The Sarah Jane Adventures: Revenge Of The Slitheen

Revenge Of The Slitheen

Sarah Jane's second adventure, and the opening instalment of the first series, also stands as a sequel to the Doctor Who Series 1 serial Aliens Of London/World War Three. Like that story, and as the title of this adventure implies, the main protagonists are members of the Raxacoricofallapatorian Slitheen family - gangster-like aliens who disguise themselves by wearing the skins of fat humans they've murdered. Much like in their first appearance, much is made in the first episode of their habit of farting - a result of the compression software they use to fit in the Human skins - which feels a lot more at home in a kids show than in the parent series (although I didn't mind it so much as the early two-parters of the rebooted Doctor Who always felt more squarely aimed at a younger audience than the two-parters shown later in the series'). The early scenes featuring the murder of a slightly obese science teacher (who you later see a Slitheen shed the skin of) does feel a bit close to the knuckle, but I guess kids are a lot hardier than they were when I was at school.

Speaking of which, Aliens Of London isn't the only Doctor Who story which this feels very similar to. The school setting with scenes in classrooms, the canteen, corridors, computer rooms and areas where students aren't normally allowed to go, very closely echoes School Reunion, the story which re-introduced Sarah Jane to the franchise, and which also featured a bullied token fat kid, and the Headmaster and various teachers turning out to be alien intruders. This could have worked against the story, but the differences are enough to mark it on its own merits whilst feeling familiar enough to tie it in to the successful RTD series.

The story introduces new boy Clyde Langer, Kelsey Hooper's replacement played by Daniel Anthony. Another cocksure schoolkid, he's certainly not as annoying as Kelsey but equally well played, and Clyde certainly steals the show occupying the role which Maria filled in the pilot. Like Maria and Luke, he's a new student at the school and falls in with them for that reason. Midway through episode two, Maria gets to repeat Sarah Jane's 'go home' speech from Enemy Of The Bane when Clyde tries to follow them into Sarah's house after they've escaped from the Slitheen. It's a nice call back and indicates how Maria has been accepted by Sarah. Likewise, Sarah and Clyde get some nice scenes later in the episode which show how much the former has mellowed since the pilot. She's certainly much more likeable here than in the majority of her previous appearances, and more willing to appreciate Clyde and accept him into the fold. Luke is given more development, too; he starts to feel more rounded by the end of the first episode thanks to his scenes with both Maria and Clyde and the skilful way he gets introduced to the social aspects of school and interacting with other people. Indeed, it's his innocence which drives the plot when he happily provides the equation which sorts out the problem the Slitheen are having with their machinery.

On to the Slitheen themselves. There are a lot of familiar touchstones such as Maria and Clyde being chased through corridors by the Slitheen, hunting by smell, their habit of exploding when vinegar is thrown at them, their teleportation devices, etc. Again, it's a great way of introducing the new series by referencing the parent show. They look a lot better in these episodes, partly because the production team have done away with the CGI versions during the hunt, and possibly because of a slight redesign - when moving, the costumes (especially the heads) don't seem to flap about as much as in their previous appearances and it looks like more thought has been given to making their movement seem naturalistic. We're also introduced to a juvenile Slitheen (aged 12) who is clearly beamed away before he gets blown up even if Sarah believes otherwise. As for the actors performing the skin-wearing Slitheen, even compared to the OTT performances in Aliens Of London/World War Three this feels a little extreme. Martyn Ellis and Ian Midlane put in outrageously camp and grandiose performances which would make Frankie Howerd and Julian Clary seem tame. Anton Thomson McCormick, as fat Science Nerd Carl, does an admirable job of emulating them when he's about to reveal himself as the Slitheen child which contrasts with his performance in earlier scenes, but I do feel that Imogen Bain is the only one who gets the balance right in her scenes opposite Lis Sladen.

Given that most of the Slitheen escape at the end leads me to think we'll see more of them in the series, and I doubt I'll be disappointed by another return. This story has got the series off to a good start, stepping up and building on the pilot and helping make Sarah a more likeable character than in all but a handful of her previous appearances. The development of the main cast is well handled and each one is given time to breathe, small nuggets of information being dropped into conversation which doesn't feel forced. I enjoyed this adventure more than I expected. Hopefully this is an indication of what is to come.