A Little Slip

Before you read this, you may want to sit down... We'd like to inform you that SARAH-JANE.tv will not hold themselves responsible for any squee-related injuries our visitors suffer as a result of reading the following news.

Sitting comfortably? Good. So, Russell T. Davies is currently doing his rounds to promote the exceedingly creepy Children of Earth, which kicks off on BBC One next Monday. Yaay! On one of his interviews for Radio 4, he spilled the beans on some SJA tidbits you may find of interest!

Interviewer, Mark Lawson, suggested that where the original Doctor Who was just a TV show, Davies' version [with multiple multimedia spin-offs] is an example of what happens in modern TV. A hit can become an entire industry!

'It's not cynical to talk about it as an industry,' Davies quips. 'All this support stuff keeps Doctor Who afloat, keeps it at the front of everyone's agenda, keeps it funded. So actually, it's very very healthy for the mothership. But it's the way we work now. Sarah Jane's the highest-rated programme on CBBC, Torchwood was the highest-rated drama on BBC3 and it's now the highest-rated drama on BBC America. I've turned into this digital man! Dunno how that happened!'

Lawson went on to enquire if Davies saw the spin-offs as 'his', as opposed to Doctor Who - which he equates to buying someone else's house.

'Yes! I was the landlord! I'm moving on from Doctor Who now, but I'm not from The Sarah Jane Adventures or Torchwood. We've just started working on series four of Sarah Jane yesterday, actually. [Fandom: *UBER-SQUEE!!!*] It's not so much that they're mine, because they're written by teams of people. But I feel I've made a commitment to the cast, so I feel honour bound in a way to stay. Of course I'm going to look after it!'

Davies also talks about the BBC's falling budget: 'I don't think there's a lot of fat to be cut, I think it's going to get very tough for people....I've been so lucky to be working on a show like Doctor Who that, frankly, has a lovely budget." He elaborates on SJA's budget in an interview with The Stage:

'Money’s always a problem with The Sarah Jane Adventures, but actually we’re about four weeks into filming [Season 3] on a new schedule, a slightly different way of making it, to save money. And it’s working. That’s brilliant. I thought it’d fall apart, personally. I shouldn’t say that, should I? But it’s really working. We’ve found a way to make it look just as good for slightly less money, so that’s looking promising. It could just run and run. I can’t say yet, but we’re getting very encouraging signs from the Children’s department, who love it.'

He goes on to clarify that: '[A fourth series] is not definite, but it’s really promising. More than four, actually, if we can. But we’ll see.'

Which basically means they're planning the next series, before the third has even aired - let alone finished filming! Huzzah! A green light from the Beeb is all but definite, especially when the ratings skyrocket with the Doctor's appearance on the show. I've heard vague whispers of some major changes taking place in the potential fourth series, not all of them for the better in my humble opinion. But SARAH-JANE.tv live in hope that should the show continue, these changes are overshadowed by a brilliant writing team and an exceedingly brilliant cast! We already have both, so it's pretty win/win, eh? Roll on Series 4!

Still Alive!

It's been quiet around these parts for a while now, huh? That's more to do with a distinct lack of news updates than anything else really. The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine breaks the silence, and reports on one very special guest star appearing in The Sarah Jane Adventures series three...

Yes, it's Nigel Havers in a role that "looks set to change things for Sarah Jane forever" (according to producer Nikki Wilson). You might have seen Havers in any number of shows, including the BBC's Manchild - an all male take on the Sex & the City formula - and Dangerfield. He also had a role in 1981's Chariots of Fire.

Also appearing on the show is Brian Miller, or Lis Sladen's husband to you and I! His casting has been described as "simply ideal" and "sees him in conflict with the gang... although there's a lot more going on with Brian's character than might first appear" (again, all quotes from Nikki Wilson in DWM issue 410).

Paul Kasey will be playing [SPOILER - HIGHLIGHT!] the Judoon [END SPOILER], but will Nick Briggs return to voice the creatures? The weak links of series two - for me anyroad - Ace Bhatti and Mina Anwar return to their roles as Rani's parents. I figured they would, but to be quite frank I doubt I'd have missed them if they had left the series on a regular basis. Much preferred Clyde's folks.

I'm also hearing that the show is now being shot in High Definition! The first for a children's BBC series...? I'm not so sure, but it's just reason to celebrate! Nabu's April Fool's prank could one day come to pass!!

Doctor Who Magazine 410 also previews the latest Torchwood adventure, Children of Earth, and has news on Tom Baker's return to the role of the Fourth Doctor, in a series of new BBC Audios. The regular Time Team column this month reviews Battlefield, which features a guest performance by Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart.

You can get the magazine now, for £3.99.

Little Piece of Utopia

You wait months for an SJA event to come along, and then BAM- two happen on the same day! Unfortunately, even I can't be in two places at once, so whilst I was off in Stansted meeting Tommy Knight a few weeks ago - my good friend cosmic_llin [webmistress of The Sarah Jane Smith Wardrobe Appreciation Society] was in London attending Utopia on SARAH-JANE.tv's behalf. Here followeth a squee-inducing report of her findings!:

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"Thanks to Nabu double-booking himself, I was lucky enough to use his ticket to Utopia a few weeks ago, where I got to meet a galaxy of (well, several) Sarah Jane Adventures stars! I arrived in the morning to find a few familiar, if terrifying, faces in the foyer, where there were stalls selling merchandise, and a bar to keep us quiet!

Later, less terrifyingly, I met up with some other fans, who enjoyed the day just as much as I did!


When proceedings kicked off at 10am, I went straight to meet Juliet Cowan, who was lovely as ever and recommended dressing like Chrissie rather than Sarah Jane if you want to have more fun!


Shortly after this was Juliet's Q&A session, where she revealed several interesting tidbits, including the fact that the SJA cast get those posh M&S flapjacks at their readthroughs. She talked about her work on the show, and the problems of working with Joseph Millson and having to wear ridiculously high heels, since he's considerably taller than her.

She had nothing but praise for the rest of the SJA team, and mentioned how much she loves working with kids. She finds the storylines on the show incredibly emotionally resonant and relevant, and thinks Russell T Davies is 'amazing'. She's a fan of the new Doctor Who, too - she said that The Empty Child was one of the scariest things she's even seen on TV, and, like a true Sarah Jane fan, she cried at School Reunion.

Sadly, Juliet confirmed that the Jacksons will not be appearing in the next series of SJA. It's not all bad news, though - she will be reprising her role as Cecilia in the new series of Skins, and she has a sketch show and writing commission in the pipeline, so we'll be seeing plenty of her in the months to come!


Joseph Lidster, Sam Watts, Rosanna Lavelle and Christopher Pizzey, after signing lots of autographs, all attended the same Q&A session in the afternoon, and had plenty to say about their work on the show, and about what might be coming up in the next season.

Joe Lidster was excited to be working on SJA again for Season 3, and revealed a few hints about his two-parter, which is apparently an 'angsty character piece', but also has plenty of running around and banter, particularly between Clyde and Sarah Jane!

He noted that the monster in his episode was a brand-new one, and mentions that, with K9's return as a permanent member of the team, he and Mr Smith have developed an 'interesting relationship.'

Joe also revealed some details about what happens to a story in development - beginning with pointers about what major points should be included, and followed by lots and lots of rewrites as the team throw in their two cents! Scripts have to be looked at right down to the last detail - the team needed special approval to include the words 'Oh my God!' in an episode. Although of course Mr Lidster loves working on the Sarah Jane Adventures, in the future he sees himself writing a detective series. Watch this space, everyone!


Sam Watts was very excited to be starting work on the music for season three, and although he wasn't able to give us any plot hints, he did say that this season is the best yet, and that all of the stories are very different from one another, so it should be a season of interesting twists and turns, with something for everyone! Sam loves the show and loves creating music to enhance the drama and emotion of the stories, and he enjoys using music to help give the monsters and villains identity. Sometime in the future, he would love to work on primetime BBC1, perhaps even on Doctor Who itself, and eventually break into Hollywood!


Christopher Pizzey and Rosanna Lavelle had nothing but good things to say about their time working on The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. Both of them raved about how thorough the art department were, creating the 1950s sets in intricate detail, and they both loved the director, and praised Elisabeth's generosity and emotional commitment to her scenes.


Both Chris and Rosanna were familiar with the Doctor Who universe before appearing as the Smiths - Rosanna often watches The Sarah Jane Adventures at home, and Chris is a big Doctor Who fan and would love a part in the show. In the meantime, though, he's starring in a film called Grip (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1439551/), about a struggling actor, and also has a couple of comedy projects coming up, one of which will be shown on CBBC. Rosanna, meanwhile, has just made a short film, and has a small part in a new series called 'Fashion.'

All of the SJA guests at the event were full of enthusiasm for the show, praising its emotionally mature and complex themes, as well as its sense of adventure and fun - the same things that keep us all coming back!

It was a great day, and it was fantastic to get a bit of insight into the making of the show, and meet the people both behind the scenes and in front of the cameras! Thanks again for the ticket, Nabu, and thanks also to organisers Fantom Films!"

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And thank YOU, Llin, for a brilliantly written account of your day! It's certainly whet my appetite for what the third series has to offer! On a sidenote, it was great to hear that Sam Watts apparently referred to me as the 'infamous Nabu!' when you spoke to him privately! =D Consider my year well and truly made!

A Lazy Monday in front of the telly...

Well, it's been a while since I've had the chance to post! I was hoping I'd be announcing when SJA would air here in America by now...but, alas, I have not heard anything definitive yet. :(

However, SciFi (soon to be Syfy) does have the first season as a part of it's daytime rotation next week. Monday, June 22nd, starting with Invasion of the Bane at 9:30 am EDT. Come, now-I know I'm not the only one who will watch a marathon of one of my favorite shows on tv, even though the dvds are sitting pretty on my dvd shelf. Admit it-there are a few of you out there! ;)

Before I go, I will leave you with this-my attempt at an SJA costume when I was at Marcon last month:

As with all of my costumes- a work in progress. LOL! :) (Maybe next year I'll finally get that Andy Pandy costume made!)

New Bukes!

The last time we mentioned the SJA audiobooks coming out this Autumn, they were little more than holding pages on Amazon.co.uk.

Two months on and we're excited to inform you that not only do they now have titles, but vague plot descriptions, too! Huzzah!

The White Wolf, written by Gary Russell and due to be released on September 3rd, sees Sarah Jane and the kids head to the village of Wolfenden after our favourite sonic lipstick-wielding heroine receives a letter from an old friend she can't remember! There, they'll try to uncover the mystery behind the white wolf carved on the hillside, and figure out what it has to do with alien abduction!

The Shadow People, coming out the following month on November 5th, sees Sarah Jane chaperoning yet another school field trip. The last time she did this, the gang found themselves trapped inside a museum and Luke became possessed by a terrifying alien entity known as Ravage!

Seems their school camping trip to Snowdonia isn't going to be any less eventful when Sarah Jane and the kids find themselves stranded in a harsh environment. With Rani seeming to appear in two places at once and a shadowy figure watching their every move, the gang need to unearth the secret of a nearby cave to have any hope of getting home alive!

If two exciting audiobook releases weren't enough, the BBC are spoiling us with yet more SJA merchandise! A 104-page SJA Quiz Book is also due for release on November 5th. Amazon offer the following product description:

"To join Sarah Jane and her friends in investigating alien goings-on, you’ll need first-rate observation and investigation skills! Test what you’ve learnt from all three series of The Sarah Jane Adventures with these fantastic quizzes!"

But that's not all! An SJA novelisation based on the third two-parter of the third series is being released unexpectedly early. The product description has some spoilers for the upcoming wedding episode, so you've been forewarned!

"Sarah Jane is acting very suspiciously. When Luke, Clyde and Rani investigate, with the help of Mr Smith and K-9, they discover something unexpected – Sarah Jane has a boyfriend and she’s going to marry him! Of course, in Sarah Jane’s life, things are not always as they seem and some very special wedding guests ensure this is one day she will never forget!"

I hope we all know at least one of the special wedding guests due to make an appearance in the story! And no, it isn't K9 wearing a bow-tie ;) Well...maybe.

Does the release of this novelisation, out November 5th, mean we'll see eight episode novelisations this year as opposed to the regular four? Or are the Beeb picking and choosing the best four stories? We'll find out closer to Autumn!

The Great Outdoors

Stansted C of E Primary School celebrated its annual summer fete today, with one special difference! This year, the school was lucky enough to play host to a Tommy Knight signing, and I and a friend were lucky enough to go along!

Tommy was there to raise money for his favourite charity, the Demelza House Children's Hospice - a cause which aims to provide care for over 450 children with life-limiting illnesses. Tom raised over £1000 for the charity last June after attending a signing at The Oncoming Storm convention. SARAH-JANE.tv were lucky enough to cover his donation to the hospice the following month! This year, half the money raised by Tom's activities at the fete will also go toward benefiting the school where he'll be doing his signing.

Stansted C of E Primary is a small rural school with just over 80 pupils. With only four classrooms across the school, year groups of different ages are often combined in one room when taught their lessons. The school has some superb facilities and no doubt a most excellent teaching staff, but the money raised from events like these offer rural schools like Stansted Primary the chance to grow and enhance their teaching experience. Plus, it's an opportunity for the pupils, their parents and the locals to have a bit of summer fun, too!

The event kicked off with some traditional maypole dancing, very well choreographed if I might say so! Particularly fond of the 'Weave' routine!

After all the dancing, Tommy snapped a few pictures for the press with the May King and Queen, along with their attendees. D'aww!

Tom even had the time to take part in an egg catching contest. He and his partner had to chuck an egg to each other and with each successful catch, they had to take a step back making it harder for them to succeed! Tom eventually lost when the egg splattered all over his fingers!

At the end of the day, SARAH-JANE.tv surprised Tom with a few pressies! Amongst them, a Good Luck card signed by everyone at the fete wishing Tom well for his exams, a little chocolate treat from moi and le pièce de résistance?


A gift from SARAH-JANE.tv reader, Brian, which left Tommy speechless!



So props to you, Brian! Very creative present! Tom and his folks loved it! More so since Tommy himself is studying Art at school!


All in all, a grand day oot with fun had by all! Many thanks to Stansted C of E Primary, in particular organiser Trisha Broszek and her daughter Victoria, for all their hospitality! And many thanks to Tommy Knight and his family for letting me hang out with 'em for the day, even behind the scenes!

UPDATE: Tommy Knight's mum, Sandy, was kind enough to pass on a picture of Tom collecting a £300 donation to Demelza from RAJ DAHNI, a Kent-based Indian restaurant located in West Kingsdown. Tom popped down there after his Stansted signing to meet restaurant owner Meah, and his son Nahid - who happens to be a huge fan of The Sarah Jane Adventures!

When they heard Tom wanted to raise money for charity, they were only too happy to close down their restaurant for the evening for a private cheque presentation! We've been informed that Tom raised over £500 that day, with a fifth of the sum going to Stansted Primary. Well done, Tommy!