An Hour of Who a Day

April 3: Comic Relief Special ["From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love"] (SJA) / "Planet of the Dead"

Rahnius reveals himself to be a Slitheen. ("From
Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love") ©BBC

In March 2009 the biennial charity telethon Comic Relief (well, strictly speaking, Red Nose Day is the name of the telethon) aired -- as you may recall, Doctor Who had previously been associated with this effort in 1999, with Steven Moffat's Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death spoof. But this time around it's The Sarah Jane Adventures who are helping the cause, with this five-minute short that officially doesn't have a title but everyone calls "From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love", as that's what co-writer Clayton Hickman said he and Gareth Roberts had called it. (This can be found on disc 3 of the series 2 DVD boxset of The Sarah Jane Adventures -- it's the "special footage prize" mentioned on the back for completing an easy quiz.)

It's a cute little scene, but for British viewers the main impact is that they've gotten cherished National Treasure Ronnie Corbert to appear in this as an alien. As such there are a number of references to his best-known sketch show The Two Ronnies (including, most obviously, Rahnius's declaration, upon learning Rani's name, that they could be called "the two Ranis"), and some of the elements of The Sarah Jane Adventures are gently mocked -- K-9 is put in a wheel clamp and the sonic lipstick is derided ("What's next? The Bionic Blusher?" Rahnius says). As I said, it's a quick, fun sketch and little beyond that -- but it's not trying to be, and it'll bring a smile to your face.

But now we move on to 11 April 2009 and "Planet of the Dead", the second of the five special episodes of Doctor Who that aired instead of a full fifth series (as David Tennant is busy playing Hamlet at the Royal Shakespearean Company). This is ostensibly the Easter special -- how appropriate, given that this is Easter Weekend 2015 -- but other than a quick reference from the Doctor it doesn't come up the way Christmas comes up in all the Christmas specials. But perhaps more importantly, this is the first episode of Doctor Who to be filmed in high definition²⁰⁵ -- as striking a difference in picture quality as the switch from 405-line to 625-line was in 1967.

But beyond that, this is essentially treated as business as usual for Doctor Who. This is both a good and a bad thing. It's good because it means they can just get on with their story, but it's bad because there's not a lot of Who going in 2009, and so a lesser episode is more obvious in this context. And the thing is, they try really hard to make this an event: not only are they promoting this as the 200th episode (which, you'll recall, involves counting "Utopia" as the first of a three-part story and making The Trial of a Time Lord one big story -- see Dragonfire if you're not sure why this is significant), but they've actually sent a film crew out to Dubai to film their desert planet. It should be epic and wonderful and marvelous, and instead it falls a bit flat.

Part of the problem is the character of Lady Christina de Souza. I'm not sure if it's Michelle Ryan's performance or just the way the character is written, but there's a smug edge to everything that makes her desperately unlikable. The production team mentioned Romana as a similar starting point, but the differences are striking: while Romana is initially presented as a supercilious, self-satisfied know-it-all, she quickly learns that that's not going to get her far while working with the Doctor, and by the end of her first story she's noticeably mellowed. Lady Christina, by contrast, never undergoes this character arc -- she remains smug and arrogant the entire time; it never feels like her eyes have been opened to the wonders of the universe but rather that she's decided that there's more that the universe can offer her. It's not at all what you want out of such a character, and yet it becomes very hard to shake the feeling that we're being presented with someone's idea of a perfect companion. It's therefore something of a relief that the Doctor doesn't take her along with him.

The passengers of the Number 200 survey their new surroundings.
("Planet of the Dead") ©BBC

It does look gorgeous, though; heading out to Dubai really paid off, and director James Strong has some really great shots to add to the effect. He's not afraid to give us some lens flare, to try and add to that cinéma vérité feel (although, thankfully, we're not afflicted with lots of shaky handheld shots), and you can sort of tell that everyone's realized that they're going to be shooting in high definition, so everything looks more detailed, and that adds to this feeling. I also really like the design of the Tritovores -- it's a great-looking mask, and I really like the way the mandibles move.

We also get some nice character moments from the other characters. I'm not sure why Lee Evans has decided to put on a Welsh accent for Malcolm Taylor, but he has, and his performance is rather fun (even if it often feels like they're just remaking part of The Dæmons). Captain Magambo makes a reappearance (albeit her first one in the real universe) and continues to be the stalwart UNIT officer, even though it puts her in conflict with Malcolm. Everyone on the bus is great, and I even like the acting from the Tritovores -- no mean feat, given they're essentially just gesturing and moving their heads around.

But ultimately, "Planet of the Dead" feels a bit underwhelming. There's not a lot wrong with it (other than the aforementioned concerns with Lady Christina's characterization), but it does end up feeling rather matter-of-fact instead of impressive. Still, that's hardly a crime, and the fact that "Planet of the Dead" ends up as another one of those pleasantly average Doctor Who stories isn't the worst thing in the world. You just wish they'd done more with this, given the paucity of new televised Doctor Who this year.

²⁰⁵ Though not the first of the franchise -- that would be Torchwood, which has always been filmed in HD.

April 2: "The Next Doctor"

So. After the broadcast of "Journey's End" in July 2008, David Tennant announced in October that he would be leaving Doctor Who at the end of 2009. And so what was the next episode called...?

I know there are some fans out there who are still annoyed by Russell T Davies essentially having a bit of fun -- some because they perhaps actually thought David Morrissey would be the eleventh Doctor, some because they felt they were denied a more interesting story that had an actual future Doctor in it -- but if you can get past that, there's actually a pretty good storyline running through "The Next Doctor". Of course, there's also a rather poor storyline running through "The Next Doctor", so the end result is something of a mixed bag. Where this story succeeds is in the part dealing with the Doctor and this mysterious person also claiming to be the Doctor, while the part with the Cybermen is in general a waste of time.

The tenth Doctor and the next Doctor regard each other. ("The
Next Doctor") ©BBC

The half of "The Next Doctor" that's about the Doctor and a different Doctor is really quite charming. I like how our Doctor remains open-minded for a while as to the identity of this other Doctor, willing to believe that this might be a future incarnation of himself that's undergone some sort of memory loss. The interaction between the two is really nice, and David Morrissey is really good as this other Doctor -- he's suitably Doctor-ish, willing to rush into danger to save people, and even when you know that he's not the Doctor, not really, you still root for him. It certainly doesn't hurt that Jackson Lake was a hero while he believed he was the Doctor. "All that bravery," the Doctor tells Lake. "Saving Rosita, defending London town, hmm? And the invention. Building a TARDIS. That's all you." (Oh, and while we're here... the joke about Lake's sonic screwdriver is cute, but I really like his version of a TARDIS: "It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style," Lake says proudly as he shows off his hot-air balloon.) And even when Lake's mind starts to reassert itself, he still proves to be heroic as he assists the Doctor along with his erstwhile companion Rosita (who is played very well by Velile Tshabalala). All this and a sequence (finally) showing all ten Doctors, which at least settled the question of whether Paul McGann counted as a Doctor. (Although, where's John Hurt? You'd think an infostamp from the Daleks would have included him...)

So this part of "The Next Doctor" is suitably lovely, but it's the stuff with the Cybermen where things go badly astray. The best thing about this is Dervla Kirwan as Miss Hartigan (nice touch with the "Miss", by the way), who does an outstanding job as the face of the Cybermen. Miss Hartigan is every inch the vengeful woman, striking back against all the men who ignored her as they entered the workhouse to help the people inside (although, judging from Miss Hartigan's remarks, this was more to assuage their consciences rather than about actually helping the poor and thus little more than a token gesture). The Cybermen have given her the chance to lash out and she's taking it -- she didn't even need to be converted to agree. There's also the part when she's strapped into the Cyberking and is able to take it over -- that's also a good moment.

Miss Hartigan with two Cybermen. ("The Next Doctor") ©BBC

But everything else about this plot is at best odd and at worst stupid. All right, the Cybermen are desperate, having broken out of the Void into Victorian England. But why is their plan to make a giant steampunk version of themselves that will walk around destroying London? The Doctor recognizes it as a Cyberking, a kind of Cyber conversion ship -- but hang on, why do these Cybermen know about Cyberkings in the first place, if the only place they've been is Pete's World and our world (briefly)? (Or, alternatively, if the Cyberking is a Cybus Industries thing, why does the Doctor recognize their Cyberking? There is a get-out clause with the infostamps, but it's not terribly satisfying.) Why do they need children specifically as their workforce -- wouldn't it be better to just get whoever they can? And who on Earth (both in terms of internal continuity and the production team) thought the Cybershades were a good idea? They literally look like guys in black shag rugs running around on all fours. It's not clear what they're supposed to be from a story point of view (is Miss Hartigan taking the piss?), and from a production standpoint they should have been scrapped the minute someone suggested actors running around on their knees.

All this and a climactic battle where the Cyberking shoots up whole sections of London while stomping on other parts, yet ends with the Doctor (in the balloon TARDIS) causing all the Cybermen and Miss Hartigan to literally explode and sending the Cyberking into the Void. It looks nice, I suppose, but from any other standpoint this is a dud. It's not a very satisfying ending (and Miss Hartigan deserved better -- even Russell T Davies agrees on that), and it also suffers from the general problem of, "Why does no one remember this?" They try to turn it into a joke ("...the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come," Lake says; "Yeah. Funny that," the Doctor replies), but it's a large enough problem that it surely occurred to just about everyone watching.²⁰⁴

So "The Next Doctor" ultimately ends up as a game of two halves. When they're focused on the characters, this story really shines, but when they muck around with the Cybermen it falls badly flat. If you can get past that (admittedly major) problem, then there's quite a bit to enjoy here, but it will definitely take some doing.

²⁰⁴ "Flesh and Stone" will eventually explain this away as the result of the Cracks in Time making everyone forget these events.

April 1: Enemy of the Bane Parts One & Two (SJA)

Wow, it's like old home week on The Sarah Jane Adventures, with the return of the show's first villain, Mrs. Wormwood, as well as (in the surprise part one cliffhanger) Kaagh from The Last Sontaran -- and, most excitingly of all, a special guest appearance from Brigadier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (ret.). (Apparently it was originally going to be Martha Jones, but the Brigadier is infinitely more thrilling.)

Rani, Clyde, the Brigadier, and Sarah Jane check if the coast
is clear. (Enemy of the Bane Part Two) ©BBC

It's fun how quickly they get us involved in the action, with Gita kidnapped and a clue left for Sarah Jane to follow up on. That means that not only do we get to find out that Mrs. Wormwood is apparently now considered an enemy of the Bane, after her failure with the Bubble Shock venture, but we're quickly introduced to the Brigadier, now retired but just as feisty as ever and willing to help Sarah Jane break into UNIT's Black Archive, the high clearance top secret facility where all the alien stuff is stored. Nicholas Courtney is visibly older here than the last time we saw him in Dimensions in Time (or Battlefield, if you've erased Dimensions in Time from your memory), and while he's wielding a cane now, he still seems quite energetic and full of life and ready to charge into danger as needed. It's a genuine pleasure to see him in action again.

But it's not just the Brigadier; we also get some fun with Sarah Jane and Rani infiltrating the Black Archive to find the Tunguska Scroll, as well as Mrs. Wormwood and Kaagh plotting their revenge against Sarah Jane and her friends. The best part of this particular plot is when Mrs. Wormwood coerces Luke to come with her and Kaagh because she apparently has some motherly urges, and at one point she tries to convince Luke to help her rule the galaxy as mother and son (so not quite Darth Vader, but close). Luke seems entranced by the idea, and Mrs. Wormwood has him hold the device that will let them locate some sort of war supercomputer. Luke holds it, captivated... and then bolts with the device. I genuinely laughed out loud at that point; what did Mrs. Wormwood think was going to happen?

This is an action-packed story, with lots of great moments and performances, and it ends with Kaagh redeeming himself by destroying Mrs. Wormwood before she can enslave the galaxy. Enemy of the Bane is a very solid effort, and a great way to send off series 2. (Although I'll be including the Comic Relief short unofficially referred to as "From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love" as part of series 2 -- but fair enough if you don't.)

The word that probably best describes series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures is "even". This has been a very solid season, and even the stories that weren't as good as the others were still entertaining and worthwhile. If there's a problem, it's that this series hasn't gone in for surprises -- the storylines often feel more straightforward than they could have been. But at this point that's not really a major issue. (If series 3 is also like this then we might have cause to be worried about things like predictability and formulas -- but not yet.) Series 2 doesn't give us a heavy, angsty show, and that's just fine. Because as is, The Sarah Jane Adventures is undeniably fun to watch; what more do you need?

March 31: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Parts One & Two (SJA)

After a number of stories dealing with alien threats and/or other cast members, The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith puts the focus squarely on Sarah Jane herself, as she's confronted with a time fissure that leads to the time and place where her parents died while she was just a baby. The story that results is in some ways the sister to stories like "Father's Day", where one small change leads to a whole new future.

What's really great about this story is how the stakes seem low but keep getting higher and higher -- Sarah Jane initially just wants to see her parents, and then she just wants to talk to them, and by the end of part one she's decided to prevent them from going to their deaths. The whole time Sarah Jane keeps giving in to the temptation a little at a time (with Luke warning her the whole way), until she's finally done what she knows she shouldn't have -- which sets the scene for the post-apocalyptic 21st-century stuff, with the planet almost completely lifeless and under the thrall of the Graske, who is nevertheless controlled by the Trickster. These scenes are sort of nice, but they really feel disconnected from the main plot -- yes, the world is screwed if Sarah Jane condemns her parents to die, but it's hard to feel much of anything other than an abstract sense of wrongness from the alternate timeline. Despite the script's efforts to make us care with the presence of Gita, who is very clearly not Rani's mother in this timeline, even though Rani refuses to see that at any point.

Barbara and Eddie Smith say goodbye to their daughter. (The
Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part Two) ©BBC

No, the best parts of The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith have to do with the events of August 18, 1951²⁰³, and Sarah Jane's decision on that day. It's really great how Sarah Jane, even after seeing the problems that her initial decision cost, tries so hard to find another way to solve the problem: she simply cannot condemn her parents to death. Elisabeth Sladen gives a fantastic performance, as Sarah Jane is desperate to save her parents: she's emotional, brave, and defeated, all at the same time. It's mesmerizing to watch, in the best way possible. (Oh, and the moment in part two, where Sarah Jane thinks the Doctor has come, only to find that the "TARDIS" is actually a genuine police box, is a lot of fun.)

And it's fitting that the decision is in fact taken from her, as Barbara and Eddie realize that "Victoria Beckham" (another nice joke, by the way) is actually their daughter, and that they have to die in order for things to be put right. (So this is really like "Father's Day" then.) It gets around the issue of Sarah Jane being forced to choose while putting her parents in a good light; they didn't abandon her as a baby because of some unknown whim, they abandoned her because they knew they had to face their fate. It's a great move, and one that the Trickster didn't count on. (Although, if we're talking about the Trickster... what was it about the Abbot's Gateway that made it the place for the Trickster to manifest? They sort of hint that it has something to do with the ruin's age, but it's actually never made clear.)

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith is a story with heart, with great performances from the cast and a gorgeous ending (the closing shot, showing one of Barbara's notes to Eddie, is particularly sweet). It feels like things really matter here, and we're never in doubt as to how important this is to Sarah Jane and therefore to the world. Gareth Roberts has written a standout story that makes it clear just how good this show can be.

And what this? The Brigadier is in the next episode?! About time they got him into the modern franchise...

²⁰³ This is consistent with what we're told in Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? But look, more confirmation for early '70s UNIT dates.

March 30: The Mark of the Berserker Parts One & Two (SJA)

And so the moral of the story is, clearly don't let Sarah Jane go deal with monsters in Tarminster and leave the others by themselves...

In some respects The Mark of the Berserker wants to be about strained family relations, about what happens when the father who left comes back, and when he's not emotionally ready to have a serious relationship with his now-older son. Clyde's father Paul comes back, but he seems really awkward around Clyde, as if he doesn't know how to behave or react -- but the fact that he came to see him still says something. The only problem is that Paul seems to be too selfish to handle this well, and throwing in an alien artifact into the mix only makes things worse. This is The Sarah Jane Adventures, after all, and it wouldn't be the same without something alien causing problems.

Now while there are some additional consequences of this (such as Haresh Chandra being compelled to do push-ups forever, more or less), the primary focus is on Paul and his relationship with Clyde. Paul doesn't seem to be a bad person so much as a weak one, and the Berserker pendant gives him the opportunity to have what he wants: cars, clothes, and his son by his side (even if Clyde has had to be compelled to forget his friends and mum). It does provide an interesting twist, though; Paul doesn't want to rule the world or anything like that -- he just wants to escape his responsibilities.

The nice surprise in The Mark of the Berserker is the guest appearance from Maria and Alan Jackson, who are enlisted to help Luke and Rani while Sarah Jane is off tracking down an alien slug. It's a lovely little appearance, and it's nice to see them helping out -- "And you thought we'd left it all behind," Maria tells her dad. (They must be racking up one hell of a phone bill on that international call, though.)

If there's a problem with The Mark of the Berserker, it's that there doesn't seem to be a real connection between Paul Langer and the Berserker pendant -- it's used to extend Paul's wish-fulfillment, but as he's not actually a bad person, turning him into a Berserker soldier doesn't carry quite the impact that the script is hoping for. It's interesting to get a look into Clyde's family dynamics, and it's fun to see Maria and Alan again, but this story ultimately ends up being an average tale.

March 29: Secrets of the Stars Parts One & Two (SJA)

Part of me, when hearing about celestial alignments and seeing red energy projected down to Earth, really wanted this to be the return of the Mandragora Helix from The Masque of Mandragora. Alas, it wasn't to be...²⁰²

It's odd; in many ways this feels like a standard Sarah Jane Adventures story, with a strange new alien influence and a great villain in the form of Russ Abbot's Martin Trueman, who's been taken over by the Ancient Lights. We even get an interesting explanation for the Ancient Lights, as energy from the universe before this one (so nobody tell the Doctor about it -- see "The Impossible Planet" / "The Satan Pit" if you need to be reminded why).

But that might actually be the problem with Secrets of the Stars: while we do get an explanation, it does feel rather hand-wavy at times, as if they put in a placeholder explanation and never got around to expanding upon it. And while Russ Abbot does an outstanding job of being charismatic and charming as Martin Trueman, there's never really a sense of menace, other than the moment near the end of part one where he threatens Sarah Jane and Rani -- he's so convinced that he's right that he doesn't even need to threaten people, which is great from a villainous standpoint but less successful from a dramatic one. There's also the issue that people's possession by the Ancient Lights doesn't seem as threatening or creepy as the possession in the previous story -- it's certainly a good idea, but it lacks punch onscreen. (This is especially curious given that this story was also directed by Michael Kerrigan, who did such a good job with The Day of the Clown.)

I should be clear; there's nothing actually terrible about Secrets of the Stars. The storyline is interesting, the casting is great, and everyone seems spot-on. They're also taking cares to make Rani's dad more likeable, after his abrasive introduction in the previous story, and that's a good thing. It just feels, at the end of it all, that it's missing something; there's a sense of "is that it?" as part two wraps up. There are also a number of questions at the end (How do the Ancient Lights actually work? Do other planets need to worry about the Ancient Lights? Will they ever come back?) that aren't even brought up to be set aside, and that leads to an unfinished feel. Oh, it's entertaining enough, but it lacks that extra punch that the best Sarah Jane stories have provided.

²⁰² At one point, apparently, it actually was going to be a sequel to The Masque of Mandragora, until they decided the Ancient Lights didn't quite fit with what we'd seen in the 1976 story. But there's clearly still enough left in the final version to clue me in. And to be fair, they never say it's not the Mandragora Helix...

March 28: The Day of the Clown Parts One & Two (SJA)

So Maria and Alan Jackson have moved to Washington (with a quick little voice cameo from Maria at the top of the story) and a new family is moving in across the street from Sarah Jane: Haresh and Gita Chandra, and their daughter Rani.²⁰¹ Rani quickly establishes herself as distinct from Maria -- she seems much more headstrong and determined, and essentially bullies her way into Sarah Jane's affairs, despite Sarah Jane's warnings to Luke and Clyde. Although, to be fair, she's also seeing a creepy clown, so she has a vested interest -- it's not like she's snooping around or anything.

But yes, as you may have worked out from the title, the main problem this time around is a clown wandering around snatching up kids -- but only some people can see him, for some reason. Well, I say "some reason", but it's all the kids who have a ticket to Spellman's Magical Museum of the Circus. Rani and Clyde both have tickets, so they've both been seeing this sinister clown flitting about.

Even for someone like me who's not particularly scared by clowns, The Day of the Clown does a really good job of creating a creepy atmosphere. Odd Bob the Clown is not a particularly unthreatening-looking clown, and the way he appears and disappears is really well done. The first part of The Day of the Clown is filled with effective shots like this -- so kudos to director Michael Kerrigan (who you might remember as the director of Battlefield -- making him the second director, after Graeme Harper, to work on both the original Doctor Who and the modern franchise) -- that do a great job of making Odd Bob seem mysterious and threatening. And Phil Ford's decision to tie in this weird clown with the Pied Piper is really lovely -- it lends things a thematic consistency (making it easier to have a clown be interested in taking children) and gives the story a bit of that extra impact, being rooted in history (a lot like Hinchcliffe-era Who, which took old tales and such and put a new spin on them).

As I said, Spellman and his other incarnations make a very effective villain, and the scenes of Sarah Jane being confronted by clowns and trying to overcome her fear of them are really well done. I particularly like the part where she enters the hall of mirrors while trying to find Luke -- her decision to smash them is a good one. The resolution is, perhaps, not the action-packed sequence we would like, but there is something oddly satisfying about watching an entity that feeds off fear being weakened and ultimately dealt with thanks to a load of rubbish jokes ("Police toilet stolen -- the cops have nothing to go on"). It's a nice ending to a good story.

The Day of the Clown is a really well-done tale -- not only is it suitably creepy and engaging, but there are also lovely character moments with the introduction of Rani and her family. Making her father the new head teacher at Park Vale Comprehensive School is a good move, as well as softening his character from his initial appearance ("Did your dad go all Captain Bligh again?" Gita asks Rani), and Gita is really lovely and charming (even if she keeps forgetting the "Jane" of "Sarah Jane" -- apparently Sarah Jane is more touchy about this subject than she was in the '70s, when the Doctor would call her "Sarah" all the time). If the series continues like this, we'll be in for a real treat.

²⁰¹ Not that Rani. Now you're imagining a show where Elisabeth Sladen and Kate O'Mara team up to fight aliens. Stop it.