Written by Phil Ford
Directed by Michael Kerrigan
Well…THAT was the creepiest, most frightening thing you could possibly get away with broadcasting (without gratuitous violence) to children at 5pm…
…at least, until we get to episode 2, when it all goes a bit pear-shaped.
Part 1 is, by turns, terrifying, exciting, thunderous, skin-crawling adventure and tea-time horror at its finest. Because not enough Doctor Who fans were made into bed-wetters by evil clowns in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy…now we get Sarah Jane taking a crack at giving phobias to 9 year olds…and all the adults watching, along with the 9 year olds!
Much of this is due to the director, Michael Kerrigan. A veteran of late 80s Doctor Who, his last attempt at adventure in the Time Lord’s universe (Battlefield) fell somewhat flat. Too stagey, too comical, and too straightforward & awkward for its own good. But since then, he seems to have become a different director entirely. His creepy wipes, half-glimpsed shots, and hair-raising close-ups squeeze out maximum tension…and result in maximum shattered nerves on the part of the viewing audience.
The other key to the success is the actors, especially Elisabeth Sladen (who is tremendously unnerving - especially to kids - when she seems truly terrified), and Bradley Walsh as OddBob the clown: easily the best villain in The Sarah Jane Adventure’s history to date. He’s odious and horrific, and just what the episode requires. Blame the bed-wetting on him, mum’s and dad’s.
Unfortunately, Part 2 doesn’t live up to the audaciousness of Part 1, for the simple reason that TOO MUCH is packed into its concluding 25 minutes: defeating the clown, alien meteors, Sarah Jane revealing her childhood phobias, Luke mooning over Maria’s departure, and the introduction of the new family on Bannerman Road…
…which brings us to the new girl, Rani. Anjli Mohindra makes an instant impression: a little less idealistic than Maria, a little more street-savvy and pro-active, and someone who can obviously take care of herself…if it wasn’t for her overbearing-but-loving parents. Brilliantly played as tough as nails headmaster dad (Ace Bhatti) and fussy-but-fun mom (Mina Anwar), they are very different to Alan and Chrissie Jackson…but they demonstrate lots of potential for future hi-jinks. I also enjoyed the relationship between the new Headmaster and Clyde, which gives Daniel Anthony more room to stylishly mug for the camera.
A staggering episode 1, and an unbalanced, over-eager episode 2…but together, they certainly leave you breathless…and (on more than one occasion) in need of a change of underwear. Shame it ends up being such a front-loaded roller-coaster ride.
