Sarah Jane Adventures: Begins 24th September 5pm

[Paul Monk]

That would be good, thanks.

[brandynigma]

I thought crashing the bus was a slightly un-Sarah, but it did surprise, me as I thought she was going to let the Bubbleshock Zombies in to open the doors. Great performances all round. Luke could have easily been mind-numbingly twee, but instead comes across as very realistic. Sladen's performance is way up on School Reunion, and Maria provides a great companion.

You get the impression that the divorce was two people drifting apart more than fighting to the point of destruction, and I think Maria's Dad potrays that very well. Plus he's a hottie!

Samantha Bond is a wonderfully campy villianess, recalling the spirit T-Bag with just a dash of the Lady Cassandra. K9's cameo was well judged, and it would be nice to have a few appearences/references to him handling other disasters ("Is Serge here? My pride and joy?" "Sorry Mum, he's taking ice samples in the Arctic...")

I was grinning like a loon all the way through it, and while it's clearly a kids show, I was glad that it didn't talk down the the audience.

And it's nice to see TIM remembered in Mr Smith.

4 out of 5.

[Milky Tears]

Mr Smith's voice was provided by Alexander Armstrong.

2.9m/14.4% share The Sarah Jane Adventures yesterday.

Posted by Marcus over on Outpost Gallifrey:

The average audience for Blue Peter last year was 0.895m of which 0.28m were children. Grange Hill got 0.67m of which 0.29m were children.

SJA got a children's audience of 0.4m.

[Jonno]

So if 5/6 of the audience were adult, is it fair to say that its target audience was children?!

And Jason, you were quite right about my alienist comment - as is often the case, you speak much sense.

[Anthony Williams]

I wasn't sure what to make of it, tbh. It wasn't bad, and it was obvious that it wasn't aimed at my age group.

I can't really fault any of the plot, but it did seem a lil juvenile for my tastes.

Ant x

[Dave Lewis]

I honestly didn't think it was that juvenile at all, and certainly no more than a great deal of new or old Who. Now speaking as no great devotee of much of the latter, and certainly one who has no allegiance to Sarah Jane or K9, I've been a little bit saddened to see several people saying that they thought it was good... or at least, alright... and then saying they probably won't be watching the series itself.

If anyone thought it was really crap, then fair enough, don't be watching (or videoing, or Sky Plus-ing, or watever-ing) the series when it gets aired. But if people enjoyed it, even though it wasn't really to their taste, and then say they probably won't show any interest in the series itself, then that's a bit strange. Give the girl a chance!

But hey, maybe that's just me. I'll probably end up missing half of it and then regretting it. I've enjoyed Torchwood, and tomorrow will be a four episode fest of catch up. Maybe I'll end up watching a whole series worth of SJS Adventures in one afternoon in a few months time. I'm sure there'll be something to enjoy therein.

[Wayne]

If anyone thought it was really crap, then fair enough, don't be watching (or videoing, or Sky Plus-ing, or watever-ing) the series when it gets aired. But if people enjoyed it, even though it wasn't really to their taste, and then say they probably won't show any interest in the series itself, then that's a bit strange. Give the girl a chance!

That's a fair point, Dave. In my case it's not so much that i'll be actually avoiding watching, it's just that it grab me enough to get me really excited about wanting to see more. What will more than likely happen with me is that unless it's inconvenient, the curiosity factor will probably win out, & i'll probably end up sticking it on anyway, even if it's just on in the background.
Whilst i can see the merits, & thought it was well done, i must admit i'm slightly surprised by the amount of praise that it's got on here so far. Compared to 'Torchwood' say, which i vastly prefer, but has got a comparitively muted response overall.

[WhiteCrow]

End of the day, it's a kids show, whose target audience are well kids.

Every so often though they produce a kids show which doesnt have to alienate adults either, and which adults can really get into. This is how I'm approaching it.

Perhaps we should call it Torchwood Jr!

[Wayne]

Perhaps we should call it Torchwood Jr!

Reminds of that old sketch in 'The Young Ones' where Ben Elton is sending up 'Grange Hill'. ("Come on Sir, We're the only kids in Britain who never say F...!")

[Dave Lewis]

End of the day, it's a kids show, whose target audience are well kids.

Vay are well kids, innit?

Vay is da future, man. Props out, vay is 'avin' it.




ITV3 are only showing the edited version of Flash Gordon! Dalton's swearing has just been conspicuous by its absence. How mortifying.

[Andrew Curnow]

Dive, Hawkmen, Diiiiiiiiiiiive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Si Hunt]

Every so often though they produce a kids show which doesnt have to alienate adults either

Hmmm. I know another show like that.

I find it supremely ironic that a large number of people I know have professed a dislike of the New Series because it's "un-Who like" which might perhaps have something to do with getting away from a certain element of a mysterious stranger having simple, child-like adventures with young people fighting blobby monsters. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the new series has more wit, irony, money and I suppose a greater adult content (in terms of sophistication) than the old one which has turned some people off, yet here is "Sarah Jane" which reminded me greatly of Old Who, especially being set in surburban England with its cackling villain, possession and returning home for pop afterwards. I have a suspicion that if the new series had been more like "Sarah Jane", the purists would have been curiously happier. The show would have flopped of course, because our wonderful convention-shattering new series needs to be like it is, Next Time trailers, sex appeal and format-bothering episodes and all. But "Sarah Jane" is a slice of pure innocence-laced 1975 Who, surely? It's ironic that the kiddie-label seems to have put people off.

Si.

[Wayne]

But "Sarah Jane" is a slice of pure innocence-laced 1975 Who, surely?

I'm really struggling to see how you've arrived at that one. It didn't really remind of the old series of Who, but if anything the closest comparison would Who circa 1987, IMO.
I'm not here to diss it, but i got the same feeling from as i did from watching something like 'Chocky'. Can't really knock it for what it is, but it definitely has the feel of being specifically a children's show. Most of all because of the children that are in it.

[Si Hunt]

The setting reminded me of "The Hand of Fear", the monster was a bit like a rutan and the villain was pure Tom Baker-era - part Miss Winters, part Taren Capel.

Si.

[Wayne]

the villain was pure Tom Baker-era - part Miss Winters, part Taren Capel.
Si.

Good point about the Miss Winters comparison though. Funnily enough the female villian was my favourite character from the SJA.

[Anthony Williams]

I'll give it another viewing tomorrow, and re-assess my opinion of it.

Ant x

[Jon Masters]

I enjoyed it for what it was, although I got a bit cross with the New Series stylee 'EMOTIONAL MOMENTS' which were slapped around your face like a large haddock - you WILL feel sad / happy etc.

More importantly Sam and Tom liked it (and understood it unlike TRB) so I'll be videoing for them when the series starts

[Doctor Vendetta]

On the OG forum they seem to picking up a lot of lesbian & gay subtexts in this show, which went completly over my head when I watched it. Everything from, 'the dad is an obviously recently out gay' to 'Mrs Wormwood is eying up Sarah Jane's arse and is obviously getting it on with her assistant'. Did anybody here notice this, or is it all in the fevered imaginings of the OG forum?

[Pip Madeley]

I've still not watched it.

Tomorrow, I shall put an hour aside.

[Andrew Curnow]

Doctor Vendetta's post is the funniest thing I've read today. In answer to your question, I think it's the fevered imaginings of OG - what rubbish they come up with!

[Dave Lewis]

I think the fact that K9 is kept locked in a cupboard with a black hole shoved up his arse clearly reveals that he is a gimp and that Sarah Jane is a crazed dominatrix. Plus the pictures of Nick Courtney's moustace show that she has a fetish for stereotypically gay men from the early nineteen hundreds.

[Doctor Vendetta]

I forgot, there was also suggestion on OG of sapphic extraterrestrial love between Sarah Jane and the floaty CGI Torchwood alien.

[Jonno]

It's quite good to read in the new DWM that the new series will consist of 5 x 2 part stories - effectively one hour stories making them the same length as the pilot. You can't tell a good story in half an hour IMO.

Also, I meant to ask earlier why Dave was talking about Gary Russell. Did you mean RTD, who co-wrote it with Gareth Roberts?

[Andy Frankham]

That's who I assumed he meant, too.

[Milky Tears]

Doctor Vendetta speaks the truth. I spotted it straight away. RTD's "BIG LESBIAN/KIDS TV AGENDA" has been going on for about fifteen years now.



It's also worth checking out CBBC Extra (BBCi Red Button/Freeview Channel 301) if you're after the 50 second "Sarah Jane Adventures: Coming Soon" trailer.* Nothing too exciting, but it would make a nice DVD extra.

It pops up about halfway through a fifteen minute loop of CBBC Extras (awards show)/2007 Previews. Some MI High and Blue Peter stuff on there as well. Lizo missed out on the Best Presenter award.


* I didn't even know this existed until half an hour ago.