this Thursday @ 4:35pm, on BBC One/HD!

Something Memorable

Just in time for the release of the second series DVD boxset, the Memorabilia sci-fi event at the NEC in Birmingham will be playing host to a signing with three of the leading cast from The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra [better known as Luke, Clyde and Rani] will be giving up their Sunday on November 22nd to take part in a panel/Q&A about their work on the show, as well as sign a few goodies for fans who can pay the rather low entry fee! Impromtu photo opportunities are also available for fans who bring along a digicam and wanna get a snap with the stars as they get their items signed. No professional photographers will be attending the event, at present. From what I've heard, they don't usually limit how much you can get signed at these events [within reason] but it depends on how popular a guest is and how long their queue will be on the day.

The panel times usually aren't announced until the day, but you can usually fit a hundred or so people into the hall according to one of the organisers! You can't reserve seats in advance, so it'll be first-come-first-served on the day. I'll be there flying the dorky SJA flag with a few uberfan aquaintences in tow. Hope a few of you are able to pop along to support the show, too!

In other news, guess what popped through my letterbox this morning?!


The questions aren't exactly rocket science, but it's quite fun trying to spot all the mistakes the writers have made writing the book. :P I found an error whilst flicking through the glossy inserts without even trying:


Sister Helena's put on a few pounds since we last saw her =P *dork*

The SJA Quiz Book and Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith novelisation go on sale today, and the best place to get 'em would probably be your local branch of Tesco. They've sold SJA publications at reasonable prices in the past, plus it's more of an experience getting it in person than ordering it online! Ooh, and don't forget to order your copy of the second series SJA boxset, which I would advise getting online. For one thing, it's far cheaper than getting it from most High Street retailers. For another, you may get it sent to you early! The second series boxset officially goes on sale this coming Monday.

On a final note, yes - the contest has now ended. Yes, the votes have been counted - and yes...the results are in! =D Winners to be announced very soon!

Remember!! The Eternity Trap Part One is making its way onto your tellybox at 4:35pm this afternoon, on BBC One and BBC HD! Best start making some space behind that sofa of yours! You'll need it to hide behind later!

Numbers

Hope everybody had a good old, spooky Halloween weekend - I know I did! Did anybody out there in fandom have a Doctor Who or SJA themed party, or did you dress up as a character from either show? If you did, we'd love to see some pics - so send them in to the usual email address.

THE GORGEOUS ANJLI MOHINDRA - BRINGING EXTRA MALE ATTENTION TO THE SERIES!

Anyhoo... now that things have calmed down after the crazy events of Thursday and Friday, it's time we take stock and reflect. Friday's broadcast of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith dropped 200,000 viewers, with 1.1 million people tuning in. This gave the programme a 9.6% audience share.

The adventure had an AI score of 87 for Part One, and 89 for Part Two. AI stands for Appreciation Index, and measures how much the audience liked what they were watching. Any score over 85 is considered excellent.

Thanks to Marcus over at the Doctor Who News Page for the figures.

***

According to Amazon, the third series DVD release of The Sarah Jane Adventures might not be January 2010 after all...

The retailer has advertised that the boxset will be out in its usual October/November slot instead. The mystery deepens!

***

Remember!! You'll get caught up in The Eternity Trap - Part One this Thursday, from 4:35pm on BBC One/HD.

Never Forget

So there we have it, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith has concluded here in the UK. What a corker, hey! Those last few scenes were truly heartbreaking, especially knowing just how little time David Tennant's Tenth Doctor has left. He asks Sarah-Jane (and us, the viewer) "don't forget" - but how could we? You've been fantastic, and such a sport for agreeing to do these crossover episodes.

CLYDE LANGER (DANIEL ANTHONY) IS IN AWE OF IT ALL...

The BBCi SJA site has posted a video diary, made by Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer) on the last day of recording on this adventure - which was also some of the last footage that David Tennant shot as the Doctor.

Those lucky enough to go to last weekend's screenings in Liverpool will recognise the feature, after it was shown as part of a bigger CBBC advertising package made for the event.

Go watch it now for a chance to see both Daniel and Tommy Knight wearing the Doctor's coat, and for the heartwarming gift that Daniel received... and had signed!

You can still catch both parts of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith on iPlayer (pending any problems the service is having streaming content, which seems to have plagued the SJA on there today...) over the course of the next seven days.

***

Did you know that Zienia Merton (who played the Registrar in this week's episode) originally appeared in Doctor Who waaaaaay back in 1964 during the Marco Polo adventure, playing the youthful Ping-Cho, a local girl who befriended the Doctor's grandaughter Susan Foreman in the 13th Century...

Next week... Floella Benjamin!

The Doctor Is In!

David Tennant's fleeting appearence on yesterday's episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures helped the show to achieve its highest ratings since the days of series one back in 2007. Yes, 1.3 million people were watching, which makes up 10.9% of the available television audience. This is around double the number that the show has been getting recently.

"NO-ONE'S EVER GOING TO FORGET YOU..."

It helps that it was heavily promoted on television, with adverts and the cast appearing on various interviews throughout the week.

Talking of which...

I've had a bizarre morning today, watching Lis Sladen on Five's The Wright Stuff where - amongst other things - she discussed the likes of MP's expenses, pick 'n mix sweets, homophobic attacks and body swapping desires. Very strange combination there - with the mad, grinning Matthew Wright looming nearby....

I did love her comments though, especially this one:

"You have to allow people to be what they are, and encourage that"

***

David Tennant was quizzed on this morning's GMTV to talk about his work on Doctor Who and confirmed that The Waters of Mars, co-written by SJA writer/producer Phil Ford, would go out a day later than originally planned on Sunday 15th November.

One feels he was supposed to discuss the SJA too - but wasn't given much time nor opportunity!

Naughty GMTV folk.

Remember!! The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - Part Two airs tonight, from 4:35pm on BBC One and now, also, on the BBC HD Channel!

A Marriage of Sorts

It was at August's See Me on CBBC roadshow that Edward Russell, the Brand Manager of everything Doctor Who, spilled the beans on a forthcoming event in Liverpool. More than a little intrigued, Nabu San - fellow SARAH-JANE.tv writer and the ultimate SJA fan - went digging for more information... and found it from the most unlikeliest of sources!

+

Nabu: I believe there's an event coming up on the twenty-fourth of October? I don't know if you're going to be attending that at all?

Lis: Ah, I sadly can't do that 'cause I'm not in the country. Liverpool, isn't it?

Nabu: That's the one! Wonder why they chose Liverpool, though? Seems such an obscure location to have something like this, though it is your hometown...

Lis: I truly don't know the answer to that, but I think it's nice to see something being given back to an area that hasn't had something like this before.

+

-- Undisclosed excerpt from SARAH-JANE.tv's interview with Elisabeth Sladen.

+

It turned out to be an exclusive VIP screening of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, to which Nabu was invited. Lucky bastard. He got to bring a plus-one for it, though - me! Lucky bastard, also. I've met Nabu twice before - and then came Liverpool! Third time's a charm, and all.
+

JACKHARKNESS & NABU SAN - TEAM SARAH-JANE.tv (WITH ADDED K9!!)

Nabu was *supposed* to write up a report on the day... yeah, sorry to disapoint, but that ain't happening any time soon! Think his creative juices aren't flowing at the mo'. Besides, he's too busy counting the votes for the SJ.tv contest, and arranging this year's Sonic Lipstick Awards [said too much already...!]

Of course, the two of us get on famously. We spent most of last Saturday together, finding time to meet the Judoon, mess around with green screen technology, watch the first part of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith and, as you can see from the above picture, meet K9. Wowzers!

However the best part of the day was meeting Daniel Anthony and Tommy Knight, who were kind enough to sign a little something... not for me, but to the SARAH-JANE.tv website as a whole. T'is a mark of respect for online fandom, of which Daniel (when quizzed on the matter) has the following opinion:

"Oh, they're very important to us! They're fantastic. They mean the world, yeah!"

Here it is then - just to show off (!) I present:

The Big Day

It's arrived! Months after his appearence was announced, David Tennant finally appears in The Sarah Jane Adventures this afternoon - playing the Tenth Doctor, in a crossover episode that marks one of the last five times* we'll have a chance to see him on screen.

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN... *SOB*

No doubt there's some new faces visiting this site today, drawn into the SJA series because of the crossover. If you're one of those visitors, then welcome to SARAH-JANE.tv, one of the internet's longest running fansites dedicated solely to The Sarah Jane Adventures. Yes, we've been here since 2006, reporting all things Sarah Jane Smith every other day.

It's great to know you've stumbled upon us, and we hope you enjoy the stay!

***

Back to the news! Elisabeth Sladen and Russell T Davies appeared together on BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, as well as the forthcoming Doctor Who special - The Waters of Mars (for which a new clip was 'exclusively' shown).

Lis will be on the panel for tomorrow's The Wright Stuff, on Five. It runs from 9:15am, and is repeated on digital channel Fiver at 12:30pm. Because of the topical nature of the show, it's quite impossible to predict exactly what they'll be discussing, mind!

***

Finally, the BBC Press Office has released information for the finale adventure to the SJA's third series, The Gift:

Part One: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani face an old enemy, the green Slitheen. When the Slitheen's latest scheme is halted, their rivals, the Blathereen, arrive. Declaring peace between the planets, they offer Sarah Jane a gift – one that might change the future of the human race forever.

Part Two: When the Blathereens' gift runs riot, Sarah Jane faces the battle of her life to save her son, Luke. With Clyde, Rani and K9 trapped in a school under siege, and the whole of London convulsing under the alien threat, everything heads for a final showdown in the attic – and not everyone is getting out alive...

Rumour has it (SPOILERS - highlight to reveal) that at the conclusion to this adventure Sarah Jane bids farewell to her metal mutt K9, who makes a heroic sacrifice...

You can catch The Gift on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th November.

In the meantime...

Remember!! The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - Part One airs today, 4:35pm concurrent on BBC One and BBC HD.

*Still to come: The Waters of Mars, Dreamland and the Christmas Day/New Years Day two-part finale.

Guests of Honour

As various fan sites are already reporting, both Daniel Anthony and Tommy Knight will be presenting CBBC throughout tomorrow, Thursday 29th October, in preperation for the evening's broadcast of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - Part One. Apparently "They’ll be joining the CBBC presenters all day, taking part in a whole day of Sarah Jane related fun."

TAP, TAP - GUESS WHO...?

The official BBCi site confirms this, stating - "Kicking off with Dan and Jeff in the morning (9.30am – 12.30pm) they'll try to solve some spooky goings on in the CBBC office. Then in the afternoon (3.25 - 7.00pm) Tommy and Danny join Iain and Hacker to answer viewer questions. Do you wanna know what it's like to travel in time? To battle the Trickster? Or meet K9? If you're aged 6-12, post your questions for Tommy and Danny on this thread, or email them directly to cbbc@bbc.co.uk."

You can catch the CBBC Channel on Sky, Virgin Media and Freeview.

Meanwhile, the preperations for the big day continue! Nigel Harvers was interviewed on GMTV yesterday and was quizzed about the SJA, and what it was like appearing opposite David Tennant. Harvers will next be seen in a starring role on ITV's Coronation Street later in the year.

And don't forget! You can catch Russell T Davies and Elisabeth Sladen on BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning - time still TBA, although I'd expect it to be after 9am.

Remember!! The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - Part One airs 4:35pm tomorrow, on BBC One and the BBC HD Channel.

BAFTA Nominated SJA!! Part Deux

As fans we all know how utterly fantastic The Sarah Jane Adventures is, so it's nice to know that people within the TV industry recognise the show, too. In fact, it's lead to the shows second BAFTA nomination in the space of just two years!

CBBC'S DUSTBIN BABY - THE SJA'S MAIN COMPETITION FOR BEST DRAMA

You might remember that the show was also nominated this time last year, but ultimately lost out to The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury. Likewise, it also received recognition from BAFTA Cymru with a nomination for Best Drama. Again, it lost out during the ceremony to a show called Holi Hana.

So, will 2009 be the SJA's year?

This year the show has been nominated for Best Drama again, with the two episodes comprising The Temptation of Sarah Jane selected to best represent the show. It goes up against an adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's The Dustbin Baby, S4C's Rhestr Nadolig Wil (Wil’s Christmas List) and something called US5. The show's also been nominated for a BAFTA Kids' Vote award, so be sure to show your support! Voting only takes a minute.

The awards will be handed out at a lavish ceremony on Sunday, 29th November.

***

Can we expect another 60 minute special from The Sarah Jane Adventures, in the same vein as 2007's Invasion of the Bane? It looks that way, if Gareth Roberts CV is any indicator. Question is, if true when will the special go out? Easter 2010? Summer? Christmas? Stay tuned till we find out more!