Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Unveiling Bea...

Yesterday's edition of The Sun newspaper had some interesting casting news with regard to a future episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures (spoiler-phobes look away now!) Floella Benjamin, a legend of children's television who presented Play School back in the 1980's, will appear in the series (with fellow Play School-er Phyllida Law) playing Bea Nelson Stanley who "guards an alien talisman in episodes three and four."

Other newspapers have been busy reviewing the series. Click on the links below to read the full articles:

The Stage, The Daily Telegraph, The Times and the Dreamwatch news-site. Meanwhile there's several reviews to be found over on the Behind the Sofa blog.

The newly published Radio Times, covering all TV and Radio listings for next week, has gone on sale. It includes a short behind the scenes section on The Sarah Jane Adventures, which examines how the Slitheen were brought back to our screens. The men behind the masks, Paul Kasey and Jimmy Vee, are interviewed about their roles. The magazine is available in practically every newsagents in Britain, priced one pound.

Meanwhile the younger stars have been interviewed by CBBC's own news network, Newsround. Yasmin Paige, Thomas Knight and newcomer Daniel Anthony all talk about their roles, and what it's like appearing in CBBC's new hotshot drama.

While you're in a reading mood, DigitalSpy charts Sarah Jane's history through the years.

Thanks to the Sonic Lipstick news group for the updates.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Lipstick Review I

"REVENGE OF THE SLITHEEN - PART ONE"
review by ANTHONY GARNON

First things first; it's been a while since I last watched children's television. Initially I thought this would be a problem when trying to review something like The Sarah Jane Adventures, which has been hyped for months as 'specially for children'. I thought "If I'm not 'down' with the young guns, how can I seriously expect to review a television programme from their point of view?"

Luckily for me, The Sarah Jane Adventures is much more than some would have us believe. Yes, it's children's TV - but it's also damn fine drama too.

Take the whole Sarah Jane and Luke situation; adopted mother/son - two people who desperately want to love each other, but just don't know how to. It's complicated stuff for kid's at home to take in, but something that the SJA don't shy away from - because if this first episode is anything to go by, the programme makers are showing us that children's television can be every bit as sophisicated and grown up as the adult equivilant.

Unlike most kid's television today (I'm looking at you Grange Hill, and you Beaker) the performances of the child stars never fails to amaze me. Look at Yasmin Paige, who rocks as Maria Jackson. She's just as good as any Doctor Who cast member - infact she's all the better for being half their age! Lets hope she continues to shine (especially through the 'domestic' scenes between mum and dad) throughout this series.

But it's not Yasmin who's the standout performer of this first episode. Instead that honour falls upon Thomas Knight, who's seriously upped his ante following "Invasion of the Bane". Now his acting range seems far wider, and more subtle. Whereas before he was the weakest of the three leads, he's now very much on a par with the rest. His scenes with Sarah Jane are all the better for it.

I can't really comment on Daniel Anthony's new chararacter, "Clyde" who - unlike Rose Tyler or Gwen Cooper or Martha Jones during their first shows - doesn't really get the chance to shine here. It's not that he remains an enigma (far from it) - we learn tonnes about the character. He's streetwise, and almost militaristic (we'll see more of that in part two!). His parents have divorced, so he's very much a loner (although he'd never admit to being so).

No, what distracts from Clyde is all of the other characters and plot - there's so much to re-introduce and so much plot to develop that he's pushed to the side a little. A shame, because after the disappointing Kelsey character at New Year's, he's a welcome addition to the team!

Lis Sladen, as ever, is magnificent as Sarah Jane. It's a compliment to both her and writer Gareth Roberts that the character, despite being almost 35 years old, still feels remarkably fresh - as if there's still so much more to know about her. Also, for a show called "The Sarah Jane Adventures" it's refreshing to see that the 59 year old central character hasn't been sidelined to make way for a group of teens. Sarah Jane is central to everything, which is how it should be.

But it's not all favourably. The actors portraying the Slitheen teachers are incredibly arch in approach, and is it me or does the Headteacher resemble a fat, alien (but still very camp) Kenneth Williams? Watch the episode again, and you'll see what I mean!

The Slitheen are still an incredibly clumsy creation. They look very silly on screen, and not good silly. They wobble about, which kinda deflates any dramatic tension that the creatures may have built up. Despite Alice Troughton's beautiful direction, the creatures don't convince on a grand scale - but that, on reflection, creates a very low key feel; one which suits this particular adventure well, with its goal of relaunching the series after 9 months away.

All in all, this Slitheen adventure feels like a retread of both "School Reunion" and "Aliens of London" - hell they even re-use the same cliffhanger ending, where the Slitheen are exopsed three different times, that the latter used back in 2005. It's lazy writing when a writer borrows from a show's past in the first place; it's even lazier when the writer doesn't even pretend to add something new to the mix.

But forget about the somewhat muddled Slitheen plot (by the end of part one I still haven't got an idea what's going on!) because elsewhere the writing is top notch. Gareth Roberts writes fantastic, and funny, dialogue for all his characters - and a personal highlight for me would be the continuing bickering between Alan and Chrissie Jackson.

So, at the end of part one things aren't all rosey - the team are seperated and the Slitheen are loose! No matter what, I'll be back next week - but with some reservations. The Slitheen are fine, but give us original monsters from here on out! But all in all, a fine start - with a smart script, clever direction and a fantastic core cast. Promising; I'll award it a Grade B-

All Important Ratings

Yesterday's debut of the first Sarah Jane Adventures episode had a pretty amazing 1.3 million people watching (11% of the available audience) - that's up about half a million on CBBC's usual average audience. We'll see if the audience stays this strong over the coming weeks once the hype (and advertisments) have died down a little.

Over on the CBBC Channel the first airing of "Revenge of the Slitheen" Part Two had 0.44 million people watching - enough to put the programme in the multichannel top 10 of the day. The episode was ranked 7th overall - quite an achievement for an all out kid's tv programme!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Look Out... K9's About!

It looks like the 1981 Doctor Who spin-off episode "K9 and Company" is to be released on DVD sometime next year - if this news item is to be believed. The adventure was the first in a supposed series revolving around John Leeson's robot dog K9, as well as Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith. The series never materialised though - and it was to be a further 25 years after "K9 and Company" that Lis Sladen would see her own spin-off series on the screen.

DAVROS IS IN... BUT WILL K9 FOLLOW SUIT?

In other news, there's a 'Davros' boxset coming out from 2 Entertain at the end of the year. The set features all the previously released Davros titles (including Sladen's appearence in "Genesis of the Daleks") as well as the soon to be released "Destiny of the Daleks". Oh, and a bundle of Big Finish audio plays too.

"Genesis..." is considered by many to be the peak of classic series Doctor Who adventures. It features arguably the most loved Doctor (Tom Baker) with two of the show's best known companions - Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan. You can pick up this exclusive boxset in November, priced at an RRP of £99.99 (it's selling for cheaper online).

There's a few other rumoured SJS titles for next year, but nothing has been confirmed. Some say that a "Revenge of the Cybermen" / "Terror of the Zygons" twin-pack looks likely. Others believe that we'll see a remastered edition of "The Five Doctors" (complete with extras this time!). The only way to be sure of anything, however, is to sit back and wait for official news.

How Was It For You?

After nine months of waiting, The Sarah Jane Adventures have finally arrived! The children's drama serial launched on BBC One (and half an hour later) and the CBBC Channel. What did you think of the first episode(s)? Let us know below, or in the "Revenge of the Slitheen" episode guide!

To promote the new series Elisabeth Sladen took part in a number of television interviews today. She began the day on BBC One's "Breakfast" magazine, where she talked about her time working with both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker (with a dash of David Tennant added into the mix). The interview featured a clip from "Planet of the Spiders".

Later on, Lis was on the CBBC Channel - just ahead of the channel's "Revenge of the Slitheen Part Two" debut. This interview proved far more fan pleasing that the morning's breakfast one. Here Lis actually revealed that K9 does return for one brief guest appearence later on in the run of the SJA (helping Sarah Jane overcome some problem she has, apparently), and she almost - almost! - said out right that the Sontarans were returning to Doctor Who sometime in the future!!

More coverage of the series when we get it. Look out for my review of "Revenge of the Slitheen" Part One, which should be online sometime tonight or tomorrow. I'll be reviewing all 10 episodes following broadcast (well, that's the plan; lack of time could prevent me later on down the line!) but I'll say this for now; what a wonderful start!

Monday's should be a blast from here on in!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Ugly Slitheen

With less than 24 hours to go before the series launch of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" things are getting exciting. On a personal level I've spent today re-watching a couple of classic Sarah Jane Smith adventures, including "The Time Warrior" and "School Reunion". Bring on the new adventures I say - mostly 'cos we've waited long enough for them!!

Lizo from Newsround is one of the lucky few who has actually seen the first episode and he's kindly written a write-up for it on the CBBC website; "There are two things that make the Sarah Jane Adventures special. Firstly, the spot-on performance from the kids - Yasmin Paige, Thomas Knight and Daniel Anthony. Secondly, this episode's sparkling script from Gareth Roberts, who penned this year's Shakespeare Doctor Who episode.

It has just the right balance of scares and laughs and surprises. It's a great start, and hopefully the high standard will be maintained right the way through the series' 10 episodes."

You can read the full review here.

Yesterday morning Lis Sladen appeared on Eamonn Holmes Radio 5 show (9am). Lis talked about the new series, and what it was like to return to a character she th she'd left behind 30 years ago.

So, the interesting part - how are you preparing for the series tomorrow? Have you re-watched any classic adventures like me, or are you throwing a silly (but very fun!) launch party? Are you going to watch episode one on its own, or will you flick over to the CBBC Channel to catch the second part? Let us know in the comments section below!

Friday, September 21, 2007

Mr Smith .. Online!

As you all get excited, I'm packing for my holiday - wishing I had picked earlier dates so I didn't have to miss the premiere of the Sarah-Jane Adventures!
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Meanwhile the official site seems to have had a few things added as the week has gone on! There's now video diaries (including one from Luke - which acts as an official prequel for "Revenge of the Slitheen"), a chance to download a micro Mr Smith and... oh, too much to take in!
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But don't just sit here listening to me whitter on about the updates... go and play with them yourself! And do keep checking back, as content will continue to be added and updated.

Have a great show on Monday. I guess I'll catch up when I get back from Neverland!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

It all started here...

The Time Warrior
(my first memory of Doctor Who)

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With all the excitement of the new series starting this Monday, I thought I'd take a moment and reminisce how it all got started...

The story was our first introduction to the Sontaran race, and one Sarah Jane Smith - a bold, ballsy, smart young reporter with alot of spunk.

Back in the day I really loved this story, and I think it's a great introduction to Sarah's character. One of my favorite scenes is when she comes out of the Tardis for the first time, only slightly fazed, and immediately looks for a telephone!

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At first she distrusts the Doctor, (she suspects him of being behind the disappearence of the scientists from the research center) and impresses not only the women but the men of Sir Edward's court when she hatches a plan to capture the Doctor.
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Although the plan was successful, she soon learns that she might have been mistaken in assuming the Doctor was behind the dissappearing scientists. Working together, not only do they save the day, but become fast friends as well. (Was I the only one who noticed the child-like delight in their eyes as the Doctor said, "Ah! The battle is about to commence!"?)
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Not only that, but she was willing to risk her life to save the Doctor!

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Sarah Jane to the rescue!!
A couple of fan-girl facts:
-I have always said that the Sontarans reminded me of deformed Mr. Potato Heads. Imagine my delight while watching one of the extras from the Sontaran Experiment and hearing one of the stand-ins for Kevin Lindsay say the same thing! Ha! I'm not the only one! ;)

-This was my very first episode of Doctor Who. I was nearly 3 at the time, and the strongest memory I have of this episode was the scene where Sarah is introduced to the Doctor. I don't know what it was about her way back then, but those first few scenes left a lasting impression on me, and she has always been my favorite companion.
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"The Time Warrior" is available to buy on DVD now!
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Screen caps used with kind permission from Llin (Thank you!!)

All You Need To Know

If you're one of the many who's just jumped aboard The Sarah Jane Adventures bandwagon, having seen adverts on CBBC and all the news coverage, then welcome to Sarah-Jane.tv; a fansite created way back in August 2006 to cover all the latest news on Doctor Who's latest spin-off series. If you're looking for background information on the series then visit this wikipedia page, or the Radio Times' brand spanking new synopsis page.

Last December the SJA official site went live, and fans relished the chance to explore Sarah Jane Smith's world in more detail. Well, British fans did at least. Fans from outside the United Kingdom were blocked from accessing the site - meaning they couldn't access the exclusive video content and games. Now though, following the recent revamp, the site has been opened up to allow readers from elsewhere around the globe to access the site. So, if you're outside of the UK and haven't yet visited the site, get there right now!

In other news, the long standing Doctor Who fan fiction site "Teaspoon and an Open Mind" has created a section for new, fan written Sarah Jane Adventures! If you're a budding writer and want to create a new adventure for Sarah Jane and her team, one that will be put online for anybody to read, then this is the chance of a lifetime for you! Visit here for more details.

There's also a new 'field report' site out there - "Sonic Lipstick" - dedicated to all things SJA. The Livejournal Community scowers the internet every day for all the latest news on the series. It's in the same vein as the already popular "Who Daily" and "Torchwood_three" newsletters. I've added it to my favourites list already - let's hope it'll serve us Smithies well over the coming weeks! Thanks to the new 'zine for supporting Sarah-Jane.tv.

Finally, don't forget to join our new Facebook group, dot/TV. It covers both Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, and offers readers the chance to discuss their favourite elements in a handy discussion board. Sign up and join up now!

Never Forgotten

Sarah Jane Smith - "Oh, but 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..."

The above quote comes from the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (for it is that time of the month) which previews The Sarah Jane Adventures series! On hand are both co-creators, Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts, to talk us through the new children's series, and tease about what we can expect over the next 10 weeks...

"I was worried that the SJA stories would be a bit small-scale," Russell T Davies reveals, "but actually, they've become epics! There's even a threat to the Doctor himself at one stage. That got a big 'Oooh' in the readthrough! In fact, Julie [Gardner] decided very early on that the Doctor should be mentioned at least once in every adventure, cos it gives Sarah's life such extraordinary context."

"Daniel Anthony is absolutely spot-on as Clyde..." Gareth Roberts says of the SJA's new co-star, "I really believe [casting director] Andy Pryor's got us the best young actors in the country. And Joseph Millson and Julie Cowan are fab as Alan and Chrissie.. there's some astonishing stuff for them in Phil Ford's Gorgon episodes."

But what of the monsters? Davies tells us some more about what to expect, "Monsters from Doctor Who's past. Deadly mega-wattage devices. The return of the Graske! And new creatures - the very evil Trickster and a terrfying Kudlax. Trips into Outer Space, and to 1964. Kids in danger, and great big childhood fears like Things Falling From The Sky manifesting themselves."

"Expect something new and fabulous," Gareth Roberts concludes, "We've been very strong with emotions. Somehow the format lends itself to it, and so does Lis - she made us laugh and cry back in her days on Doctor Who, even when there was nothing in the script to warrant it. So let's use her full potential as an actress, which is considerable."

The magazine goes on to preview all five of Sarah Jane's upcoming adventures:

Revenge of the Slitheen
It's Maria and Luke's first day at their new school. But something's not right...

Eye of the Gorgon
Sarah Jane and the gang investigate sightings of a ghostly nun at a nursing home, uncovering a dark secret.

Warriors of Kudlak
Sarah Jane's hunt for a missing teenager reveals a connection with a laser-tag centre named Combat 3000

Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Maria's world is turned upside down when she awakes one day to discover that no one has heard of Sarah Jane or Luke...

The Lost Boy
A normal day on Bannerman Road is shattered by a TV news announcement.

The news section confirms that "Invasion of the Bane" will be released on DVD on October 29, priced £12.99. It also corrects some information regarding the Sarah Jane novelisations that we wrote about last month. The books will not be written by Gareth Roberts as first though. Oh no... they've gone one better and hired Target's old hand Terrance Dicks!

Dicks writes the novelisation for "Invasion of the Bane". Rupert Laight is on writing duties for "Revenge of the Slitheen", whilst Phil Ford adapts his own adventure, "Eye of the Gorgon". Upper Boat script editor Gary Russell is to helm the "Warriors of the Kudlax" book. No news on the final two adventures yet.

As September sees the release of the 100th Big Finish audio release, Doctor Who Magazine interviews Nicholas Briggs about the range - which of course includes two whole series worth of Sarah Jane Smith; the audio series that Elisabeth Sladen voiced back in 2002 and 2006. You can read more about the SJS series by clicking here. It's place in canon (after both School Reunion and now The Sarah Jane Adventures) is unclear, however.

There's also a preview of October's "Planet of Evil" DVD release. The package includes a documentary where then-producer Philip Hinchcliffe revisits Ealing Studies where the impressive jungle scenes were filmed, and talking head interviews with Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen, who look back at the filming of the episodes. "Planet of Evil" is released on DVD on October 15th.

Finally (work commitments permitting) Elisabeth Sladen is a guest at November's "The Monster Memorabilia" show, at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool. Other guests include Colin Baker, and the Brigadier himself - Nicholas Courtney! Oh, and did I mention that K9 (aka John Leeson) is also booked to appear?! The ticket hotline is 01773 819319, and you can find information on other guests (Sophie Aldred! Frazer Hines!!) by clicking here.

Doctor Who Magazine issue 387 also features interviews with Catherine Tate, aka new girl Donna Noble, and the guys from 2 Entertain - who release all of the Doctor Who DVDs! You can pick up the issue at newsagents everywhere now priced a modest £3.99. Happy times and places!!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The Quizmaster

The official Doctor Who site confirms that following the broadcast of "Revenge of the Slitheen - Part One" next Monday fans will be invited to press the red button to take a mini quiz, consisting of 10 multi-choice questions - set by the Mr. Smith computer! The quiz will "challenge viewers to test their skills". 'Nuff said!

Another set of challenges will be made available after episode seven has aired in November.

Sticking with the Doctor Who site, and Russell T Davies features in a mini interview where he talks about the SJA and why he thought to bring Sarah Jane Smith back in the first place: "Can you believe it's 34 years since we first saw Sarah Jane Smith on screen? And there's still so much to learn about the character. She's got a family now, which means carrying on the Doctor's legacy but having to look after others. Of course, the character's longevity is in no small part down to the brilliant Lis Sladen who knows Sarah Jane inside out, but the whole cast is amazing. And I can promise long-term fans of the show a few cheeky nods to the past."

One of those cheeky nods can be seen in the latest series trailer doing the rounds on the BBC at all hours. Spoilerphobes, now would be a good time to look away if you don't want the surprise ruined. Still with me? Good. The "Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?" adventure will feature a return appearence by the Graske; who appeared in a special red button episode of Doctor Who way back in 2005 (seems a lifetime ago now...). Check out screencaps from the new trailer here.

All hail the marvellous Jimmy Vee!

Off Into Space

I'll let you in on a secret; years ago I used to buy pretty much every cult magazine going, from Starburst through to TV Zone. It wasn't a nasty habit, but it sure did dig deep into my wallet! These days I limit myself to just two; Doctor Who Magazine (more on that tomorrow) and SFX. Unless, of course, there's coverage of Doctor Who - or indeed, The Sarah Jane Adventures...

The latest issue of TV Zone (#220) features an interview with Elisabeth Sladen, and a thorough look behind the scenes of the SJA. Sladen reveals that it was, infact, her that suggested setting the first new adventure inside a school - as it would leave Sarah Jane on edge, and clearly out of her element.

"I said, 'Well, she's used to aliens, she's not used to the kids at school;' and that's where we're going with this one. She's trying to be what she calls normal - it can never be normal, but she wants to bring Luke up in the most normal way she's capable of, so it's a really genuinely realistic low key start."

There's also a sneak peek at what's to come:

1: Revenge of the Slitheen

The new school year begins for Sarah's 'son' Luke, and the teachers are suspiciously chubby...

2: Eye of the Gorgon

Set in an old people's home, the second story involves sinister nuns and has a ghost story feel... "Yeah, and dungeons," says Elisabeth Sladen. "It's cool, that one - it's nice working with cold slimy brick. And cob-webs." A full-on creepy ghost story feel then? "Yes, I think it really is."

3: Warriors of the Kudlax

Next up is that old Doctor Who favourite - stomping militaristic monsters. "Yeah, you've got it," Sladen confirms. "And they weren't green screen. It's a new monster, and we're off into space in that one. The boys loved that one, they really did."

4: Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?

We learn the secrets of Sarah's pre-Doctor past, discovering what made her into a journalist, and one with an interest in the bizarre. There is however one significant omission - Sarah Jane's aunt and guardian Lavinia, played by the late Mary Wimbush in k9 and Company. "No, she's not mentioned. I suppose it's irrelevant. There's only so much you can do."

5: The Lost Boy

And the season finale takes us back to Luke's origins as an artificial creation, and you shouldn't think we learnt all about it in Invasion of the Bane. "Yes, there's a lot more," Sladen reveals, "a lot more than that. It's quite mulit-dimensional that one. You've got a lot to think of, his past life, this life, things like that."

The interview and behind the scenes coverage continue next week, within the latest TV Zone Special issue. It's dedicated to the new Autumn season, and is priced £5.99. Meanwhile this latest regular issue is out now priced £3.99. Thanks to the TV Zone team for the coverage.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Friends of Sarah Jane

Technology has moved on a long way since 1973, when journalist Sarah Jane Smith was still typing away on her faithful typewriter. Today people are busy communicating online, via social networking sites like Facebook. In an attempt to stay 'hip' and 'down with it' (I am, you know...) I've added Sarah-Jane.tv (along with sister site Torchwood.tv) onto Facebook's 'Group' section.

The group, called dot/TV, is an area for Sarah Jane fans ("Smithies") to chat and share their opinions about all things SJA, via a handy discussion board where you can also leave news updates that I might have otherwise overlooked.

At the moment the group is pretty basic, with only a handful of members - but it'll be updated over the coming weeks, so leave your suggestions!

You can visit the group (and join it) by clicking here. You'll need a Facebook account, so go get yourself one right now!

Happy online adventures!

Something Good On Telly

Today's Radio Times features a very positive write-up of The Sarah Jane Adventures, which begins next Monday on BBC One. The review reads: "The show looks perfect for cheering up Mondays; it confirms the promise of the pilot episode and has its heart in exactly the right place."

There's also an interview with the SJA's co-creator and executive producer, Russell T Davies. The man comments, "From my time on Children's Ward, I learnt an enormous amount from [its creators] Paul Abbott and Kay Mellor. It dealt with tough issues such as rape and anorexia, but it did stories for younger viewers expuisitely."

"It wasn't my natural audience..." Davies continues, "I fancied the challenge of writing something for children based on Doctor Who... I had to be aware of the audience being young. You have to monitor yourself not to be paternalistic or not to write in a strand of romance, but to keep it aimed squarely at that audience."

The television listings confirm that "Invasion of the Bane" will be repeated on the CBBC Channel this Sunday at 5:10pm. It's sandwiched between repeats of Who Peter (a Doctor Who themed Blue Peter special) and the omnibus edition of Totally Doctor Who's cartoon adventure, "The Infinite Quest" - which stars David Tennant and Freema Agyeman.

And for the first time we have confirmation that following "Revenge of the Slitheen - Part One" airing on BBC One, at 5pm next Monday, the second installment will follow straight after on the CBBC Channel (airing between 5:30 and 6:00pm). So, you if you've got access to a digibox you won't have to wait a full week for the conclusion to Sarah's first new adventure...

But where's the fun in that?

Monday, September 17, 2007

Keep It Zipped

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Slitheen are amongst the most profilic monsters to come out of Russell T Davies' 21st century take on Doctor Who. Next week the creatures are back on our screens for the first Sarah Jane Adventure; so now's an ideal time to look back at the family history of the Slitheen, and learn from the mistakes they've made...


Aliens of London/World War Three

The first appearence of the Slitheen occured way back in 2005, when Christopher Eccleston took on the family unit as they attempting an invasion of British Parliament, so that they could nuke the planet into a pile of molten slag. Amongst the Slitheen family seen here is Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen (aka Margaret Blaine) who somehow manages to escape as the Doctor blows up 10 Downing Street.

Lesson learnt: Don't pretend to be a Politican, because it'll always come back to haunt you. Oh, and avoid farting - it's a dead giveaway.

The Monsters Inside

Another Ninth Doctor adventure, as he and Rose find themselves imprisoned on a penal colony with a couple of Slitheen. However, despite appearences the Slitheen aren't entirely the bad guys. That honour instead falls to their ancestory cousins, the Blathereen. With the Doctor's help, the Slitheen are able to escape the prison and resume their intergalactic business; with their Blathereen rivals out of the way.

Lesson learnt: There's worse things than sharing a prison cell with a Slitheen. I'm told...

Boomtown

The return of Margaret Blaine (aka Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen) as she attempts to destroy Cardiff in her dasterdly attempt to escape planet Earth. Although it doesn't quite work the way she planned. She escapes, as an egg, having finally achieved the redemption she's longed for since becoming trapped on Earth.

Lesson learnt: Slitheen and a deus ex machina ending don't mix well...

Revenge of the Slitheen

Although the overall plot is a closely guarded secret, we do know that the family Slitheen are back on Earth; inside a school. What they don't bank upon however is an appearnece by Sarah Jane Smith and her loyal bunch of Smithren.

Lesson learnt: Don't pretend to be a teacher, because it'll always come back to haunt you. Oh, and avoid farting - it's a dead giveaway.

To learn more about the Slitheen visit this wikipedia page, or read BBC Book's "Monsters and Villains" which explores the Slitheen family history in detail; as well as explaining how the Slitheen were brought to our screens in the first place using a mix of rubber suits and CGI.

"Revenge of the Slitheen" begins next Monday on BBC One at 5pm.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

There Can Be Only One

Today's Daily Telegraph features a brief interview with Elisabeth Sladen, and it's an entertaining read too. In it the actress reveals how disappointed she would have been if any other 'classic' series companion would have been awarded their own spin-off series ahead of Sarah Jane Smith. There's a brief extract from the interview below, and check out the rest here.

‘I would be p***** off to my socks. I would have said, “Well, they know what they’re doing,” but I would have secretly thought, “Oh, what a mistake they’ve made.”’

Elsewhere and a longer trailer has now started airing for the Sarah Jane Adventures series, and features extracts from all ten epiosdes - so expect to see teachers, nuns, Kudlax, young Sarah Janes and... oh, something that has to remain a surprise until "The Lost Boy" hits our screens in late November. But I'm promised it'll be worth it!

Check out some screen screencaps from the trailer here and here.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Websites and Stuff

Despite having the worst Cold imaginable (it's not that bad, but I'm male so the hyperbole works) I thought I'd go online and check out the latest happenings in the world of Sarah Jane Smith, and what do I find? The official SJA website has been updated (at last) whilst I've been away!
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The site's updated content now includes character bios on Clyde Langer, and Maria's parents - Alan and Chrissie Jackson. It's all interesting stuff; for instance did you know that Maria's 'step-dad' is called Ivan, or that Alan Jackson works in the IT industry? Further updates will follow on the site in the lead-up to the series launch, and the days following after it.
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In other news the next issue of Doctor Who Adventures magazine (on sale the 26th of September) will feature a pull out guide to The Sarah Jane Adventures. No doubt the magazine will also cover the new series in its regular behind the scenes section, consideting both magazine and programme are aimed at the same demographic.
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And lets not forget that the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine is out next Wednesday/Thursday (subscribers should get it earlier) and will feature a sneak peak of the new Sarah Jane series. Exciting stuff!
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Oh, and one final reminder - the next edition of the Radio Times (out Tuesday) should feature some minimal coverage of the series; so stock up on two copies - one for those scrapbvooks, and one to put up on Ebay in the years to come, once the SJA have become a mega successful kid's television programme. People buy nostalga!
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ADDITIONAL: There's a review of "Revenge of the Slitheen" here!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Desert Island Discs

The BBC have released the covers and plot details for the two forthcoming Sarah Jane Adventure audio CDs (see below). The two releases hit shops on November 5th priced £5.99 each. Many thanks to Doctor Who Online for the update.

"The Glittering Storm"
by Stephen Cole

Sarah Jane Smith and her friends investigate a mysterious clinic, in a thrilling new adventure read by Elisabeth Sladen.

When Sarah Jane disturbs a burglar in the night, she is surprised to find a middle-aged woman, her pockets stuffed with jewellery, demanding gold. The next day, she reads a newspaper story about a granny who broke into a jewellers, and then Maria reports that a woman has been stealing rings and necklaces from the girls’ changing room at school.

All the women had recently attended the Auriga Clinic, a private health centre specialising in treating muscular aches and pains. Is there a link between the clinic and the odd behaviour of its patients? Sarah Jane decides to find out, but she soon discovers that the clinic’s secret agenda is more sinister than she could ever have imagined...

Elisabeth Sladen, who stars as Sarah Jane in the CBBC TV series, reads this exclusive audio story which has been written by bestelling author Stephen Cole.

"The Thirteenth Stone"
by Justin Richards

A stone circle spells danger for Sarah Jane Smith and friends, in a thrilling new adventure read by Elisabeth Sladen.

Sarah Jane is helping out on a school trip with Luke, Maria and Clyde’s class. On the way home, the group stop off at The Stone Whisperers, a dozen standing stones enclosed by a dome. Set apart from the circle is a thirteenth stone: the King Stone. Legend has it that this is an evil king who was captured in battle by twelve knights, and turned to stone. To keep him imprisoned, the knights too turned to stone, holding him forever in their power. Nice story, but it’s just a myth – isn’t it?

Luke finds himself strangely drawn to the King Stone. Over two metres high, and covered in moss, it glows with a strange, unearthly light. But when the secret of the stones is finally revealed, the school party’s enthusiasm turns to terror...

Elisabeth Sladen, who stars as Sarah Jane in the CBBC TV series, reads this exclusive audio story which has been written by bestelling author Justin Richards.

In other news, SJ.tv can confirm that the CBBC Channel will be airing a repeat showing of "Invasion of the Bane" (the New Year's Day 'pilot' episode) on Sunday 23rd September - just 24 hours before the new series airs on BBC One. If you've not seen this first episode yet, which introduced both Maria and Luke, then now's the perfect time to play catch up!
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Little over a week to go now!

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Two's Company?

There's a strange report floating about over at the icWales news site, and for the life on me I can't decipher it's true intentions. The news report comments upon news that the Slitheen are set to appear in the first new SJA story - but then goes on to claim that The Sarah Jane Adventures have been recommissioned for a second series.
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The article (found here) actually uses the word "recommissioned" in its report, which makes me think that's it's talking about a whole new 10 part series in 2008. But it then goes on to discuss the current, approaching 10 part series as the 'new' series. So, lets try and make things a little clearer - are icWales counting this first series as a recommission of "Invasion of the Bane"? Or has the show actually been commissioned for a second 10 part series?
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If it's the latter, then there's no factual evidence to back up their claims. Infact, the word on the street is the series - at this point - is more likely to not be commissioned for a second year than otherwise (due to several 'internal' factors).
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More news on this potentially exciting development when and if we get it.
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UPDATE: Today's Guardian features a rundown of the Autumn's top 50 television programmes, and The Sarah Jane Adventures enter the charts at a very respectable 26.

Watch Out (Slitheen About)

Children's BBC has now started airing preliminary trailers for The Sarah Jane Adventures. It's part of CBBC's new Aurumn campaign, and features all four SJA regulars - plus a first look at the return of the Slitheen! Thanks to Booboo over on the OutpostGallifrey Forums we even have a few screencaps for you lucky devils to glare upon...

The trailers air at random intervals during CBBC hours; so early in the morning, and later in the afternoon. As soon as it's posted online we'll provide a link so you can watch it too!

Friday, September 07, 2007

Heart of Darkness

Next month (October 15th to be precise) sees the release of the classic series adventure "Planet of Evil". The story features both Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen - as the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith - and sees the TARDIS land on a mysterious planet where all is not as it seems. The cover for the DVD release has now been made available, and can be seen below.

Special features on the release are as follows:
+ Commentary featuring Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen
+ Hidden Hinchcliffe
+ A Darker Side
+ Planetary Performance - Acting in Doctor Who

The DVD is in shops Monday October 15th, and can be pre-ordered via play.com here.

Smile For The Camera!

Thanks to our friends over at Doctor Who Online, one of the internet's leading 'Who fansites, we've got half a dozen or so photographs taken from the new Sarah Jane series. Enough of my talking; you're just here for the pictures, so who am I to disappoint?!

Again, thanks to Doctor Who Online for the great snaps. If you use these photos on your own site, please be considerate and credit them to DWO. That way we all stay friends, and there's no nasty fallings out.

That Monday Feeling

Ladies and gentleman, we have a date confirmed at last for the launch of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The BBC Press Office todays confirms that the series will launch on Monday 24th September, at 5pm. Each episode runs to 25 minutes (just like Classic 'Who!). The blurb for episode one - Revenge of the Slitheen Part One - can be seen in full below:

"Sarah Jane Smith, investigative journalist and former companion to The Doctor, is back in a brand-new CBBC drama from the makers of Doctor Who. And in the first two-part story of the series she faces some familiar alien enemies of The Doctor as the Slitheen are back and out for revenge...

On their first day at their new school Maria and Luke soon realise that all is not as it seems. There's a funny smell, the food keeps going off, the teachers keep farting and the new technology block is hiding some dark secrets.

With their suspicions aroused, Sarah Jane, Maria and Luke set about investigating, joined by their new friend Clyde. They soon discover that the Slitheen have disguised themselves as teachers as part of a deadly plan which threatens the future of the Earth.

But as Maria, Luke and Clyde become trapped in the new technology block in the clutches of the Slitheen and with Sarah Jane under attack from another of the alien monsters, will the gang be able to stop the Slitheen before it's too late?

Sarah Jane Smith is played by Elisabeth Sladen, who also starred as Sarah Jane in the Seventies Doctor Who series as a companion to the third and fourth Doctors. Maria Jackson, Sarah Jane's neighbour and sidekick, is played by Yasmin Paige. Luke Smith, Sarah Jane's adopted son who was created by aliens, is played by Thomas Knight, and Daniel Anthony plays the streetwise Clyde.

Revenge Of The Slitheen is a two-part story written by Gareth Roberts, who also writes for Doctor Who, and Russell T Davies is one of the executive producers."

From Monday 24th September the show runs for 10 weeks (presuming there's no week break or so forth). Here's a projected timetable for the series, again under the presumption that they'll be no breaks or pauses in the schedule:

1: "Revenge of the Slitheen" Part One (24/9/2007)
2: "Revenge of the Slitheen" Part Two (1/10/2007)
3: "Eye of the Gorgon" Part One (8/10/2007)
4: "Eye of the Gorgon" Part Two (15/10/2007)
5: "Warriors of the Kudlax" Part One (22/10/2007)
6: "Warriors of the Kudlax" Part Two (29/10/2007)
7: "Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?" Part One (5/11/2007)
8: "Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?" Part Two (12/11/2007)
9: "The Lost Boy" Part One (19/11/2007)
10: "The Lost Boy" Part Two (26/11/2007)

Bring it on! 17 days to go!

A 'Burst of News

The latest issue of Starburst Magazine has a lovely interview with SJA producer Matthew Bouch, and on top of that a Sarah Jane cover too! The interview delves deep into the production of the series, from as far back as summer 2006. Bouch is clearly proud of his show, and what his production team have managed to achieved. But enough of me, here's a few snippets for 'ya all:

"We're very happy with it. We set out to make a show that had at its heart a very simple proposition, which was just great adventure stories - they were ripping yarns. And that's a phrase that's been used by several people who've seen it. I think we achieved what we set out to do."

"It seemed to me there was an opportunity to make something that, even if it's a spin-off show from Doctor Who, felt quite fresh and original and exciting. To be honest I didn't know the Sarah Jane character particularly; I'd obviously seen her in School Reunion, but her era is not a period of Doctor Who I was aware of - I came in a bit later. It was an opportunity to get to know the character."

"I felt, as Russell did, that those stories that hark back to classic fantasy had kind of disappeared from children's TV and we wanted to get that back."

"We've removed the character of Kelsey and have brought in a new character called Clyde. We wanted to slightly change the gender balance. It felt like a rather feminine programme... so we decided to take Kelsey outand put Clyde in, and that's paid real dividends over the course of the series because we've been able to explore masculine friendship and boys growing up."

"The Slitheen had actually been leant out to an exhibition, and one of the things you learn as a producer on this show is that latex degrades very quickly. We had to get new Slitheen suits constructed at fairly significant costs, but the fantastic Millennium FX still had the original moulds. We used the same performers who had played them in Doctor Who, so the cost to us was somewhat less than it could have been!"

"There is one villainous character that does come back in episode seven. Doctor Who fans will recognise this character, but it is not a particularly big feature."

"We're talking about a second series now, although, as with anything in this day and age, it depends on how it performs with the audience - and rightly so. There are many other stories out there that we want to tell..."

Bouch also offers us some previews of the 10 part series and what we can expect:

1: Revenge of the Slitheen
"One of the discussions we had at a very early stage was whether we wanted to start in a school. In the end we decided to go with a school for episodes one and two because it was a very familiar and natural environment for kids to recognise and empathise with."

2: Eye of the Gorgon
"It features a slightly bizarre group of women who go around dressed as nuns but it's much camper and more overblown - it's less rooted in everyday life. It's probably the most effects-heavy of all the episodes, because it's quite out there."

3: Warriors of the Kudlax
"That is more of a classic Sci-Fi story, in the sense that there's laser gunfire and running around and being pursued by dark suited guards and things. It's more in the mould of Star Wars."

4: Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?
"It does touch upon Sarah's childhood and one childhood friend in particular and a tragedy that has taken place in her past that comes up from the meddling of a particular evil alien character called The Trickster. He sort of exists to create chaos. We hope it has a flavour of Back to the Future, the idea that you can have alternative realities where you see how characters could have developed with different influences."

5: The Lost Boy
"That is a fitting and surprising climax to the series where various twists happen."

The issue also reviews "The Time Warrior" DVD (4 stars out of a possible 5) and the Elisabeth Sladen narrated "Doctor Who @ the BBC- The Tenth Doctor" audio release (an average three stars. Away from the Doctor Who universe there's an interview with Heroes creator Tim Kring, and a look behind the scenes on both Resident Evil 3 and the all new American import, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles".

You can pick up Starburst issue 354 from all good newsagents priced £3.99. Bargain!

UPDATE: There's some cool new publicity pictures over at Doctor Who Online which you can access by clicking here, here and here.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Slight(!) Spoilers Ahead

When filming first started on The Sarah Jane Adventures this very website reported that an old enemy, the Slitheen, would feature amongst its first couple of episodes. Several insiders told us as much, but it didn't matter - many laughed off the claims, which annoyed me like crazy 'cos the one thing I don't write is dummy news. I'm an honest guy; so I figured that I should just sit back and wait for proof of the Slitheen return. And here it is!

At midnight today the BBC Press Office broke with news of the now titled episode one, "Revenge of the Slitheen" - the following report contains a huge mass of spoilers about that particular adventure:

"The new series The Sarah Jane Adventures sees the return of some familiar alien enemies from Doctor Who as the Slitheen are back and out for revenge.

Coming to CBBC on BBC One and CBBC at the end of September 2007, The Sarah Jane Adventures stars one of Doctor Who's most famous former companions – investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith.

The series is from the same people behind Doctor Who including multi-award winning writer Russell T Davies.

Having travelled the universe with The Doctor, Sarah Jane is used to dealing with alien encounters.

But when her young friends Maria, Luke and Clyde join her they soon become embroiled in a mysterious world of chases, danger, and monsters from outer space, discovering that life on Earth can be an adventure too.

In Revenge Of The Slitheen, the first two-part story from the new series, Maria, Luke and Clyde realise that all is not as it seems on their first day at their new school.

The food keeps going off, there's a funny smell and the new technology block is hiding some dark secrets. They soon find out that the Slitheen have disguised themselves as teachers as part of their deadly plan which threatens the future of Earth.

Will Sarah Jane and the gang be able to stop them all before it's too late?

Executive Producer Russell T Davies says: "This is a wonderful opportunity, to use all our Doctor Who resources here in Cardiff for the making of a brand new drama for CBBC.

"We hope brand new viewers join us for ten full-blooded episodes of excitement and danger, headlined by a truly excellent cast."

Sarah Jane Smith is played by Elisabeth Sladen who also starred as Sarah Jane in the Seventies Doctor Who series as a companion to the third and fourth Doctors.

Maria Jackson, Sarah Jane's neighbour and sidekick, is played by Yasmin Paige. Luke Smith, Sarah Jane's adopted son who was created by aliens, is played by Thomas Knight, and Daniel Anthony plays the streetwise Clyde.

Elisabeth Sladen says: "It's great to be back enjoying Sarah Jane with some fantastic new adventures. There's still so much more to find out about her after all these years.

"I hope that viewers have as much fun watching the series as I did making it."

Still no news on a broadcast date (I'm hearing maybe Tuesdays at 5, but take that with a pinch of salt) but at last the line up is complete, as we have all six episode titles. Not long to go I keep telling myself. And you know it's quite strange how excited I am for what is effectively a kid's TV show. Bring it on!

Monday, September 03, 2007

Smithies, Don't Panic!

With news spreading far and wide of Doctor Who's 2009 'gap year' fans of this very site are reminded to keep calm. We don't know if the announcement will effect The Sarah Jane Adventures (or Torchwood) in any way - so don't go presuming that Doctor Who's hiatus means that Sarah Jane's spin-off has been cancelled beyond it's first or second seasons. Got that? Good, now where were we...?

INVASION OF THE BANE HITS DVD

Aside from the Doctor Who 'gap er' news item, today also saw the release of the classic series adventure "The Time Warrior" on DVD; and I'm pleased to say that I've got my copy already. The bonus features include an Elisabeth Sladen commentary, and a featurette on the making of the story (entitled "Beginning of the End"). The documentary looks at the casting of Sarah Jane Smith, and how Elisabeth Sladen developed her character behind the scenes.

Talking of Sarah Jane-centric DVDs, and Virgin Megastore has released the apparent cover for the DVD release of "Invasion of the Bane" - the pilot episode of the SJA. The DVD is expected to be a vanilla release, and retails at £12.99 when it hit shelves on October 29th. You can see the cover at the top of the page. Leave your reactions below.

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled folks - those trailers should be airing on CBBC any day now...