The Sarah Jane Adventures
A Doctor Who spin-off following Sarah Jane Smith's adventures.
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science-fiction TV show made by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC. Russell T Davies created it, and Elisabeth Sladen played the lead role. This programme is a spin-off from the long-running BBC sci-fi series *Doctor Who*, and it was the second children’s show connected to that universe, after *Totally Doctor Who*. The story follows Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist based in Ealing, London. As a young woman, she traveled through time and space with the Doctor on many adventures. The series lasted five years, ending when Sladen passed away in 2011.
The show first aired on BBC One with a 60-minute special called "Invasion of the Bane" on 1 January 2007. It continued broadcasting until Sladen’s death in 2011. In 2008, it received a British Academy Children’s Award nomination in the Drama category, and in 2009, a BAFTA Cymru nomination for Children’s Drama. It won the Royal Television Society’s 2010 award for Best Children’s Drama. As of 2024, all episodes are available on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom.
**Series**
A full series of ten 25-minute episodes started on 24 September 2007. The first series had five two-part stories. A second series, made up of a single 60-minute special ('The Last Sontaran') followed by five two-part stories, began airing on 29 September 2008. A third series, consisting of five two-part stories and one single 60-minute episode ('Prisoner of the Judoon') with Russell T Davies as executive producer, aired from 15 October to 20 November 2009. The fourth series aired from 11 October 2010. Right after each first episode of these stories, an episode of another spin-off, *Sarah Jane’s Alien Files*, was shown. Filming for three of the six two-part serials planned for the fifth series was finished before Elisabeth Sladen died on 19 April 2011. The BBC announced that no more episodes would be made. This final series was broadcast from 3 to 18 October 2011 on Mondays and Tuesdays.
**Background and development**
In 2006, Children’s BBC wanted to produce a *Doctor Who* spin-off. Their first idea was a drama about a young Doctor, but Russell T Davies rejected it. He explained that a fourteen-year-old Doctor inventing sonic screwdrivers on Gallifrey would remove the mystery of who he is and where he came from. Instead, Davies suggested a series based on the Doctor’s former companion, Sarah Jane Smith.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Runtime
- 60 minutes (New Year's Day special) / 25–30 minutes (series) / 5 minutes (Comic Relief special)
- Creator
- Russell T Davies
- Showrunner
- Russell T Davies / Gareth Roberts / Phil Ford
- Producer
- Brian Minchin / Nikki Wilson / Matthew Bouch / Susie Liggat
- Executive Producer
- Russell T Davies / Julie Gardner / Phil Collinson / Piers Wenger / Nikki Wilson
- Starring
- Elisabeth Sladen / Yasmin Paige / Tommy Knight / Daniel Anthony / Anjli Mohindra / Sinead Michael
- Voices
- Alexander Armstrong / John Leeson
- Theme Music Composer
- Murray Gold
- Composer
- Sam Watts / Dan Watts
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series debuted on BBC One with a 60-minute special, 'Invasion of the Bane', on 1 January 2007. A full series of ten 25-minute episodes began on 24 September 2007, consisting of five two-part stories. A second series began with a single 60-minute special ('The Last Sontaran') on 29 September 2008, followed by five two-part stories. A third series of five two-part stories and one single 60-minute episode ('Prisoner of the Judoon') aired from 15 October to 20 November 2009. The fourth series aired from 11 October 2010, and the fifth and final series was broadcast between 3 and 18 October 2011 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Filming for three of six two-part serials planned for the fifth series was completed prior to Elisabeth Sladen's death on 19 April 2011, after which the BBC stated that no further episodes would be produced.
Reader's Guide
The Sarah Jane Adventures is significant as a children's science fiction programme that expanded the Doctor Who universe, focusing on a beloved former companion. It was nominated for a British Academy Children's Award in 2008 in the Drama category, and for a BAFTA Cymru in 2009 in the Children's Drama category. The programme won a Royal Television Society 2010 award for Best Children's Drama. Its legacy includes introducing new characters like Luke, Clyde, and Rani, and featuring guest appearances from Doctor Who actors. As of 2024, all episodes are available on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, ensuring continued access for new audiences.
Did You Know?
- The series was first confirmed to be in development by the BBC's in-house newsletter, Ariel, in early August 2006, under the working title Sarah Jane Investigates.
- K9 appeared only in a cameo in the special and in the last episode of the first series, due to the concurrent development of the independently produced children's series K9.
- A tenth anniversary event was held on 29 July 2017 at Cardiff University Students' Union, raising £6643.35 for Ty Hafan Hospice for Children.
- The show's abbreviated fifth and final series introduced a new main character named Sky, played by Sinead Michael.
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