17 September 2006

Sarah Jane Smith returns in 2nd spin-off of Doctor Who

With the third season of the revamped Doctor Who series set to air next spring and the first spin-off show Tourchwood expected this fall, the BBC and series show runner Russell T Davis are gearing up another series featuring, perhaps, the best known companion the Time Lord known only as the Doctor ever had.

Elizabeth Sladen, who portrayed the intrepid reporter Sarah Jane Smith on the classic series from 1973 to 1976, is set to come back in the Sarah Jane Adventures, a BBC production for Children’s British Broadcasting Company (CBBC).

Set in present day, the series will focus on Sarah and a 13 year-old neighbor girl named Maria (Yasmin Paige), who team up to fight evil alien forces at work in Britain and the scheming Ms Wormwood -to be played by Samantha Bond (Miss Moneypenny in recent James Bond films of Pierce Bronsan). A 60 minute special -written by Davies -will go before the cameras next month, with a series set to lens next spring.

Sladen has become a fan favorite over the years and is cited by many both here in the US and in Britain to be the best companion the franchise ever had and was Davies favorite when he watched the show as a kid. When he was hired to helm the revamp, it was her character he wanted to bring back especially. And while it took a season, Sladen none the less came back in season two’s School Reunion.
K9, who also returned in with Sarah Jane in Reunion, will not be part of the show (as there is rumored an animated series in the works featuring the robotic dog), but will appear in the "pilot."

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