The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four
THIS MONTH SERIES FOUR AND FIVE OF THE DOCTOR WHO SPIN-OFF
COMPANION CROSSOVER
As a companion spin-off series you'd think someone over at the Beeb would have put two and two together by now and included a couple of fan-pleasing former companion cameos (the younglings might not get it but we're not all of school age you know). As unifoon says on the forum, "More former companions! I'd love to see a tale involving one or two of the Doctor's other memorable companions, and it'd be nice to see them coming together to share memories and defeat an enemy using their combined experience." We'd happily pay a little extra on the license fee to see Jamie McCrimmon or Jo Grant make an appearance.
MORE K-9
Sarah is as much a part of The Jane Adventures universe as the sonic lipstick and irritating teenagers, so you'd like to see the metal head take on a bigger role in the new season. "I'd like to see more of the bitchy repartee between Mr Smith and K-9," says forum-user Neil DG. "Although I'd rather not see K-9 too much out of the attic as he does slow up scenes as everyone has to run very slowly." How about a rocket-boost upgrade like the Doctor gave GADGET in "The Waters Of Mars"?
NO SLITHEEN
By far the most popular request, but one that was less likely to come true than the Doctor breaking one of those pesky deadlock seals, was that Sarah Jane Smith's chubby cheeked adversaries sit on the shelf for a season. Mr Cairo summed up the general response: "Please, please, please no more Slitheen spinoffs." If you read last month's Red Alert news story, however, you'll know the Slitheen and brethren the Blathereen are back, but in a much reduced role, making way for new beasties such as Androvax, the Shansheeth and the Nightmare Man.
Not surprisingly after the sublime "Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith", one of the most popular requests was that everyone's favourite Time Lord (Timothy Dalton kind of blew it when he tried to destroy the fabric of time unfortunately) use those freshly regenerated bandy legs to go on an adventure with Sarah Jane Smith. But this time you'd like to see his presence throughout the season, as forum-user Richard L says: "I think the Doctor should be a real part of the Sarah Jane world in this show, and pop up in a couple of cameos every season. It wouldn't need to be anything more than a little bit of help with things SJ is investigating, or a link with a story the Moff has written."
MONSTER MASH
With such a rich heritage of adversaries in the Doctor's universe still yet to receive the new-Who revamp, you'd like to see more classic monsters make a return. According to midnight, "Three spring to mind: classic Mondas Cybermen (just one or two, mind. Let's save the full-on return for a future episode of Doctor Who), the Zygons and the Celestial Toymaker (a perfect fit for what is, after all, a children's show)." And after the most tantalising of hints in "The Waters Of Mars", Craig suggests the Ice Warriors show their scaly, square-eyed, reptilian mugs.
Are you listening?
We know you're there, Mark Thompson
Tom Baker to make an appearance in it - not necessarily as the Doctor, but for Sarah Jane to have a very peculiar moment when he is seen. If he could make an appearance as the Doctor (and they could make the obvious ageing explainable) then that would be even more to my liking, of course. Trumpetmike
Girls on stilts. Clown Asylum
I think they should let the kids grow up a bit and give them some more realistic teenage storylines. Rani could kiss an alien boy and become heavily pregnant with his alien spawn, or Luke could go to a club and take some alien pills that nearly kill him. They may need to move the show to late-night BBC Three though... Holden Caulfield
A show that features Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith... Oh, looks like my Wishlist is already granted. darrenhf
The budget almost certainly requires that they have to reuse a number of Doctor Who monsters and props. That said it would be nice to see them use them in a way that circumvents people's expectations, and not just rehash what's been in Who. Wolf 359
No referring to the Doctor in any form. Son of Solo
Bring a Doctor Who villain into an episode. My first choice would be the Krillitanes, and the return of the Trickster, he's an awesome villain. Perhaps a crossover episode with Who. Roddersj04
Not too much classic or new-Who elements in next season. See if the show can stand apart and use its own continuity like Torchwood: Children Of Earth. And have Jenny come to Earth and help the Scooby Gang. Badhat-h
I'd agree with those who would like to see Maria back. I always like the surrogate mother/daughter relationship she shared with Sarah Jane. snowglobe
Confuse the kids with an Eighth Doctor without memory story, only the older viewers will know who he is. Benton or Yates to pop in as Alistair is missing, sort of a Dad's UNIT. And like I said last year, more K-9. Gabriel Chase
The first season's "Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane" was well made, intelligent drama that could stand up with the best of new Who. More of those. And no more Slitheen. Dartfordian
Matt Smith to cameo. Just a small part and it ends with Luke suggesting he get some decent clothes from his closet! Also Clyde to have his ban on space travel lifted and get to go on some zany intergalactic adventure independent of the group. Freefall
Keep the sense of fun but give the Trickster a rest for a year - great character, but let's not wear him too thin. Or if he must come back, have a change in the dynamic - bring some of the Pantheon of Discord with him, or have one of the Pantheon oust him and Sarah Jane forced to help him regain power. Dr Baltar
I really want to see Maria and her father back. I think the actress quit because of her exams. Well, they must be well over by now. Surely the two of them could at least come back for a two-parter (properly, not just a cameo)?
Why not bring back the Nestene Intelligence? Deadly toys, deadly mobile phones and iPods. Perhaps with a "head" Auton which is so realistic that it doesn't know it isn't human? jokes0105
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: (July 2010). The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four. SFX p. 42-43.
- MLA 7th ed.: "The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four." SFX [add city] July 2010, 42-43. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four." SFX, edition, sec., July 2010
- Turabian: "The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four." SFX, July 2010, section, 42-43 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_Sarah_Jane_Adventures_Season_Four | work=SFX | pages=42-43 | date=July 2010 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=25 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=The Sarah Jane Adventures Season Four | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/The_Sarah_Jane_Adventures_Season_Four | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=25 April 2025}}</ref>
