2.1: The Last Sontaran

[SiHart]

Here's the thread for everyone to discuss the first of the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures, which starts tonight at 4.35pm on BBC One. I'm really looking forward to it!

Si xx

[WhiteCrow]

Who's the villain going to be? Bet it turns out to just be the Slitheen dressed like a Sontaran again.

It's time Humpty Dumpty had a great fall anyway.

[SiHart]

Please remember if you're watching Pt 2 on CBBC tonight to use the spoiler tags so you don't spoil it for anyone else.

Thanks.

Si xx

[SiHart]

Please remember if you're watching Pt 2 on CBBC tonight to use the spoiler tags so you don't spoil it for anyone else.

Thanks.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

Not a bad episode for a start but the CGI of the dish was a bit crap/obviously fake.

Better second episode, really good finish & a good start to the season.

[SiHart]

Please remember if you're watching Pt 2 on CBBC tonight to use the spoiler tags so you don't spoil it for anyone else.

Thanks.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

That's the 3rd time you've said that.

[SiHart]

It's just infuriating isn't it? (bet that doesn't post three times, does it?)

Si xx

[SiHart]

Ha! Told you it wouldn't.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

What I find funny is that the 3rd post didn't show up for 33 minutes.

[SiHart]

That might be some kind of record.

Si xx

[SiHart]

I thought it was very enjoyable and a good solid start to the season. I loved Kaargh's CGI helmet (none of the other Sontarans has ever had one of those) and the invisible effects were really well done.

Si xx

[Wayne]

I found it rather bland, & the Sontaran chappie wasn't half as good as Chris Ryan's.
I'm hoping there will be a spooky, atmospheric one again, like the Gorgon one in S1.

[Lord President]

Unfortunately, I missed both episodes due to there being a powercut and my DVD Recorder resetting! Hey ho, I'll have to catch up with the repeat!

[Rob McCow]

I thought it was pretty fabulous, if mostly for Maria's Mum!

There was too much info-dump at the end of Ep.1 and the Sontaran was a terrible shot. Apart from that it was great, a solid adventure romp. Not as good as Doctor Who, but loads better than Merlin. Poor Merlin.

[Si Hunt]

We enjoyed it, though it wasn't particuarly the most dynamic or inventive of the episodes. Plus points:

- Great CGI and effects. Loved the way they integrated in the Doctor Who footage and made it sort of like a "Breif Encounters" set during/after "The Poison Sky". Brilliant new design for the Sontaran "pod".

- Likewise the helmet disintegrating was very much a "Oh Wow!" moment

- Sarah's new hair

- The plot, to make Satelite's fall out the sky, was quite endearing and this series still has a grand spirit of adventure to it

Bad Points

- Took a bit of an age to get going. The first scene went on forever. No new title music!

- Thanks to Maria's departure there was a bit of a sense of unwelcome melancholy over the series opener, rather than feeling like a fresh new start. Maybe better if she'd left between seasons?

- And, well, it was all a bit of a slow mish-mash of other stories. A less complex "Time Warrior".

I think the highpoint was the chase, all the stuff with the cloaked ship and the iconic image of the Sontaran chasing people through the woods. Not a bad opener, but a little low key.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Please remember if you're watching Pt 2 on CBBC tonight to use the spoiler tags so you don't spoil it for anyone else.

Thanks.

Si xx

I liked it, good solid fun, but not as good as last year's best stories.

[Simon R]

It was warm and great smelling but we forgot to set activate the magnetron to record the second part.

Whaddya gonna do?

[Pip Madeley]

I love reading your posts Simon because I can never imagine you saying them in person

[Si Hunt]

I can.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

Well duh

[WhiteCrow]

The story was great and worked well. This season seems a lot more high budget than last, the invisible Sontaran effect in particular being spectacular.

I wondered with all the camoflage whether we were going to see SJA "do Predator".

Episode 2 spoiler below ...

And it's bye bye Maria - that was a bit of shock.

She seems such a part of the series, much more central to a lot of it than Luke in a way. Are we going to have a revolving door of companions? Did Yasmin Paige secretly get herself preggers and got fired?

Surely Maria will be back as America is just about to bomb financially with dad getting the sack?

[SiHart]

I believe she left so that she could study for her GCSEs. It's a big loss I think- she's been brilliant all the way through. Hopefully there will be room for her to come back and make guest appearances some time.

Si xx

[WhiteCrow]

Watching part one with my wife wasn't fun. There was the mysterious invisible figure and she was all "ooh I wonder what it's going to be".

Cameron said it'd be a Sontaran, and was accused of watching it sneakily. "No mum, it's called THE LAST SONTARAN".

But she should have done her GCSE's last year acording to her birthdate.

She should return in the Enemy of the Bain!

[Andrew Curnow]

I watched part 1 last night (part 2 hadn't recorded - our old friend entropy nibbling away at the system circuitry) and really enjoyed it. I probably agree that it took a while to get going, but nevertheless it seemed a lot more 'confident' than last year's first season. In fact, I found myself thinking it was more like old style Who as much as anything.

The footage in the woods was particularly good, and we're all enjoying Clyde's one-liners!!