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Principal photography on the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures wrapped last week, according to sarahjane.tv. So, this seems as good a time as any to give a Series 2 news roundup for those who may be going through the early stages of Doctor Who withdrawal:

• Like last year, six hours of programming have been completed. However, this time, all six hours will be broadcast as a single series, meaning that the series will run for 12 consecutive weeks.

• There was an initial plan to film Series 2 and 3 simultaneously. However, the idea was nixed for budgetary reasons. Apparently, SJA receives the bulk of its funding from the CBBC, rather than the BBC, and there ultimately wasn't enough money in their 2008 budget for advance filming on a series that could potentially be broadcast as late as 2010. Technically, this now means that Series 3 could now potentially be withdrawn from production, although many see it as unlikely that the CBBC would axe their top ratings-earner while the principal talent is still willing to perform.


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Most Recent Post: 09/09 03:34PM by tarashnat

As has been suspected for a few months now, late September is confirmed. However, a definite time slot has yet to be decided.

Head writer Gareth Roberts continues to enthuse about his second story, "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?" In earlier issues of the magazine, he had indicated that it was the best work of his professional life, but now he adds that it's the best work of Elizabeth Sladen's career. Praising Graeme Harper's work on the story, he goes on to say that "Liz gives the performance of her life (so far)."

Russell T. Davies is likewise impressed with the series, and enthusiastic about Roberts' series finale:

. . . [Liz is] very brilliant at not sinking into the softness of a family show. It could be a very cute series, but she keeps that spikiness. There's always that journalist ticking away, and there's still that woman who's been alone for very many years. Especially in the last two episodes, we really play off that - what Sarah was like before she met Maria.

The source, which the site's webmaster claims is "one of my longest-serving", scotched an earlier rumor about a Christmas 2007 special. but went on to add:

" . . . there will be some new bits and bobs included on the website - and continual additions as the series progresses, plus some televisual ads due out towards the end of this month, beginning of Sept - obviously! (just before the series starts!)"

The series website continues to be inaccessible to fans outside the UK, but this tantalizing quote, if true, falls in line with other indications previously reported that the show will debut sometime next month.

However, her statement that the BBC were "very much hoping that Elizabeth Sladen will come back for more," indicates that the star is not obliged to continue the programme.

This is the first hard indication that the BBC intend to continue the programme beyond its initially-contracted run. However it does come weeks before the first series has been broadcast to the British public.

The comments came as a part of a wide-ranging interview by Sean Elliot in the American IF Magazine.

The issue gives all but one of the story titles for the season, matching books already listed on amazon.co.uk.

The first story, by Garth Roberts, remains untitled, but the remaining are:

• "Eye of the Gorgon" by Phil Ford as novelized by Phillip Stratford
• "Warriors of the Kudlax" by Phil Gladwin as novelized by Gareth Roberts
• "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?" by Gareth Roberts (novelization status unclear)
• "The Lost Boy" by Phil Ford (novelization status unknown)

Sarah-Jane.tv have now revealed that at least two are coming in early November, further confirming a fall premiere for the show itself.

The Thirteenth Stone and The Golden Storm will not be full-cast audios, but they will be read by Elizabeth Sladen. Both involve plots which separate Luke from Clyde, Sarah and Maria. Both appear to be readings of hardcover books, to be released simultaneously.

The amazon.co.uk website also seems to be differentiating between types of SJA book. Some are being listed as paperbacks "based on an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures", while The Golden Storm, in particular, is simply listed as a hardcover novel. Whether this means that we will see the return of novelizations to the Doctor Who universe is still unclear, but the possibility, at least, seems to exist.

Indeed, novelizations seem to be undergoing a renaissance of late, with audio recordings of old Target novelizations being released in November as well by the BBC. Of particular interest to SJA fans is Tom Baker's new recording of Terrance Dicks' "Robot" novelization, Doctor Who and the Giant Robot. It will be the first of a new range of audio recordings of novelizations, which will also include Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion, read by Martin Jarvis.

This early wrap date gives credence to a CBBC press release issued last Tuesday, which finally declares SJA as a "programme confirmed for the autumn". Until Tuesday, the BBC had been cagey with the SJA release date, leaving open the door to a premiere as late as 2008.

Though we now know Elizabeth Sladen and friends will be returning well before Christmas, the Beeb have failed to give anything more definite than "autumn" as a start date.

Now at midyear, as he's returned to Cardiff to complete the 11-week shoot on SJA, another of his television projects is just finishing its run in the UK. In the ITV program, Talk To Me, Millson plays one of the three main leads.

His character, "Woody", finds himself in a love triangle with his best friend, and the friend's wife, who work with him at a radio station. Ironically, the three produce a show for the lovelorn.

The four-episode serial has been airing on Sundays in June just after the watershed at 9pm. The programme will definitely see a Region 2 DVD release in the next few months; a Region 1 or 4 release is a little less certain.

What is clear is the centrality of the show to ITV's new look. Talk To Me was the first show commissioned by the new ITV Head of Drama, and is seen as something of a test of her vision. The show has seen a rise in viewership from its initially modest 4.2 million; later episodes have been more like the numbers for Life on Mars.

The timing of Millson's ITV success couldn't be better for Sarah Jane Adventures. Its target audience seemingly secure based on "Invasion of the Bane", SJA certainly couldn't be hurt by the intriguing possibilities of Millson's higher profile on British TV. With this meaty romantic role fresh in their minds prior to the SJA launch, will mothers now be watching SJA for Millson just as dads will tag along for Sladen?