Players
Jem Brownlee (Dave Finn); Aaron Shosanya (Tony Warner); Bradley Walsh (Odd Bob/Elijah Spellman/The Pied Piper); Huw Higginson (Mr Cunningham); Elijah Baker (Steve Wallace); Floella Benjamin (Professor Rivers); Jessica Mogridge (Young Sarah Jane); and Alan Ruscoe, Sean Palmer (Clowns).
NOT South Croydon
A lot of the action takes place at the Park Vale Comprehensive School, but we also pay a return visit to the Pharos Institute from last year’s Lost Boy. Back on Bannerman Rd, Rani has repainted Maria’s old room plain boring white. How dull is she.
K9 Says…
Master Luke’s e-mail address (luke.smith@electronrider.com) is on a domain owned by Shahriar Moghaddam of California, USA since June of 2008. Mistress Maria’s new e-mail (maria_jackson@leopardfire.com) was just recently snapped up by a holding company in Utah, USA – possibly one owned by Henry van Statten?
Blink and You’d Miss It
Maria’s e-mail also talks about her massive new bedroom and swimming pool. It goes on to mention the largest refrigerator she’s ever seen, which your editors concur with – all American fridges are massive when compared to their UK counterparts. The e-mail was sent on October 9th, but oddly doesn’t mention a year. Luke’s computer must have a bug, but at least it’s not a Mac. Then again, Sarahs newspaper has no date either, but one article does mention a “New Look High Street Proposed For 2012” so we can assume it’s sometime before then. One of the clown pictures on Sarah’s computer is that of Clara from The Celestial Toymaker (1966).
Generation Gap
Luke is starting to act more like a real teenager, especially when he doesn’t want his mum reading the e-mails from girls over his shoulder. Maybe things have changed considerably since we were in school, but students were never allowed to write graffiti on the lockers in our day. Mr Chandra is a bit of a dick, isn’t he. He needs to loosen up. Luke reads Heat Magazine. For shame.
Things That Embarrass Us
Doesn’t embarrass us, but we bet Rani is embarrassed to be related to Captain Bligh, alias the new Head, alias her dad.
Classified/Top Secret
Chrissie’s getting married!!! When did all this happen?
K9 Says…
Sergeant Major Philip Astley is regarded as the father of the modern circus, as noted by Mr Spellman. He loved animals and joined the Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment to work with horses. He started the original “circus” as a riding school, and later added performers and other animals. Meanwhile, as mentioned by new Mistress Rani, the legend of the Pied Piper can be traced back to as early as the 13th century.
The Sarah Jane Utility Belt
Clyde worries about anything being left lying around Maria’s old place, but surely Sarah Jane would have had plenty of time to check BEFORE a new family moved in. Sonic Lipstick can also be used as a laser.
Eldrad Must Live (and everybody else must die)
Dave Finn and Tony Warner are both taken by Odd Bob, but later returned, as are all the children that disappeared. So again, no one dies. How boring this season is turning out.
K9 Says…
Coulrophobia, of the fear of clowns is common among children, but also known to frighten many into their adult lives. As Master Luke says, Johnny Depp suffers from coulrophobia. In fact the BBC’s own Bubbles the Clown has been known to strike object panic in some.
Birds Clyde Thinks Are Fit
Our Clyde takes an instant liking to Rani. And then Luke disses him right in front of her. Luke has a lot to learn about being a wing man. Then again Clyde’s jokes may save Rani, but they’re no way to impress her.
Cool Hand Luke
Since when did Luke have a crush on Maria? And, if he didn’t he’s certainly acting far more down in the dumps than if just another friend had moved away. So why’d he never make a move? One wonders if his bedroom window was directly across from Maria’s… well, you get the idea. He IS a teenager after all!
K9 Says…
While searching Mr Smith’s vast computer database, I could find no mention of a clown called Odd Bob, but there are many references to several strains of a computer virus with the same name.
“And He Goes… And She Goes…”
“One of the best things about life is that it’s always surprising us.” – Sarah Jane
“I live over the road, saw you were moving in and thought maybe you hadn’t had time to find the kettle yet.” – Sarah Jane
“Tell me, do you save the world every day or is it just on Mondays.” – Gita
“Clowns make my skin crawl.” – Sarah Jane
“Sarah Jane Smith, of all the things you have seen, of all the things out in the dark you have fought, it’s me that lives in your nightmares.” – Odd Bob
“I’m going to offer you a choice, Rani. Cross over the road, go back to your parents and the life you lived before you moved here and nothing will have changed. Or, you can come with me. But if you do that nothing will ever be the same again.” – Sarah Jane
“Look at me, with my new Head Teacher cookin’ me tea! The Universe really is a surprising place.” – Clyde
Let’s See That Again
The shots of Kaagh’s ship being blasted away from the mothership, and the destruction of the latter were lifted straight from the Mill’s hard drive files from The Poison Sky.
Things That Don’t Make Sense (even to a six-year old)
Why does Clyde say that there’s a new family moving into Number 36 Bannerman Road when it’s always been well established that the recently vacated Jackson household was Number 12? The house (whichever it is) has only been vacant for a little while – it usually takes longer to sell a house, especially in this market. What is that accent Bradley Walsh gives Elijah Spellman? How long does Rani’s phone ring for before dropping to voicemail? Why does Sarah seem so annoyed that Gita just refers to her as “Sarah” when this is primarily what the Doctor called her throughout their acquaintance? At The Pharos Institute, why does Odd Bob duck behind the equipment to change back to Spellman – had the special effects budget for the episode run out?
Snafus
Clyde tries to make a “L”-loser symbol with is hand to his forehead, but uses the wrong hand and ends up makeing an, uhm backwards “L”. Rani’s mobile has the manufacturer’s name neatly painted over.
Also Known As
Bradley Walsh is best known as a standup comic and TV presenter who rose to fame in the early 90s. As an actor, though, he’s also been seen in “Lock, Stock…” (2000), Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) and Reps (2003). His most beloved character is that of Danny Baldwin, when he starred in Coronation Street for two years from 2004-6. Huw Higginson was in The Bill from 1989-9, and then also in episodes of Heartbeat (2001) , Holby City (2004) and Casualty (2006).
Photographic Proof
