The Sarah Jane Adventures - The Complete First Season

Herein is an excellent children's sci fi excellently done. Taking place alongside the latest episodes of Doctor Who are the adventures of investigative journalist (and former Doctor's companion) Sarah Jane Smith, her adopted son Luke, and young neighbors Maria and Clyde. Aliens are falling to Earth every day, Sarah Jane explains, and it's up to people like them to help the good ones and protect the planet from the bad ones.

Most live-action children's shows seem to be the afterthought of their writers and producers (and actors), but the Sarah Jane Adventures is produced with as much sincerity, intelligence, and wit as its parent show. One wouldn't expect such high quality from a show mostly starring child actors, but Yasmin Page (Maria), Tommy Knight (Luke), and Daniel Anthony (Clyde) are natural actors, believable and fun. The adults aren't just there for a paycheck either: Elisabeth Sladen is superb in her latest portrayal of her classic character, Sarah Jane Smith. Joseph Millson is both charming and protective as Maria's dad, Alan. Even Chrissie, played by Juliet Cowan, is interesting in her minor role.

Mixed in with aliens and spaceships are more adult themes, such as Sarah Jane's loneliness, Alan's struggles to protect his daughter, and Maria's perspective of her parents' divorce. But the show is never bogged down by them, portraying a world infused with optimism and adventure, where games turn dangerous, but everybody makes it home in the end.

Come for the scares and laughs, stay for the fine writing and acting, and cheer that the next season starts airing this fall.

With Season Two under production in the UK, Sarah Jane, Voted Doctor Who's favorate Companion even over Rose in a recent DWM poll is shown in her first successful TV series. Telling stories worthy of Doctor Who's current series the show was aimed at the Dr's original target group Children. The shows are a bit younger in the writting but still have the quallity that have marked the New series of Doctor Who. The improvements to the Silveen are out of this world I love the Thin Suits. After the Adventures of K-9, a Girls best Friend went flop, for lack of story more than any other reason in the late 1970's, we all thought Sarah was gone, wrong, she's back, and shows no sign of leaving us soon. She has stated she feels her time of visiting the Doctor is done following the final show of Season 4 of Doctor Who, however she is still going strong her, and the new producer is looking to bring K-9 back intothe stories more in season 3, so watchout more are comming. Now does revlon carry sonic lipsticks?

This spin off they got right. Sarah Jane is a wonderful program that is very much like Doctor Who. [...] Elisabeth Sladen is wonderful as Sarah Jane. She meets many of the same villians as the Doctor and with the help of her super computer MR Smith and her adopted son luke and maria the neighbor. THe show is very well done and is great sci fi. Something kids and adults can both watch. I just wish K-9 were more involved as i think he is a great addition. Sarah had vowed to carry on the doctors legacy and help fight those that would harm the earth. SHe is a wonderful character and this is a wonderfull spinoff.

The Doctor Who Invisible Enemy / K9 set that is just on its way out, contains "K9 & Co." the introduction to K9 mark III. and the Christmas special that didn't fly as a Dr. Who spin-off in the 80's. But leave it the 2005's DW producer Russell T. Davies to get not one but 2 spin-off successful off the ground (both are working on season 2's as we speak, well..."read"). The continuing adventures of the best companion in the 40 years of Doctor Who...in my humble opinion...Elisabeth Sladen still has "IT." Having see loads of space and time travel following her first meeting with the 3rd Doctor in Time Warrior (who she immediately assumes is the root of kidnappings she's investigating) they soon become the best of friends and a team to continue into his 4th incarnation, then later meeting the 5th, and most recently the 10th in School Reunion revealing what happens to a companion who is "left behind" by the Doctor. She's witnessed the creation of the Daleks, she seen plenty with the Doctor. Her individual adventures show to be well, "spooky" for having traveled with the Timelord, maybe having lost some humanity (like Rose's mum suggests is happening to her), but she grows over the course of the SJ Adventure series (and the Season 4 finally).

The monsters of the series, some old, some new, some new and old, are okay...interesting and benign enough that there is no true horror, as Sarah's companions are barely in jr. high, it seems inappropriate for the danger to be to much...but the stakes do get pretty high over the course of the series, building to a climax of planetary proportions....and super cameo at the end (no not the Doctor!) The SJ Adventures' TARGET AUDIENCE is neatly below Dr. Who's family audience, but with enough scares to make it work for the being the sofa crowd. My 6 year old was hooked, less so with my 10 year old, both who love DW (old and new), and they understand the SARAH JANE was my "ROSE" and that connection with it's roots means plenty. So as a stand alone project...I'd say 3 stars if fair...but if we evaluate it as fans (and parents), I'd make it 4 stars. which if pretty good for a fledgling series and a spin-off no less.....plenty that's cringe-worthy and not enough of the "TIN DOG".

There's also some nice links to the Season 4 of Doctor Who....like Luke's origin and the Time Beetle from "Left Turn" is a minion of a creature faced by SJS in her initial season here.

One Question....does this set include the pilot special "INVASION OF BANE"
which was released by itself on DVD, atleast on region 2. I'm assuming what is considered season 1 is including the pilot. If anyone knows for sure please add a comment.

"The Sarah Jane Adventures" is a spinoff from the BBC's "Doctor Who" series, targeted squarely at children over five.

It's decent entertainment for the target audience. You'll be hard pressed to find other live action adventure shows that will give a child in the target age range as much satisfaction. Still, the series is very uneven. They have writers and directors who are trying in earnest to produce something of quality, and they have writers and directors who are saying "What the heck, it's just for kids, don't worry about it being logical."

As an adult viewer, there is much here to make you cringe. Occasionally, the series will throw you a bone, but for the most part, it's a hyperactive little affair.

You will see many reviews giving this five stars. You can disregard these. They are, to the one, written by "Doctor Who" fans who want to promote anything having to do with their favorite show.