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

SJA Takes Brum

2009-12-26T12:21:00.070Z

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

Many thanks to Tysall's Photography

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many thanks to Tysall's Photography

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anjli: Ahaha! *does a saucy cat call*

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

TheNobleOne: Yeah, it's called Clani :)

Anjli: CLANI?! xD

Nabu: There's also Cluke(!)

TheNobleOne: I invented Cluke. :P

Tommy: Cluke(!) :D

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

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

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

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

*the whole table bursts out laughing*

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

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

Tommy: *realisation* Ohhhh yeah!

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

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

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

Tommy: Genuine love!

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

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

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

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

Signed DWM Special Edition Sarah Jane Smith issue!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many thanks to Phoenix123 for the recording!

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

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

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

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

Not Again...

2009-11-30T09:44:00.015Z

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

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

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

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

Just...wow

2009-11-20T11:15:00.002Z

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

Congratulations to:

Russell Hedley
Helen Randle
Mark Lenton &
Mohsin Sadiq

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

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

Final Haul

2009-11-17T08:18:00.015Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Competition Time!

2009-11-11T15:38:00.016Z

To celebrate the SJA trio making an appearance at Memorabilia on November 22nd, SARAH-JANE.tv have teamed up with the convention organisers to offer our readers the chance to win one of FIVE Sunday tickets to the event! Entry to the show will give you the opportunity to meet sci-fi celebs, sit in on their panels and peruse through dozens of stalls and activities, including robots battling it out with each other and live American-style wrestling matches!

The tickets are for the Sunday ONLY [you can attend the SJA panel and signing!], and will apply to either a child or an adult! All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a ticket is answer this [somewhat] simple question!:

How many incarnations of the Doctor has
Sarah Jane Smith encountered on-screen?

A) 1
B) 3
C) 6

Pick the correct letter and email it in to win@sjadventures.co.uk before the closing date on 17th November 2009! Five randomly selected winners will be chosen out of the correct answers and announced the next day! Good luck!

The Wait Is Over...Or Is It?

2009-11-09T19:35:00.000Z

Have you had the chance to pop along to your local High Street to pick up a copy of the second series boxset, yet? Or like me, are you still waiting on your online order to pull through? According to Amazon, I shan't be getting mine till tomorrow... Though almost every other person I know who's ordered with 'em got their boxset dayyyssssss ago. Sod's law at work, I tell ya =P To tide you over until tomossy, you could take a gander at our sneak-peak review of Disc 3, which SARAH-JANE.tv got sent a review copy of a few weeks ago.

Alternatively, the results of our Bubbleshock contest may be of interest, too!

Place	Entry	Points
1st	Entry 2	207 Points
2nd	Entry 4	235 Points
3rd	Entry 8	236 Points
4th	Entry 1	245 Points
5th	Entry 9	248 Points
6th	Entry 3	254 Points
7th	Entry 6	254 Points
8th	Entry 5	262 Points
9th	Entry 7	338 Points

To celebrate SARAH-JANE.tv's third birthday, we asked our readers to come up with SJA fan art, fan fiction and fan viddy's to have a chance of winning some super-rare goodies from the show! After the submissions were judged by a panel of experts, including Doctor Who Magazine illustrator Ben Morris, we asked you guys to vote for your favourite entries by ranking them in your order of preference! Following the voting deadline, the various ranks awarded to each entry were added up together to come up with a final number of points. The fewer the points awarded to an entry, the more the voters liked it!

So congratulations to our 1st place winner, LEE - whose stunning fan video homage to 'A day in the life of the SJA gang' has won him a highly-coveted Bubble Shock! Bottle Prop from Invasion of the Bane, an Enemy of the Bane script page dedicated to him and signed by Tommy Knight and a year-long paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base, home to the best SJA fan community on the net! For good measure, I'll be throwing in a super-rare CBBC drawstring rucksack containing some promotional CBBC goodies not available elsewhere!

Congratz also to our 2nd place winner, American SJA fan INDIA alias GraphicbyDesign. =D Her fan video entry proved very popular with voters and judges alike. She'll be getting an Enemy of the Bane script page dedicated and signed by Tommy Knight, a year-long paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base and a copy of the complete first series of The Sarah Jane Adventures on DVD! She'll also be receiving a CBBC drawstring rucksack containing rare CBBC goodies!

Finally, congratulations to 3rd place winner, KATIE - whose imaginative and well-written fan fiction entry has won her a copy of Stephen Cole's The Ghost House, a chilling SJA audiobook released last Autumn! She'll also be getting a paid Patronship at Gallifrey Base for a year, a CBBC drawstring rucksack and some last-minute bonus goodies including a rare Series 3 promotional postcard and something personally signed to her by Tommy Knight!

Thank you SO much to all our entrants for their participation. The points awarded were really close, and at times it took as little as a single voter to make the difference between an entry getting one rank placement or another. Corny as it sounds, you're all winners in my books(!) It's an honour being part of such a creative fandom, and it was truly a pleasure seeing what you guys came up with. If you missed out on the prizes this time, fear not - this certainly won't be the last contest we ever have, and hopefully not the rarest SJA goodies we're ever likely to offer! Speaking of goodies, I'll be getting in touch with the prize winners shortly to arrange delivery. So Lee, India and Katie - check yer email!

Remember!! Mona Lisa's Revenge Part One, which sees Luke returning after his Eternity Trap hiatus, is airing this Thursday @ 4:35pm, on BBC One/HD!

Something Memorable

2009-11-05T10:58:00.003Z

Just in time for the release of the second series DVD boxset, the Memorabilia sci-fi event at the NEC in Birmingham will be playing host to a signing with three of the leading cast from The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony and Anjli Mohindra [better known as Luke, Clyde and Rani] will be giving up their Sunday on November 22nd to take part in a panel/Q&A about their work on the show, as well as sign a few goodies for fans who can pay the rather low entry fee! Impromtu photo opportunities are also available for fans who bring along a digicam and wanna get a snap with the stars as they get their items signed. No professional photographers will be attending the event, at present. From what I've heard, they don't usually limit how much you can get signed at these events [within reason] but it depends on how popular a guest is and how long their queue will be on the day.

The panel times usually aren't announced until the day, but you can usually fit a hundred or so people into the hall according to one of the organisers! You can't reserve seats in advance, so it'll be first-come-first-served on the day. I'll be there flying the dorky SJA flag with a few uberfan aquaintences in tow. Hope a few of you are able to pop along to support the show, too!

In other news, guess what popped through my letterbox this morning?!

The questions aren't exactly rocket science, but it's quite fun trying to spot all the mistakes the writers have made writing the book. :P I found an error whilst flicking through the glossy inserts without even trying:

Sister Helena's put on a few pounds since we last saw her =P *dork*

The SJA Quiz Book and Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith novelisation go on sale today, and the best place to get 'em would probably be your local branch of Tesco. They've sold SJA publications at reasonable prices in the past, plus it's more of an experience getting it in person than ordering it online! Ooh, and don't forget to order your copy of the second series SJA boxset, which I would advise getting online. For one thing, it's far cheaper than getting it from most High Street retailers. For another, you may get it sent to you early! The second series boxset officially goes on sale this coming Monday.

On a final note, yes - the contest has now ended. Yes, the votes have been counted - and yes...the results are in! =D Winners to be announced very soon!

Remember!! The Eternity Trap Part One is making its way onto your tellybox at 4:35pm this afternoon, on BBC One and BBC HD! Best start making some space behind that sofa of yours! You'll need it to hide behind later!

Numbers

2009-11-02T23:48:00.004Z

Hope everybody had a good old, spooky Halloween weekend - I know I did! Did anybody out there in fandom have a Doctor Who or SJA themed party, or did you dress up as a character from either show? If you did, we'd love to see some pics - so send them in to the usual email address.

THE GORGEOUS ANJLI MOHINDRA - BRINGING EXTRA MALE ATTENTION TO THE SERIES!

Anyhoo... now that things have calmed down after the crazy events of Thursday and Friday, it's time we take stock and reflect. Friday's broadcast of The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith dropped 200,000 viewers, with 1.1 million people tuning in. This gave the programme a 9.6% audience share.

The adventure had an AI score of 87 for Part One, and 89 for Part Two. AI stands for Appreciation Index, and measures how much the audience liked what they were watching. Any score over 85 is considered excellent.

Thanks to Marcus over at the Doctor Who News Page for the figures.

***

According to Amazon, the third series DVD release of The Sarah Jane Adventures might not be January 2010 after all...

The retailer has advertised that the boxset will be out in its usual October/November slot instead. The mystery deepens!

***

Remember!! You'll get caught up in The Eternity Trap - Part One this Thursday, from 4:35pm on BBC One/HD.

Never Forget

2009-10-30T19:25:00.004Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

Next week... Floella Benjamin!

The Doctor Is In!

2009-10-30T12:11:00.007Z

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

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

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

Talking of which...

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

I did love her comments though, especially this one:

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

***

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

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

Naughty GMTV folk.

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

A Marriage of Sorts

2009-10-30T08:09:00.020Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Big Day

2009-10-29T13:48:00.007Z

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

In the meantime...

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

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

Guests of Honour

2009-10-28T23:29:00.007Z

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

TAP, TAP - GUESS WHO...?

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

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

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

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

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

BAFTA Nominated SJA!! Part Deux

2009-10-27T16:14:00.009Z

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

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

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

So, will 2009 be the SJA's year?

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

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

***

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

Let Out of the Kennel

2009-10-27T12:15:00.006Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Championing the Kids

2009-10-26T20:51:00.007Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

"A Tear, Sarah Jane?"

2009-10-25T22:36:00.009Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stop the Wedding!

2009-10-24T19:43:00.009Z

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

THE LIVERPOOL ECHO NEWSPAPER REPORT ON THE DAY'S EVENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Are Cordially Invited...

2009-10-24T01:34:00.006Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

The site reports:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Future Echoes

2009-10-23T15:01:00.005Z

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

2009-10-22T16:20:00.003Z

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

2009-10-22T15:50:00.000Z

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

2009-10-22T12:30:00.010Z

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

2009-10-21T08:38:00.005Z

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?!

2009-10-20T21:28:00.011Z

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.