Dr Who spin-off is full of adventures
- Publication: News Letter
- Date: 2007-10-08
- Author:
- Page: 21
- Language: English
OKAY, so officially it's a children's programme, and is broadcast when most of the viewing public are still at work, but The Sarah Jane Adventures is fast becoming a must-see for fans of all ages. In the new Doctor Who spin-off, each week intrepid reporter Sarah Jane Smith and her trio of teenage assistants come face-to-face with bizarre goings-on. The star, Elisabeth Sladen, made her Who debut back in 1973, when Jon Pertwee was the Time Lord. He later regenerated into Tom Baker. "It was just adorable back then," the 59-year-old actress says now. "You just knew it was being enjoyed."
The first part of Baker's term as The Doctor is regarded as the show's 'Golden Period', and Elisabeth was a part of that before leaving in 1976. However, Sarah Jane has proved a somewhat enduring character. She has appeared in special editions of Doctor Who, spin-offs and audio adventures, and cropped up last year in School Reunion, an episode of the revamped BBC series.
It's all come as something of a surprise to Elisabeth, who never expected to be asked back to the show after all those years. "Russell T Davies is a great fan of the time I was in Who," she says. "I went for a meal with him and producer Phil Collinson and really didn't know what they wanted. I thought it would be a homage to the original series and I didn't want to do that. But where they came from was just so where I thought Sarah would be. It wasn't a stretch." But it was the fans' reaction that really surprised her. "I truly did not know how it would be received, but I was amazed. It gave us such a lovely launching pad for the new series, so when she talks about the Doctor, it's on a much more positive note. Hopeful rather than regretful."
Elisabeth hadn't expected a spin-off to happen either, until she was treated to a meal again by Russell T Davies. "I thought Russell was going to ask me for Torchwood, so I thought I was going to be all grown-up, but when he said what he wanted, I was astonished.
"But who was I to turn down the great Russell T Davies? I just let the scripts come in and they were amazing, things just jumped out of the page I'd have never thought of."
She also believes the programme contains one important element sadly lacking in most of the revamped Doctor Who: "I love the cliff-hangers. I think they will please a lot of people, and I think it's nice to return to that."
So far the programme has gone down a treat with fans young and old, and this week sees the start of a new two-part adventure, in which Sarah Jane and her teenage sidekicks investigate spooky goings-on at an old-people's home. Thankfully, it'll be a long time before Elisabeth has to contemplate her own retirement. Instead, she's keeping her fingers crossed for a second series - although she believes she's already lucky to have one run under her belt. "I had left her behind. I never, ever intended or tried for this to happen. I've been very fortunate."
Caption: BIZZARE GOINGS-ON: Yasmin Paige as Maria Jackson, Thomas Knight as Luke, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith and Daniel Anthony as Clyde
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