Players
Jay (Jay Simpson); Heidi (Holly Atkins); Nathan Goss (Ryan Watson); Professor Rivers (Floella Benjamin); Chief Inspector (Julian Dutton); Jay Slitheen (Paul Kasey); Nathan Slitheen (Jimm Vee); Heid Slitheen (Ruari Mears).
NOT South Croydon
This story appears to be set five months after the Bane were defeated. If that story was set during the Summer of 2008 , that would set this story during the Autumn/Winter of that same year, during a full moon. Ashley’s “parents” live in Hammersmith, which is only about 5 miles from Ealing. The Pharos institute must also be fairly close to London, but it still takes Luke at least a couple of hours to return to Sarah Jane’s on foot.
Blink and You’d Miss It
Alan references the cover story that Sarah Jane had Mr Smith plant about a black out to hide the true details of Slitheen plan from the beginning of the season. Nathan’s IQ of 195 would put him above Albert Einstein, who’s IQ has been guessed at around 180. Alan mentions phasers and photon torpedoes, the weapons made famous by the Star Trek series (1966-69).
K9 Says…
The Calissian Lights are visible for the first time on Earth for 4000 years. These lights originate from Bellatrix, one of the stars on Orion’s shoulder.
Generation Gap
Maria has to explain most of the previous season to an unbelieving Alan… cue clips. He reacts like most parents. He becomes a annoying git that wants to put their house up for sale and move his daughter away from her life and friends. To his credit he changes his mind later, but still. Chrissie, of course, takes the cake again as she doesn’t waste any time turning Sarah Jane in for kidnapping. Mr Stafford seems to be a fan of local football teams Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. The idea that he might have ever been interested in football seems to scare Luke. Alan compares Sarah Jane’s life to The X-Files, showing his age. He also later talks about the Terminator movies and Star Trek. What a geek! The X-Files was a TV series created by Chris Carter for the FOX Network, running for 201 episodes (and one moderately successful film) between 1993 and 2002, with a new movie in production for 2008. Unlike Sarah Jane Adventures, it was very clear they were making the whole thing up as they went along.
Things That Embarrass Us
“Mr Stafford” trying to engage “Ashley’s” love of football.
Classified/Top Secret
Sarah Jane’s UNIT connections come in handy for getting her release at the police station. At the station, the Chief Inspector even has a confidential document listing Sarah Jane as a member of UNIT and the intriguing text: (UNIT) quickly expanded, making our presence felt in a golden period that spanned the sixties, the seventies, and, some would say, the eighties.
K9 Says…
Master Luke wears a shirt detailing the Stegosaurus. Fossil range: late Jurassic period. Length: 9.2m Height 4.1m. Classification: herbivore.
The Sarah Jane Utility Belt
Mr Smith is revealed as a Xylok. The Xylok spacecraft crashed 60 million years ago. They are a crystalline lifeform, and a piece of the Xylok was unearthed at the site of Krakatau and sent to Sarah Jane. The crystal began communicating with her and offering to help her protect the Earth, it eventually designed a computer to interface with which Sarah Jane helped build. Sarah Jane uses her sonic lipstick to break into the Pharos Institute. Finally – K9. It’s about time!
Eldrad Must Live (and everybody else must die)
Although not seen in the serial, Jay and Heidi Stafford are killed sometime prior by the Slitheen and skinned for use as new “slim line” skins.
K9 Says…
Magnified Intensification of Telekinective Reactive Energies (MITRE) is alien technology being used by the Pharos Institute. It stimulates the latent telekinesis in Humans. In the hands of a stronger mind, like that of Master Luke, it is considerably more powerful.
Bands Clyde Thinks are Fit
Clyde is proud of the fact that he had just got Luke listening to Kasabian and was planning to move onto Arctic Monkeys soon. We have to agree with his taste in music.
“And He Goes… And She Goes…”
“Yeah, well sometimes things from space are evil and scary. But how’s that so different from here on Earth. And sometimes things from space are amazing and beautiful, and you realise how incredible it all is. We’re part of something s much bigger than living here on Bannerman Road. Life is so much more than most people will ever know. And, I’ve been really lucky, Dad, I’ve seen that and I can’t give it up.” – Maria
“This is too much to take in.” – Alan
“That’s the universe, Alan. Once it’s chosen to show you some of its secrets you can’t ever turn your back on it. None of us can.” – Sarah Jane
“Maria, this whole Luke and his folks thing stinks like a Christmas dinner fart.” – Clyde
“The Slitheen don’t invade planets, they’re not a race, they’re a family. They’re a bunch of scavengers and chancers – it’s Only Fools and Horses with green skin and claws.” – Maria
“I don’t make mistakes.” – Mr Smith, carefully ignoring the fact that he does lie.
“I told you Sarah Jane, we all have a purpose. Yours is to die so that the Xylok will live. After all, what life do you have alone in your attic.” – Mr Smith
“Alone? You think I’m alone? You think I’m defenseless? Well, meet my dog! K9 protect me.” Sarah Jane
“Affirmative Mistress.” – K9
“I have learned that life on Earth can be an adventure, too. You never know what you might find. In all the universe, I never expected to find a family.” – Sarah Jane
Things That Don’t Make Sense (even to a six-year old)
Would parents really wait five months before making a plea for the return of their son on television? They also seem totally sure that “Ashley” is still alive and has only been kidnapped. Why exactly don’t they even consider the possibility that he might be dead? Within minutes of the news broadcast almost everyone that knows Luke has realised the connection, did none of these people wonder why in five months the missing boys picture had only just surfaced? With all the alien technology and secrets in her house, is Sarah Jane likely to leave a key under a flower pot? If Sarah Jane built Mr Smith, why did she arm him with a gun? If Mr Smith is in contact with the buried Xylok, why won’t they contact him again after his “re-programming”? Why does the Armageddon Virus stop affecting Mr Smith after his original purpose is wiped?
Snafus
Sarah Jane’s TV has a horrible overscan problem and crops off the scrolling news update from the News24 programme. This is sorted by the next scene. As per the rest of the season, Sarah Jane’s door says she lives at #21, but everyone refers to her house as #13. If the police were really following up on a tip that “Ashley” was at Sarah Jane’s house they would never have taken the real parents there.
K9 Says…
The speed of light is 299,792,458m/s – we hope Mr Smith knows that again now.
Also Known As
Holly Atkins hit the acting scene in 1999 with an episode of Kiss Me Kate (1999) and has since gone on to appear in episodes of Doctors(2001, 2006), Casualty (2002, 2004) and The Bill (2006) as well as a few other scattered appearances.
Floella Benjamin is possibly best known as a kid’s TV presenter (and later producer) – see Playschool / Play Away (1970s), Fast Forward (1987), Jamboree (1998), but she’s also been in some rather adult dramas such as Black Joy (1977) and The Line of Beauty (2006).
Jay Simpson has been in loads. Everything from Dramarama (1985, 1987) to Press Gang (1992), from Erik the Viking (1989) to Pride & Prejudice (2005), and from A Touch of Frost (1996)to Foyle’s War (2006-2008).
Photographic Proof
