SARAH-JANE.tv || A news resource for the Doctor Who spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures"

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography Book Launch At The Doctor Who Experience

2011-11-29T18:32:00.001Z

Hi, I’m Emrys and I’m a new writer for Sarah-Jane.tv and I’m thrilled to be here.

At 2:30 on 26^th November I attended the official launch of Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography. A select few who purchased a ticket for the Doctor Who Experience, currently housed at Kensington’s Olympia II, between 12:30-2:00 were offered a free ticket and invited to both celebrate the publication of the book and the memory of this much-loved actress, Elisabeth Sladen. I’ve visited the Doctor Who Experience twice before, but still very much enjoyed it the third time around.

After a brief wander around the fantastic exhibition we took our seats in the minute, dimly-lit, and somewhat balmy screening room, alongside the Face of Boe, as well as a Pig Slave and a Scarecrow [I think!] We then watched a short tribute to Sarah Jane. The homage included clips from Elisabeth’s first story The Time Warrior, Planet of the Spiders, Robot, The Mask of Mandragora, her two returns to the show in 25^th Anniversary special The Five Doctors and the 2006 episode School Reunion.

TV Choice magazine’s Ben Lawrence was there to interview Doctor Who writer and script editor Terrance Dicks, the fourth Doctor himself, Tom Baker and Elisabeth’s daughter, Sadie Miller, who all came to share their fond memories of Elisabeth.

Terrance told us of his involvement with creating the character of Sarah Jane, reminding us that each companion grows out of the last. In Elisabeth’s case this was from Katy Manning’s Jo Grant. While Jo was a sassy, girlish foil for the Doctor as “someone to pass you your test tubes and tell you how brilliant you are,” Sarah Jane was created not as an “assistant” but as an independent female with a career as a journalist. He shared that he would always remember the way that Lis would call him, “Terránce.”

Tom then went on to share with us the massive amount of gratitude he feels he owes to Elisabeth Sladen, who guided him through the early days of his time on the show by helping him form a kind of comic/jokey persona to counteract his self-admitted self-doubt. He told us that in the time he spent with Elisabeth he changed and has remained that way ever since. That juncture with Elisabeth gave him a new lease on life, of enjoyment and confidence, which is why, he says, he stayed on the show as long as he did. He admitted to being devastated when Elisabeth decided to leave the show, due to the fact that she believed she would not be wanted when Barry Letts announced his leaving and Phillip Hinchcliffe and a new regime were to take over. Tom also shared the irony that Hinchcliffe later stated that he was actually very happy with their partnership as Doctor and Companion.

Sadie, who, along with her father wrote a beautiful coda to the book, spoke more about Elisabeth Sladen herself, as Sadie’s mother and not just as her character Sarah Jane. Quite understandably she didn’t share too much with us, as her mother’s passing is still quite fresh. She said she was yet to watch the recently aired episodes of the Fifth Series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, wanting to save them to watch on a special day and enjoy as an undiscovered part of her mother’s work. She also showed us the necklace that originally belonged to Liza Minnelli, who gave it to Katy Manning who imparted it to Elisabeth [while they worked on Death of the Doctor] who in turn gave it to Sadie. Listen to Sadie talking about the necklace here on BBC Breakfast.

Afterwards Terrance and Sadie, joined by her father and Elisabeth’s husband Brian Miller kindly stayed behind to sign copies of the book, with Tom having pre-signed some in advance.

I sadly never had the honour of meeting Elisabeth Sladen, but I find it amazing and wonderful that someone who myself, and millions of others alike, never met can have had such a profound effect on ones life.

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography has a foreword by David Tennant and is published by Aurum Press. It’s available now RRP £18.99 and I highly recommend it.

Check out my epic pilgrimage through every single episode of Doctor Who at: www.wonderingsinthefourthdimension.blogspot.com

Sadie Miller talks on BBC Breakfast

2011-11-05T17:51:00.002Z

Elisabeth Sladen's daughter, Sadie Miller, appeared on BBC Breakfast yesterday morning talking about the autobiography. For those of you outside the UK, you can view it here on SJ.tv.

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography

2011-10-12T19:21:00.002Z

The cover of her book has now been released, and might I say how truly wonderful it is. I may need lots of tissues when reading this one!

Never Fear, Sarah Jane is Here!

2011-10-06T12:01:00.007Z

If you're feeling a little down in the dumps about the ever nearing end of The Sarah Jane Adventures, then perhaps I can put a smile on your face.

Due to be released November 24th, two new SJA audio books go on sale! Judgement Day is written by Scott Gray and read by Anjli Mohindra and Children of Steel is written by Martin Day and read by Daniel Anthony.

With the current lack of any official blurb at the moment, I managed to catch up with Martin Day, who gave me a little information about Children of Steel. It sounds like a cracking story!

"Clyde can’t believe he’s let himself be dragged along to a boring old auction of antiques, but one particular lot has caught Sarah Jane’s attention. It’s listed as an anatomical sculpture of a human face, in brass, but to Sarah’s eyes it looks more like the head of a robot – from a time before the word ‘robot’ was even coined. Sarah Jane is convinced it’s part of the famed ‘Difference Golem’, a steam-powered ‘autonomous man’ from the Victorian era... "

Now, the die hard fans among us will have heard about these books at the end of last year. It was assumed at that point that Elisabeth Sladen would be reading them, as she had done with the previous SJA audios, but due to her sad passing earlier this year and no word on what would happen with the stories, we feared the worse.

"The intention had always been for Lis to read it [Children of Steel]" said Martin. "Indeed, I was at Chessington with the family, mulling over various possible titles [it was originally named The Difference Golem] (in this case, the last step before a formal commission) when I heard she had died.

"I wasn’t sure for a while if the book would go ahead, but that didn’t matter in the slightest – it was such terrible and sad news. Anyway, after a while, and much thought by AudioGO and the production team, I was told to write it in the third person, and just get on with it...!

"I only knew it was Daniel [Anthony] doing the reading when I spoke to him at the BFI screening a few weeks back. It was great to meet him afterwards – he said if I didn’t like his reading, I should let him know. As if!"

I will be talking to Martin a little bit more about his story in a few weeks time, so stay tuned! I hope this will make up for my lack of posts in the past few weeks and I should be keeping things up to date from now on.

Series 5 to Air in October

2011-09-15T13:45:00.005Z

The BBC have today confirmed with the episode synopsis, that series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures will air on Monday 3rd October with part one of "Sky" followed by part two on Tuesday.

Part One: In today's episode, Sarah Jane finds a baby girl on her doorstep and tries to find out who abandoned her.

At a nearby nuclear power station, a beautiful woman appears out of thin air and uses alien powers to take control. She's looking for something – and realises that Sarah Jane may just have it...

Part Two: Sky has undergone an amazing transformation, but in doing so has triggered a countdown that no one can stop.

As Sarah Jane and Sky find themselves trapped between the alien war fought by Metalkind and Fleshkind, Clyde and Rani face a race against time to stop the biggest bang in history...

Don't forget you can still book tickets for the London screening of Sky at the BFI tomorrow here

Sky's the Limit

2011-09-12T14:44:00.003Z

So... It's been a while since my last regular post. How's everybody been?

This coming Friday sees the BFI screening of Sky - the first adventure of the SJA's final season. I'll be in attendence - and seeing as though this will likely be one of the last screenings of its type, it'd be great to see as many SARAH-JANE.tv readers there as possible.

Can anybody think of an appropriate way for us all to celebrate the occasion?

Of course, several recognisable faces are confirmed as going. Yep, for Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra will all be there to support the screening, and answer audience questions afterwards. On top of that co-producer and head writer for the series Phil Ford will be joing them... along with new girl, child star Sinead Michael!

It's still strange to think it's been a full year since we all sat down to watch the BFI screening of Death of the Doctor - with Lis Sladen in the audience along with us. I still remember waiting back afterwards with fellow fans - including the likes of Nabu San and Ian Levine - for a glimpse of her leaving the venue. We weren't to know it'd turn out to be her final public appearence for the show.

Let's do our best to honour her this Friday night, hey?

***

For those that can't make it the CBBC SJA site is offering fans the chance to quiz the young stars of the series here.

***

Once series 5 has concluded its run on CBBC, SARAH-JANE.tv will look back and celebrate the entire history of the show, and Lis' involvement in Doctor Who (old and new) with one final "Readers Awards".

Check back for more details on when and how you can get involved.

Series 4 Box Set

2011-09-04T13:37:00.008Z

The DVD box set for series 4 of The Sarah Jane adventures, due to be released October 31st by 2|entertain, will include the classic Doctor Who story, Pyramids of Mars, in the extras as a tribute to Elisabeth Sladen.

Pyramids of Mars sees Sarah Jane Smith and the Doctor arrive at an old priory in the year 1911 where the owner, Marcus Scarman, has been excavating ancient tombs and soon becomes possessed by the spirit of Sutekh, bringer of 'the gift of death to all mankind'. Will Sutekh the all-powerful be freed from his bonds and destroy the world, or will the Doctor manage to bring about his destruction?

If that's got you excited, then hold your breath, CBBC have been showing a sneaky little preview of series 5 to whet your appetite! Series 5 will air some time in October, although dates are still to be confirmed.

Elisabeth Sladen's Autobiography

2011-08-30T12:58:00.006Z

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography will be published on Monday 7^thNovember 2011 at £20 from Aurum Press.

Prior to her death in April this year, Elisabeth Sladen, the actress who entertained millions of children and their parents as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, had been working on a memoir. An account of her career on stage and screen and an insider’s view of the world’s longest-running science fiction series, the book had been completed in draft form but illness prevented Elisabeth from finishing it.

With the support of her husband, Brian Miller, and daughter, Sadie, Aurum will now publish Elisabeth’s memoir in November this year. A tribute to an actress whose most famous character became a hero and a role model for generations of young fans, the book traces Elisabeth’s story from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through a joyful career in the theatre, to unexpected fame alongside Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. In the process it explores the far from glamorous realities of filming in TV’s golden age, the strange and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom, and what it was like to return to the show over thirty years after Sarah Jane first set foot in the TARDIS.

Elisabeth’s editor at Aurum, Sam Harrison said: ‘I remember my first meeting with Elisabeth - the hilarious and eye-opening stories she had to tell and my feeling of elation that she wanted to turn them into a book. Having grown up watching her as Sarah Jane Smith it was a personal dream come true. She was a fantastic person to work with - fun but utterly professional - and it’s incredibly sad that she’s no longer with us. I’m glad he had a chance to share some of her memories in this book. I hope it will make a fitting tribute to a great actress and a wonderful woman.’

BFI Screening: The Sarah Jane Adventures

2011-08-29T17:14:00.005Z

[This event is now open to everyone! You can book tickets online here]

BFI Southbank will be holding a special screening of the new Sarah Jane Adventures, September 16th at 6:30. This will be followed by a questions and answers panel with the cast and and writers, and I have to say from previous experience, it is a night not to be missed.

Intrepid investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith and her gang of young sidekicks are back as the final six episodes of the hugely successful The Sarah Jane Adventures air on CBBC this Autumn. In the first adventure Sarah Jane discovers a mystery baby on her doorstep. But with explosions, power surges and reports of a Metal man falling from the sky, Sarah Jane is convinced that there's more to the baby than there first seemed.

Created by Russell T Davies, The Sarah Jane Adventures is made by BBC Cymru Wales and has been a huge hit since its debut on CBBC in 2007. These final episodes were filmed before the untimely death of actress Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane, earlier this year.

Courtesy of CBBC and BBC Wales.

Walk For Lis

2011-08-08T20:35:00.004Z

This autumn, Senior Doctor Who Executive, Edward Russell is going on a 160 mile trek from Cardiff to London!

Russell is taking on this challenge to raise money for Meadow House Hospice, the NHS-funded facility which cared for Lis earlier this year.

From Edward:

"Like many of her fans and friends, I was deeply saddened by Lis' death in April 2011 and I hope to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful cause.

Starting on Saturday 3 September, I will walk from the BBC's Upper Boat studios in Cardiff (where The Sarah Jane Adventures was filmed), aiming to arrive at the BBC Television Centre (where Lis first filmed Doctor Who) in London the following Friday. I will largely be following the National Cycling Route No. 4 - walking the equivalent of a marathan every day!"

(Edward Russell with Elisabeth Sladen)

You can donate to this wonderful cause at Just Giving- Walk for Lis and follow his progress from his blog, walkforlis.

From all of us here at SarahJane.tv: Good luck, Mr. Russell!!!

Manchester Comic Con - Anjli Mohindra Q&A

2011-07-31T19:52:00.017Z

This Saturday saw the first ever Manchester Comic Con and, with Anjli Mohindra as one of the guests (Daniel Anthony pulled out due to work commitments – actors, eh?), I was sent by SarahJane.tv to report on the event. It was of course never going to be as big as San Diego Comic Con – Anjli was the third most famous person there after Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2, and Craig Charles from Red Dwarf and Coronation Street – but nevertheless it turned out to be an enjoyable day all round.

One of the highlights of the day came early on when I had the opportunity to stroll straight past the queue of thousands of costumed fans waving my press pass. This plan to get in quick and interview Anjli before the Expo got busy proved to be a tad pointless when I realised that she wouldn’t arrive for another hour and a half. Nonetheless, I enjoyed browsing the stalls.

Kenny Baker was offering signed photographs. With the relaxed atmosphere of the pre-crowds centre, I courteously allowed the two girls nearby to approach Kenny ahead of me. “Do you have to pay for the photos?” they asked. “Of course not, that would be silly,” I thought. “Yes, £20” said the man next to Kenny who probably had an unhappy childhood. I walked away and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. C-3PO was cooler anyway.

The expo filled up quickly and, despite my usual annoyance with crowds, a plethora of fantastic costumes and free hugs gave the convention centre a fun and frivolous atmosphere. However, I think Craig Charles looked at me angrily after I walked past him blankly for the third time. Hard to tell through those sunglasses he insisted on wearing.

When Anjli finally arrived at her signing table, I was told that I could not have an interview immediately, because I’d be holding up the enormous queue of kids, but could if I waited for the queue to die down. Over the five and a half hours I spent at the conference (maybe there’s a lunch break or two in there somewhere), this never happened. Instead, I decided to record the Q&A session with Anjli and use my best questions in that. And that, folks, is my excuse for not getting a proper interview. I must also say that Anjli was lovely, extremely friendly with enthusiastic children and inexperienced reporters alike, and kind enough (or not famous enough) not to charge for signed photos.

Here are the highlights from the Q&A:

Favourite episode to film?

I really enjoyed doing The Empty Planet, the one where everyone’s disappeared and it’s just me and Clyde, not because I fancy him though, just because it was fun to do.

Favourite character?

Sarah Jane, all day every day!

How did you feel when Lis Sladen died?

It was a shock, I didn’t actually believe it for a very long time and then I went to Cardiff and that’s when it sunk in, but she was amazing. She might not be here but she’s still very much present if you know what I mean. I really miss her, she was an amazing lady and we’ll remember her forever. Ever and always.

What's happening with the future of the series?

We’re not actually sure, we’ve done six extra episodes last year when we filmed series four, so we’d be able to keep them in the bank and then film another six and put them all out this year in a series. Obviously, we’re just gonna stick with those six, I think, and just send them out in autumn. Err, we’ll see, I’m not sure to be honest, but there’ll definitely be another six in autumn.

Can you tell us anything about the plots of the upcoming episodes?

Ah can I? We meet a new character; a new long term character comes into the show, but I can’t tell you anything about them. Something awful happens to Clyde, I can’t tell you what, then we meet a man who isn’t what he seems to be. There we are. That’s all I can say.

What was it like working with David Tennant?

He’s amazing, he’s absolutely amazing. I remember on the first day of filming, I was really tired, I’d had a late night before, and he just jumped on the sofa with his sonic screwdriver and started doing all his stuff. He just makes you feel really energised because he’s so fun to be around, and he’s Scottish, which is just like, one minute he’s speaking in an English accent and a few minutes later he’s Scottish. Woo, go Scotland!

What about working with Matt Smith?

I know you’re going to say I said the exact same thing about David Tennant, but amazing! Both Matt Smith and David bring totally different things to their characters. David was quite old-school with his Doctor and Matt Smith is quite young and spunky and added lots of new flash things to him. They both have such fun with their characters. I really, really enjoyed working with [Matt]. We just gelled, he’s a pretty cool guy, very good looking, which helps, he’s got a girlfriend though, so… what can you do?

Is Matt Smith in the new series?

I can’t tell you that. I can’t tell you, you’ll have to watch it.

Luke or Clyde?

Oh, I can’t answer that! That’s impossible. Sometimes Luke more than Clyde, sometimes Clyde more than Luke. I don’t know, as a character I think I prefer Luke because Clyde’s jokes get a bit tiring, but as people, I love them both. I know that’s a rubbish answer, but it’s true.

How did you get into the acting career?

I wanted to do it ever since I was really tiny and then I went to a drama group in Nottingham, which is where I live, and I went there every year until I was thirteen or fourteen. Then I got my first job on Doctors, which is a BBC programme on during the day that old people or people that don’t work watch. I was a gobby teenager with a bad attitude problem and a bad acne problem. It’s good, it’s alright, I wasn’t very good in it. If anybody wanted to go into acting I’d say just go to a local group or do it at school. Just keep doing it, doing it, doing it and you’ll find that opportunities will just come to you if you’re really passionate about it.

Why did you want to be in The Sarah Jane Adventures?

I watched it when Yasmin Paige was in it and I really liked it. Then I got a call from my drama teacher to ask me if I wanted to have a go and I did and then I was cast. And for ages actually I didn’t believe it because I’m a little bit older than Rani and when I went to audition everybody was really small, a lot smaller than I was. So, for ages when we started filming, for the first month, I kept thinking someone was gonna come up to me and say “I’m really sorry but we’ve made a massive mistake and it’s not actually you”, but nobody’s said anything yet, so they obviously haven’t made a mistake.

How did you feel when you first started on the show?

Like I said, I thought it was a mistake. I just fumbled along waiting for someone to say “I’m really sorry but you’re not supposed to be here” but then something really embarrassing happened. They have these microphones that they stick to your tops, so when you’re running they can hear everything you say and I forgot to turn it off when I went for a wee. Then I came out and everyone was staring at me for ages making “drip, drip, drip” noises and I didn’t know for a week until somebody told me. It was really embarrassing. Could have been worse, I could have been having a poo.

Are you going to appear in Doctor Who?

I wish! That would be absolutely amazing! I keep hinting that I would like to, but no, I don’t know. Maybe one day.

Who’s your favourite alien from the show?

It’s gotta be the Graske, man. All day every day. Those three little tentacles when he’s running, there’s no way you’re not laughing.

Which alien were you scared of most?

Probably Androvax, the idea that he could just possess you was quite frightening.

If you could play any alien, which one would you choose?

I think I’d be the Trickster, I think he’s the most powerful really out of all the aliens, and also I’d just love the experience of wearing a pair of tights on my head, which is what they used to do. [To the man who asked this question] What about you? [He says “Zygon”] Yeah, I know which ones you mean. They haven’t come back since, have they? I wonder why. The costumes from classic Doctor Who were always like tinfoil and little bits of lycra. I quite like that DIY-ness about it all. I would love to have the Cybermen on Sarah Jane, but we’re not allowed, because if we show that we can defeat Cybermen then that apparently makes Doctor Who look weak. If a bunch of kids can defeat the Cybermen, then really… That’s why don’t get any of them really, we’ve never had the Daleks or the Cybermen. It’s not fair, we could take them!

What’s your most memorable moment from filming?

Getting gunked is the most frightening experience, because it’s the day when half the crew that you’ve never met before who don’t really work on the set just turn up randomly, which is such a coincidence. They just sat there with bags of popcorn watching and you’ve got costume literally biting their nails and sweating because if anything goes wrong and you laugh then the whole set, all of you and your clothes and your hair and your make up, everything has to be rewashed and started again, so if you laugh or smirk or say a line wrong you actually get in so much trouble.

Have you seen any of the old Doctor Who and, if so, who was your favourite Doctor?

I didn’t until now and my favourite one has got to be Nick Baker, I think, but it changes, it changes all the time. Sometimes I’ll watch an episode with Matt in and I’ll just think “I totally love that” like The Lodger. That for me was one of the best, in the first series with Matt. They’re all just so different, they all bring such a different thing to it, it’s really hard to say. [To the person who asked this question] Who’s Yours? [He says “Tom Baker”] Tom Baker. Cool. Did I say Nick Baker? I meant Tom Baker. That’s so embarrassing. I’ve got a friend called Nick Baker and he’s not a doctor.

What was it like working with Nick Courtney?

Amazing! He’s such a dude. He was a proper gentleman and he was really funny. He’d just sit there and wouldn’t feel the need to enter conversations too much and then he’d just say one really quippy line and have everyone on the floor in stitches. He was cool.

There are some fantastic inventions on the show; if you could take one home and make it real, which one would it be and why?

That thing that Clyde and Luke have where they press a button and Maria’s there talking to them from America and she’s 3D or when the vulture creatures appear to tell us that Matt Smith’s dead and they’re 3D holograms. I’d love that. How cool would that be? You’d just get your mates to be around your house all the time in hologram form. I’d love that.

What would you do if you weren’t an actor?

Have you ever seen Spooks? I want to be in MI5. Although I can’t now, because I’ve told you, so they’d never employ me. That’s what I’d do, I think.

What other projects are you currently working on besides SJA?

I’m going to the Edinburgh Fringe festival as soon as I’ve done this and I did a show called Beaver Falls, which is like the new Inbetweeners, which is coming out soon.

Anjli's Edinburgh Fringe show, The Curse of the Devil's Verse by Nic Harvey, is on from the 3^rd to the 13^th of August. As she said, look our for her in Beaver Falls, currently showing on E4 on Wednesdays, and the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, coming to the BBC this autumn.

You've Never Had A Hangover Like This...

2011-07-23T17:11:00.006Z

Anjli Mohindra to appear in a production of The Curse of the Devil's Verse, by Nic Harvey, at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe from the 3^rd to the 13^th of August.

Rob is an ordinary bloke, spending his days lifting heavy objects around and talking about cars over a pint, he struggles to see the value of his girlfriend Lucy’s quest to become a writer.

Storming off to the pub after another argument with her, Rob rages loudly and drunkenly against the state of modern male/female relations and those who champion creativity. Unfortunately he’s arrived on poetry night, and a mysterious stranger has more than a few wise words of advice for Rob...

Waking alone in the morning with no memory of the previous night and the mother of all headaches, Rob discovers he can only speak in perfectly-formed rhyming couplets. Humiliated at home and at work, Rob must tackle his sensitivity issues head-on to drive out the ancient curse and become a new-age man.

The production is presented to you by Sheep Soup, a theatre company formed in association with Nottingham’s BAFTA award-winning Television Workshop. Bringing together the most promising young actors and creative talent from the region, the company is led and developed by its diverse and ever-changing field of collaborators.

The Curse of the Devil’s Verse is a lively, silver-tongued new comedy, a surreal drama laced with the perils of everyday life. Poetry, spoken word, disco dancing, psychiatry and whipped cream all come together for Sheep Soup’s Fringe debut.

This revival for the Fringe 2011 stars Anjli Mohindra, more commonly known as Rani from The Sarah Jane Adventures, and members of The Television Workshop.

Tickets can be booked for the 50 minute production, at 4.45, through the Fringe box office on 0131 226 0000 or Online here.

Elisabeth Sladen Tribute

2011-06-28T12:12:00.004Z

Hyde Fundraisers are delighted to pay tribute to actress Elisabeth Sladen with a special event on Saturday September 17th.

This special event is being hosted by Cineworld in Ashton-under-Lyne and will be raising money for BBC Children in Need along with Elisabeth's own charity.
The event will feature screenings of School Reunion and selected episodes from The Sarah Jane Adventures.

There will be special invited guests, character photo opportunities and a charity raffle too!

Tickets will be available from July via Cineworld's website here.

In 2009, Lis recorded this message for Hyde Fundraisers.

Katy Manning On Stage

2011-06-23T11:28:00.007Z

If you're looking for a laugh and a night of pure entertainment, then Death By Fatal Murder is the perfect place to find it.

A comedy twist on classic 'whodunit' murder mysteries like those of Agatha Christie, Ian Dickens Productions presents you with an evening full of slapstick comedy and ribald laughs in the style of “Allo Allo” and “Are You Being Served”.

Death By Fatal Murder is the third play in the Inspector Pratt trilogy by Peter Gordon, but it needed no introduction. Inspector Pratt's foolishness made you take an instant liking to the character. With an all star cast there was no doubt that it would be a fun filled, entertaining evening.

When David Callister first made an appearance as Pratt, the whole stage lit up with his cracking performance. His charming, but somewhat idiotic character fills the story with cheeky innuendos and almost cringe worthy jokes that never fail to receive a snigger from the audience.

Accompanied by Christopher Elderwood playing PC Thompkins (or Napkins as Pratt continually, to much laughter, accidentally called him), Pratt returns to Bagshot House to investigate the disappearance of Constable Atkins and finds himself in the middle of something much more complicated and chaotic.

Where is the lady of the house's estranged husband? What is she hiding? Is the barmy Welsh medium really conversing with dead spirits? And what happened to that mysterious cheese sandwich!?

Alongside actors Leslie Grantham, more commonly known as Eastenders' Dirty Den who plays Enzo Garibaldi and Richard Gibson, the brilliant Herr Flick from “'Allo 'Allo” as Squadron Leader Roger Allwright, Death By Fatal Murder stars Michelle Hardwick from “The Royal” as Nancy Allwright and Katy Manning from classic Doctor Who as the eccentric Blodwyn Morgan.

I would recommend this play to anyone who wants an evening of risqué jokes, raucous laughs and quality, unadulterated entertainment. A fantastic play if you're new to trips to the theatre.

Katy Manning's performance was always going to be the thing I adored the most, and I have to say that she didn't disappoint. She has this fantastic ability to effortlessly change her voice to suit any character she's playing in an instant.

When I caught up with her after the show, she told me that she had only had only been given the script two weeks before the show opened in Blackpool at the end of May. She's currently working on a film, The Haunting of Harry Payne, to be released in 2012 and took on Death by Fatal Murder in between.

If any of you are big fans of Katy, like myself, you'll be pleased to hear that she's thinking about taking her one woman show, Not a Well Woman, on stage in the UK.

Death by Fatal Murder can be seen until the 25th June in Lincoln,
5th-9th July, Wolverhampton
12th-16th July, Malvern
18th-23rd July, Derby
2nd-6th Aug, Swansea
12th-17th Sept, Colchester
29th Sept-1st Oct, Horsham
4th-8th Oct, Lichfield
10th-15th Oct, Chelmsford
18th-22nd Oct, Worthing
8th-12th Nov, Billingham
15th-19th Nov, Crewe
22nd-26th Nov, Basingstoke

Black Destiny Part Three

2011-06-20T13:15:00.004Z

Black Destiny, written by Gary Russell. Art by Martin Geraghty.

Click the images to enlarge the comic.

Black Destiny Part Two

2011-06-17T13:51:00.000Z

Black Destiny, written by Gary Russell. Art by Martin Geraghty.

Click the images to enlarge the comic.

Part three coming soon!

Black Destiny Part One

2011-06-15T15:00:00.006Z

Black Destiny, written by Gary Russell. Art by Martin Geraghty.

Click the images to enlarge the comic.

Thanks to Paul Guest for the wonderful scans. Part two coming soon!

Competition Results

2011-06-13T13:09:00.006Z

After much debate from Joseph Lidster, author of several Sarah Jane Adventures stories, he has chosen us a fantastic winner! Congratulations to Paul Guest, now the proud owner of the BBC radio episodes box set.

“What a great selection and how difficult to choose between them! I love how there are such a variety of styles – cartoon images, beautiful artwork, clever use of photos. I especially love how all the different Sarah Jane eras are represented – from her first appearance in The Time Warrior right through to the last series of The Sarah Jane Adventures – a fantastic tribute to the gorgeous Lis Sladen. It really is difficult to choose between them as they're all so different. After to-ing and fro-ing between a couple, I think I'm going to choose the one of Sarah Jane leaning against the TARDIS in the Attic. I like its simplicity and how, in one picture, it represents both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. It's also a fantastic picture of Lis as Sarah Jane. Tough, ready to protect the Earth and her friends but with just a hint of a smile because she's having a whale of a time. And, in some ways, that sums up Lis – she worked so hard and was so dedicated to the character and the series, but she also had such a great time doing it.”

The rest of the competition entries can be found here, and what a wonderful bunch they are! I'd like to thank everyone who entered for their time and effort on some beautiful creations.

New Episode Titles Released

2011-06-02T23:14:00.004Z

Wonderful news!

It was announced in Doctor Who Magazine today that the BBC has confirmed that the final episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, recorded in 2010, will air in the autumn – most likely to be October – on CBBC and BBC One. No change there then.
Russell T Davies told Doctor Who Magazine “We had completed only stories 1, 2 and 3 from series five, each a two-parter in the traditional format. The first one is called Sky, by Phil Ford, the second is The Curse of Clyde Langer, also by Phil and the third is The Man Who Wasn't There by Garath Robers. All starring Lis alongside Daniel Anthony as Clyde, Anjli Mohindra as Rani and with Tommy Knight as Luke returning for a full two-episode appearance in the last story – so the gang's all together at the end.”

Last 6 Episodes to Air on CBBC...

2011-05-04T15:01:00.003Z

Simon Brew over at Den of Geek is reporting that the last 6 episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures that were filmed will be aired on CBBC as a tribute to Elisabeth Sladen.

As quoted from Den of Geek:

"Contrary to press reports today we can confirm that no new episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be filmed following the tragic death of actress Elisabeth Sladen in April, 2011. As a tribute to Elisabeth the six episodes that were recorded with her last year will be broadcast on CBBC at a date to be confirmed."

This news brings mixed feelings for this fan-sadness and happiness. Although Sarah Jane will no longer be fighting new aliens and monsters in the distant future, she will be gracing our screens with new adventures for one last time.

Of course, for as long as there are fans remembering, she will never truly disappear from our hearts.

( You can read the full article over at Den of Geek)

Race For Life

2011-04-27T11:09:00.003Z

Taken from Sandy Knight's Race for life page here. Please give anything you can in memory of Elisabeth Sladen.

"Following Lis Sladens premature death from Cancer this week, we, the ladies of Tommy Knight's immediate family have decided to participate in this years Race for Life in her memory, and in support of Tom's feelings over it all.

Please give anything you can, so that in her untimely passing, Lis may still help others beat this awful disease.

Events like Race for Life are vital in funding Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring us now you can help more people survive cancer..

Gift Aid it!.

If you are a UK taxpayer, please remember to tick the Gift Aid box when donating as this will increase your donation by at least 25% at no cost to you..

Every pound you donate really does make a difference – so please sponsor us now!.

Together we will beat cancer.

Thanking everyone who helps,

Sandy, Hanna, Emily, and Guinevere xx"

Good luck girls! I hope you reach your target.

It's Competition Time!

2011-04-26T14:14:00.008Z

As those of you who follow us on Twitter will know, Sarah-Jane.tv will be redesigning the website over the next couple of months. We will be sad to see the old design go, but as they say, out with the old and in with the new.

In an attempt to get fans of the blog more involved with the site, we have decided that you will be given the chance to design the new Sarah-Jane.tv logo that will appear on our brand new banner!

So here is your chance to get in on the action and leave your mark with us. The competition is open to everyone, all ages, any skills. If you're good at graphic designing, why not jump on to Photoshop and get stuck in? If not, we will be happy to receive hand drawn logos and work with you to digitalise your design. Your design must include the words “Sarah-Jane.tv” but the rest is up to you. It can be any size, any shape, any form. You can design the whole banner, or just the logo - it is entirely up to you.

But if that's not enough for you, the winner of the competition will receive a Classic Who box set, Doctor Who: The BBC Radio Episodes, worth £48 courtesy of BBC Audio Go.

The competition will run until 29^th May and will be judged by Joe Lidster, author of The Sarah Jane Adventures “The Nightmare Man” and “Mark of the Berserker.”

You can send your designs to us at kirstyjay12@hotmail.com along with your name and contact email address. The winner will be contacted via email at the end of May. You are allowed to submit as many designs as you like to us, so let your creativity flow.

Good luck! We look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Doctor Who Magazine Holiday Special 1992

2011-04-25T16:54:00.006Z

I looked at my collection today and I forgot all about this beautiful magazine from 1992. It's packed full of some gorgeous photos and wonderful writing and I thought I would share a comic by SJA's script editor and author, Gary Russell. The scans are quite big, so apologies for that. You can double click on them to make them bigger so it's easier to read them. Enjoy!

The Undiscovered Country

2011-04-25T16:09:00.006Z

Like everybody, I was completely shocked and a great deal shaken by the news of Elisabeth Sladen's passing last week. Through Doctor Who she's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember; and it's hard imagining a world without her.

Through Doctor Who and the SJA she's always been there. It's no secret that Sarah Jane Smith is my all time favourite companion. I doubt that will ever change. She's such a fantastic character, fleshed out magnificently by Sladen in what I believe to be some of the very best adventures of Doctor Who's initial 26 year run.

When it was announced she would be returning to the series, 30 years after she originally left, I was over the moon. Forget the return of the Cybermen that same year, or rumours of an all out Dalek-Cyberman war during the season finale, it was that little moment in episode three, "School Reunion" that had me most excited of all. Sarah Jane! Back on my telly! In proper Doctor Who.

I cried, you know, during those closing moments of "School Reunion". Not just because those closing scenes outside the TARDIS between Sladen and David Tennant were so brilliantly written, but because, in my gut, I feared that was it: The end of Sarah Jane Smith. The character walked off into the sunset with K9 and I feared we'd never see her again - and it broke my heart.

I needn't have worried. Rumours soon started (and with them, so did this blog) that Sarah Jane was coming back. First, maybe, in Torchwood. Then... Sarah Jane Investigates! Months later, the name was changed, but the spin-off arrived on a New Years Eve afternoon over on BBC One. It was rather good, wasn't it?

In a world where children's television is vanishing fast, thanks in part to television executives who don't understand its importance, The Sarah Jane Adventures is such an important (and iconic) series for its channel, and audience. It's not easy getting intelligent programming onto your children's TV screens. Think yourselves lucky. We've had 4 series worth of absolutely fantastic drama-adventure. No dumbing down, or filmed cheap as chips lowest common denominator.

A lot of people are worried that series 5 won't be broadcast. Don't be. Russell T Davies knows, as does Sladen's family, how much the world loves Sarah Jane Smith. Be patient, and your patience shall be rewarded.

As for what comes next... Some fans want to see the series mark the death of Sarah Jane Smith. I feel this is fundermentally the wrong thing to do. Not because children can't cope with or understand the death of the character (they are intelligent enough to do both) but because... well, it isn't fair. Consider this: the character has been handled by three very different production teams (Barry Letts/Terrance Dicks, Philip Hinchcliffe/Robert Holmes, and Russell T Davies) - is it fair that any one person therefore decides the ultimate fate of the character?

Here's what I think should happen: End the series with the episodes already shot. Have Sarah Jane look up to the sky one last time, surrounded by her children, giving one last fantasticly beautiful speech. Roll credits.

The open-ended conclusion then allows fans to take control of her destiny. You're free to imagine what comes next. Maybe she dies the very next week in a heroic battle against any race of evil. Maybe she continues to live a fantastic life, and dies in bed an old lady in her 90s surrounded by family, friends, and a certain Time Lord. Or perhaps, maybe, she simply lives forever - Sarah Jane Smith immortal, and undefeated.

I quite like the idea of that last one, myself.

Whatever, CBBC's Barney Harwood is right: We should celebrate what a person did, instead of being upset about what a person didn't do. Celebrate Elisabeth Sladen. Buy the DVDs of her classic Doctor Who adventures, or tune into the SJA whenever they're on. Keep those posters of her up on your wall, or on your desktop. Write on the forums, and visit sites like this. Keep the memory going - but most important of all, do it with a smile on your face.

The ultimate tribute to Elisabeth Sladen, then. She isn't gone - and she never will be.

Thanks for reading.

My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen from CBBC

2011-04-23T23:10:00.003Z

Those outside of the UK who are unable to play BBC iplayer can see the tribute here from Blogtor Who.

Sarah-Jane.tv's Twitter

2011-04-23T20:25:00.004Z

"Don't Forget Me" A Tribute To Elisabeth Sladen

2011-04-20T10:59:00.017Z

Elisabeth Sladen came flying on to our screens in 1973 as that plucky young journalist, Sarah Jane Smith, and has been the nations favourite companion ever since.

From the moment she passed herself off as her aunt in UNIT with Jon Pertwee, to the moment she said “Don't forget me” to the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, Sarah Jane Smith was adored.

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Elisabeth Sladen, but she will live on in the hearts of Classic Who fans and a whole new generation of fans that she touched the lives of.

“The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis" said Russell T Davies, creator of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Lis was born in 1948 and attended drama school at the Liverpool Playhouse repertory company as an assistant stage manager. However, she really wanted to get in to acting but because she was such a good stage manager, she never managed to land herself any roles. She began deliberately doing things wrong so she would be given more acting, but her first appearance as a corpse got her in to trouble thanks to Brian Miller [now her husband] due to the fact that she giggled when he whispered "Respiration nil, Aston Villa two.”

Lis's first major role came in 1970 when she appeared in Coronation Street as a barmaid for six episodes, followed by Z-Cars in 1971. She continued to make guest star appearances right up until 1973 when she landed herself the role of Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who when Rod Craddock, producer of Z-Cars, gave her an enthusiastic recommendation.

It is safe to say that I fell in love with her from her very first Doctor Who episode, Time Warrior, and she continues to be “my companion.” Many Classic Who fans will have grown up with Sarah Jane and Tom Baker, and I can recall my mum telling me about how she would hide behind the sofa every time she heard the Doctor Who music, but squeal when our heroine saved the day.

Elisabeth Sladen and Ian Marter in Doctor Who

Sarah Jane was everything a good Doctor Who companion should be. She was clever, brave, outspoken, plucky and never did what the Doctor told her to do.

When Lis left the series in the 1976 episode, The Hand of Fear, it made front page news, where previously only a change of Doctors had received such attention. I am sure there were many a fan to shed a tear for her when she clutched her suitcase and little owl and left the Tardis.

After Sarah Jane's departure, Sladen's career was quiet for a while as she took on many minor roles. She went in to presenting, and finally took a starring role in Barry Letts' Gulliver in Lilliput.

Sarah Jane eventually came crashing back on to our screens in 1981 when she reprised her role of Sarah Jane in K9 and Company: A girl's best friend.

After K9 and Company, Sarah Jane never really went away. Lis appeared in Doctor Who's 20^th Anniversary special, The Five Doctors, a Children in Need special Dimensions in Time and finally starred in Downtime, an independently produced video in 1995 alongside Nicholas Courtney and Deborah Watling.

Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen; Downtime

Lis starred in several audio plays over the years, two of them were produced for BBC Radio, The Paradise of Death (Radio 5, 1993), and The Ghosts of N-Space (Radio 2, 1996), together with Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney.

Possibly my favourite part of Sarah Jane came from Big Finish Productions, who produced two series of Sarah Jane Smith audio adventures set in the present day, released in 2002 and 2006. Her daughter Sadie has also appeared in the audios, playing Natalie Redfern. However, the canon of these audio books is something of a debate among fans due to Sarah Jane's next television appearance in 2006.

Lis was able to show a more “adult” side to Sarah Jane that hadn't been shown on Doctor Who before. She brought Sarah back to life and had me laughing and crying with her, which just goes to show what a fantastic actress she was as she did not rely on the screen to portray her characters.

Photo by Jason Haigh-Ellery. Actor Jez Fielder, known as Jeremy James with Sadie Miller and Elisabeth Sladen

In 2006 something marvellous happened that would shape the rest of Sladen's career. Russell T Davies brought back Doctor Who in 2005 and if that wasn't enough for fans, he asked Lis to appear in a “New Who” episode. “All the years she was off screen she did the most terrific job of defending Sarah Jane and never letting her reputation be besmirched by any sort of merchandise or stuff like that” said Russell. At first Lis was reluctant to bring Sarah Jane back as she had her own ideas about the character. However, when she first read Russell's script for School Reunion, she absolutely adored it and knew that was exactly how Sarah Jane would be. She starred alongside the 10^th Doctor and Rose Tyler and brought back the rusty but faithful K9. The nation fell in love with Sarah Jane all over again.

"I just can't believe that Lis is gone. She seemed invincible. The same woman who enchanted my childhood, enchanted my time on Doctor Who and enchanted generations who have watched her and fallen in love with her - just like I did. I feel very honoured to have shared a Tardis with Sarah Jane Smith, and I feel very lucky to have shared some time with Lis Sladen. She was extraordinary” said David Tennant, remembering his wonderful time with Elisabeth Sladen.

Billie Piper, David Tennant and Elisabeth Sladen in School Reunion.

Probably the most important thing about Sladen's late career was The Sarah Jane Adventures, without it, this blog wouldn't even exist. We owe a lot to Russell T Davies and Elisabeth Sladen for bringing us such a wonderful TV show that could be enjoyed by the younger audience, as well as us old school die hard fans.

The Sarah Jane Adventures aired in January 1^st 2007 for the pilot episode of Invasion of the Bane and since then has spanned four series with a cast of spectacular actors, lead by a woman whose life we will never forget.

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Lis's craft is that she will be so sorely missed by so many. Her passing is front page news even in a week of Political and Royal headlines.

When Sarah Jane first left the Doctor she pleaded with him not to forget her, and thanks to the superb performance of Elisabeth Sladen, we never will.

Note: The new Doctor Who episode this Saturday will be dedicated to Elisabeth sladen and there will also be a 15-minute programme 'My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen' at 18:45 on CBBC on Saturday, after Doctor Who.

A Tear, Sarah Jane?

2011-04-19T19:47:00.002Z

I am sorry to be the one to break the news to you all as devoted Sarah Jane fans, I have just been informed of some very distressing news.

Actress and star of Doctor Who & The Sarah Jane Adventures, Elisabeth Sladen, has passed away following a battle with Cancer, aged 63.

All of us here at SJ.tv extend our thoughts and condolences go to her husband, Brian and daughter Sadie, as well as all of us whom she touched in her life, whether in person or simply through performance.

A further tribute will be prepared when the shock of her loss has passed.

Well Done Sarah Jane

2011-03-16T11:57:00.003Z

We all knew they could do it! Last night, The Sarah Jane Adventures won the best children's drama against Tracy Beaker Returns at the Royal Television Society awards.

“The winner was emotional and incredibly engaging – a wonderful drama that stands on its own as a terrific piece of storytelling. The cultural diversity of the cast, its high production values and creative storyline made it a joy to watch and kept you intrigued.”

The full list of winners from last night can be found here.

Rest In Peace

2011-02-23T13:37:00.005Z

Nicholas Courtney passed away yesterday at the age of 81, guys :( SJ.tv extends its condolences to his family and friends.

William Nicholas Stone Courtney
1929 - 2011

Oh...My...

2011-02-08T23:57:00.003Z

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Yasmin Paige as we've never seen her before, ladies and gents :P Is it weird to think that Tommy Knight auditioned for the role of the guy in this?

Ah lack of updates, don't kill me :P First thing's first, happy 18th to Tommy, and a very happy 63rd to the delightfully youthful Lis Sladen. Other SJA developments? There really hasn't been much. Second part of SJ.tv's interview with Katy Manning can be found here, but other than that - you won't be hearing much at all until Series 5 starts filming in Spring.

Also, keep an eye out on eBay - or this site in general. SJ.tv will be auctioning off a dozen rare SJA items; including episode scripts, signed boxsets, posters and other awesome goodies never before seen by mortal eyes. Stay tuned for more news! [Thanks to Mark for the Submarine trailer!]

A Belt Made of Shoelaces

2010-11-23T21:31:00.015Z

Katy Manning, ladies and gentlemen. MacMachiavelli from Planet Gallifrey and I got to interview her and her on-screen grandson, Finn Jones, over the weekend at Birmingham's Memorabilia convention! Many many thanks to Mac for taking the time to type up the interview. I've added in a few additional bantery bits of info in my version which some fans may find of interest.

Many thanks to SARAH-JANE.tv's very own KirstyJay for providing me with a fair majority of the questions asked! And, of course, many thanks to the delightful organisers of Fantom Films for going out of their way in providing us with the opportunity! Be sure to check out their future events!

Katy Manning at her signing table

Nabu: Hiiii! Nice to meet you. I'm Nabu, and I write for a leading Sarah Jane Adventures website.

Katy: Ohh!

Mac: I'm Mac, I write for a leading Doctor Who website.

Nabu: So yeah, we're a good combination there.

Katy: And...I don't do computers!

Nabu/Mac: Ahahaha. :D

Nabu: So, how are you today? How have you found the experience so far [at the convention]?

Finn: Yeah it's been great!

Nabu: Your first convention, I believe?

Finn: Yep, this is my first convention, I'm breaking my virginity!

Katy: I had to be with him.

Nabu: You've popped your cherry!

Finn: Yeah, Granny had to be there...

Katy: Granny had to check this out! (laughs)

Mac: That's going to be quoted in the interview, y'know.

Finn: Oh, it's recording?! (laughs) Yeah, my Gran was there when I lost my virginity...

Katy: Well this is the kind of Granny who would! (laughs)

Nabu: Ahaha, indeed! Well, we've prepared a list of n00by questions we'd love to ask you.

Finn: Go for it.

Katy: n00by?

Finn: Word from our generation.

Katy: Like 'innit'? :P

Finn: And 'Lol' (laughs)

Nabu: Ahaha, you're down with the kids. :D

Katy/Finn: (laughs)

Nabu: Right, first of all - what was it like returning to the BBC set after so many years? Was it a bit of a learning curve?

Mac: Was it reminiscent of the past?

Katy: Yeah well first of all, the moment I found myself on that freezing cold mountain, it was like old times, y'know. The only difference was, I wasn't wearing a mini skirt, which was a great relief because everybody was watching! And going into the TARDIS was fascinating because it has changed and become very cutting-edge and it was very exciting because, although I was quite nervous to bring back this character, and you have no rehearsal, you go straight in—

(At this point, Tommy Knight enters!)

Finn: Tommy Knight has just come in here! Tommy Knight, get here now, we're having an interview, and you are just causing a scene...

Katy: I think you'd better come and sit here with us... Did you see his walk? Did you see the walk?

Finn: He needs to keep his trousers up!

Tommy: Look, right, I don't have a belt [for my trousers] so I had to use a shoelace!

Katy: It's like a bad man's Saturday Night Fever.

Tommy: Well, maybe I am a bad man out on a Saturday night...!

(everyone laughs)

Mac: This is all going up on the site, you know.

Katy: (laughs) But it really was a terrific experience being back. As I say, no rehearsing and so you just had to go through it. How could you go wrong with a Russell T. Davies script? And you know, such wonderful actors, like Matt. I think including the audiobooks now, I'm into seven or eight Doctors!

Nabu: Did you collaborate with Russell about your character?

(at this point Tommy Knight opens a packet of Magic Stars and starts dividing them up with Finn) xD

Katy: Well, he was constantly in touch: very hands-on, very caring. Absolutely lovely. And in terms of the character, if you look at the piece, it's the perfect carry-on from where she left off. For three years, from being this little, cunning 18-year-old and this sort of, slightly 'knowing' young lady, going off and getting married. I think with everything that she did, you can imagine her doing that. (notices the chocolate stars the boys are eating) Ooh, can I have one, too? :D

Finn Jones plays Santiago alongside

Anjli Mohindra in 'Death of the Doctor'

Mac: So, Finn, what was the experience like for you compared to Hollyoaks? How was it different?

Finn: It was great. Really really great. Both sets were really welcoming. And Doctor Who is a massive world, y'know these people are so established in what they do, so to come along first it was a bit like 'Oh I might be out of my depth,' and I hoped I could live up to the reputation of the show.

Nabu: Oh, you most certainly did!

Finn: Everyone was so welcoming and so lovely and the script was so great. And it wasn't 'The Matt Smith Show' or 'The Katy Manning Show', it was a collaborative double episode where everyone had a fair story in it. I had the time of my life!

(Tommy and Finn proceed to throw chocolate stars at eachother) xD

Katy: And working with Lis, for me, I thought that [Jo and Sarah] complimented each other really well, and I loved working with her. Yeah, it's true, everybody had their little moment.

Finn: Except for Tommy, 'cause he wasn't in it. Were you Tommy?

Tommy: No, I was... er... (Katy laughs)

Finn: Thank God, because if you were in it, I wouldn't have been in it!

Tommy: You're sort of like an upgrade, aren't you?

Finn: Upgrade? Oh thank you!

Tommy: Yeah, you're taller!

Mac: Oh, nobody could upgrade you, Tommy. :D

Tommy: (laughs) Yeah.

Katy: Hang on, if you [Finn] hadn't been in it, and you [Tommy] had been in it, what would I have been?

Mac: A Shansheeth?

(everybody laughs)

Katy: Mrs Shansheeth! Yes, with a bright, nylon frock.

The interview goes on, but we'll be posting the second-half in due time! Return soon to learn more about mistaken identities, and what the cast think of reading the opinions of fans online! In the meantime, be sure to check out Mac's blog over at Planet Gallifrey for all the latest Doctor Who news!

Weekend Treat! =D

2010-11-21T07:24:00.002Z

Another Memorable Year!

2010-11-17T08:57:00.019Z

If you look up the definition of Sod's law, you'll probably find a picture of my face :P The oneeee series of SJA where I've taken a bit of a backseat has turned out to be THE MOST epic series of The Sarah Jane Adventures to date! Darn you, university. Darn you and your mounting pile of coursework, monthly presentations, weekly tests and uber-weird in-class videos. :P

But I've been keeping up with series four nevertheless, and I must say...I haven't been this giddy tuning in for the show since the legendary first series back in 2007! The writing, the acting, the CGI, the guest stars... *wistful sigh* It's probably been said a million times over by fans, but truly amazing schuff.

And the promotional work the BBC have done this series has been pretty spectacular to boot. They *finally* came up with an event that catered to adult fans! Can't put into words how amazing it was for jackharkness, KirstyJay and myself to see Death of the Doctor on the big screen in London, so I'll let KirstyJay tell you on my behalf. xD Blew us awayyyy, though.

If you thought seeing the Doctor episodes on the telly was awesome, you'd have messed your pants seeing the crystal-sharp HD episodes joined together and projected onto a cinema screen with dual-surround sound gently caressing your eardrums. 8D'''' I've always been a firm believer that the show would look amazing on the big screen, and it didn't disappoint.

But the promotional events aren't over, guys!

Memorabilia will be playing host to a plethora of SJA guests this weekend in Birmingham, with Tommy Knight and Anjli Mohindra taking part in a free promotional signing on the Saturday, with Fantom Films serving up Katy Manning and her on-screen grandson, Finn Jones, for a signing on Sunday. SARAH-JANE.tv had the opportunity to go to Memorabilia last year and meet the cast with a few lucky fans, and let me assure you - the event is EPIC!

What better way to celebrate the end of yet another fantastic series of SJA, and the release of the new Series 3 boxset? Be sure to check-out the Memorabilia guest-list for all the other awesome peeps coming along!

An Interview With Joe

2010-11-05T13:35:00.006Z

After a magnificent start to The Sarah Jane Adventures, I spoke to The Nightmare Man's author, Joseph Lidster, who gave me this stunning little interview.

Not only has he written for The Sarah Jane Adventures, his works include Torchwood, Sapphire and Steel, Doctor Who, several tie-in websites for the BBC's wonderful adaptation of Sherlock and more. Joe is fast becoming one of those names cropping up everywhere.

In Torchwood you had Owen dealing with the fact that he is suddenly “dead.” Mark of the Beserker showed Clyde’s family problems, The Mad woman in the Attic went through Rani’s past and the insecurities of Eve and now we have the fabulous Nightmare Man with Luke’s fears. Would you agree that it’s fair to say your writing can be typified as having a strong emotional theme?

“Yeah. I love exploring a character and finding out what makes them tick. I think I’ve always done it really but it’s especially noticeable on SJA because I’ve done one about Clyde, one about Rani and one about Luke. I think the thing I always try to do with these type of stories is to make sure that they’re not too angsty or sedate. I try to put a lot of jokes and action and scary moments in them as well, as nobody wants to watch two characters sitting there endlessly talking about their feelings and being miserable and so on. So, Clyde and his Dad will have a serious conversation but it follows on from a shopping spree montage. Rani talks about her feelings but she’s chatting to a bright red alien girl who’s controlling a bunch of zombies in a spooky theme park. Luke’s fears and feelings are represented as dark and scary and also occasionally amusing nightmares. I think, for me, the most important aspect is that the story feels emotionally real. During discussions in script meetings, my response to something will often be “But Luke just wouldn’t do that!” I suspect that in my head, the characters are a little bit real. Which probably isn’t healthy!”

All your stories with Sarah Jane seem to shove her out of the way a bit, is this something you choose to do and focus on the other characters or is it because you don’t feel confident writing for Sarah Jane?

“With Mark of the Berserker it’s something I was specifically asked to do but really, my stories tend to focus on a particular character so it’s easier if Sarah Jane has less of a presence. She’s actually in Mad Woman and Nightmare Man a fair bit – it’s just there are lots of scenes of Rani or Luke having their own story so it feels a bit different. And the fact is that if you’re writing a story about Clyde and his father you want lots of scenes that concentrate on Clyde and his father – having Sarah Jane in those scenes just wouldn’t work. Lis always jokes that I write her out but the truth is, I’d love to write a huge Sarah Jane story. I love giving Lis things to do – even if it’s just dress up as a nurse or as a batty old version of Sarah Jane. She’s so good at comedy and I’d love to write a big fun story all about Sarah Jane herself.”

You also edited a series of short stories, how different is your approach to editing or abridging other works from starting an original story fresh?

“I think it’s pretty similar really. My belief is that if something is scary, it should be really scary. If it’s funny, really funny. I want to make an audience laugh and cry and shut their eyes terrified – and when I edited that book, I pushed for the writers to do the same. I specifically asked for no stories that opened with Doctor Who and his companion in the TARDIS having a chat and blah blah blah because, in a short story, you haven’t got time for that. To be honest, though, I chose the writers I did because I knew they’d be brilliant. And they were!”

You’re obviously a fan of Doctor Who, but you haven’t just stayed with writing that. You wrote some audio books for Sapphire and Steel, but in one the sleeve notes for Daisy Chain you point out that you were two when the series ended. How much research do you feel you need to do on and era when you’re writing audio books?

“I think you need to know it but not be tied to it. I went out and bought the Sapphire and Steel DVDs so I understood the show (and I loved it) but I didn’t feel compelled to worry too much about capturing the late-70s vibe because I was writing something that was coming out in 2004. And that might be why it shocked a few people. It was the same with my Doctor Who audios. As a fan, I understood that they were meant to be set between two particular TV stories however many years ago but I always tried to write them as modern drama. I don’t believe in writing something for the sake of nostalgia. What’s the point? If I’m spending money on a piece of drama I want it to move me, to scare me or whatever – I don’t want to sit there thinking ‘Oh, I can just imagine this being on the telly in 1983’.”

This is probably a really obvious and dull question that you get asked all the time, but how do you find your inspiration for writing?

“People. The way they talk to each other. The way different types of people talk. Relationships. Everything like that really. Even if I’m having an argument with someone, part of my brain is analysing it – working out why I’m saying what I’m saying and why they’re saying what they’re saying. I’m surprised my family and friends haven’t noticed more often when I’ve put them into a script.”

You wrote the content for several tie-in websites relating to the fictional world of the new television series, Sherlock. If Steven Moffat ever asked you to write an episode, would that be something you would in interested in? It’s not quite science fiction, but I think you’d write a cracking episode.

“Oh yeah. I loved Sherlock and I really enjoyed doing the websites. To be honest, my main ambition at the moment is to write some TV that isn’t related to Doctor Who. I’m actually not the world’s biggest science fiction fan. I appreciate it and think some of it is brilliant but I tend to like it more when it’s horror or adventure or whatever that just happens to be sci-fi. I think all my Sarah Jane scripts have been written as horror stories really- even though I’m generally a wuss when it comes to watching horror movies.”

Tomorrow!

2010-10-24T13:13:00.003Z

DEATH OF THE DOCTOR

Part 1 - Monday, October 25th

Part 2 - Tuesday, October 26th

@ 5.15pm on the CBBC Channel

It's the one you've all been salivating for.

If you thought the episodes thus far have been epic,

you haven't seen anything yet!

jackharkness, Nabu San and Kirstyjay recommended!

The BFI Screening

2010-10-13T13:55:00.010Z

After my long 4 hour journey to London through the rush hour yesterday, I finally found the BFI at 7.20pm and rushed inside to collect my tickets. It was a lot bigger than I had expected and it was absolutely packed full of excited fans, with not a single child in sight! Excitedly, Nabu San and I had a chat about the screening before going in to the studio and it was clear that we were both as anxious as each other about the night ahead.

To warm the crowd up our host asked the audience a series of questions to win some great promotional postcards signed by Elisabeth Sladen and Katy Manning, as well as some Merlin merchandise. We were then shown two Classic Who clips featuring Katy and Lis’s departure from Doctor Who to get us in the mood, which I must say nearly brought a tear to my eye.

Image kindly scanned by winner phoenix123, who answered one of the competition questions correctly

After that lovely introduction the studio plunged in to darkness for the showing of Death of the Doctor by Russell T Davies and boy, what an episode it was! The script was phenomenal, the acting was tantalising and for us old school Who fans, it was just perfect. I would even go so far as to say that it is the best story of The Sarah Jane Adventures yet (sorry Joe.)

Katy Manning’s entrance was wonderful, there’s something truly fantastic about that woman, she seems to have the ability to cheer everyone up as soon as she opens her mouth (which is quite often.) She complained about where everyone was sitting as they’d had a plan and pushed Gary Russell, SJA’s script editor, out of her chair. But this was nothing compared to the applause Elisabeth Sladen received as she stepped on to that stage and enthralled us all. Well, she is the star after all.

Brian Minchin was unable to attend the panel due to being poorly, but he was replaced at the last minute by none other than The Nightmare Man’s brilliant writer, Joe Lidster. Edward Russell, SJA’s brand manager (with fantastic hair) completed the panel.

To open the discussion, our host asked Gary the first question of the night: A quote Russell T Davies made about series four recently; it’s easier, and harder after four series as you have to find new ways and new aliens in Ealing, but it just gets better and better. I was going to ask, would you agree with that one?

Gary: It’s not harder, it gets more interesting because you do find yourself after four years going “well we’ve done that, oooh now let’s do this.” And yet at the same time the joy, I think, of doing a kids show like this is actually the people who remembered series 1 are probably at the age now where they’re just coming out of Sarah Jane and going in to Doctor Who. I wouldn’t say you could.. not exactly repeat stuff but you CAN borrow things. And you can do it all over again. Sarah Jane, unlike Doctor Who and Torchwood has a much quicker turnover of its audience, and that makes quite an interesting challenge.

Gary then goes on to talk about the Jackson family’s departure in series 1 and how Luke is now leaving series 4 to go to University, the reason for this being that Tommy Knight is now moving on to focus on his A-levels, but don’t worry fans, it won’t be the last we see of him. Katy adds that Tommy’s end was a “terrific exit” and she particularly enjoyed the scene between Sarah Jane and Luke in the car.

As we’ve been told many times before, Lis talked about how Russell T Davies asked her back to do Doctor Who in School reunion, and then offered her The Sarah Jane Adventures. She said when she received the phone call from her agent, she thought she was going to be given the chance to play a grown up Sarah Jane on Torchwood, little did she know how popular SJA would become. She told us about a “lovely” scene that got cut out of School reunion because she hurt her leg quite badly on the very first day of filming. The scene was supposed to feature Lis and David running, with some lovely dialogue, but it got cut because she just couldn’t do it.

With the audience hanging on the panels every word, and Katy slipping in the occasional naughty innuendo, the talk turns to working with the rest of the cast. Lis mentioned how lovely it is to work with Tommy, Anj and Danny. She said Danny has recently turned 23 but plays Clyde at 17, they go on a night out and then you realise he’s completely different to the age he plays.
Katy then made us all laugh when she talked about filming Death of the Doctor with the gang, “I was being very careful about what I said, and what I did, because I thought they were all about 16 years old. And then suddenly it came to me, I won’t tell you how [audience laughs] I found out that he was far from a little 16 year old boy. [Audience laughs again] NO NO!! I’m just going to shut up now.” Oh Katy, your mouth does get you in to a lot of trouble.

They swiftly moved on from that subject to talk about Russell T Davies, who is in LA but still very much in control of the show. Gary says Russell’s the voice of god, he’s always there at the end of the phone, or sending an email and Katy adds that she got a text every day from him when she was filming. Lis gives us a lovely little story about David Tennant’s leaving party from Doctor Who, they were watching the fireworks with Russell and she says “Oh, well there goes our budget!” but Russell paid for it all himself as he loves the show. She says he’s in charge of everything and always makes it known that he’s there, because he is the executive producer.
Joe says it’s the same with the writers, he emails or he writes. Russell gave him a text the day before to say “ooo it’s Sarah Jane day” he’s totally on it. Katy added “it’s such a treat to have a man like that at the front of things.”

All in all, the evening was extremely enjoyable, the banter was hilarious and the audience went away with an experience they’ll never forget.

News, News, News

2010-10-11T10:52:00.009Z

With The Nightmare Man airing at 5.15 today on CBBC, the trickle of news over the past few days has suddenly become a flow.

Not only do we get a fabulous new series 4, but the Sarah Jane Adventures website has been given a whole new revamp. Don't wait to explore the wonderful new attic redesign, with added features, isn't it pretty?

If that got you excited, you'll love this. Check out this exclusive first look at Sarah Jane's Alien Files. You can get the lowdown on her nemesis the Trickster, and Krislok the time-travelling Graske this afternoon, 5:45pm on the CBBC channel.

As well as these little mouth watering extras, the BBC have launched a brand new Sarah Jane Adventures quiz available on BBCi using BBC Red Button service. The quiz will allow viewers to test their memory and observational skills by watching clips from the show and then answering questions put to them by the Bannerman Road Gang. Participants who make the grade then can go to the website and download a special certificate saying they have passed the "Red Button" level of the Sarah Jane Academy. Unfortunately, this service is not available for those who have freeview.

If you haven't entered BBC Blast's design competition, I urge you to get your entries in today as the competition is due to end this afternoon. Don't miss out of this fantastic opportunity! For more information please turn your attentions here.

TMI Friday also aired this delicious little spoiler clip from The Nightmare Man featuring the very first public appearance from the gang. Bring on 5.15 I say!

Trailers ahoy!

2010-10-05T00:01:00.008Z

With a mere week to go till the fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures premieres on the CBBC Channel, more and more new trailers for the show have started to make their way into the public eye. The first teaser was showcased on prime-time telly on Saturday, when it was aired between brand-new Strictly Come Dancing and Merlin; two of the BBC's most-watched shows! Now it seems a longer and even more exciting trailer has made its way onto the official SJA website, offering fans an exclusive sneak-peak of the upcoming series!

Update: Seems the trailer was deemed so spoilery

that it was withdrawn from the official website!

You can check out another series four trailer over at Blogtor Who, and if you're in a spoilery mood - you can even read reviews of the first two stories whilst you're there! xD I haven't read 'em myself, so can't really tell you how indepth the reviews get, but hopefully it'll leave most of the surprises intact!

If, however, you prefer your spoilers in picture-form, then you're in luck! 'Cause the BBC were kind enough to pass SARAH-JANE.tv a few never-before-seen images from the upcoming Nightmare Man story. So here's a nice big SPOILER WARNING! to stray your eyes away if you'd rather remain in blissful ignorance. Not that there are any major spoilers in the following images but y'know...

Yeahhhh, I haven't a clue what's going on either xD Well, mostly...

I guess it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say the Nightmare Man is showing the gang their fears? In the pictures above, Rani seems to have compromised her journalism dreams to become a television newsreader; a career choice she doesn't seem all too happy with. Whilst Clyde, for all his ambitions and artistic talent, fears that his future won't see him live up to his full potential? Sarah Jane...well...I'll let you draw your own conclusions on her fear!

The Nightmare Man, Part 1 airs next Monday on the CBBC Channel @ 5.15pm, with Part 2 airing the following day at the same place and time! Most of the SJ.tv crew won't be able to see Part 2, however - as KirstyJay, jackharkness and myself will be heading to London to catch an advance cinema screening for Death of the Doctor! Be sure to check out our report on the event soon after!

Series 4 Synopsis

2010-09-30T12:37:00.006Z

After months of waiting, the synopsis for each episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures, series 4, is finally here. Excuse me while I squeeeeee!!

You can read the full pack here which includes interviews and cast lists, but just for you I've posted the low-down.

The Nightmare Man
by Joseph Lidster

Part 1: 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. A strange entity is reaching out to our world, with terrible consequences for the whole human race.

Part 2: With Luke, Clyde and Rani trapped in a bizarre dreamscape, Sarah Jane must fight alone! As the Nightmare Man grows stronger, only K-9 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 Vault Of Secrets
by Phil Ford

Part 1: When an old enemy, Androvax the Veil, returns to Earth, the gang face a dilemma – should they trust him? Or does the legendary Vault hold an even greater terror? But a second threat arises, when android guardians threaten to destroy anyone who uncovers their secrets.

Part 2: As the battle between Sarah Jane, Androvax and the androids reaches its climax, Rani has to save her own mother from being caught in the crossfire. But as the Vault opens the destiny of the entire Veil species is at stake. Is it too late to save them?

Death Of The Doctor
by Russell T Davies

Part 1: When the Doctor is declared dead, old companions Sarah Jane and Jo Grant meet for the very first time, and join forces to discover the truth. As an interstellar conspiracy gathers around UNIT HQ, Clyde finds that he holds the fate of the Time Lord in his hand – quite literally!

Part 2: Old friends fight together to make one last stand against the sinister Shansheeth. But with Clyde and Rani trapped in terrible danger, Sarah Jane and Jo Grant realise their worst fears – their friendship with the Doctor might be the very thing that dooms them.

The Empty Planet
by Gareth Roberts

Part 1: Clyde and Rani wake up one day to discover that they are the only survivors of the human race! The whole of Earth is empty – even Sarah Jane has vanished. But a deserted London holds terrors of its own. Strange forces lurk in the shadows, as mysterious visitors approach!

Part 2: Clyde and Rani meet their enemy, as the Robots arrive on Earth – but what do they want, and where has the human race gone? It's a race against time, but without Sarah Jane's expertise, Clyde and Rani must trust each other like never before if they're to save the whole world.

Lost In Time
by Rupert Laight

Part 1: A harmless investigation turns into an epic quest across time and space. Sarah Jane and the gang are separated by the enigmatic Shopkeeper, and find themselves in three different time-zones throughout history – doing battle against ghost hunters, Nazis, Tudors and a mysterious parrot called Captain!

Part 2: While Sarah Jane tries to prevent a future tragedy, Clyde has to take on the Third Reich single-handed! But Rani discovers to her horror that the march of history cannot be stopped, as a greater danger from the Time Vortex threatens to consume them all.

Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith
by Clayton Hickman & Gareth Roberts

Part 1: Sarah Jane faces her saddest day, as she realises that no one can defend the Earth forever. She's saved the world so many times, but must now hand over the task to safer hands. Clyde and Rani are distraught, and the forces of darkness gather as the inevitable day approaches.

Part 2: Sarah Jane has gone – but a new regime begins at Bannerman Road! Clyde and Rani must face the fact that nothing lasts forever – but can they still unite as a team, to face a new and deadly threat from outer space? Or is the old gang finished for good?

Wow, what a great looking series we have! I for one cannot wait for October 11th!

LOL!

2010-09-25T22:10:00.002Z

As far as teasers go, that has to be one of the funniest I've ever seen xD Good job, Beeb! The Sarah Jane Adventures returns to the CBBC Channel for a fourth series, kicking off with The Nightmare Man, on Monday October 11th.

The Future Is Changing

2010-09-24T13:30:00.012Z

We have some wonderful news regarding the recently mentioned Sarah Jane Adventures Penguin books. Many of you expressed your disappointment to us about the books having been pulled before hitting shelves. Although this is still true, Penguin won't be releasing the stories as paperbacks; they've not been scrapped altogether! There's always a silver lining out there somewhere.

Penguin will instead be releasing The Nightmare Man and Death of the Doctor on November 4th as eBooks!

The books will go on sale at £4.99 each and will be the first eBooks of their kind from the BBC, specially aimed at the children's market. Following their hopeful success, Penguin will be releasing Doctor Who Decide your Destiny and Darksmith titles as eBooks next year.

There Can Never Be Too Much Sarah Jane

2010-09-23T16:59:00.006Z

The latest issue of DWM has revealed that series four will air four times a week! Part one of each story will air on Monday, followed by part two on Tuesday on CBBC. An encore presentation of each part will air on BBC One on Thursday and Friday! Great news for fans who miss the first showing due to inexplicable reasons (unforeseen power/cable outages, dvrs mysteriously malfunctioning, etc.). Or for fans like me, who just like to watch every showing on tv! ;)

Are you as excited as I am? Can't wait for October 11th!!

Like the picture above? Blogtor Who has more promo pics from The Nightmare Man-beware of potential spoilers!

Pulled

2010-09-17T22:00:00.024Z

SJA fans don't really get much in the way of merchandise these days; with product availability seemingly going down in number with every passing year.

Back in 2008, Character Options bid adieu to its SJA action figure line, with the remainder of their stock being sold on at bargain outlets for a fraction of its value. Now, following in the footsteps of the unreleased SJA Board Game, we can exclusively reveal that Penguin have pulled the plug on this years highly-anticipated SJA novelisations; before they've even gone on sale. :(

Picture credit to The Doctor Who Site

Due to have been released on November 4th, no reason for the product cancellation was given. But we can surmise that a lack of interest from the target audience or even budgeting constraints may have been at fault.

Far from being a bad thing, though, product cancellations usually lead to promotional activities being refocused onto more beneficial areas.

Like releasing new sneak-peak clips of future episodes?:

Or holding advance episode screenings in London!??!!!! xD *DIES*

Yeahhh, m'thinks it's going to be a busy few weeks in the world of SJA.

Keep your browsers tuned to SARAH-JANE.tv for the latest =3

And now...Region 1!!!

2010-09-15T15:56:00.008Z

Hot off the heels of the announcement that the Series 3 DVD box set will be arriving on November 1st, comes good news for American fans!

tvshowsondvd.com has reported that the Region 1 version of Series 3 will arrive at our doorsteps on January 4th, 2011, a mere two months after its Region 2 counterpart!!! No word on extras, but the box art looks very similar:

Earlier this week it was announced that classic Doctor Who DVD's would be released simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic starting January 2011. Could this include future releases of The Sarah Jane Adventures, as well?

Only time will tell!

It's Green!

2010-09-14T23:13:00.019Z

We've waited nearly a year, but it's finally here! Set to go on sale November 1st 2010, 2entertain have released the cover image for the upcoming complete third series Sarah Jane Adventures box set!

Unlike the sets produced for the previous two series', the new DVD box set only contains two discs and doesn't appear to come in a card case like its predecessors. Let's hope we'll still get some smashing special features!

Isn't it swish? With a recommended retail price of £24.99 you'd best be quick, Amazon are selling it for £12.99 for a limited time only. I've preordered mine!

Four Is A Go!

2010-09-06T13:10:00.008Z

It's all coming out of the woodwork this week xD Series 4 promotional pictures have finally started to surface online, having first been showcased on Whoviannet early yesterday, with hi-res versions of the pics making its way onto the interwebs a couple hours later, courtesy of the ever-resourceful RyanE. Be sure to visit Ryan's site for more hi-res SJA pics over the coming weeks, as and when the BBC embargoes on them have been lifted. =3

The two promotional pictures available thus far follow closely on the heels of our first proper teaser glimpse of the fourth series, courtesy of the CBBC Channel's Autumn preview trailer - which started airing over the weekend!

Creepy medieval hoodies, awesome CGI robots, some very vulture-like aliens and an emo Luke taken straight out of a Topman catalogue?! :P

How can Series 4 NOT be made of win? =D

Can't wait till the season premiere? Well note Monday, October 11th in your diaries, folks - 'cause that's when The Nightmare Man smashes through your tellybox and into living rooms across the nation. Five weeks...! xD Eeeeee!

Let the countdown begin.

A New Games Competition

2010-08-21T21:33:00.022Z

Ever wanted to be part of an intricate team of designers bringing us those exciting web games we all love to play?

Well now’s your chance. Fans of Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures are being given the opportunity to come up with fresh ideas and new designs for an upcoming Sarah Jane Adventures game on the CBBC website. The competition entails coming up with some new sound effects, and/or designing a spaceship for the Krulius, an alien on the Sarah Jane Adventures website.

Image sourced from the SJA website

Up to 8 winners will be selected to attend a two day master class on the 23rd and 24th of October with leading industry professionals involved in games design. They will also be able to work alongside sound designers, visual designers and games executives to produce an online game.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The competition is open to anyone between the age of 13 and 19 and closes on Monday, 11th October at 5pm.

Here’s Anj to tell you more about this fantastic opportunity.

For more information visit the BBC’s Blast webpage, which can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/209133

What's In A Name?

2010-06-23T13:09:00.015Z

The past few weeks have seen the Who fandom abuzz with chatter. What with Torchwood being recommissioned for a new 10-episode series, the epic Doctor Who series finale taking place this very Saturday - and now, thanks to the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, the episode titles for the fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures have officially been disclosed!

Courtesy of The Who News fan blog, who received a copy of the magazine a day before it went on sale, we've got all the titles listed below! And it probably goes without saying but, in the words of the oh-so delightful Professor Song...

SPOILERS!

SPOILERSSSSSSSSS!!!!

4.1/4.2: The Nightmare Man

Written by Joseph Lidster

Directed by Joss Agnew

Guest starring Julian Bleach as the Nightmare Man

4.3/4.4: The Vault of Secrets

Written by Phil Ford

Directed by Joss Agnew

Guest starring Cheryl Campbell as Ocean Waters

4.5/4.6: Death of the Doctor

Written by Russell T Davies

Directed by Ashley Way

Guest starring Matt Smith as the Doctor and Katy Manning as former Third Doctor companion Jo Grant

4.7/4.8: The Empty Planet

Written by Gareth Roberts

Directed by Ashley Way

Guest starring Joe Mason as Gavin

4.9/4.10: Lost in Time

Written by Rupert Laight

Directed by Joss Agnew

Guest starring Cyril Nri as the Mysterious Shopkeeper.

4.11/4.12: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith

Written by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman

Directed by Joss Agnew

Guest starring Julie Graham as Ruby White.

Julian Bleach aka. Davros as the Nightmare Man?! *faints* He's been on Doctor Who and Torchwood in the past, playing epicly terrifying characters both times! That last title sounds very ominous, too. And according to writer Gareth Roberts, it's going to have a very 'doom-y feel to it'!:

"They're filming it now and it's a storming, emotionally-charged adventure. I wouldn't say "armageddon", but it's full-blooded and dramatic, to show that children's television can be like that. We asked the director to pretend it was the last one ever!"

Last one ever? We should hope not! 'Cause the moment Series 4 wraps up, the cast are set to start filming Series 5! =D We won't get to see that till 2011, mind. But we may get some sneaky set pics of the the new SJA cast member in action! Y'know, the one joining the gang after a certain cast departure?

And if the whispers we've heard from the SJA rumour mill hold true...

In other news, SJA's finally won its first ever BAFTA award!!! =D Unfortunately not for the main category it was nominated, having been beaten out by Grandpa In My Pocket *facepalm* but the designers behind the official SJA website secured a BAFTA Cymru for the Best Interactive category!

Having painstakingly designed the SJA website since 2007, adding more amazing content with every passing series, the BAFTA win is more than well-deserved! So a big congratz to Carbon Studio! We're all really looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeve for Series 4!

May-Thing

2010-05-04T21:40:00.016Z

Slaving over exam revision? Finishing off those last few pieces of coursework? Feeling like your soul's being eaten alive by the stress of it all? We know it sucks [right there with you, in fact], so here's a little something to distract you from all the hard work you're no doubt avoiding anyway... =D

Props to TheEndofTheRoad aka. RationalSquint aka. Tom :P

Considering that's one of the finest SJA fanvids I've ever seen, it doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should do. So here's me, getting it attention. =3 If you're looking for more distractions, there's a veritable plethora of lulz over at The Sarah Jane Smith Wardrobe Appreciation Society Youtube channel.

In other news, The Sarah Jane Adventures has recently been nominated for an oh-so prestigious BAFTA Cymru award! Having been beaten out of the 'Best Children's Programme' category by a Welsh puppet show about talking ducks in '09 - will our beloved Sarah Jane fair better against fellow CBBC nominee, Grandpa In My Pocket [eww], this year? If the sith hits the fan, the show can always fall back on its second BAFTA nomination under the 'Best Interactive' category, for the Beeb's truly innovative work on the official SJA website last Autumn. Monster Hunt, imho = seriously epic winnage!

Don't wanna jinx it or anything, but the show may actually have a decent shot at securing its first ever win when the ceremony takes place on May 23rd, at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Coincidentally also the date of my birthday =P So should the powers that be feel inclined to let SJA come out tops...

BEST. PRESENT. EVER!

Old Friends and New Faces.

2010-04-19T13:29:00.003Z

It has been announced that the Eleventh Doctor will be making an appearance in the new series of The Sarah-Jane Adventures ... and it looks like he is bringing a former companion with him!

From the BBC Press Office:

Sarah Jane Smith is reunited with another of The Doctor's former companions, Jo Grant (Katy Manning), in a new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, set to air on CBBC this autumn. They'll be joined by The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), in a special edition of the show penned by executive producer Russell T Davies.

The two episodes will see The Doctor and his two former time-travelling partners caught up in an alien-busting adventure that will entertain Doctor Who fans of all ages.

Elisabeth Sladen, who plays Sarah Jane comments: "It's a fantastic script and I can't wait to work with another Doctor and hope Matt has fun with us. I've known Katy for ages and I am delighted to be working with her. I last met her in LA but this time we will be in Cardiff. LA was good but Cardiff is better."

Katy Manning, who recently returned to live in the UK again, adds: "Playing Jo Grant again is something I never really considered. I was gob-smacked when they told me and I am over the moon. What an incredible little treat. I come home and this is one of the first things that happens."

Executive producer Nikki Wilson says: "We are absolutely thrilled to be introducing Sarah Jane and the gang to both The Eleventh Doctor and Jo Grant, and to have a script penned by Russell T Davies is the icing on the cake!

"Viewers are in for a real treat, with an action-packed story full of Russell's usual wit and warmth, which takes the gang inside a secret base beneath Snowdon and introduces brand-new vulture aliens, the mysterious Shansheeth. All this, plus a trip to an alien planet – a first for The Sarah Jane Adventures."

Featuring the usual mixture of thrills, laughs and scares, the fourth series promises fun with enemies old and new, including the terrors of the Nightmare Man and a dangerous journey back into history.

A galaxy of guest stars are lined up to appear in the series and include Laila Rouass (Primeval, Footballers Wives) and Cheryl Campbell (Pennies From Heaven), whilst David Bradley (Argus Filch in Harry Potter) will provide the voice of the Shansheeth.

Jo Grant eh?
She was the companion when I was born you know!
Just one more reason to be excited by the new series of the Sarah-Jane Adventures!

Departure

2010-04-08T08:19:00.019Z

We've had a bit of a dry spell for Sarah Jane news lately [April Fools jokes aside], but we've got plenty to keep you happy on the SJA front this week!

Pictures and videos from series four filming done over the past few days are starting to crop up, offering us a rare glimpse of what The Nightmare Man two-parter's going to be about well in advance of its airdate later this year. You can follow the stream of Twitter updates here, or even check out some of the spoilery set report videos courtesy of SJA aficionado, Timeboy.

Those videos, however, are nowhere NEAR as spoilery as SFX Magazine's recent interview with SJA executive producer, Nikki Wilson, where she stated:

[SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! HIGHLIGHT TO REVEAL!]

"We have plans to introduce a new character into the gang for series five..."

Not that that's a bad thing... It's just...VERY big news. Atom Bomb big =D It does, however, mean that one of the regular cast members will be leaving the show to make room for the newbie. :( I won't say who, but if you're following the set reports on Gallifrey Base, Twitter and Youtube - it isn't hard to guess.

Nikki Wilson went on to state that in series four, the gang would be in the "first year of their A-levels" and that the show will be opening with "a big story for Luke, which [will be] about him facing his fears for the future." *hint hint*

Returning aliens will include Androvax from Prisoner of the Judoon [yaay!] and the Slitheen/Blathereen, who'll have a smaller role to play this series [phew!]. Personally, I quite liked The Gift - so I wouldn't really mind seeing a little more of our beloved Raxacoricofallapatorians. :P There'll also be a 'classic' Who character coming onto the show. We'd like to see the Brig again, plz!

Wilson also elaborates that the gang's journey to another world this series won't encompass the whole story, and that the trip back in time will be a 'quest' [to find something or someone? *shrug*]. I assume that as Androvax is back this series, so too are the Judoon. Perhaps Clyde and Rani will have their ban on off-world travel lifted in time for their jaunt to another planet? =D

Wilson concludes on a teasey note, hinting to the possibility of Matt Smith meeting the SJA gang one day. After giving a rather epic performance during The Eleventh Doctor last Saturday, we'd wholeheartedly approve!

In other news, the third series of SJA is up for download on iTunes UK, Tommy Knight's doing a signing at Collectormania next month, a cover for Elisabeth Sladen's new autobiography is up on Amazon and the new series of K9 finally kicked off on Disney XD last Saturday! Despite seemingly airing episodes out of order, you can still catch your favourite robotic pooch every Saturday at 4pm!

Stylin' SJA

2010-04-01T08:50:00.030Z

Filming for the fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures kicked off in Cardiff earlier this week! With a host of new monsters, fantastical journeys to alien worlds and even a little time travel thrown in for good measure - Series 4 is looking set to be the most action-packed series to date!

But as with every new series of a show starring kids, there are evermore arduous challenges to face; the most dire of these being the age of the cast.

The production staff attempted to delay father time by filming some of the fifth series back-to-back with the fourth. Which didn't do much to tackle the problem of two of the 'child' stars being over the age of 20, whilst the third had sprouted up in height over a very short space of time [despite being a mere year older than the character he portrays]. A solution to the problem was found, however...

SJA's new fashion consultant

Style-icon Gok Wan, of Channel 4's How To Look Good Naked, has recently been recruited by the BBC to help make the SJA cast look five years younger! Though Gok was unavailable for comment, our insider sources have informed us that he has some ambitious plans for the show's wardrobe this series. And it's not only the kids who'll be getting a dose of his bold fashion pointers!

'He's thinking of dressing Sarah Jane up as Lady Gaga!' claims an unnamed member of the production crew. 'And he's going to build on Luke's angst from last series and make him all emo. He'll even start wearing gothy nail varnish!'

Sounds like Gok's really shaken things up this year =D But will it be for the better? We'll find out this Autumn when the fourth series starts airing!

Luke Meets the Nightmare Man

2010-03-12T13:15:00.004Z

DigitalSpy have an exclusive interview with newly promoted SJA Executive Producer Nikki Wilson, where she discusses the upcoming fourth and fifth seasons of the show.

Here's an extract, regarding a couple of the new monsters:

"The Nightmare Man is part of a really big emotional journey for Luke which involves him facing his fears and excitement about the future. The Shansheeth are vulture undertakers who get embroiled with the gang on a big adventure for the middle of the series."

I believe the Nightmare Man appears in the first adventure of the fourth series, titled - funnily enough - "The Nightmare Man". From what I hear, it's the first to go before the cameras when filming starts in three weeks time.

On that note, Wilson confirms that this year the show will not only film the entire fourth series, but half of the fifth too. The reason for this? Well, as I explained in a previous post, it's probably to do with the age of the cast - the production team not wanting them to look too old by the time the fifth series goes out in 2011.

It could also to be a budget requirement. Maybe CBBC have enough money for half of the fifth series now, and will have the remainder by this time next year?

Anyhoo... to read the full interview at DigitalSpy click here.

UPDATE!! A seperate source now tells me that "The Nightmare Man" will be Adventure Two (episodes 3&4) of the new series. Watch this space!

***

Elisabeth Sladen cropped up on BBC Four documentary (check her!) Sidekick Stories earlier this week, talking about the companions role in Doctor Who, and how the role of the sidekick remains ever relevant in popular fiction.

The documentary is available via iPlayer for the next week.

More About Four

2010-03-04T17:14:00.003Z

Inside the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (issue 419, out today) newly promoted executive producer Nikki Wilson discusses the upcoming fourth series of The Sarah Jane Adventures:

"After a hugely successful third year, in which ratings went up - a rare feat for television these days! - the fourth series has been planned for a long time, with scripts well underway, and all the regular cast rasy to return. It's a testament to them that the series has become so popular with young viewers. I can promise lots more thrills, scares and fun with enemies old and new, including the terrors of the Nightmare Man, the sinister Shansheeth, our first visit to an alien world, and even a dangerous journey back into history."

Brian Minchin, former Doctor Who/Torchwood script editor is stepping into Wilson's shoes to become the series' fourth producer, following Susie Liggat ("Invasion of the Bane"), Matthew Bouch (all of series one, and now BBC Three's Being Human) and Nikki Wilson (series two/three, and Doctor Who's 2010 series).

This very site reported on Clayton Hickman writing for the SJA well over two years ago. He posted on the now defunct Outpost Gallifrey soon afterwards that the story was 'nonsense' - guess something changed between then and now!

I'm hearing whispers that this year's series [POTENTIAL SPOILERS!!] may feature appearences by the Weeping Angels, and one of the stories may serve as a sequel to the classic 1970's Doctor Who adventure "The Hand of Fear". Neither of these reports (sent in by two different readers) are confirmed at the mo, so take with a pinch of salt until evidence presents itself either way.

Doctor Who Magazine #419 is out now, priced £4.20.

Go, buy!

Another Two!

2010-03-04T12:35:00.003Z

Greetings all! Came back from LA a few days ago, after a cracking Doctor Who convention at Gallifrey 2010! There were SJA guests a'plenty, and I even managed to hug Phil Ford, writer behind The Lost Boy eppy in series one! Hell yes. Even got to have a chat with Paul Tamms and Bob Baker, the co-creators behind the new K9 Series! And boy do we have a lot of gossip about what's coming up on the show before it airs on Disney XD next month, woo! I've also got to pen down a Sarah Jane-related product review. But whilst you're waiting for all that, perhaps this'll pique your interest in the meantime?

----------------------------------------------------

Sarah Jane returns to CBBC for
two further series of adventures

CBBC Controller Damian Kavanagh has commissioned two new series (24 x 30-minutes) of hugely successful Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, which will see the intrepid investigative journalist and her gang of young sidekicks continue to enthral children for the foreseeable future.

Created by Russell T Davies, and featuring one of Doctor Who's most famous companions, Sarah Jane Smith, The Sarah Jane Adventures is made by BBC Cymru Wales and has been a huge hit on CBBC since its debut in 2007, with viewing figures continuing to grow year on year.

The fourth series, set to air this autumn, will again star Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane. Young actors Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra return as popular regulars Luke, Clyde and Rani.

The new adventures will feature the usual mixture of thrills, scares and fun with enemies old and new, including the terrors of the Nightmare Man, the sinister Shansheeth, the series' first visit to an alien world, and even a dangerous journey back into history.

The series will go into production in Cardiff later this month with series three producer Nikki Wilson stepping up alongside Russell T Davies as executive producer and new producer Brian Minchin joining the team.

Damian Kavanagh says: "We are thrilled to be making many more episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

"It is been a huge ratings and critical success on CBBC and we hope our viewers are going to be hooked on Sarah Jane's action-packed adventures for some time to come."

BBC Wales Head of English Language Programmes, Clare Hudson, says: "The idea for The Sarah Jane Adventures sprang from the success of Doctor Who and it has since rocketed in popularity in its own right, thanks to the vision, talent and hard work of the show's brilliant cast and crew."

The fifth series will go into production in 2011 for transmission later that year.

Writers on the fourth series include Phil Ford (also co-producer), Joseph Lidster, Rupert Laight, Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a BBC Cymru Wales/Children's BBC Production.

----------------------------------------------------

Many thanks to the BBC Press Office. New villains? Time travel? New worlds? Can anybody say SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?! =D

Life's a Doodle

2010-02-24T13:07:00.005Z

March 5th isn't just any old Friday, you know. Oh no...

Aside from being the release date for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (in all cinemas except Odeon...) it's also National Doodle Day - a charity day encouraging people from all walks of life to put pen to paper, to help raise money fro sufferers of epilepsy and neurofibromatosis.

This year (the seventh such year the event has taken place) Lis Sladen herself is among the celebrities that have offered their artwork:

You can bid on the doodle, and help raise money for the charity, here.

Other celebrities involved include Catherine Tate and Bernard Cribbins.

(Thanks to reader Lizzie Wilson for bringing all this to my attention)

An Afternoon With Tom

2010-02-23T12:26:00.019Z

We here at SARAH-JANE.tv are of the opinion that Tommy Knight is made of WIN. =D Since his debut on Invasion of the Bane back in 2007, the now 17-year-old actor's managed to get almost as many signings and television appearances under his belt as SJA's leading lady! Though, despite having been quoted about his work dozens of times over the years, few interviewers have had the opportunity to talk to the man behind the character; the real Tombo.

Fortunately for you lot, I - and fellow SJA enthusiast, Kirsty Juniper [aspiring journalist and BFF extraordinaire] gave it a shot last Saturday, when we got to chat to Tommy at the Midlands MCM Expo in Telford!

Tommy and his mother, Sandy, are kind enough to escort us into a rather lavish-looking Green Room at 3.30pm. Tom's just spent the past few hours signing hundreds of autographs, posing for dozens of photos and taking part in a Q&A session with an audience that was wayyyy over capacity. Perhaps it's down to his youthful energy, or maybe it's the can of Coke he's been clutching all day - but Tommy doesn't show the remotest hint of fatigue! A lesser man would've collapsed from exhaustion, especially if he'd set off from his home in Kent at 6 o'clock that very morning. Seems to be all in a day's work for Tommy, however, who's no doubt used to the long hours and heavy workload from the three years he's spent working on The Sarah Jane Adventures.

We learn from Sandy that Tom's always had a knack for taking on more than what would be expected of him. Whether devouring whole novels aged just seven, or learning to play a song on the piano by simply being shown how - you'd be hard pressed not to think of him as a real-life Luke!

We sit down around a conference table in the Green Room to discuss how Tommy's on-screen persona has affected his life since he took on the role:

Kirsty: So...what does it feel like to have so many children idolising you?

Tommy: It’s er, it’s pretty weird actually. I’ve got to think about things a lot more. Like how I am in front of people. I have to mind my language and y'know, be a lot more friendly towards the little kids.

Kirsty: Because you’re like a role model for them, people look up to you?

Tommy: Yeah, it’s quite worrying actually(!)

Me: What’s it like at school? You have the rare opportunity of going to school with the target audience, do you often have the little year sevens come up to you and ask you things?

Tommy: Yeah, I do actually. I get a lot of that the first few weeks in. Every time I walk into Science or go have a Chemistry lesson, the next door year sevens are all pointing as I’m sorting out my bag and there’s like a shock of wonder and awe(!) I walk past and I hear them whisper 'Sarah Jane Adventures!' or something like that to each other. I get used to it, though.

Me: Do you have a little gaggle of fangirls following you around?

Tommy: Not really. No, I go to an all boys school...!

Me: Oh!

Tommy: So it'll be a gaggle of, er boys! No, no. No such luck. *laughs*

Kirsty: So as you’re a young actor, do you have any plans to do anything more meaty in the future? Like, because you were in The Bill last month.

Me: That was so good!

Kirsty: And we heard there was a bad experience there...? [referring to an incident we'd heard about from Tom's mother].

Tommy: Oh yeah, getting stuck in the cell. [When they weren't filming!] That was creepy. Um...I think in the future, I dunno, I really can’t decide on what I want to do. A part of me really wants to leave acting and go and do something else. Like, I’d love to do Medicine, I’ve always wanted to do that. But another part of me wants to join the RAF. I’d love to continue acting because it would be so much fun, but I’m not cool with settling down with something that’s not a regular income. I don’t know if I’d be alright with that throughout my whole life. I want a family one day. =D

Me: Any particular field of the RAF you want to get into?

Tommy: I want to fly aeroplanes.

Me: Ooh, apparently they can pay your tuition for university too, that’s quite a good perk!

Kirsty: Are you a sci-fi fan yourself, because most people are not. I read an interview with Lis and she said 'No, I’m NOT a sci-fi fan at all(!)'

Tommy: I’m not really a sci-fi fan, no. I’m a bit of a nerd, like I play Halo 3 on the Xbox. I follow their MLG competitions for that and love it so much. That’s my nerdy side, all competitive computer gaming. I’m not much of a telly person, which is a shame.

Me: Are you quite techy, then?

Tommy: Tacky?!

Me: Oh, no! Techy! With regards to computers.

Tommy: Oh, oh techy. Yeah, yeah I can work my way 'round a computer.

Me: Do you take after your dad a bit? [his father works with computers for a living]

Tommy: Oh, yeah he knows a lot more than I do. He’s a lot better than I am but yeah, if something goes wrong I can sometimes fix it.

Kirsty: So if you went to a convention or something, is there anyone you would really really want to meet?

Tommy: I think if I was to come to one, I’d probably be like the sort of person that gets stuff for all my friends. I’d text them all like 'oh this person is here' to every single person you see, 'does anyone want this? We’ll go for this person!' and things like that. I’m not much of an autograph-y person. Personally, I don’t have an interest in having them, I completely get why people do want it, though. But like, I’ve never really wanted to run up to someone.

Me: Do you have any nerdy friends in your friendship circle, then?

Tommy: I’ve got a couple of nerdy friends, yeah. :P

Me: Any of them Doctor Who fans, or fellow Sarah Jane Adventures fans?

Tommy: Couple of Doctor Who fans in there, yeah. They’re fully supportive though, everyone I know - they love it. Yeah, it’s nice.

Me: Is it difficult making newer friends at school?

Tommy: Yeah, it is quite difficult sometimes. Fortunately I’m getting older now, so most 17-year-olds don’t really watch it. But I mean, there have been quite a couple of times if I’m out with some friends, and I meet some other friends I’ve never really met before - and they’ll be like 'Oh, are you from that show?' And you sort of feel like they judge you and expect you to be someone a lot better than you are, if you know what I mean?

[We round off our chat with a foray into Tom's favourite things, something every self-confessed Tommy Knight fan's been dying to see answered but have, until now, never had the opportunity to ask! :)]

Me: Favourite book, what do you enjoy reading?

Tommy: Um...I’ve read the book Inkheart, before it was a film.

Me: Is the book better than the movie?

Tommy: So much better. So, so much better! I really loved the book. Yeah, favourite book I think I’ve ever read.

Me: Band?

Tommy: Band...that’s tricky. My music taste is changing. [Tom's mother nods knowingly at this point]

Me: Oh, is it quite a bit eclectic, then?

Tommy: Yeah, yeah I’ve always loved my heavy Deathcore or rural music, but recently it’s just been Dubstep. I just can’t get enough of my basey music.

Sandy: And Vampire Weekend.

Tommy: Oh yeah, and I took mum to see Vampire Weekend. Tuesday, Brixton Academy, we were there. For Vampire Weekend.

Kirsty: I have no idea what Vampire Weekend is. :P

Tommy: They’re...really happy music. xD

Lead singer remind you of anyone? xP

Me: Where abouts is Brixton Academy, is that in London?

Tommy: Yeah, yeah that’s London.

Me: Coolness. And favourite song, if you had to pick one song out of your whole life, the song to your life?

Tommy: Jamie T - Back In The Game.

Me: I’ll have to google that one. And...favourite movie?

Tommy: Um, favourite movie...Fight Club!

Me: Oooh, brilliant. Favourite television show? Oh, well you can pick maybe three...

Tommy: Favourite television show is...I liked, I really loved Misfits.

Me: I love that! Is that coming out again?

Tommy: They’re doing a second series, I'm so excited for that!

Me: Brilliant!

Tommy: I love series one and two of Skins, but I’ve just lost interest in it. *laughs*

Me: Same, same! Effy’s the only strong point in the new series really, and maybe Cook.

Sandy: If they went for another series, presumably the kids in it now would be out...

Tommy: Yeah they’re doing a series at the moment, which is out currently.

Sandy: Yeah, but if they start auditioning for it, would you be interested in doing the next one?

Me: Yeah, there’s an option. It does get a bit raunchy however...so...

Tommy: Yeah! Oh, I’d love a bit of raunch!

Sandy: It’s your age group.

Kirsty: Yeah, you’re about the right age for it now.

Me: Yeah, you'd be perfect!

Tommy: Yeah, I’d love to do that. Definitely.

Me: Yeah, but wouldn’t it intrude on his uni time...

Tommy: Yeah, that’s the only thing. If it's going to effect my education, I don’t know if I'm alright with that.

Kirsty: So we’ll look out for you on Skins next, then!

*all of us have a giggle*

Me: Yeah well, I think that's pretty much it. :)

Kirsty: Thank you very much, that’s about all we wanted really.

Tommy: Oh yeah, well I’m going to go and have a look at the robots now!

Tommy had wanted to go and see the Robot Wars section all day. What he didn’t know was that his mum had secretly organised for him to have a private play with the controls so he could actually move the machines about!

A source tells us that he 'pushed, gripped and bashed a tin barrel to bits...and broke the hammer bit on the robot....'! Nice =D

Many thanks to Kirsty for accompanying me into the interview and for asking some truly insightful questions, as well as typing up the massive chat transcript! And many many thanks to the Midlands MCM Expo Press Office for giving us the opportunity to ask those questions in the first place! I'll be running into Tommy and Sandy again later on this week, when SARAH-JANE.tv will be jetting off on a trip to Los Angeles for Gallifrey One!

Tune in later on in the week for my, hopefully, daily updates from the convention - as well as an account of my adventures in Hollywood!

Update! (or 'Very Important Things We Neglected To Report Before Tonight')

2010-02-07T21:31:00.008Z

SARAH-JANE.tv - one of the internet's foremost fansites dedicated to all things SJA.

Right?

Normally, yes. But as you can see this main page has been a wee bit neglected of late. There's been a spate of SJA related news, and we missed it. We messed up - so to make up for that fact, and to clear our consciences, here's a quick update on all the news we failed to bring you the first time around:

1: Anjli Mohindra - Law & Order: UK

Anjli appears on tomorrow night's episode of ITV1's Law & Order: UK (a spin-off from NBC's popular and long running Law & Order franchise). She guest stars as Sophie Martin, in an episode called 'Love & Loss'.

The official synopsis reads (taken from RadioTimes.com):

A young woman vomits blood on the concourse of a London railway station and later dies in hospital. It turns out she was a drug mule who had just returned from Thailand, her stomach packed with bursting, heroin-filled condoms. Detectives Brooks and Devlin discover that she was a popular, hard-working girl from a good family, who are naturally stunned. But a little digging uncovers unpleasant details about her romantic life...

Freema Agyeman also stars.

(Interesting story from The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter - Freema was set to guest star as Martha Jones in Enemy of the Bane, but couldn't commit because she won a starring role on L&O:UK, hence the reason why we had a visit by Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart instead.)

2: SFX Weekender

Lis Sladen was a guest at SFX Magazine's very own convention - the SFX Weekender, no less - on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th February. The event took place at Camber Sands holiday camp (it's where all the cool kids are heading this summer for their holidays...) in East Sussex.

Tom Baker was there, also, so it was somewhat of a mini-reunion for the two stars!

Anybody go? We'd love to hear from you if you did. Usual email address, etc, etc.

3: Events to come!

As you can probably see from the advert currently splashed on the sidebar of this very site, Tommy Knight is set to rock the Midlands Expo on Saturday 20th February - where he'll be taking part in a Q&A session, and afterwards signing autographs for the many waiting fans. More details here.

Alas, I can't make it. Blame the inevitable hangover from the night before, what with it being my 21st birthday and all...

Fellow contributor and SJ.tv chief Nabu San should be in attendence, however.

Following that comes the GallifreyOne convention between the 26th-28th February. It's Tommy Knight's first North American appearence, and he'll be joined for the event by a string of well known Doctor Who and SJA faces, including director Graeme Harper, Judoon/Dalek voice artist Nick Briggs, script editor Gary Russell and head writer Phil Ford!

Should be quite an amazing weekend (I'll still be hungover, mind...)!

4: Doctor Who @ the BBC: The Legend Reborn

Lis Sladen narrates this collection of clips and interviews taken from 2005 onwards, with regards to the production of NuWho. Check back here for a review of the discs, courtesy of Nabu, shortly - but know that you can pick the CD up (or download it) later this month.

5: DVD News

January saw the release of 'Peladon Tales' - a twin pack DVD set, consisting of two well remembered Jon Pertwee Doctor Who adventures. Alongside 1972's The Curse of Peladon there's its 1974 sequel, The Monster of Peladon, which stars Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith (in her first year on the series).

Amazon has it at the £18 mark, currently.

Next up, The Masque of Mandragora - which is released for the first time on DVD tommorrow!

As it stands, there are still 7 unreleased Sarah Jane Smith classic Doctor Who adventures on DVD:

+ Invasion of the Dinosaurs (episode 1 of which is thought to have been recoloured)
+ Death to the Daleks
+ Planet of the Spiders (rumoured for later in 2010)
+ Revenge of the Cybermen
+ Terror of the Zygons
+ The Android Invasion
+ The Seeds of Doom

It's now been confirmed that we won't see the release of The Sarah Jane Adventures: Series Three until later this year (October/November). Bad news for anybody hoping to see it on Blu-Ray; I'm hearing that BBC DVD have no plans to release it in this format.

Worse still, the David Tennant DVD commentary that was on the cards for the set (over The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, of course) has been cancelled. No reason given. The set will essentially be a vanilla release, void of any content bar the episodes themselves, a handful of trailers and extracts from a couple of SJA audiobooks.

6: The Sonic Lipstick Awards

A reminder to get voting, if you haven't already done so!

7: Series 4

Yes, it's official! We have a commission for a fourth run of adventures!!

SARAH-JANE.tv will be there to report its progress, every step of the way... probably just a few weeks behind everybody else on the web!

No, but seriously, we're back on track now guys and gals. Thanks for being so patient and supporting the site through the deathly slow news period.

As a token of our appreciation, here's a little exclusive:

Series 4 is a-go (that we know) - but when will we see it hit our screens? Might be a little later than we've come to expect, if the rumours I'm hearing are true...

In The Press

2010-02-03T18:40:00.036Z

Radio Times magazine got in touch with me recently, and offered me the chance to flick through an advance copy of their soon to be released Doctor Who souvenir book!

Eager to see whether our very own Sarah Jane Smith figured prominently within this 164-page tome to Russell T. Davies' tenure, I felt almost unprofessionally giddy when I woke up to find a copy of this highly-coveted magazine in my post last Friday.

Having been delivered to Radio Times HQ only a few days prior to being sent to me, the magazine still possessed the faint aroma of something fresh-off-the-printers. If the mere smell of the magazine didn't speak volumes about the quality, nor the luxuriant touch of the finely-bound glossy pages - then the visual feast of images spread across this stunning publication would've been enough to send any self-respecting Doctor Who fan into a squee-induced frenzy.

Laid out in a pictorial montage to the 'new' series, this souvenir book wonderfully captures Radio Times' promotional work for Doctor Who since its return in 2005. Each publicity still featured shines out as a photographic masterpiece, with full-page spreads exhibiting some of these images in all their exquisite glory. The comprehensive gallery of photos, some never before seen by public eyes, even covers the Doctor's appearance in The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith two-parter on SJA!

A feat that, under David Tennant's reign as the Doctor, hadn't even been achieved by SJA's post-watershed sibling show, Torchwood.

Aside from the additional promo shots of Lis and David from the Wedding two-parter, the magazine also features an insightful behind-the-scenes gander at the development of the Slitheen, Sontaran and Judoon prosthetics.

Collectors' Edition is not a label that Radio Times take lightly, but it's a label constantly reinforced on every page of this goliath compendium. This magazine is the product of thousands of pounds worth of photography, and at the mere price of £6.99 - it's worth every penny to own a copy of your very own! Call up the 24-hour order line on 0844 543 9822 for more details!

***

In other news, SARAH-JANE.tv's been mentioned in the latest issue of Collector's Gazette, a specialist magazine for hobbyists and collecting enthusiasts! In an article promoting Memorabilia's SJA cast signing a few months ago, the journalist was kind enough to devote a few paragraphs to the fans who'd come along to support the show - including yours truly! You can pick up a copy for £2.75 in most well-stocked WHSmith stores, or alternatively - you can click on the image to the right to see what I said!

On a final note, we here at SARAH-JANE.tv would like to wish Tommy 'Tombo' Knight and our very own Elisabeth 'Lis' Sladen a very belated HAPIIIII BIRFDAEE! They celebrated their 17th and 62nd year of existence over the past fortnight. =D *cyber confetti* Hope they had a good 'un, and here's to many more!

The Sonic Lipstick Awards (Series Three)

2010-01-29T19:02:00.001Z

Forget Mr Smith... calling all SJA fandom, we need you!!

It's that time again, when SARAH-JANE.tv calls upon YOU to vote in its annual poll; looking back at the latest season of The Sarah Jane Adventures, to decide what was loved, or hated - and everything inbetween!

There's a few changes in how we're doing things this year - so make sure you read each question carefully, and answer accordingly.

FAVOURITE ADVENTURE
Rate the episodes out of 10 (10 highest; 1 lowest).

1: Prisoner of the Judoon
2: The Mad Woman in the Attic
3: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
4: The Eternity Trap
5: Mona Lisa's Revenge
6: The Gift

EXTRA PICKINGS
Rate each out of 10 (10 highest; 1 lowest).

1: From Raxacoricofallapatorius With Love (Comic Relief 2009)
2: The End of Time (Doctor Who - Lis Sladen/Tommy Knight cameo only)
3: The White Wolf (BBC Audio Release)
4: The Shadow People (BBC Audio Release)
5: Complete Series 2 DVD Special Features (BBC DVD)

FAVOURITE REGULAR
Rate each out of 5 (5 highest; 1 lowest).

1: Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)
2: Tommy Knight (Luke Smith)
3: Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer)
4: Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra)
5: John Leeson (K9)
6: Alexander Armstrong (Mr Smith)
7: Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra)
8: Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra)

FAVOURITE SCRIPT
Pick the ONE adventure you feel had the best writing behind it.

1: Prisoner of the Judoon (Phil Ford)
2: The Mad Woman in the Attic (Joseph Lidster)
3: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Gareth Roberts)
4: The Eternity Trap (Phil Ford)
5: Mona Lisa's Revenge (Phil Ford)
6: The Gift (Rupert Laight)

FAVOURITE DIRECTION
Pick the ONE adventure you feel was directed the most successfully.

1: Prisoner of the Judoon (Joss Agnew)
2: The Mad Woman in the Attic (Alice Troughton)
3: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Joss Agnew)
4: The Eternity Trap (Alice Troughton)
5: Mona Lisa's Revenge (Joss Agnew)
6: The Gift (Alice Troughton)

FINALLY...
5 words to sum up the third series (no more, no less!)

Copy and paste this survey, add in your results and email it to this address.

The closing date is Friday 19th February 2010, at 5pm.

The results will be posted on SARAH-JANE.tv sometime in March.

What are you waiting for? Get voting, peeps!

***

The results of the survey for series one, and also series two.

What They're Up To...

2010-01-14T11:00:00.005Z

Feels like it's been ages since we've seen the SJA cast on anything other than SJA. But that doesn't mean to say they aren't keeping themselves busy elsewhere. :P Whether serving customers in Pizza Hut adverts, educating youngsters about the wrongs of cyberbullying or in Tommy Knight's case...starring in a rather dark episode of The Bill on ITV1 tonight!

If the preview above was any indication, the subject matter of the eppy, titled Held Responsible, is intended for a mature audience. So if you were hoping for a performance where Tommy Knight plays another innocent Luke-ish character, read the episode synopsis below at your own peril! [/warned]:

DC Terry Perkins visits a clinic for rape victims, and is horrified when 16 year old Janine Clark says she was raped by her boyfriend Mark Watts and his three friends, Greg Holbrook [played by Tommy Knight], Paul Hayes and Leo Cooper a few days ago. At the station, Janine tells Terry she was invited to Greg’s house, where all four boys were drinking and watching porn. Janine admits to going into a bedroom to have sex with Mark, but afterwards he slapped her and told her to “be nice” to his friends. While Mark, Paul and Leo raped her, Greg held her down and Paul filmed it on Mark’s phone. The four boys are arrested and when Mark is questioned, the arrogant teenager says the group sex was initiated by Janine.

For an expanded summary, check out the ITV Press Centre. To see a few more preview viddys, head over to Youtube. Though, Tommy Knight fangirls may get a little more skin than they bargained for... [/second warning].

The eppy's on ITV1 @ 9pm tonight, so if you're considering tuning in, be sure to tell us what you thought of his performance afterward!

Happy Birthday, SJA!

2010-01-01T16:50:00.015Z

Happy New Years, guys! =D And a very happy third birthday to everyone's favourite show! ;) Oh yus, it was three years ago to the day [and to the minute] that SJA first aired on telly's across the nation. If you weren't around to catch all the promotional work being done back then, this is what you'd have seen being advertised in the lead up to Invasion of the Bane premiering!

Ah, nostalgia. *sigh* Feels like it was only yesterday that I was kipping on the sofa during my Christmas break from uni, getting ready to watch a show that would become such a large part of my everyday life in the years to come.

I wonder how my younger self would have taken to knowing that just two years after that fateful day, I'd have the opportunity to chat to Elisabeth Sladen, have a hotdog with Tommy Knight, visit Bannerman Road, head off to episode screenings, go to an SJA concert, review advance copies of the shows boxset/audiobooks, raise money for charity and meet Mr Smith!

2009's been a corker of a year, and with the fourth series having finally been commissioned [so sayeth Russell T] 2010's looking to be just as fabbity! And could you think of a more perfect way to kick off the decade and celebrate three years of SJA than by seeing two of SJA's leading cast in Doctor Who tonight?!

Tune in to BBC One @ 6.40pm for your chance to see a cameo by Sarah Jane and Luke in David Tennant's final adventure! *sob*

SJA Takes Brum

2009-12-26T12:21:00.077Z

Merry Christmas, everyone! And a Happy Hanukkah, Joyeux Noël, Fröhliche Weihnachten and Kurisumasu Omedeto to a few of our international readers! Did anyone get the second series boxset in their pressie haul yesterday? If you haven't, then we've got a little something to fill up your SJA quota this holiday season! Been holding off on posting this 'cause there just hasn't been much to report on the SJA front lately, but I think you've all waited long enough :)

Many thanks to Tysall's Photography

Memorabilia, one of the most popular twice-annual sci-fi conventions in Britain! And on Sunday, 22nd November - the Birmingham side of the event played host to a Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra signing!

Aside from the private screening in Liverpool a few months ago, this was the first time the SJA Trio v2.0 had made an appearance together for the general public. With hardly any SJA events this year and the new DVD boxset having just been released a week prior, eager fans of all ages were only too happy to attend and take advantage of the rare opportunity to meet the cast!

This is what their queue looked like well before they'd even arrived!

When they finally made an appearance, the queue exploded to twice its size in minutes! And throughout the day, it got bigger still! Memorabilia staff had to cater for SO many people that in the end they had to adjust the method of queuing into a more compact snaking method to take up less space. On top of that, a Memorabilia rep apologetically cut off the queue every half an hour if it got too lengthy, and fans started to form a queue to get into the queue! Madness xP I kid you not, the SJA trio had the longest queue of any signing table that day! Even Harry Potter's Tom Felton, also attending, struggled to match a third of the numbers they were getting. They were that popular!

Anjli and Danny embraced their random side and donned two balloon hats made for them by a wandering entertainer, who was kind enough to manipulate additional balloon shapes for the kids waiting in the queue!

The cast tirelessly signed items and posed for photos for two hours straight, before heading off to the Green Room for a breather!

Many thanks to Tysall's Photography

Courtesy of the Memorabilia Press Office, SARAH-JANE.tv were lucky enough to use this time to have an exclusive private interview with the trio backstage! Furthermore, I was able to bring along a few of our giddy blog readers and competition winners to meet the cast, as well!

Upon entering the Green Room, Anjli greeted me with a hug and thanked me for the flowers she'd been sent for her final theatrical performance of East Is East! Danny bellowed out a jovial 'Nabs!' before leading me into another hug [I may have kinda sorta squeezed him so hard I lifted him off the ground! :P] And as for Tom, I've met the fellow so often that a hug's pretty much our version of a handshake! For me though, the highlight of these pleasant introductories was seeing fans who'd never met the cast before, now having the enviable opportunity to talk to them one-on-one! It's moments like that which make writing for this humble little blog of ours a truly rewarding experience. =)

After all the hugs and hellos were out the way, we all sat down around a table for a chat. Despite having met Dan and Tom a few times before, even I - along with the SARAH-JANE.tv readers who'd accompanied me to the Green Room - felt slightly starstruck sitting across from three of the most well-known faces in British Children's Drama! Bricking it as we were, once the questions started flowing out - we felt a little more at ease in speaking to them.

The questions above were asked by Ann Evans, a writer for Collectors Gazette - a monthly publication you can find on the magazine racks of most WHSmith stores across the nation. Their article on Memorabilia and their interview with the SJA cast [and possibly even me!] is going to be featured in their February issue, so keep an eye out! After the video above had concluded, I and two of my fellow uberfans, alias TheNobleOne and Phoenix123, had the chance to ask the cast some of our own burning questions. God help them! :P

Nabu: Anj, what do your extended family think of you working on the show? Do you go to family reunions and have all your little cousins come up to you and say 'Ooh, I saw you on the telly'?

Anjli: Ha, yeah. Most of the young people in my family, all of my cousins - they get school cred for it! They say their cousin's in Sarah Jane, which is really sweet. My extended family love it. I'm lucky to be part of an Asian family where it doesn't irritate them or insult their culture or anything by me being on TV.

TheNobleOne: Are you really cultural at home, do you speak Hindi etc?

Anjli: Nah, not in any way - which is really bad. :P I can put a chapati under the grill! And I do understand the language fluently, but can't speak a word.

Phoenix123: Are Rani and Clyde going to get it on?!

Anjli: Ahaha! *does a saucy cat call*

Nabu: It's been hinted to in the series, we've seen a little shippiness - if you know what that is?

TheNobleOne: Yeah, it's called Clani :)

Anjli: CLANI?! xD

Nabu: There's also Cluke(!)

TheNobleOne: I invented Cluke. :P

Tommy: Cluke(!) :D

Anjli: I like Clani! *ponders* Hmm, we can't really say!

Daniel: Yeah, can't say - I'd love to know.

Tommy: There's going to be a massive wedding(!) *the trio hold each other's hands* We're going to do a joint proposal at some point, but don't tell Anj! ;)

Nabu: Ah, gotcha ;) Speaking of which, were you aware that the fandom were 'shipping' you at all?! Pairing characters together romantically? Cluke in particular, aka. Clyde/Luke, has quite a following! It's spurred on a bit by several moments in the second series, especially Mark of the Berserker - which has this one scene where it looks like Luke's staring at Clyde's foot(!)

*the whole table bursts out laughing*

Tommy: *bemused* I don't remember staring at his foot(?!) :P

Daniel: It was when I had my toe hanging over the side of the bed!

Tommy: *realisation* Ohhhh yeah!

Nabu: We kinda pick up on out-of-context moments like that and go with it!

Daniel: Hmmm, I dunno. I guess, at times it can be a little...suggestible. :P

Anjli: Or it's just love(!) :D

Tommy: Genuine love!

Daniel: Yeah, just genuine love for each other. :)

Tommy: I don't think there's anything other than friendship, though.

Nabu: Oh yeah, that's a given. I think it's mostly subtext, if that(!) Bromance!

We had to conclude our interview at this point, as the trio were running a bit late for their panel segment at 2pm! But before they went off, they were kind enough to sign loads of items for all of us! My own dorky haul from the day:

Signed DWM Special Edition Sarah Jane Smith issue!

Signed Enemy of the Bane Script
[Danny was amazed I had this at all!]

Signed Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Storyboard
[Cast found this particularly interesting as it was their first time seeing it!]

Signed SJA Audiobook Covers, ticket and promotional postcard
[Anjli was pleased to see I'd gone to see her show!]

And lastly, signed promo pics they were giving out to everyone!

The cast were escorted out the Green Room and to the main stage across the venue, where all the panels were being held. We accompanied them feeling as though we, too, were getting the VIP escort treatment! *dork*

We parted ways, however, when the trio were sent to the side of the stage to be welcomed on, and we had to find some seats to occupy if we wanted to see them give their talk. Unfortunately for us, none were available! The seating area had filled up much earlier, and the side and back areas were bursting with people trying to get a better look. We should've expected this, considering how busy the signing queue was... All was not lost, however - as we managed to find an unoccupied vantage point to the left of the main stage! Phew!

Many thanks to Phoenix123 for the recording!

The panel lasted about twenty minutes, the last eight of which you can watch above. The questions asked received quite informative and lengthy answers, even the generic ones like 'What's your favourite monster?' My favourite one has to be 'If you could do a film, what would you like it to be about?' - which I'd been dying to ask them. Tom replied that he'd like to be a 'Samurai ninja!' running around with a sword saving the world, with big explosions going on around him for no apparent reason. Teh lulz! Anjli, on the other hand, would like to play a fish à la Finding Nemo [Tom: Dory!] whereas Dan likes his dark and evil characters, so he'd love to play a baddie in a Die Hard-type film!

The cast came up with some brilliant one-liners during the panel, too, like Tom claiming Luke saves the world before he's even had his Coco Pops! Anj got plenty o' giggles when she said David Tennant looked 'really hot in real life'. T'was also hilarious to hear that Dan apparently didn't know David was Scottish, and thought he was putting on the accent when they spoke! Bless!

The panel concluded to heavy applause at half past two, and the cast went off to sign items for another two hours before retiring at 5pm. As far as SJA signings go, this is the best 2009 has had to offer. The Borders signing from last year still reigns supreme as the best overall, but in terms of turnout and value for money - Memorabilia's organisers have done a truly grand job!

Many thanks to Ralph-Uren Communications for providing SARAH-JANE.tv with five Memorabilia tickets to offer our readers, as well as the Press Pass, free entry and Green Room chat opportunity with the cast they offered me! <3

Not Again...

2009-11-30T09:44:00.015Z

SJA's been passed up for an award at the Children's BAFTA's for a second year running *sob* Not even the shows closest competitor, Dustbin Baby, made the cut. Against all odds or sense of reason, a Welsh TV movie called Rhestr Nadolig Wil [Wil's Christmas List] scooped up the award instead. *sulk*

That's the second time I've seen a Welsh show beat out SJA, there's some sort of agenda going on - I'm sure of it xP Then again, from the description of the story - it does sound rather interesting, even though it hasn't made it over to England yet [I think]. SJA had the chance to get voted in under the Television category of the BAFTA Kid's Vote, but that too got yoinked away from them - by Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, no less! To add insult to injury, for the first time in two years - CBBC's been hoisted from its position as Channel of the Year and replaced with *bites lip* Nick Jr! Gah(!) Not a good haul at all...

I've been informed that Tom, Dan and Anj weren't attending - not sure about Lis, though. She doesn't seem to be in the gallery section of the BAFTA website, so I assume a producer or writer would've accepted the award on the show's behalf - if they'd won :( Better luck next year with series three, I s'pose. Fingers crossed 2010 is the year that SJA finally gets a win!

In other news, a report on Memorabilia is forthcoming! Been over a week since the event, I know - but I've had a lousy cold these past few days, which I may or may not have caught off one of the SJA trio in Birmingham last Sunday! I really need to stop hugging people the moment I meet them. =P Stay tuned!

Just...wow

2009-11-20T11:15:00.002Z

Now that's what I call a finale! Even though both parts of The Gift scored an average of 0.8 million viewers, I personally thought that was one of the best [if not THE best] two-parters of Series 3! Alas, that's the last we'll see of SJA for another ten months, but for a few of our lucky readers - they won't have to wait long before seeing Luke, Clyde and Rani in the flesh at Memorabilia today!

Congratulations to:

Russell Hedley
Helen Randle
Mark Lenton &
Mohsin Sadiq

Who all correctly answered that Sarah Jane has encountered SIX incarnations of the Doctor in her time as the character. Well done! Those of you thought it was three don't seem to think much of The Five Doctors =P Sadly not all of our randomly selected winners could make it, nor the runners up chosen. So the spare ticket has gone to one of the winners siblings. Have a great time in Birmingham, guys! I'll be going along meself [catching my train in a half hour], so you can look forward to a report tomossy or the day after. :)

In the meantime, check out the official SJA website for more exclusive never-before-seen content than you can shake a stick at. =D

Final Haul

2009-11-17T08:18:00.015Z

Thursday's broadcast of Mona Lisa's Revenge brought in a staggering 1 million viewers with a 7.4% share of the audience! That's the second highest viewing figures for series three since The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, Part 1 aired a few weeks ago - and this was without a cameo by the Doctor!

Like Wedding, the second half pulled in fewer viewers with only 0.8 million peeps tuning in. Which isn't the best, but it's certainly respectable for a slot that usually brings in an average of 0.4 million viewers. :)

With the penultimate two-parter out of the way, the series finale is approaching fast! In just a few days, we'll have said our goodbyes to the show for yet another year! But with stories already being penned for next year and the possibility of a 60-minute SJA special written by Gareth Roberts in the works, the future of our beloved Sarah Jane Adventures seems all but secure!

You only need to be concerned with filling up time between seasons, during which the inevitable SJA withdrawal kicks in(!) One option's to purchase the recently released second series boxset, currently available in the UK and US:

For those of you who haven't bought it yet, that's what you can expect from the UK boxset - which, judging by last years first season release in America, is probably going to be more aesthetically pleasing than its US counterpart.

Aesthetics may possibly be all the second series set has going for it, though - 'cause unless you're after the episodes alone, you'll probably be disappointed at the extras [or lack thereof] featured on the discs. Though in all fairness, for the low-low price of £12.98 - you get what you pay for.

In other news, don't forget to enter our competition to win one of five tickets to Memorabilia this Sunday, where you'll have the opportunity to sit in on a panel with Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra - and get some stuff signed by 'em too! Deadline for the competition is midnight tonight, and five randomly selected winners will be announced tomorrow! And...

Remember!! The Gift Part's One and Two, the series three finale two-parter, will be airing this Thursday and Friday @ 4:35pm, on BBC One/HD!

Competition Time!

2009-11-11T15:38:00.016Z

To celebrate the SJA trio making an appearance at Memorabilia on November 22nd, SARAH-JANE.tv have teamed up with the convention organisers 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! Good luck!

The Wait Is Over...Or Is It?

2009-11-09T19:35:00.000Z

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

2009-11-05T10:58:00.003Z

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

2009-11-02T23:48:00.004Z

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

2009-10-30T19:25:00.004Z

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!

2009-10-30T12:11:00.007Z

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

2009-10-30T08:09:00.020Z

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

2009-10-29T13:48:00.007Z

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

2009-10-28T23:29:00.007Z

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

2009-10-27T16:14:00.009Z

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!

Let Out of the Kennel

2009-10-27T12:15:00.006Z

This will come as a bit of a shock to some fans (who presumed, wrongly, that the show would never come to pass...) but K9 the series launches this weekend on Disney XD - that's Sky Channel 607 or Virgin Media Channel 707.

K9 - LAUNCHES SATURDAY 31ST OCTOBER @ 6PM ONLY ON DISNEY XD

Yes, to tie in with Halloween festivities Park Entertainment are offering you a chance to see the first episode of the 26 part series, as a preview for what you can expect when the series proper debuts in early 2010. As far as I'm aware, it's the worldwide premiere of any episode of the series.

A little bit of history for you now. Bob Baker originally tried to launch a spin-off centred around his robot dog creation in the 1990's - CGI footage of what he intended the series to be was even included on the 2000 DVD release of K9 Unleashed. Of course funding was a major obstacle to overcome, which explains why it's taken almost a decade for Baker to get from there to here.

SARAH-JANE.tv has been following the development of the show since we launched way back in 2006 - see for yourself - so it's gratifying to know that this show, that most dismissed or said would never be made, has finally been completed and will soon see the light of day.

You can view a clip from the show here. Let us know what you think of it in the comments section below, and whether you'll bother tuning in on Saturday, or across 2010.

Remember!! Episode One of K9 previews this coming Saturday - Halloween! - on Disney XD from 6pm. It's available on both Sky and Virgin Media. Sadly viewers with only Freeview won't have access to the channel, or indeed the show.

Championing the Kids

2009-10-26T20:51:00.007Z

The BBC have pledged to spend an extra £25.5 million on children's television over the next three years - to help secure and support quality programming like The Sarah Jane Adventures. As part of the package, BBC Vision are also looking at extending CBBC's hours - from the current 5:15pm end time, until 6pm before the Evening news.

WITHOUT THE EXTRA FUNDING PROGRAMMES LIKE THE SJA WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE...

Meanwhile, Russell T Davies continues his crusade to 'save' kid's television in an interview with the Radio Times. He states:

“Children’s TV is bearing the brunt of the current economic crisis, but every area of television is suffering. Things might look bad now, but in a few years – just five or six – this will look like a golden age. The situation demands champions, and action, and radical thinking.

“I think maybe we get embarrassed by the things we once loved. We’re ashamed of considering Jackanory and Trumpton to be in any way important – and that lack of nerve will kill the modern equivalents of those shows stone dead.

“When the right programme finds the right child, it is, literally, mind-expanding. Children should have the best food, the best air, the best games, the best books – so of course they should have the best TV.”

You can read more about the decline of children's television here and here.

***

The Audience Appreciation index for The Mad Woman in the Attic has been released. And it's good news. Hooray! The episodes both scored 86 - which takes the series into the 'excellent' category once more. Not only that, but they were the highest scoring programming on BBC One during Thursday and Friday.

That'll be the sound of children's television in Britain standing tall, and proud.

"A Tear, Sarah Jane?"

2009-10-25T22:36:00.009Z

Thanks to Marcus over at the Doctor Who News Page we now know that 0.8 million viewers tuned in to watch The Mad Woman in the Attic - Part Two, up some 200,000 people from the day before. It not only beats the third season's previous high of 0.7 million for Prisoner of the Judoon last week but means that 7% of the available television audience were watching the show as it went out on BBC One. The AI figures should appear online any day now.

THE NEW TV SPOT FOR THE WEDDING OF SARAH JANE SMITH...

As if you didn't already know... David Tennant is coming to The Sarah Jane Adventures! The brilliant Den of Geek! fansite preview the episodes, which comprise of this coming week's The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith adventure. Here's a few snippets from the site's review - which you can read in full here (part one) and here (part two) - seems we're in for an emotional rollercoaster:

- Peter Dalton, the bloke in question, is as suave as his Bond surname would suggest and is played pitch-perfect by the adorable Nigel "Nice Sermon Vicar" Havers. Not to mention he's a thoroughly good egg to boot. So thoroughly good, it would appear, that Sarah Jane agrees to be his wife pretty sharpish. (Well, at her age, why not?)

- Writer Gareth Roberts has packed so much warmth, character and, as always with the Gaz-man, humour. I won't list every gag for you but K9 steals many of the laughs; notably the line "Activating stair negotiation - hover mode." One scene in particular, the 'box' scene, has so much hilarity going on that it even manages to cover up a FDCGA (that's a "Fairly Dodgy Computer Generated Alien) with chuckles and LOLs.

- The goodbye scene between Sarah Jane and The Doctor is a poetic reply, if you like, to SJ's farewell scene in The Hand Of Fear where she asked "Don't forget me." (As a side-note, look out for the cuddly Owl she held when she first left the TARDIS now sitting in the Bannerman Road attic during part one of this story.) Sarah's answer is kitten-strokingly beautiful but also filled with pathos at the knowledge of what's to come - Lizzy S and Davey T perform remarkably and if there's a dry eye in your house then you must be a flippin' robot.

- The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith is a joyous experience where the story itself takes a back seat to the wonderful performances, hilarity and the inevitable sadness. It's packed with scenes that will make your heart fill up with wonder and cheer - witness as SJ and the gang enter the TARDIS (made me wish they popped off for another adventure). But more than that, it'll reaffirm (if it were needed) that Doctor Who and its spin-off worlds are in safe hands and as groin-grabbingly good as ever.

Meanwhile more footage from the SJA event at Liverpool One's Odeon cinema over the weekend has found its way onto Youtube.

Here's an impressive video from Neil MacDonald of Scyfilove.com, which includes an interview with Tommy Knight and Anjli Mohindra who act as fabulous ambassadors of the show. They talk about the fun of having David Tennant on set, how to escape a Dalek, how the team wants the Cybermen on the show next year and just how much they really know about Doctor Who series 5, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

There's also footage of the cast meeting fans... and Judoon! Includes sneaky cameo appearences from a pair of SARAH-JANE.tv writers!

Finally, here's mine and Nabu San's green screen efforts. Basically we were invited to 'star' in a 30 second SJA video, and were then given the recordings on DVD. Not knowing what to do with our 30 seconds exactly, we basically just pratted around and yes, that's me that then goes on to rugby tackle Nabu...

Remember!! You can still catch The Mad Woman in the Attic on BBC iPlayer (UK only, sorry) and The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith hits television screens from this coming Thursday, at 4:35pm on BBC One and BBC HD.

Stop the Wedding!

2009-10-24T19:43:00.009Z

Phew. I'm dry at last. Just got back from my trip to Liverpool, and it's raining hard here in Manchester. To say I got drenched because of it would be an understatement! But no worries, because the day trip was worth it - I got to see an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures up on the big screen!

THE LIVERPOOL ECHO NEWSPAPER REPORT ON THE DAY'S EVENT

You're probably going to want to know all about the episode I saw, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - Part One (ultimately they only showed the one part... meaning I have to wait almost a week to find out how it ends - just like old times!) but the thing is, I don't want to spoil it for you all at home. Needless to say it's oh-so-very funny, and more than a little emotional, too. Sarah Jane has found her man at last... and he's probably a rotter. No fair!

Don't get yourself too worked up about David Tennant's guest appearence on Thursday - he only appeared in one scene, and that makes up no more than about, ooh, ten seconds. The majority of the Doctor's screentime comes in Part Two (which looks great, if the next time trailer is anything to go by).

After the screening Daniel Anthony, Anjli Mohindra and Tommy Knight appeared to answer a selection of audience questions. Things we learnt through it? Tom and Anjli like the colour purple (Dan is more of a blue guy...). Tom dreams of one day training to be a doctor. Anjli was terrified of forthcoming villain Erasmus Darkening. Oh, and Dan revealled exactly where he lives...

I managed to get a photograph taken with fellow SARAH-JANE.tv writer Nabu San (who'll post his own reaction to the day in due time) next to an icon of the series... K9!! Later, Dan and Tom very kindly signed the photo - "To SARAH-JANE.TV - loads of love Tommy and Dan" As soon as I can get my scanner working, I'll upload a snap of it onto the site.

In the meantime, can I thank BBC Events for organising the day, and for all of the staff who were so friendly and welcoming throughout the day. Also, a big hello to the new faces I met - fellow SJA fans who I was introduced to. I had a brilliant time talking and joking with you across the day. Hopefully we'll have another chance to meet up again very soon...

Remember!! You can catch The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith this coming Thursday and Friday on BBC One/BBC HD from 4:35pm. Don't miss it!!

You Are Cordially Invited...

2009-10-24T01:34:00.006Z

The Sarah Jane Adventures! Liverpool! Episode screening! With added David Tennant, playing the Tenth Doctor!!! And... breathe.

THE WEDDING OF MR PETER DALTON & MISS SARAH JANE SMITH...

Yes, today's the day for us lucky folks, who are heading on down to Liverpool to attend a fancy HD screening of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith - having either booked tickets online, or been invited to attend a special press showing of the episodes in question. Thanks to cohort Nabu San I've nabbed myself a seat (if you pardon the pun) in one of the press screenings - and together me and Nabu will be representing SARAH-JANE.tv at the event.

If you see either of us around on the day (we're easy to spot... usually being the ones who stalk the SJA cast and crew) pop over and say hi! I have my camera with me, so will be taking snaps throughout the day and no doubt the best will end up here on site.

Don't worry if you haven't got tickets - the Liverpool ONE shopping centre is running a number of SJA related events throughout the day (continuing Sunday, along with the second batch of previews) that you and the kids can join in on. So, come along and have a fab SJA themed day out!

To whet everybody's appetites, here's a preview of the next two episodes as posted by DigitalSpy - be warned though, as it contains a few SPOILERS.

The site reports:

+ DT is technically in both episodes, but he doesn't appear right until the end of the first one. His opening words? "Stop this wedding now!"

+ Ahh yes, the wedding. Sarah Jane is getting married! To Nigel Havers. Erm, correction: a businessman called Peter Dalton who is played by Nigel Havers.

+ Yes, their relationship moves quickly - although there is a lot of use of things like "one week later".

+ But that aside, there's definitely something untoward going on here. Who's to blame? Why, it's Sarah Jane's old friend The Trickster!

+ When The Doctor shows up, he's quickly parted from Sarah Jane (and the TARDIS). He's got the kids to help him out, though.

+ The Doctor says two of his standard catchphrases: "Allons-y" and "I'm so sorry."

+ The Doctor is referred to as "the man of ice and fire" and is told that "the gate is waiting for you".

+ One of the kids receives a massive shock. Literally.

10. The story ends with an exchange between Sarah Jane and The Doctor that provoked tears here at DS Towers. And she has a final line that we'll all be thinking around Christmas time: "No-one's **** ***** ** ****** ***."

Here's a direct link to the DigitalSpy post - with added screengrabs from the eps included!

If you attend the day, let us know how you found the experience and/or episodes!

See you there tomorrow!! Well, strictly speaking... today*!

* Massive apologies! I had hoped to have this up online soon after The Mad Woman in the Attic concluded... but having to walk to work kinda got in the way...

SARAH-JANE.tv || A news resource for the Doctor Who spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures"

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography Book Launch At The Doctor Who Experience

Sadie Miller talks on BBC Breakfast

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography

Never Fear, Sarah Jane is Here!

Series 5 to Air in October

Sky's the Limit

Series 4 Box Set

Elisabeth Sladen's Autobiography

BFI Screening: The Sarah Jane Adventures

Walk For Lis

Manchester Comic Con - Anjli Mohindra Q&A

You've Never Had A Hangover Like This...

Elisabeth Sladen Tribute

Katy Manning On Stage

Black Destiny Part Three

Black Destiny Part Two

Black Destiny Part One

Competition Results

New Episode Titles Released

Last 6 Episodes to Air on CBBC...

Race For Life

It's Competition Time!

Doctor Who Magazine Holiday Special 1992

The Undiscovered Country

My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen from CBBC

Sarah-Jane.tv's Twitter

"Don't Forget Me" A Tribute To Elisabeth Sladen

A Tear, Sarah Jane?

Well Done Sarah Jane

Rest In Peace

Oh...My...

A Belt Made of Shoelaces

Weekend Treat! =D

Another Memorable Year!

An Interview With Joe

Tomorrow!

The BFI Screening

News, News, News

Trailers ahoy!

Series 4 Synopsis

More Bedtime Stories

LOL!

The Future Is Changing

There Can Never Be Too Much Sarah Jane

Pulled

And now...Region 1!!!

It's Green!

Four Is A Go!

A New Games Competition

What's In A Name?

May-Thing

Old Friends and New Faces.

Departure

Stylin' SJA

Luke Meets the Nightmare Man

More About Four

Another Two!

Life's a Doodle

An Afternoon With Tom

Update! (or 'Very Important Things We Neglected To Report Before Tonight')

In The Press

The Sonic Lipstick Awards (Series Three)

What They're Up To...

Happy Birthday, SJA!

SJA Takes Brum

Not Again...

Just...wow

Final Haul

Competition Time!

The Wait Is Over...Or Is It?

Something Memorable

Numbers

Never Forget

The Doctor Is In!

A Marriage of Sorts

The Big Day

Guests of Honour

BAFTA Nominated SJA!! Part Deux

Let Out of the Kennel