Never Forget

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Next week... Floella Benjamin!

The Doctor Is In!

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

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

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

Talking of which...

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

I did love her comments though, especially this one:

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

***

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

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

Naughty GMTV folk.

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

A Marriage of Sorts

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

+

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

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

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

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

+

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

+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Big Day

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

In the meantime...

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

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

Guests of Honour

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

TAP, TAP - GUESS WHO...?

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

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

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

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

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

BAFTA Nominated SJA!! Part Deux

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

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

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

So, will 2009 be the SJA's year?

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

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

***

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

Let Out of the Kennel

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

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?"

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!

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...

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...

Future Echoes

Overnight figures are in for the opening episode of The Mad Woman in the Attic and things are... well, pretty much consistent (no dramatic rises or falls...). The episode managed to draw 0.6 million viewers, according to Marcus at the Doctor Who News Page, which was a 5.7% of the television audience available at that time. It's a very similar figure to what last week's episodes scored.

"HE IS RETURNING..."

Here are some of your opinions on yesterday's episode:

Brandon - "Not as good as i'd hoped, some good bits with Sarah and Clyde though.Why did they pick two boys who look similar to Tommy Knight? or is it just all boys have that same haircut nowadays."

Lauren - "I'm not Rani's biggest fan, but I liked it. Especially loved the banter between Sarah Jane and Clyde. Dead-pan much? LOL. I couldnt help but laugh when Eve started talking outloud though. If you've seen Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging you'll know what I'm talking about, cause it's so different to SJA it would be hard to take an actress seriously, but I think she did a good job (: Overall I liked it way more than I thought I would."

Anonymous - "I thought it was a great episode, like SJA's new approch to humor. Really reminded me of Fear Her... 9/10 from me!"

David - "I really loved the episode, it was very different to the usual and it was great to see Rani getting something big to do for a change. "

Stel - "I have to agree with Anonymous - as great as Rani is in the episode, I am still in Camp Maria, 110%. The reviewer said it - she won't ever replace Maria. But despite that, I haven't enjoyed an episode so much in a while - the banter with Clyde and Sarah Jane (I know everyone keeps saying it, but it's true) was just so brilliant, and hilarious, I can't help re-watching the episode just for that! And Eve too - she's fascinating. Can't wait for this afternoon!!"

Carnivac - "I thought it was a lot better than last weeks episode and a much more interesting plot too whereas the Judoon one felt just too run of the mill. Eve is an intriguing character and I like her design.Yeah I did find it odd that all the boys had the same sort of hairstyle. I had mine similar a few years ago too. Not an important thing but I liked the sketch of SJ also. Thought that was really well done and captured the youthfulness of Lis Sladen's features well. The way that woman looks, wears those clothes and moves like she does, it's still hard to believe she's just over 60. I'd put her more late 30s/early to mid 40s. She's lovely and yeah I still have the ol' crush on her that I did from when I was a kid watching re-runs of her 3rd and 4th Doc stories. :)"

Don't forget, you can catch the episode on BBC iPlayer for the next 7 days...

***

I'm hearing whispers that the third season will be made available on Blu-Ray at some point mid-2010. This means it won't be released alongside the DVD boxset in January. Confirmation of this still pending, mind.

Remember!! The Mad Woman in the Attic - Part Two airs from 4:35pm today on both BBC One and BBC HD simultaneously. Please, feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions about the adventure in the comments section don't below.

Going Live - Week Two

The writers of SARAH-JANE.tv present a series of 'live' reactions to the episodes we're seeing, over the weekend following transmission. Come Monday morning, you'll have a running commentary by the pair of us of what we think worked, or might not have worked, in the episodes we're watching.

This week - Mad Woman in the Attic Parts 1&2

22/10/2009

Anthony - 16:20: Little over fifteen minutes to go until Part One begins now. Hmmm... a few weeks back I knew nothing about this story, and I liked it that way. Thought it might surprise me when I see it all unfold on screen. But then came the BBC Press Release with the synopsis, and the Den of Geek! review, and all the leaked photographs... all in all, I feel a little overexposed in it all now. Hopefully it'll still surprise me.

Anthony - 16:38: My, the woman playing the older Rani is doing a fab Anjli Mohindra impersonation. And boy... that young chap - remind you of Tommy Knight, much?

Anthony - 16:45: Hmm... I'm not sure I entirely believe the off screen antics of Rani and her mate wots-his-face. She's never mentioned him before... As for Maria's latest exploits, do we reckon they're believable? Working with Obama's government?!

Anthony - 16:53: "I knew I should have brought Luke - he moans less than you" Haha, Sarah Jane Smith does deadpan. Ooh, and funny Clyde!! The scene involving the two of them discussing Sarah's age - funniest SJA scene ever?

Anthony - 16:56: The Time War!

Anthony - 16:58: I'm struggling to believe the storyline - maybe it's because Rani looks older than she really is. Zac Efron - doubt she'd really give a toss about him. Isn't it only 12 year old girls who fantasise about that prat?! How old is Rani anyways?!

Anthony - 17:01: A decent enough episode - the emotional stuff works really well, and always has done in the SJA. The overall plot still seems a little... slight. But hopefully it'll grow with Sarah-Jane getting more involved in the proceedings...

Anthony - 17:03: Show's over, with Newsround now on. What did everybody else think of it all? Leave your comments below, and we'll add them to this post!

Nabu - 17:21: Did anyone else yell 'cheeky bastard' at their telly when Clyde was talking about how old Sarah Jane was? :D In a LOL way, mind you. Incredible episode! Can't believe they picked up on the Maria/Rani tension at last! It couldn't be all smiles between 'em!

Anthony - 17:28: Actually Nabu, it brought to mind some of the entries on the SARAH-JANE.tv competition (people, go vote!), which revolve around Maria returning to Bannerman Road and meeting Rani face-to-face...

Mona Lizo

We're about half or hour or so away from Part One of The Mad Woman in the Attic as I write this. Oh, the anticipation! Why don't you use the comments section below to tell us what you thought of today's episode? I'll post the best reactions up on this site tomorrow, as a preview of the second episode...

For now, here's a selection of images from the adventure:


Meanwhile the BBC Press Office is looking ahead to episodes 9&10 by issuing synopsis for those particular episodes - which form the story Mona Lisa's Revenge.

Be warned, SPOILERS!

Part One - Strange forces bring the Mona Lisa to life. Clyde's proudest day turns into a nightmare when he discovers that fine art can be dangerous and, when a school trip descends into disaster, the gang find themselves trapped without Sarah Jane's help, as the awesome abomination stirs.

Part Two - Luke and Rani investigate the myth of the dreaded abomination. With Sarah Jane trapped and beyond help, everything now depends upon Clyde. Mona Lisa vows to release her terrifying brother from his age-old prison, but only Clyde has the key...

The cast list includes:

Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
Mona Lisa - Suranne Jones
Clyde - Daniel Anthony
Tommy Knight - Luke Smith
Anjili Mohindra - Rani Chandra
Alexander Armstrong - Mr Smith
John Leeson - the voice of K9
Ace Bhatti - Haresh Chandra
Jeff Rawle - Mr Harding
Liza Sadovy - Miss Trupp
Lizo Mzimba - Himself
Paul Kasey - The Highwayman

As you can see, former-Newsround presenter and current BBC News Entertainment Corrospondent Lizo Mzimba guest stars in the episode, playing himself. It's not the first cameo appearence that the SJA has welcomed, mind... Remember the Blue Peter gang popping up on Maria's television screen in Invasion of the Bane?

The episodes air Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November.

In the meantime...

Remember!! The Mad Woman in the Attic - Part One airs at 4:35pm today on both BBC One and the BBC HD Channel. You can catch it on iPlayer over the next 7 days, too.

Seeing Red

Some interesting reviews of The Mad Woman in the Attic have been posted online courtesy of Den of Geek! They've received preview discs of the episodes in question, and speak quite favourably of them...

RED EYE REMOVAL TOOL URGENTLY NEEDED...

Of tonight's opening installment, reviewer Cameron K. McEwan has this to say:

The tale really grabs you into the mystery and the average Who fan will be more than familiar with the vernacular Joe Lidster chooses in which to tell the story, quickly jumping between two time zones. Lidster, who has written audios for Doctor Who and televisual adventures for The Sarah Jane Adventures (the superb Mark Of The Berserker) and Torchwood, captures the mood perfectly in this very dark episode.

This psychologically taut tale is matched by a rather eerie and beautiful score from series composer Sam Watts, work of a true craftsman. Even better is the way in which it's used, sparsely and with a seductive subtlety.

To read the rest of the review click here. Here's his take on part two, also.

***

Don't forget, if you haven't done so already you can still pick up the 24/10/09-30/10/09 edition of the Radio Times, which has a feature dedicated to next week's The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith. Of course, it was *supposed* to have the front page too, before an editorial decision was made to scrap those plans.

The reason? It was decided, with The Waters of Mars literally around the corner (I wouldn't make any plans for Saturday November 14th...) that it was too much running two Doctor Who themed covers in the space of just 4 weeks...

Was that the right decision to make?

You can view a very lovely hi-res image taken from the magazine here.

Remember!! The Mad Woman in the Attic -Part One debuts this afternoon on both BBC One and BBC HD, simultaneously, from 4:35pm.

It's Nice To Be Appreciated

Once again, the show has done us proud! The launching two-part SJA story The Prisoner of the Judoon got some fantastic ratings for its time slot last week, and now we learn that the show's AI scores (that's Audience Appreciation, if you didn't already know) are just as impressive.

Thursday's Part One had a score of 81, whereas Friday's concluding Part Two improved upon that by managing a total average of 86. To put that into context, it's higher than the 72 that most shows on children's television receive.

AI's are used to determine how an audience reacted to a piece of programming, and in particular how much they enjoyed viewing it. The average score for shows on BBC One and ITV 1 is 77 - anything above 85 is considered exceptional (especially for a show going out at the time that the SJA does...).

Well then... go figure!

***

Did you know that the first series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is now available to download via iTunes? Oh yes, every story from Revenge of the Slitheen through to The Lost Boy (but strangely enough, not Invasion of the Bane like you might expect...) has been uploaded for your viewing pleasure, at a cost of £1.49 per episode.

Alternatively, they're offering the entire series for £12.99. The second series will be added once those adventures are out on DVD, I should imagine.

(While there, why not purchase the two first SJA audiobooks - The Glittering Storm and The Thirteenth Stone - for an irresistible price of £2.95 each!)

Remember!! The third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures continues every Thursday and Friday on BBC One & the BBC HD Channel from 4:35pm.

Who in the What Now?!

Question: How well do you know The Sarah Jane Adventures? Is it:

A: Really, really well - better than anybody else on planet Earth, infact.
B: I'm confident I know my Slitheen from my Judoon.
C: Alright, I suppose. Still, Merlin/Primeval/etc. is more my thing.
D: Erm... The Sarah Jane What-Now?!

If it's answer D, I really don't know what you're doing reading a fansite dedicated to a CBBC series you know nothing about...

For everybody else, rejoice! For the BBC are releasing a hefty SJA Quiz Book, that runs to over 100 pages with 250 questions included. So, now is the perfect time to put your knowledge of Sarah Jane Smith et al. to the test!

You can pre-order the book for just £3.74 over on Amazon. Worth every penny - we think so! (While we're at it, you can pick up both of the new SJA audiobooks for just £4 - or there abouts - each. Bargain, huh?)

***

Just because we forgot to mention it last week when it was originally posted up online, here's an interview that the Daily Record conducted with Elisabeth Sladen in the build-up to the third series launch.

Ghosts of Yesteryear

First off, before we enter SPOILER terrority, can I just remind you that a certain Miss Yasmin Paige was on our television screens this fine October evening? She was part of ITV's Murderland, starring alongside Hagrid himself Robbie Coltrane (or Fitz Cracker, if you'd much prefer...) in a murder mystery told through three very different perspectives...

YASMIN PAIGE AS THE MUCH MISSED (?) MARIA JACKSON

You can catch episode one of the three part mini-series on ITVPlayer now.

The 18 year old has also recently been cast in a feature film! It's called Submarine, and it's the directorial debut of Richard Ayoade. According to IMDB it's:

A comedy which follows a 15-year-old boy with two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to stop his mother from leaving his father for her dance teacher.

No idea when/if this'll hit cinema screens.

***

Now, onto the SPOILERS!

Beware, they are pretty heavy SPOILERS - regarding plot elements from this week's The Mad Woman in the Attic. Sure you want to read on...?

Well, who am I to stop you, hmmm?

Highlight to read:

During part two of The Mad Woman In The Attic, we get treated to a flashback featuring the Third and Fourth Doctors as played by Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker respectively. The clips shown include The Time Warrior, Planet of the Spiders, The Hand of Fear and The Five Doctors. Not only that but we glimpse Sarah Jane's future too with the ominous phrase, "He is returning, he is coming back" and a clip of the TARDIS materialising in the Bannerman Road attic. Towards the end of the episode there's another flash forward (not the 'Next Time' I hasten to add) where we witness The Tenth Doctor, as played by David Tennant. Not enough nostalgia for you? Well, that little robot mutt K9 is back too - this time for good (so they say). And looks like Mr Smith is none too pleased...

This comes from the superb Den of Geek! site - go there now and check all the latest happenings within the worlds of television and film.

Remember!! The Mad Woman in the Attic airs Thursday and Friday on BBC One, from 4:35pm.

Haunted

The ratings are in for the first two episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures! These come direct from Marcus at the Doctor Who News Page:

SOME VIEWERS TUNED IN AND MISTOOK ANDROVAX HERE FOR ANNE ROBINSON...

Prisoner of the Judoon - Part One
+ Watched 'live' by 0.6 million people on BBC One.
+ This gives an audience share of 5.9%.
+ An extra 40,000 people watched on the BBC HD Channel.
+ This is a 50% improvement on the programming that traditionally occupies this slot.

Prisoner of the Judoon - Part Two
+ Watched 'live' by 0.7 million people on BBC One.
+ The audience share here up, to 7.2%.
+ More than double the 0.3 million watching Hotel Trubble in the same time slot last week.

DigitalSpy reviews the episodes (unfavourably) here.

***

The BBC Press Office have released the synopsis for episodes seven and eight of the new run of adventures, which comprise The Eternity Trap adventure.

SPOILERS below!

Part One: A haunted house, with mysterious whispers and secrets in the shadows attracts Sarah Jane's attention. When Professor Rivers and the gang investigate an old legend, a monstrous creature appears in the night as the terrifying grasp of Erasmus Darkening reaches out from centuries past...

Part Two: Sarah Jane and the gang discover the secrets of Erasmus Darkening, but are they too late? As ghosts from the past rise up, and the quest to find the missing children reaches a climax, it seems that nothing can stop the ancient alchemist's rise to victory.

The role of Erasmus Darkening is portrayed by Donald Sumpter.

The Eternity Traps airs Thursday 5th November and Friday 6th November at 4:35pm.

***

My subscription copy of SFX Magazine issue 189 landed on my doorstep yesterday, and I can confirm that it features an article relating to the SJA - in particular, David Tennant's guest appearence in The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.

Tommy Knight talks about the man: "Well, I learned how he does his hair in the morning..." He jokes. "If you read the script and picture how he's gonna say his lines, he always does it a bit different - not how you'd expect. He can take a dull scene and turn it into something... ridiculously banging!"

"He'll, like, go into his little zone," Daniel Anthony adds. "He used to come on set and just... jump on everything!"

Ah, an actor of the Tom Cruise school of how to do things...

Lis Sladen goes on to discuss how the show has evolved since its 2007 launch, "It's a progression," she states. "The first series, she was a very confused woman who all of a sudden had a son, and too many people in her attic that'd never been there before - she was letting people in. Second series, her normality was alien and her absolute fragility was dealing with the Headmaster and the school. This season, the kids are older, they can go off and do their things, and she can be freer. Which is lovely, because it meant I could smile more. Which I like doing, because it makes me look younger!"

The magazine also previews November's Doctor Who special The Waters of Mars, which was co-written by the SJA's own Phil Ford. Says co-writer Russell T Davies:

"It's a scary one! A lot of that came from Phil Ford - after all those years on The Sarah Jane Adventures, he was dying to let rip! And he's been amazing. We love testing the limits, and poking and prodding to see how far we can go, and why. But as a matter of fact, this was the only story, in all five years on the show, that made me actually go on to the set one day and physically change one thing about the monsters, because I thought it was in danger of crossing a line."

The magazine confirms that the special airs in November, the most likely dates for this being Saturday 7th or 14th.

You can read more about the SJA series three and The Waters of Mars in SFX Magazine's 189th issue - out this approaching Wednesday priced £3.99.

Just been Judoon'd

We're about ten minutes or so away from the concluding part of Prisoner of the Judoon now... and it's all getting very exciting! What with the rather Torchwood: Children of Earth cliffhanger (think the Hub/the attic about to blow) and a strangely seductive Lis Sladen performance...

JUDOON PLATOON (THIS TIME NOT ON THE MOON)!!

But what have you thought of the adventure as a whole? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!

***

Don't forget, there's a number of ways you can catch more Judoon action, if you so require it.

The critters first appeared in the 2007 Doctor Who adventure Smith and Jones - which is available on DVD (both inside the complete series 3 DVD boxset and as an individual release, alongside Gareth Robert's The Shakespeare Code and the rather brilliant - but underrated - Gridlock).

Don't forget, they later reappeared in The Stolen Earth, too!

They've gone on to star in two BBC Books adventures - a Quick Reads novella entitled Revenge of the Judoon (by the Doctor Who legend that is Terrance Dicks) - that you can pick up from all good Waterstones stores for the bargain price of £1.99 - and also the recently released Judgement of the Judoon, the synopsis of which can be read below:

Elvis the King Spaceport has grown into the sprawling city-state of New Memphis - an urban jungle, where organized crime is rife. But the launch of the new Terminal 13 hasn't been as smooth as expected. And things are about to get worse! When the Doctor arrives, he finds the whole terminal locked down! The notorious Invisible Assassin is at work again, and the Judoon troopers sent to catch him will stop at nothing to complete their mission. With the assassin loose on the mean streets of New Memphis, the Doctor is forced into a strange alliance. Together with teenage private-eye Nikki and a ruthless Judoon Commander, the Doctor soon discovers that things are even more complicated - and dangerous - than he first thought!

Finally, the official BBC Doctor Who site contains a Monster File for the species.

Remember!! Prisoner of the Judoon - Part Two airs on BBC One and the BBC HD Channel from 4:35pm. It'll be available on the iPlayer platform for the next week.

Early 2010 Treat...?

The Doctor Who merchandise store Galaxy 4 are reporting that a DVD boxset of The Sarah Jane Adventures series three will be unleashed upon us extra early, in January 2010. Normally - as has been the case for series one and two - 2Entertain will wait until a new SJA series is upon us, before releasing the prior run of stories.

BET YOU NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE A TETRAP ON THESE PAGES...

This matches up to reports that I've heard about the latest series hitting DVD. Aparently 2Entertain want to capitalise on David Tennant's appearence mid-series, and the huge amount of promotion his leaving the show on New Year's Day (or there abouts) will get.

Rumour has it that a certain Mr Tennant has also recorded a commentary to accompany his two episodes on the boxset - and if true, it'll mark the first time that any commentaries have been included on an SJA DVD release.

No news on a Blu-Ray release, or confirmation infact that this January 2010 release is even going ahead. Stay tuned to SARAH-JANE.tv for all the latest news surrounding the matter!

***

On top of that, they've also put the Tom Baker/Elisabeth Sladen adventure Masque of Mandragora up for pre-order, with an expected 8th February 2010 release. This release has been rumoured for a while now, and we know that work on several of its extras are complete.

If that wasn't enough for you...

Time and the Rani is supposedly hitting shelves next year too!

Hear that? It's the sound of a whole legion of fans rushing out to pre-order this absolute *gem* of a classic*...

***

Remember!! Prisoner of the Judoon - Part Two airs on BBC One and the BBC HD Channel from 4:35pm. It'll be available on the iPlayer platform for the next week.

*The site takes no responsibilty if you rush out and buy Time and the Rani, and it turns your brain to mush and encourages suicidal tendancies.

Going Live - Week One

We're doing something new and exciting here on SARAH-JANE.tv over the next 6 weeks, to tie in with the UK broadcast of the SJA series three. Read on to find out more... Basically myself and Nabu will take a page from Twitter's book and present a series of 'live' reactions to the episodes we're seeing, over the weekend following transmission. Come Monday morning, you'll have a running commentary by the pair of us of what we think worked, or might not have worked, in the episodes we're watching.

So begins the experiment... Keep returning to this page over the weekend to read updates from myself and Nabu!

"Prisoner of the Judoon - Parts 1&2"

15/10/2009

Anthony - 16:09: We're about twenty minutes away from launch! I'm both busy fretting that what I wrote above doesn't quite make sense, and immensely hungry. Do I have time to go downstairs and make dinner before it starts? Hmm... should I risk it? My belly rumbles, so I think I will...

Anthony - 16:15: Pasta cooking. Good! Will be ready in time... Still trying to work out the best possible format for this, so stick with us! If you leave your own updates in the comments section below, along with your name, we'll add them to this main feed :) How's that for service?!

Chilli Beast - 16:26 :Ohh ... dont ya just wanna watch it now ... the waiting is almost unbareable - then you remember you have been waiting all year and its the very last part thats the trickiest !? Anyone Ready for Adventure ?!? More hot screen views of Sexxii Lizzz Sladden ?? I am.

Anthony - 16:27: Yeah... come on Raven, end already!

Anthony - 16:30: The cheese sauce I added to the pasta doesn't taste all that nice. Now I'm worried that I'll have a bad taste in my mouth all the way through the episode. No fair. If that happens, it'll put a damper on everything! :P

Anthony - 16:34: "Put your homework away..." Oh, alright... but only 'cos you're making me.

Anthony - 16:35: Ooh, ooh, Clyde! They've added his narration to the start... genius! I'm going radio silent for the next half an hour :)

Anthony - 17:04: Wow. The first thought that hits me is just how funny that was. Loved the Judoon driving the police car gag!! And the Chandra family seem to have grown on me since their first appearence in 2008. Hmm, what did readers make of it all?

Ryan - 17:08: That was amazing. I couldnt wait for it to start. I waS jumping around the house. LOL!

Anonymous - 17:19: Absolutely hilarious, SJA you have thwarted my education, I should be writing History coursework. But It was well worth it, Loving the Judoon and the police car haha XD. Dont get the underlying Chandra storyline, hope it ties in with the action tommorow. Luke is rather more confident. And where does a Judoon get a "Plastic squeezy"???

Anonymous - 17:35: Poor acting apart from Liz and Anthony, ba use of the Judoon, they need to be in groups! And if that's Nicholas rigs doing the voices: 'u've let us down! Jolly poor show, bit still strangely exited about tommorow. Don't blow Bannerman Road!

Anthony - 17:41: The episode is now up on iPlayer for anybody who missed it.

Anthony - 17:57: Off to work now, with a splitting headache. Not good. Keep those comments coming in whilst I'm gone!

Nabu - 18:03: Just about recovered from the flood of threads and conversation regarding the episode over at Gallifrey Base. My fingers are exhausted from typing! But I'll share my thoughts quickly. Finest opening to a series of SJA to date, totally blew The Last Sontaran out of the water. Currently planning to put up a little something before 7pm, stay tuned.

Anonymous - 18.36: I haven't been able to watch it yet because iplayer haven't got their subtitles up yet!!! I'm so annoyed. That's unacceptable. Hopefully they'll get a grip and there'll be subs up by the end of the day - by which time the world and his Judoon may have stopped trying to grab it, so my viewing should be hitch free...

Nabu - 19.13: To kick off a brand new series, we're celebrating by opening the doors on SARAH-JANE.tv's brand new Bubbleshock Contest minisite! Be sure to submit your vote to choose a worthy winner!

16/10/2009

Anthony - 01.00: Asked a reasonable question at work - 'Did anybody watch the SJA today?' Oh, how they laughed. I hate how people judge the programme because it airs on CBBC... and how they then judge me for watching it!

Anthony - 12.35: Just finished watching the episode again. Apparently some fans hated Lis' acting during her possession scenes. Erm... I thought she was fab! Can anybody tell me what they thought was wrong with what she did?

Anthony - 15.12: About an hour to go until the next episode. I suddenly realise that the Gita and Haresh scenes yesterday were a bit of a drag, weren't they? Hopefully they'll find a useful way of bringing them into the main story tonight.

Anthony - 15.14: Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with Gita and Haresh. Well... I do. I really want to like them, honest. I just... can't. No idea why.

Nabu - 15.50: I adored Gita and Haresh, such an improvement on last year! Same with Rani. So much more resonance to their performances this series. I'm rewatching Part 1 in HD at the moment, in preparation of Part 2 in just over a half hour! I'm rather gutted I have to go to work straight after, but I know what I'll be talking to my colleagues about! *dork*

Nabu - 17.04: Bloody hell! If the first part wasn't good enough, the second half just totally blew me AWAY! One of the strongest two-parters in SJA history, and it can only get better!

Exams + Judoon = Trouble

Filming on series three of The Sarah Jane Adventures had an added pressure for Tommy Knight, because alongside Judoon, Tricksters and Blathereen he was slap bang in the middle of taking his GCSE exams. Doctor Who Magazine interviewed Knight on the set of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, when he was seven exams down and with nine still left to go...

"KID, I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO HAVE HAIR LIKE MINE..."

"It's not really as much strain as a lot of people think," he states. "I keep a steady head. I know I should worry about my exams, but I don't at all. I'll revise the night before, but that's as close as it gets. I get people coming up and going 'How on Earth are you coping with everything?' But I'm fine. I wake up in the morning and think, what have I got today - Sarah Jane or exams?"

And what of David Tennant's presence in the two-part adventure? Anjli Mohindra spills the beans, "It's such a privilege," she says. "We are so lucky, because David is a legend, really. Hopefully it's going to do this show a lot of favours. There's so much to learn from David's energy playing the Doctor. He's great, and completely committed."

Asked who'd be his ideal guest star, Daniel Anthony answers, "I'd quite like to have, well, my idol... I doubt he'd ever do it, but I love Will Smith. I think Will Smith would be wicked in The Sarah Jane Adventures. But I'm kind of happy with whoever comes in. We're a tightknit team, but we always welcome people with open arms."

Parting words from Anjli who agrees with Daniel's sentiments, "There's a good strong friendship between me, Danny and Tommy, and that's strengthened this year - a sense of team-ship between the three of us, as well as Lis. It's nice. The chemistry between us has started creeping into the scripts. It's getting a bit scary, because you don't realise that other people notice things like that."

It's a fantastic read that covers so much more than what I've reposted above. It talks about what the Doctor contributes to the series, touches upon fellow guest star Nigel Harvers and how Lis Sladen felt working again with husband Brian Miller after all these years.

There's also mini-interviews with Mina Anwar (who plays Gita) and Ace Bhatti (onscreen husband Haresh), as well as the Trickster himself - Paul Marc Davis!

That's Doctor Who Magazine issue 414, out today priced £3.99.

Don't miss it!


***


Plus! Doctor Who Adventures magazine (number 137) has a twelve page SJA pull-out section. According to the press release for the issue:

They’re back! Doctor Who Adventures celebrates the return of Sarah Jane and her fellow defenders of Earth with an EXCLUSIVE 12-page pull-out guide to the new series. It’s packed full of episode secrets, monsters, fantastic facts and interviews with the cast – including K-9.

The magazine is out now, at £2.10 - but hurry, it'll only be on shelves until next Wednesday, so you'll have to be super quick in grabbing it... or face the wrath of eBay buying...


***


Remember!! Prisoner of the Judoon - Part One airs on BBC One and the BBC HD Channel from 4:35pm tonight. It'll be available on iPlayer for 7 days thereafter...

A Completely Useless Countdown

The clock has just passed the midnight hour here in the UK, meaning one thing - it's Thursday October 15th 2009, and in less than 17 hours the third series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will debut across television screens everywhere*.

TODAY'S THE DAY SJA FANS... :)

Now I know what you're thinking - the time between reading this and watching that seems like an eternity right now.

If only there were some way to hurry things along...?

Well, lucky for you SARAH-JANE.tv is on hand to help you through these last handful of hours! Here's what we advise you do, in no particular order:

1: Take down your series one DVD boxset. You know the one; it's been gathering dust these past few months, lying neglected in your bedroom. Well, not today! Choose an adventure of your choice from within it, and watch from start to finish. This humble writer recommends Phil Ford's brilliant Eye of the Gorgon, if only to remind yourself of one of the SJA's most beautiful scenes, involving Chrissie making a confession to her stone-statue ex-husband.

2: Listen to those SJA audio adventures you've bought and not quite had a chance to listen to yet. According to the reader's poll we've conducted here on SJ.tv the past two years, the best is The Glittering Storm - but why don't you make your own mind up?

3: Whilst you're at it, White Wolf and The Shadow People are out now, so if you haven't already bagged them, what are you waiting for... Get to your nearest WHSmith or Waterstones now!

4: Read this Den of Geek review of tonight's episodes (SPOILERS, mind).

5: Play around with any SJA action figures you might have. If you have a Doctor Who Judoon figurine then even better - you can add that into the mix, and you can attempt to predict what might happen in tonight's episode. Use your Hoix toys as a temporary Veil.

6: Scroll through Doctor Who Magazine's Sarah Jane Smith special - whether that's in the comfort of your own bedroom, or in the magazine aisle at ASDA or wherever. Random factoid taken from it - last season's Secrets of the Stars was originally intended to be a sequel to the classic 1976 Doctor Who adventure Masque of Mandragora. Bet 'cha didn't know that... unless you did of course. Which is kinda obvious.

7: Book tickets for Liverpool One's SJA event on Saturday 24th October or Sunday 25th. They're screening The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, you know. Oh, and if that wasn't enough... me and Nabu will be there. Whoo!

8: Join Gallifrey Base. It'll come in handy for after the episode has aired and you want to a) tell the world how great it was, or b) how bad you thought it was, and you think it's a sign that the show is now generally crap and you want nothing more to do with it. If you choose b) then you're still going to troll the internet forum for the duration of the show's run, complaining even more. Even though you're with the hate, and most definitely not a fan. Oops.

9: Set up a Sarah Jane Smith website. Scratch that, don't - 'cos we all know that SARAH-JANE.tv satisfies any need you might have for Miss Smith online. ;) Hey!! What do you mean, no it doesn't?!

10: Make sure you have the VCR/DVD-R/Sky+/etc. primed and ready to record the second the show begins.

11: Organise an SJA themed party. Perhaps you could 'do a Nabu' and cook some lovely cookies imprinted with the series logo upon them. Other ideas: Judoon Jaffa Cakes, Cluke Fairy Cakes and Rotten Rani Apples.

12: Hog the remote... DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT let anybody change the channel away from BBC One once four o'clock hits and CBBC begins.

13: Waste five minutes reading a completely useless list of things to do over the next couple of hours on some silly fansite; things that you probably have no intention of doing anyway. Of all the things on this list, if I had to pick the one that I doubt anybody will manage to do before 4:35pm, my money's on this...

Oh.

Balls.

Remember!! Prisoner of the Judoon airs on BBC One tonight, at 4:35pm.

Miss it at your peril!

Yo, to, clo, tho, co, mo!

*Well, ok... just the UK.

Fab, Fave & Number One!

The results of Doctor Who Magazine's Mighty 200 survey continue to trickle through, and this month we find out the winners of the favourite Doctor and favourite companion categories. For anybody who's made the effort to read this site - dedicated to one particular former companion - you probably share my love of the time travelling winner...

LIS SLADEN TRIES OUT THE NEW M&S LINE OF CLOTHING...

Yep... it's Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, voted into first place with a staggering 22.51% of the vote! Her nearest competition comes from Catherine Tate's Donna Noble (who manages around 15% of the popular vote) - although to say anymore of the top ten would reveal too much, so I leave it to you to buy the magazine and find out who occupies the next 8 spots!

It's fantastic to know that after 35+ plus years, the audience for Doctor Who (and The Sarah Jane Adventures) show no sign of tiring of the character, or our beloved Miss Sladen!

Lis was awarded a lovely Mighty 200 trophy, and collecting it she had this to say:

"No way?! You are joking! I am totally beyond chuffed. That's just amazing, that was not to be expected! I am so thrilled and honoured. Well, doesn't that say something for the programme? Thank you to everyone who voted for this. I'm overjoyed!"

As to the winner of the Favourite Doctor category... has David Tennant come out tops, or will either of Sarah Jane's prior Doctors (Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee) win the honour..?

I'm not saying! Pick up DWM issue 414 for yourselves, and find out!

For more on Lis Sladen, click here for an interview Nabu carried out with her earlier this month.

***

In related news, the 1974 adventure "The Monster of Peladon" will see release on DVD Januray 4th 2010, boxed together with its precursor "The Curse of Peladon".

Both stories feature Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor, landing on the alien world of Peladon amidst troubles within the planet's royle family...

The 6 part "Monster..." also features Lis Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. It's unlikely that she contributed to the release's commentary, after her agent and 2Entertain failed to reach an agreement over the cost of using her.

That's the Peladon boxset, out Monday 4th January 2010 priced an RRP of £29.99.

Keep up to speed with all the latest SJA news by following the site!

"The Next Two Series..."

See the above post title? That's a quote lifted from the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, with regards to what the production team are working on now that series 3 (for them) is complete. Yep, you read that right - two more series of The Sarah Jane Adventures are being planned (although still awaiting official confirmation by the BBC One and CBBC Controllers).

EVEN AS DAVID BIDS FAREWELL... THE SJA LOOKS SET TO CONTINUE!

The exact quote?

'Although the team is waiting for official confirmation of the show's future, work has already begun on the next two series. "The scripts for next year are being written already," says the show's leading lady, Elisabeth Sladen. "Everybody's up and running with it..."'

There was a rumour back in 2007/8 that the production team had intended to shoot series 2 and 3 back to back, and this was indeed confirmed by Russell T Davies in interviews, although he admitted the plans fell through because of funding trouble. With the cast getting older (Daniel Anthony is now 22, for example) one way of ensuring there's enough material in the can before they look too old would be to go back to this plan, and record two years worth of material in one go.

So, series 4 in 2010 and then series 5 in 2011?

Well, maybe. Of course they could commission each series individually - in which case, a fifth series would depend upon two things:

1: How well series 3 & 4 are received by audiences.
2: If it still makes financial sense for the BBC producing the show. As we know, the budget for this new run of adventures was slashed - if the costs of making the show rise again, will the BBC decide against bringing it back for more?

Whatever, cross those fingers that the show is officially renewed, and fast!

Doctor Who Magazine issue 414 is out tomorrow priced £3.99. It contains a preview of the David Tennant-heavy adventure "The Wedding of Sarah-Jane Smith" - and we'll have more from the feature later today and tomorrow right here on SJ.tv.

***

Keep up to speed with all the latest SJA news by following the site!

Making It Big

Originally posted by Nabu San:

I've been waiting for something like this happen since Invasion of the Bane first premiered back on New Year's Day 2007. Indeed, both Doctor Who and Torchwood have done it, and it seemed only fair that SJA got the chance to do it, too. So when the show's Brand Manager, Edward Russell, hinted at the possibility of this idea being realised when I spoke to him at the See Me On CBBC tour last month - I can honestly say I was giddy for weeks!

Last Friday, the BBC sent me an email telling me this had been confirmed. *faints* And from the sounds of it, out of all the New Who shows that have done it - this is going to be the biggest and BEST one yet!

What the heck am I talking about?! Well, on the weekend of 24-25 October, the Livepool ONE is playing host to a braingasmic two-day SJA-fest, kicking off with a FREE early cinema screening of the highly-anticipated series three two-parter, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith! *dies* But wait, there's more...

"Not only will children get to see an episode before anybody else in the country, they will see behind the scenes footage of the making of the series and take part in a question and answer session with stars Tommy Knight who plays Luke Smith, Daniel Anthony who plays Clyde Langer and Anjli Mohindra who plays Rani Chandra.

Alternatively children can drop in to Liverpool ONE shopping centre to take part in a range of free activities. Sarah Jane’s companions including a replica of the Xylok supercomputer Mr Smith, robot dog K-9 plus some of the monsters from the series will be making their debut in Liverpool. 

A special green screen experience will allow children to bust monster moves in front of a Sarah Jane virtual screen.

Finally braver volunteers will be transformed into monsters in the alien face painting zone. There will be free giveaways for children taking part in the activities. From Liverpool One, CBBC fans will defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats and alien invaders! "

SARAH-JANE.tv founder, Anthony, and I were amongst the first to get ourselves on the guestlist for a screening last week, which is the only part of the day that needs reservation. Yes, you read that right - I said 'a' screening. There's going to be more than one! *squee!* The rest of the activities are first-come-first-served, though the interactive bits are limited to kids-only.


This is going to be an AMAZING weekend, guys! Seeing SJA on the big screen is a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth paying for, and you'll have the opportunity to see it absolutely free-of-charge...if you're speedy! You can book tickets for the screening here, or drop into the ODEON @ the Liverpool ONE to reserve seats for you and your family! Really hope we see you there. =)

Lis and I

Originally posted by Nabu San:

October 8th, 2009 is a date that holds special significance in my fan calender. Not only is it exactly a week away from the third series of SJA kicking off on the tellybox, but it's the day The White Wolf and The Shadow People audiobooks got placed on store shelves across the nation! Thanks to the lovely folk over at BBC Audiobooks, it's also the day that I had the supreme honour of chatting with the very woman we've devoted our blog to - Miss Sarah Jane Smith herself(!) I caught up with Lis yesterday morning to talk about her recent work.

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The SJA audiobooks give the show a chance to branch out into new locations and scenarios, and even introduce some bone-chilling creatures, like the doppelganger alien from The Shadow People.

What do you think it is about this medium that engages young audiences so much? Does it allow you to get away with a few things you couldn't normally achieve on the show?

Well, an audience still have their imagination if they don't have any visual stimuli. It's amazing what a radio can do, it's so underrated. And it's such a shame that there's so little for actors now. I used to do so much work over in Leeds on the radio, and I loved it and I miss it so much. It's great, it gives you such a freedom because you don't have to get made up and you don't have to have your hair combed(!) You're just sitting at the mic...and if people could see you they'd think you were having an epileptic fit! When you're trying to find a monster, you're doing all sorts of things with your arms!

*laughs*

The freedom it gives you is...great! It really is, Nabu. It's not the easiest of mediums to do sometimes. I don't do impersonations and nor should you for this, but when I get in the third person I talk as other characters saying dialogue. But there are people who watch the programme and know how they speak. You've got to try and get a flavour of them, to give a visual picture.

It's not like reading a character in a Henry James book where you can choose what you make [the characters] look like in your voice. You've actually got to give a proper flavour of Danny, Haresh and Luke...

I think you've got the accents spot-on. I love your Clyde!

Oh my gosh! That's my most difficult. I get told off all the time about Clyde!

Oh, I think you've done a great job with him!

I particularly like your aliens, as well. They sort have this lovely oriental accent, I don't know if you've noticed that at all?

*giggle-fit*

I loved you doing the voice of Deathy in The Ghost House...

Oh, my favourite!

Mine, too! I'm secretly hoping he comes onto the show someday!

Y'know, sometimes you just read something and think 'oh my god, they'll never let me do that!' I love him. [Deathy] just...happened... I had to fight for some of them in these two stories. But that was the one that I fell in love with.

Do you have a say in how the characters' accents turn out?

Yeah, you have to because you only have your voice to play with. You need to do what you can do. You can be guided and that but, I have a say...yeah, I usually do bring it about myself. And they'll either modify it or not.

Do you offer opinions on how the tone of a certain part will go, whether darker or light? Do you have a discretion?

I can be given a little more guidance on it. It's usually pretty straight-forward in the script. And maybe I think I'm doing it...but then, someone in directing says 'it wasn't quite fast enough' or 'go a bit slower'. It's usually a case of 'you're doing it, but you're not doing it enough'. That's what they're there for. It's just to give it an absolute distinctive shape if it's not right.

In The White Wolf, my personal favourite this year, I really liked the portrayal of the more gutsy and somewhat hostile Luke - evident during a scene where he tries to defend you from a child he instinctively deems a 'threat', which I thought was sweet - if a little terrifying. Does this forebode a more mature characterisation for Luke in series three?

Yes, you've got it in one. This was the series where we decided Luke was getting older. He's more comfortable with who he was and where he was in life. And y'know, he's more comfortable - therefore he's more confident.

I was impressed with your portrayal of the alien's loneliness at the end of The Shadow People. Very emotional; gave me a lump in my throat!

That was the one I was so worried about, because it's written on the page that he's talking as Danny. And I just said 'you can't do that', because my voice is the visual. So people would just be seeing Danny, and not this little person.

Well I don't know if it was written down on the script at all, but they've enhanced your voice a little in the final product - giving it a more ethereal quality when you're playing doppelganger-Danny. And the sad scenes were backed by a musical track to add more atmosphere to the moment, which is a great new device the audiobooks have started using. I thought it really brought the character to life.

I tried to think of him as, first of all, an alien. If someone is French, and speaking your language - it's the rhythm they don't get right, the stress. And then if you're on a very emotional level...it was kind of like this little person trying to grasp at anything to become whole. And if I'd done it with Danny's voice as it was written, it wouldn't have worked. You had to see this little person, and that was the only way I could do it - and it really was a bit of a risk.

It came out very child-like, I think that's what you were going for?

Yes, because he's so innocent... He has to take on board that he has to find a place to let everything go and he can't be anyone else. It's really sad.

The scene feels as intense as the Andrea Yates/Sarah Jane story from the first series. Do you find it more emotionally draining recording audiobooks as opposed to acting in front of a camera?

Because an audiobook is just you, no interaction - you do feel absolutely exhausted. Especially if it gets a lot of emotional stuff going on. You can feel tired when you're doing something like the Andrea Yates scene, too. You just feel kind of...wasted at the end. But you pick up at the end because you know you've just done it and you can go onto something else.

When we were doing that scene, I asked Graeme [Harper] if he wanted to see me do it before the take. But he sad 'No, I know what you're going to do' because we have a little reading just before we film a scene, we just do a line-run. And people often waste that time thinking it's for them to remember their lines. But it's actually for the director to get a taste of what you're going to give him. So Graeme said 'I know what you're going to do, let's just do it'.

Your fellow cast and crew have a lot of faith in your abilities...

I can get it so wrong, believe me.

Really?!

Oh yes. Sometimes things jump off the page and you can grab it, but it doesn't always do that. Sometimes you have to think 'this is not working for me'. How do I get a feeling, what do I do? And that's when you need to say 'I'm not clear on this, how can I get this?' Or maybe for some reason because of what's gone before, the scene doesn't work and we have to change it. That often happens.

Most insightful, thank you. I'd like to finish off by asking you a few random quick-fire questions on behalf of the fandom. Some pressing issues we'd love to get your thoughts on. Top of the agenda...are you aware that Sarah Jane's sense of fashion has a large online following? She's regarded as somewhat of a style icon!

I heard that, a while ago! My dresser told me. I had no idea it'd happened.

I think they'd love to hear what Sarah Jane fashion trends they have to look forward to in the upcoming series! I've seen her Prisoner of the Judoon outfit, the one with the orange shirt and leather jacket? But there's the wedding dress, as well...

Yes, we have a lovely wedding dress. And I'm allowed to wear frocks for the first time! Two dresses and a wedding dress. But I still keep the boots and the jacket, she doesn't let everything go(!) *mutual laughter*

Could I enquire what events and signings you have coming up?

I haven't any, sadly.

None at all? I'd have thought they'd have a DVD signing, at least...

Not that I've heard. But that would be nice actually, I wouldn't mind one. The only things that I have coming up is a Breakfast television appearance on a Thursday, the 29th I think, and The Wright Stuff the day after. Did Blue Peter yesterday, and actually forgot to give the programme a plug!

Oops! Could I also ask how your autobiography is coming along?

That's at a bit of a standstill, as I haven't had the time.

Busy schedule, eh?
Well...yes. We tried to do some over the phone and it's just not happening.

Is there a deadline you've to meet at all?
No, not at the moment. We just don't know when Sarah Jane's going again...

Which leads quite nicely into my final question, are you optimistic about a fourth series of the show being given the green light?

Oh, from what I've heard there's no reason not to be. But you can never say!

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MANY many thanks to Lis for the chat, and to BBC Audiobooks for approaching me with the squee-worthy opportunity to have it! The White Wolf and The Shadow People went on sale yesterday, and the third series of SJA kicks off with Prisoner of the Judoon on Thursday, October 15th @ 4.35pm. Following in the footsteps of its parent show, they'll be airing the new series on BBC HD alongside its BBC One slot! It's an exciting time to be an SJA fan, folks.

Join me tomorrow as I have a sneak peak at what fans can expect in the Series 2 DVD boxset, prior to its release in a month's time.