3.1 Prisoner of the Judoon

[SiHart]

The new series of The Sarah jane Adventures debuts today. Here is a thread for us to discuss it.

I'm really looking forward to it.

Si xx

[shada pavlova]

Well, that was actually a pretty good season opener.

My one gripe is that Clyde could so easily have said "Krynoids" instead of "Triffids", and thousands of fans would have punched the air...

Otherwise, pretty good! Can't wait for tomorrow!

[Perry Vale]

My one gripe is that Clyde could so easily have said "Krynoids" instead of "Triffids", and thousands of fans would have punched the air...

Old 'fans' of Doctor Who might have, whereas fans of SJA were more likely to have heard of the Triffids, imo.....

Yes, that was a great opener, and managed to pitch the humour side to it very well indeed. Looked gorgeous in HD as well.

[Dino]

I'm not sure how much about the plot I'm allowed to talk about for the benefit of people who didn't catch it but would I be called a "lying get" if I said the Judoon's prisoner looked in long shots like the "Living Carpets" from "Vic Reeves Big Night Out"?

This was a better series opener than the last two as a story like this would normally have been buried later in the season a few years ago.
Rani's parents were bad Chuckle brothers but at least it set up a good triple cliffhanger and I'm glad the enemy gives a nod to Elisabeth Sladen's audition piece for Sarah Jane with the sticking out tongue?

Welcome back but the the theme tune still grates and the forthcoming K-9 series has even more to live up to as a children's drama now.

[SiHart]

That was great fun! I love the Judoon being used for comic relief (Have nice day! ) and Sladen's possessed acting was as good as it was 33 years ago. Her swagger was hilarious!

Looked good in HD too.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

Yay! Great stuff apart from the wobble-cam.

It fulfilled it's promise of making the Judoon a serious threat, but still highly comical. I'm looking forward to part two

[Andrew Curnow]

It was a good bit of fun - although I'm not always the biggest fan of Liz, I have to say that her 'possessed' acting was particularly creepy, really good.

[Si Hunt]

I thought it was good, although for some reason it felt a bit slow, particuarly the dull opening scene discussing nano robots in the laboratory. On the good side, the Judoon was excellent, really superb make-up and lovely to see it on location. The touches of humour were nice - "handbreak not required!" particuarly, and the handing over of the 'permit' for requisition of the police car was a nice bit of consistency. I really do love the Judoon. Not only this, but the alien prisoner was another stunning creature to add to the menagerie. Lis' "possessed acting" managed to be ten times better than Piper or Tennants in "New Earth", with the exception of the dodgy clip that finished the Next Time trailer.

So - a good solid opening episode, with everyone on top form. The HD looked brilliant too. If I had one complaint it would be... well, that this series STILL feels unoriginal. Since the end of Series 1, I've felt that the SJA episodes, while good, have retrodden old ground - last years Trickster story felt like a re-take of the previous years and other episodes seemed to be there to recycle Doctor Who costumes. Ironically, "Prisoner of the Judoon" found a way to actually expand on the "character" of a Doctor Who baddie, and yet... and yet.... lone monster crashes to Earth and Sarah and friends have to hunt/get hunted to stop a terror unleashing havoc on the human race is EXACTLY the same plot as last years opener. So this still felt slightly re-heated.

Great production values, great humour, still waiting for the original plots of Series 1 to return.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I enjoyed episode 2 more than 1 I think, really entertaining. Of course it's pitched as kids, so Rani's parents are that bit more OTT than they would be in Who, but I really enjoyed it - especially the 'Pay & Display' gag and also Lis's possessed acting.

And the trailer for next week's episode looks very good indeed!

Oh, and I like the 'two episodes a week' showing - it makes me nostalgic for the good old days!

[Dino]

This is amazing!
And given the other writers involved and the directions they will take it, this could be shaping up to be the ultimate Sarah Jane series?
At least now Rani's parents have the angle they should have had by the end of the last series.
And it also had the best joke ever seen that made me actually laugh out loud (for the first time in ages) with the Judoon patrol.
And Sladen's acting when the alien relaxed it's guard and stopped pretending to be her was spot on. It was as if you were watching her make a guest appearance in another show?
Although is the series a finishing school for Doctor Who guest actors and monsters? I can overlook that. I'm going along with the ride like the rest of you!

[Rob McCow]

And we all believe that that particular style of acting wouldn't be seen again after Blakes 7 ended.

Sladen's acting in this one was amazing, truly wonderful and an absolute screaming hoot. Forget gritty realism, this is what it's all about!

Wonderful stuff and I loved the scene conducted entirely in 'Judoon' where Captain Tybo gets annoyed with his men for not letting him out of the 'Authoirsed Personnel Only' room! Difficult to pull off perhaps, but the direction made it absolutely clear what was going on.

And next week - OOoooooo! This years' P K Dick rip off looks a cracker!

[Martin Curnow]

Zo kro yo plo zo jo flo lo!

[shada pavlova]

Hold on, I'll get a bucket...

[Pip Madeley]

Well I thought it was alright - not fantastic - and there were some very good moments such as the little comic scenes concerning the Judoon's blind adherence to all laws and directives (loved seeing it driving the police car!)... I hope we see more Clyde because he's by far the best of the three teenage actors. Rani's not as annoying as last series but I still miss Maria. Sort of.

Wasn't so enamoured with the parents sub-plot which felt too much like padding, and Sladen's performance wasn't very subtle was it, and we know she did 'Sarah possessed' acting so much better in 'The Hand of Fear'. If it was up to me there would have been less of that and more of the actual Veil creature. And I also picked up on the similar plot to 'The Last Sontaran'.

But, it was well directed, had great CGI and the kids will have loved it - and that's what matters

[Simon R]

I enjoyed it but lost the plot and it was a bit bog standard and seen it all before. Next week's looks better!

[Si Hunt]

I enjoyed it, overall. It very much fell into the format of previous openers - the Judoon and associated comedy business was excellent, and hurrah for the make-up and CGI again this week - the nano's looked awesome. Rani continues to have no presence, and Luke no acting ability, with Clyde the decent performer. But that hardly mattered - Sladen outshined them all with her brilliant performance, and the licking tongue was brill.

I felt more at ease with the story this week - I think I keep expecting it not to be so formulaic, but in many ways it's good that it is. It reminded me of the SJA audiobooks I listened to last year - cosy, exciting kids adventures in suburbia. That's what this series is, and I think one day we'll appreciate just how good it was/is.

And next weeks, as the traditional second story possession/scarathon looks brilliant.

Si.

[deltaandthebannermen]

I liked this opener, but agree with other posters that it was very similar to the last two season openers, particularly The Last Sontaran - even down to the parents getting involved - Chrissie last year, Rani's mum and dad this year. The Judoon was funny with the continual gags about following the law and it was nice to have them further distinguished from very similar Who aliens such as the Sontarans - big, bluff, military-style aliens.
I thought Lis Sladen's performance as possessed was very effective and I'm sure she enjoyed the opportunity to act evil for a bit.

[Rob McCow]

I'm sure she enjoyed the opportunity to act evil for a bit.

I wonder if she's like that at home

[Si Hunt]

I'm sure at the Borders signing I spotted a forked tongue.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

I wonder if she's like that at home

You saw her green eyes on the 30 Years... documentary