Moon Blink

The cover to Sadie Miller's Moon Blink novel has been revealed:

Based on the early career of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers, Moon Blink is "a game of cat and mouse", set during the first moonwalk in July 1969.

You can read all about it here, and on Sadie's twitter page.

Meanwhile, three universes are about to meet - as our very own Finn Jones (Jo Jones' grandson in SJA's Death of the Doctor) has been cast as the lead in the Marvel Cinematic Universes' Iron Fist. Of course, Finn also had a memorable turn in HBO's Games of Thrones a couple of years back. His agent is to be commended for landing him some great roles!

Finally, see where Sarah Jane ranks amongst the best and worst of the Whoniverse's mothers.

***

I know posts are infrequent now - so check out our sister blog COAL HILL.tv

Adventures in 2015

Howdy again, all.

This isn't a return to regular news reporting on this blog, rather a quick catch-up on the world of The Sarah Jane Adventures. You can expect more of these, from time to time - but for all extent and purposes, this site will remain in archive-mode only.

On with the updates - drop us a comment below if you feel we've missed anything major!

Cast & Crew

Tommy Knight has rebranded himself - as Tommy-Lawrence Knight.

He featured in Waterloo Road between 2012 and its final series in 2015.

Teaming up with Yasmin Paige, Knight also appeared in E4's series Glue, created by Jack Thorne. You can catch the show on the All4 catch-up service.

Anjli Mohindra teamed up with Russell T Davies once more in Cucumber - Davies' return to gay drama. Again, it's available on All4.

Daniel Anthony was a series regular on Casualty between 2013-14.

Joseph Millson married his partner Sarah-Jane (no, really!) in 2013. He had a small role on 24: Live Another Day in 2014, and has recently returned to the theatre for Mr. Foote's Other Leg.

Elisabeth Sladen's widower, Brian Miller, appeared in 2014's Doctor Who ep Deep Breath.

Merchandise

Launching this Autumn is the BBC Store - an iTunes style "video on demand" download platform for BBC content. It's expected that the entire run of The Sarah Jane Adventures will feature, and that it will mark the first time series 3 has been commercially available in HD.

Meanwhile, Panini Magazines has teamed up with Hachette to publish a fortnightly book series - chronicling every episode of Doctor Who ever made, in great detail. The Complete History will, of course, feature every episode featuring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, although the SJA are currently not in its remit. You can find details of the publication here.

The action figure of Sarah-Jane features in a 10th Doctor figurine boxset, exclusive to the UK retailer B&M Stores. It's expected that Character Options will reissue the figure soon, packaged together with the K9 toy. Look out for that at Toys R' Us across the UK and US.

Miscellaneous

A new Doctor Who spin-off aimed at the Young Adult (YA) demographic is to be launched. Titled Class, it will follows the pupils at Coal Hill School. You can read the latest developments for the series at Classy Who - sister site to SARAH-JANE.tv!

The BBC decided not to renew Wizards vs. Aliens for a fourth series - meaning that the show ran from 2012 to 2014. Only the first series is currently available to buy on DVD or Blu-Ray, although it's expected when the BBC Store opens, all the episodes will be available to buy.

***

Thanks again for reading!

2|Entertain Shot Liberty Valance Hall

I know, I know... you're all eagerly awaiting Nabu San's report upon yesterday's fan event at Manchester's Trafford Centre - but for now, you'll have to settle for silly old me! I can reveal a little exclusive however, as I too was at the event. It's not much, and I shan't be telling you in what context this stands, but here's your tease. Just one word, mind: Orange.

Make of that what you will.

In actual, real, not-teasing-this-time-but-actually-telling news 2|Entertain (a BBC Worldwide company, who issue Doctor Who on DVD) released earlier this month the long-rumoured "Black Guardian" trilogy. In the opening story, Mawdryn Undead, Nicholas Courtney reprises his role as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart - almost 25 years before he'd do the same thing in The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Filmed months before his SJA appearence, Liberty Hall is just one of the boxset's many special features. It is a dramatisation, staring Courtney in character as Lethbridge-Stewart, reflecting upon his time as a school teacher - as well as the other side of his personal history, his time at UNIT.

It was after filming this that Courtney was asked back to the Doctor Who universe for Sarah Jane. The intention was to have him back again for this year's series*, but sadly Courtney suffered a stroke at the start of the year and had to drop out of the SJA's third series. He wasn't even well enough to commit to BBC Audio's 4th Doctor adventure, Hornet's Nest.

According to reports, Courtney has now almost fully recovered, but it's still heart breaking to hear that such a fan favourite has been so unwell. Everybody at SARAH-JANE.tv wishes him well, and sends their love and affection.

You can pick up the Black Guardian trilogy, starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, online for around £25.

* Courtney (as Lethbridge-Stewart, of course) was slated to appear as a grandfather-type figure to the team in a handful of episodes - including The Wedding of Sarah Jane - and was going to get to meet both K9 and the Tenth Doctor. These plans were ultimately shelved.

He's Back, It's Back... They're All Bloody Back!

SPOILERS, before you go any further. So if you want to avoid them, don't read on...

...

...

We good to go?

Right.

The latest issue of SFX Magazine hit my doormat on Saturday morning, and inside SJA producer Nikki Smith discusses the third series of the show, and confirms the return of both the Trickster - as well as the Slitheen (well, their cousins, actually, the Blathereen).

"We've got another Trickster story. We've also got the return of the Slitheen for the end of the series, and this time we meet their 'interesting' cousins, the Blathereen." She states.

Also lined up for the new series are another familiar race from recent Doctor Who - "The Judoon are joining us in our series opener, alongside a brand new monster, a reptilian character called Androvax, a Veil. He's under arrest when one of the Judoon's life carriers crashes on Earth, so a Judoon's hunting down his prisoner who's escaped."

Nikki also discusses David Tennant's guest spot, the appearence of Nigel Havers, who the new series features its own "classic ghost story", as well as how the series will cope post-third series with regards to Russell T Davies departing from Doctor Who (all crossovers will be run through new executive producer Piers Wenger).

You can read about this all in the September edition of SFX Magazine, out this Wednesday.

Newsround

Hooray! Actual news again, for the first time in an age. For even though filming continues on the third series, there's very little set reports or photographs to report on. A massive thank you to Doctor Who Magazine then for a massive update on casting....

Episode 3 & 4 feature Souad Faress, Gregg Sulkin, Eleanor Tomlinson, Toby Parkes, Rai Rajani and Kate Fleetwood.

Meanwhile episodes 5 & 6 stars David Tennant as the Doctor, with Nigel Havers, Zienia Merton (who appeared in Doctor Who way back in 1964 during Marco Polo - playing Ping-Cho).

Floella Benjamin returns to the role of Professor Celeste Rivers for the third time in episodes 7 & 8 - and it's far from a cameo! "At last, she's going into action with Sarah Jane!" Producer Nikki Wilson reveals. Starring alongside her will be Adam Gillen (as the Professor's assistant Toby Silverman), Donald Sumpter (as Erasmus Darkening - "one of the greatest and most chilling villains we've ever seen"), Tony Boncza and Amelia Clarkson.

Also in 7 & 8 is Callum Blue - star of Dead Like Me, and boyfriend of Billie Piper's Hannah character in Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

The fifth story, made up of episodes 9 & 10, features former Coronation Street star Suranne Jones, with Jeff Rawle and Liza Sadovy.

Best of all, the same story has a cameo appearence from Lizo Mzimba - the BBC's Entertainment Corrospondent.

***

There's also confirmation that John Leeson will return to voice K9 in the new Jetix series, due to air next year in Australia.

For more hints and teases about the new run of the SJA and K9 pick up Doctor Who Magazine issue 411 now, for £3.99.

Still Alive!

It's been quiet around these parts for a while now, huh? That's more to do with a distinct lack of news updates than anything else really. The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine breaks the silence, and reports on one very special guest star appearing in The Sarah Jane Adventures series three...

Yes, it's Nigel Havers in a role that "looks set to change things for Sarah Jane forever" (according to producer Nikki Wilson). You might have seen Havers in any number of shows, including the BBC's Manchild - an all male take on the Sex & the City formula - and Dangerfield. He also had a role in 1981's Chariots of Fire.

Also appearing on the show is Brian Miller, or Lis Sladen's husband to you and I! His casting has been described as "simply ideal" and "sees him in conflict with the gang... although there's a lot more going on with Brian's character than might first appear" (again, all quotes from Nikki Wilson in DWM issue 410).

Paul Kasey will be playing [SPOILER - HIGHLIGHT!] the Judoon [END SPOILER], but will Nick Briggs return to voice the creatures? The weak links of series two - for me anyroad - Ace Bhatti and Mina Anwar return to their roles as Rani's parents. I figured they would, but to be quite frank I doubt I'd have missed them if they had left the series on a regular basis. Much preferred Clyde's folks.

I'm also hearing that the show is now being shot in High Definition! The first for a children's BBC series...? I'm not so sure, but it's just reason to celebrate! Nabu's April Fool's prank could one day come to pass!!

Doctor Who Magazine 410 also previews the latest Torchwood adventure, Children of Earth, and has news on Tom Baker's return to the role of the Fourth Doctor, in a series of new BBC Audios. The regular Time Team column this month reviews Battlefield, which features a guest performance by Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart.

You can get the magazine now, for £3.99.

Doctor, Doctor (Give Me a Call)

Breaking news... the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, number 409 (officially released later this week) apparently confirms that David Tennant will be appearing in the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, according to various online fans who have received their subscription copies of the magazine early.

More on this story as and when it breaks.

For now, settle down and watch this charming clip from John Barrowman's Tonight's the Night - featuring Barrowman and Tennant on board the TARDIS set!

6PM UPDATE - Den of Geek! are running the story, with extracts from DWM itself:

Also joining the Tenth Doctor is the robotic mutt, K9 but RTD is keen to stress that this is no fleeting appearance by David Tennant. The writer says, "... it's more than just a cameo from the Tenth Doctor! He's a proper part of the story." He also adds that the two-parter is "extraordinary, wild and powerfully moving," cryptically adding, "let's just say that the wedding of Sarah Jane will be a day for everyone to remember!"

The 2 part adventure is written by Gareth Roberts.

A while ago I heard that Roberts would be contributing a story called "The Impossible Sarah Jane Smith" for the third series. Is there any truth to the rumours - and just who is Sarah Jane marrying?!

Meet the Parents

A lovely man called Paul got in touch with me last week, asking me to promote a forthcoming event of his. It was because he asked so nicely that I agreed to his request and promised to mention the information in my next update here. Only I forgot, and Paul is such a lovely man that I'd feel horrible if I didn't apologise for it. So sorry, and here's hoping this makes up for my lapse in memory.

Over to you, Paul:

Thought you might be interested to know that we are running an event this June in London with a selection of SJA guests. We have JOSEPH MILLSON (Alan Jackson), CHRISTOPHER PIZZY (Eddie Smith) and ROSANNA LEVELLE (Barbara Smith), plus a couple pending confirmation.If you could let fellow SJA enthusiasts know that would be fabulous!

Also lined up to appear are original companion Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), the very suave Richard Martin (who directed several classic Doctor Who adventures) and a couple of writers, in James Moran and Toby Whithouse.

Don't you dare miss all the fun! (Which, by the way, takes place at the Cockpit Theatre in London - 6th June 2009).

The Utopia Event's official site is here. It's where you book your tickets, and everything...

UPDATE! Juliet Cowan (Chrissie Jackson) is now confirmed as attending, also.

He Comes a-Knocking

Did you know that over eight million people watched the latest Doctor Who special this Easter weekend? The episode - "Planet of the Dead" - was written by Russell T Davies together with Gareth Roberts, and the pair have a certain history. After all, their previous team effort was "Invasion of the Bane" which acted as a pilot of sorts for The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Since then Gareth Roberts has gone on to write a good number of SJA stories - including fan favourite "Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane?", which was directed by one Graeme Harper.

Harper returns to the director's chair for the next Doctor Who special, which will likely air Saturday 31st October. Or, if you prefer/are stupid enough not to know already, Halloween. It'll be titled "The Waters of Mars" and guest stars the great Lindsey Duncan alongside David Tennant. Better still, it's by Russell T Davies once again - this time paired with Head Writer for the SJA, Phil Ford. Hooray!!

You can catch a repeat of "Planet of the Dead" today on BBC One and BBC HD at 5pm.

The trailer for "The Waters of Mars" can be located at the official BBCi page. As you can see, it looks ever-so chilling. The enemy in it are known only as the Flood... What they have planned for the Mars station they're invading, and David's Doctor, remains to be seen.