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The Sarah Jane Adventures

Lama glama

13:04 / 19.09.07

Ostensibly, it's going to be a children's drama, but with some of the best talent of Doctor Who, including Gareth Roberts writing and Graeme Harper and Torchwood's Alice Troughton directing, it'll be worth tuning into. It's going to be on for ten weeks at 5pm on Mondays, which is admittedly on awkward time for bigger, adult shaped children, but there's always Sky plus and good old VCR.

The Christmas pilot, "Invasion of the Bane," showed promise. Liz Sladen is doubtlessly a top tier companion, up there with Romana and Rose and the pilot tapped into what makes her such a fascinating character. Her loneliness and ennui at being abandoned by the Doctor is given more room to breathe in Bane with her behaviour positively anti-social at times. It's great to see her brought out of her shell by the strong cast of characters, who seem to rekindle the child-like wonder that traveling with the Doctor must create.

So. Will people be watching this?

sleazenation

14:32 / 19.09.07

I will probably watch it, but not sure when.

I'd like to see it, but it is gonna be shown in a kid friendly afternnon slot.

It will probably be rebroadcast on CBBC at some point - are people planning to download ?

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

15:55 / 19.09.07

I liked it! The premise was a blatant lift of The Stuff, but at least it was done with love. One of the more hilarious meta-jokes about this is seeing people freak out on message boards about how "they stole the idea from Futurama." Ah, youth.

Unlike New Who, which is written with grown-up Who fans very much in mind, SJS seems to actually be a kids show, which rocks. Plus, a kids' show starring an independent, brilliant woman in her 40s who favours nonviolent conflict resolution. Which double rocks.

So, watching it and trying to keep my "kid eyes" on, I thought it did a bang-up job. Sympathetic protagonist in the girl, who does a good job at being clever but not irritating as hell, enough kinda-scary stuff to give me some goosebumps, a decent sub-message about rampant trend-following and consumerism, and some decent special effects.

Whether real kids will like it or not is another story, obvs. Has there been any reaction to it?

uncle retrospective

11:59 / 06.02.08

I just started watching this over the weekend and only have one ep left to go. I just want to say, watch it. It's brilliant. Starts off a little shakey but by ep5 it's almost as good as Doctor Who. It's just a pity that the main girl has a voice like nails on a black board. It's getting a second season, so, Yea!

sleazenation

13:17 / 06.02.08

I watched this and really enjoyed it - much more ambitious and, often just plain better than Torchwood.

The even do Hellraiser for kids at one point!

DavidXBrunt

11:05 / 07.02.08

I didn't get the time to watch it very often but my eldest niece and nephew loved it. Perhaps more so than Who.

The recurring villains from Who were used very well, glad to see them return and I have to say the Black Guardian Redux figure in Whatever Happened to may be creepier than anything from New Who.

If you liked this run the 23 episodes they're making soon will be welcomed, I expect. It's unclear whether the run will be two seasons filmed at once or whether it's going into a larger phase of production to co-incide with Whos gap year.

uncle retrospective

13:37 / 07.02.08

I jsut finished the last ep. Damn it's such a good show. The really evil twists were just amazing and if K9 isn't the coolest robot dog in the world I'll eat my hat. Can't wait for more of this.

Mr Ed

08:26 / 03.11.08

We're halfway through season 2 now, and I must say I'm enjoying it a lot (though the second story scared the hell out of Claurophobic friend of mine who'd tuned in randomly.)

Rumour has it we'll see more of UNIT towards the end of this season.

ghadis

08:38 / 03.11.08

Saw the second story of this and thought it was great. First SJA i've seen and was really surprised how dark it was, up there with Dr Whos Blink i'd say. I'm not surprised your coulrophobic friend was scared. Bradley Walsh as the clown/pied piper was bloody terrifying. May go and watch the Russ Abbot two parter this afternoon and its not often i get to type that.

DavidXBrunt

21:39 / 03.11.08

Dunno about UNIT per se, but a certain member of that team? Oh yes.

Really enjoyed this run so far. It's a great show, much better and more consistant that Torchwood. But then most things are...

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

23:08 / 03.11.08

Season 2 has started? Must go download immediately!

DavidXBrunt

13:10 / 04.11.08

We're over halfway through. Plenty to keep you going.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

21:50 / 04.11.08

Made it up to episode seven -- which is bad, because I should be writing -- and I can categorically say that the non-alien stuff is about fifty times more interesting than the alien of the week.

That said, the Russ Abbott episodes were probably my favourite story so far.

Hoping for some episodes that break out of the formula they've started to develop so far...though that tends to happen with most shows I watch, so it's no specific fault.

Mark Parsons

18:54 / 05.11.08

My seven year old daughter and I loved season one.

How is the new female character? And how to they send off Maria and her Dad?

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

19:58 / 05.11.08

Convenient job-related macguffin, that's all I'll say. It's nice that it seems like it's only happening because the actress wants to focus on her schooling rather than anything else. New girl is decently acted, her family introduces some new elements to the show dynamic (and her mum is played by an actress from Atkinson's Thin Blue Line, I just realized, which is super-nice as I loved her in that), and she continues the dynamic of "female character mentored by Sarah Jane." It's still settling, though.

DavidXBrunt

21:19 / 05.11.08

Should anyone feel a compelling urge to visit renowned cheap-jack store and tat emporium Home(&)Bargains they would have the opportunity to buy a variety of Sarah Jane toys for 1.99. Your own Sonic lip-gloss! A junior Raxacoricofalopatorian! A wee Graske!

And, for those of you interested, series 1 is out next week.

Essential Dazzler

22:03 / 05.11.08

Sonic Lipstick Owners Represent!

What? It was a long, cold Summer.

Stop looking at me like that.

raggedman

11:40 / 06.11.08

latest episode with the return of Clyde's dad was excellent. Really good character moments with the Kids allowed some time to shine (SJA is off on some mysterious trip having shut down MrSmith to stop kids getting involved in trouble when she's away...that's Doctor levels of blindness right there!)
I miss Maria (bit of a rubbish in-story write out)but really like Rani and developing Clyde is a good move (despite it now being 2 stories in a row where he's [mild spoiler...]

under the 'fluence)

I would love to see a SJA/Torchwood crossover with the kids urinating all over jack and crew and despairing at the uselesness of these damaged adults.

Mark Parsons

20:24 / 06.11.08

How is the show being received RE ratings, etc? Is it more or less successful than Torchwood?

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

16:12 / 12.11.08

Re: Episode Eight. I mean, like, Clyde's pretty much setting himself up to work at Torchwood, isn't he? I wonder if Torchwood 3 offers student internships because Clyde would be perfect.

DavidXBrunt

21:02 / 12.11.08

He's a wee bit too competent for Torchwood, surely?

Bought the box set and watched the episodes my partner hadn't seen. I've said as much previously but there's not a single episode of Torhcwood that is as good as Whatever happened to Sarah Jane? Bodes well for next weeks Last Temptation.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

15:27 / 13.11.08

He's a wee bit too competent for Torchwood, surely?

I don't know, virtually any decision he makes in Berzerker qualifies him for the job, including his fast and loose opinion of the "secret" work.

sleazenation

17:58 / 14.11.08

It was fun to see Maria back for her little cameo - Next few episodes look pretty good too...

DavidXBrunt

07:38 / 21.11.08

And the first one of them is. Great stuff and well worth a look on I-player.

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