As a casual Doctor Who fan, I was always so pumped for when The Sarah Jane Adventures came on when I came back from school. Now that I’m in my mid 20’s, I have come to appreciate the series for what it is: cosy, simple, afternoon watching, where I don’t have to think too hard yet still get a dose of Doctor Who.
I have recently finished re-watching the series after a good 10 ten years and I honestly feel that this British science fiction series is a real testament that Doctor Who can be for everyone, with it being aimed at a younger audience.
There are some of those spoiler-things below!
The series debuted on BBC One with a 60-minute special, “Invasion of the Bane” in 2007. It stars the now passed Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane, Yasmin Paige as Maria Jackson, Tommy Knight as Luke, and Daniel Anthony as Clyde Langer. From the get-go, we have some seriously good acting, decent writing, and good costume, set, and monster/alien design. What I love about the series is I can get excited about sci-fi creatures looking to destroy, survey, visit, or take over Earth, without getting too bogged down by lore or knowledge about the many different types of alien races out there. Plus, Elizabeth Sladen was without a doubt a beloved and amazing actress, with an individual style and skill that made her noticeable and memorable.
The Elephant in the Room
When most people talk about this series, “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith”, in which we get a cameo from David Tennant’s Doctor, always gets a special mention. The final two episodes of series three are excellent, it’s true. We get some TARDIS action, weird timey, dimensional stuff, and intense emotions that really give credit to the abilities of each of the actors. But I want to talk about the actors and their characters in this review, because I think they make the show very watchable and re-watchable.
Also, The Sarah Jane Adventures is not Doctor Who, but it is set in the same world as Doctor Who, and although the Doctor gets mentioned several times, the Time Lord does not star in the series – sorry to disappoint if this is your first time hearing about The Sarah Jane Adventures!
Teenage Actors
The teen actors themselves were good at their roles, without suffering from some of the more annoying, in-your-face traits that some child/teen actors suffer from (simply because they are young and inexperienced). Maria was likeable because Yasmin put in a lot of effort to make her engaging and relatable. Sweet boy Luke, creation of the alien race the Bane, is likeable because of his awkward intelligence and stumbling charisma. Clyde is likeable because he has the cool boy persona that doesn’t delve into bully or mean territory. Although all three of the children appear to conform to the more stereotypical ‘good girl, ‘nerd’, and ‘popular kid’ ideas, I think they stand apart because their actors put in so much heart and effort to the roles that sets their respective characters apart.
One of the issues that The Sarah Jane Adventures has regarding its appeal to a more adult audience is the fact that Sarah Jane hangs out 24/7 with teenagers. A stylish, mature woman like her going on adventures with a bunch of teens, may very well put off an older audience who might be looking for the kind of mature relationships seen with the Doctor and his companions. And that’s totally fine! But! Hear me out.
Each teen is someone you could relate to and desire to see them succeed. Plus, Elizabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane is a fun, powerful, clever, and, let's face it, foxy woman who is a constant win throughout the series that is, after all, named after her. Elizabeth deserves an entire article dedicated to her acting of Sarah Jane, but, I want to give some space to talk about the teenagers, given the series was aimed for a younger audience.
The Main Teens
Maria is your average young teenage girl who just moved into a new neighbourhood and must go to a new school, without knowing anyone. She isn’t your stylish, make-up wearing teen wearing all the latest trends. She is a nobody in a world that can easily swallow up people and make them feel invisible. Yet, her curiosity and kindness get her into all kinds of adventures and is often the guiding force for the other characters, especially Sarah Jane. After all, it is Maria who encourages Sarah Jane to talk to other people rather than maintaining her very isolated life of journalism and aliens. Maria is actually the first character we see in the series, with her moving in during "Invasion of the Bane". For hers to be the first face we see, she acts as the lens the viewer sees through to help them invest in an alien world when all they've experienced is reality.
Clyde (pictured on the right) is a goofy character – the comedic relief. He isn’t an over achiever, has a good circle of friends who are often seen as the troublesome neighbourhood teens, and dresses in a way that makes others believe him to be a nuisance. But he is gentle, caring, and an art-lover, someone who allows himself to do what he loves no matter how others view him.
Luke (pictured on the left) is incredibly intelligent and could've been depicted as the bullied nerd. But he is befriended by Maria and Clyde, adopted by the very motherly and unique Sarah Jane, and uses his intelligence to repeatedly save the world, exactly how the Doctor can. Each character breaks their stereotypes in a way that is not in your face nor entirely obvious, and I’m all for it.
When Maria and her family is written out in the first episode of the second series, a hole was left in her wake. She was Luke’s rock, Clyde’s direction, and Sarah Jane’s somewhat adopted daughter. Even her father, newly single Alan, played by Joseph Millson, had such a great presence in the first series that seeing him leave was a bit crushing. Thus, when Rani Chandra and her parents, Haresh and Gita, move into the very same house Maria lived in, it felt like she had to jump hurdles to get anywhere close to what Maria served in the series. Yet, Rani is written in such a way that her journalist-driven and nosy personality is very endearing.
When we first meet Rani in “The Day of the Clown” in Series Two Episode Two, we meet a very inquisitive character who seems to have a habit of getting her nose into places it probably shouldn’t be – exactly what Maria did when we first met her. However, whilst Maria was the guiding force of kindness for the group, Rani has a much more feminine and charismatic role who brings about a breath of fresh air. She has great banter with Clyde, is very sisterly towards Luke, and seems to become Sarah Jane’s best friend very quickly. She worries about whether she is as good as Maria, but is repeatedly shown to go above and beyond in the pursuit of safeguarding Earth.
All in all, all the characters in The Sarah Jane Adventures have something about them that can appeal to many people, and if all else fails, you can look forward to the occasional K9 encounter. Because we should all love and protect that metal dog at all costs!
Conclusion
So much of me wishes that series five had more episodes. Each instalment is engaging and exciting, and perfect for scratching that Doctor Who itch whenever I feel like I want more bite sized sci-fi. Elizabeth Sladen has left a true masterpiece as her legacy, and I for one am so grateful that it still exists out there to watch. I highly recommend giving the series a go, bearing in mind it is aimed for a younger audience so has that slight childish whimsy expected in a young person’s drama. And despite that, maybe, just maybe, it will surprise you?
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