Another 10th Doctor story, and another from early on in his tenure; very early, actually, with just his 3rd proper story. Or 4th if you include The Christmas Invasion, which we should probably, as it does form the “Earthbound introduction to something new” that makes up the “Russell T. Davies New Series Structure”. It’s the perfect example of RTD starting to stretch his wings, build on the success of what he had last series & show some confidence in what he can do going forward.
Rusty was very restrained in what he used from the show’s past when he brought the show back in 2005; a lot more restrained than I imagine most fans would have been. The bones of the show were there – TARDIS, Ron Grainer theme, TimeLord, anywhere in time & space – but out of the 40 years past it was only the Autons & Daleks he reintroduced that were familiar to existing fans. I’m sure most of us would have thrown Cybermen, Quarks & as much else as we could have had we got the keys to the sandbox, but RTD was savvy enough to know he had to create a show that would appeal to everyone, and not just middle aged fans. To that end he even went as far as to get rid of the TimeLords, even if he did create a tragic backstory for The Doctor1 along the way. He would continue to drip feed older elements season by season, a tactic Steven Moffat continued in Series 5, keeping the fans excited & making new ones along the way by not overloading them with lore.
It was also a savvy move on his part to bring back companions in Series 2 and not just monsters; not just because of the nostalgia factor, but because it gives the opportunity to tell a very interesting story: the story about what happens when The Doctor leaves you behind. Classic Series companion departures are notorious for being brief, perfunctory and out of the blue2; you may have wondered in your head what various characters have got up to after their time in the TARDIS, but you’d be forgiven if you haven’t, as The Doctor and the show moves seamlessly onto the next one with very little thought. In Series 1, RTD gave us something unexpected to think about in every episode; something we hadn’t considered before or taken for granted. And again he wants us to stop an think about ex-companions a little. Ultimately, this is the story that Toby Whithouse is telling here – all the stuff about chips & paradigms is just fluff, the real meat & bones is what happens when your current squeeze meets the old one?
And who better to bing back as the companion than Sarah Jane Smith? There’s maybe only Jo Grant who would be as familiar to the Casual Viewer as Sarah Jane; certainly, someone like Mel would be a hard sell to all but the loyal fans3. Sarah Jane is as recognisable a part of the show’s history as longs scarf, jelly babies & Daleks: if Tom Baker is instantly recognisable in the zeitgeist as The Doctor, then Lis Sladen is as recognisable as The Companion.
Sarah Jane is actually one of the few Classic companions to get a decent send off. Along with Victoria & Jo Grant, there’s some thought gone into it – the final scene at least, it’s by no means built up to the way the other two are. In this episode we get to see the aftermath of that departure; not just the fact it was Aberdeen she had to make her way home from, but how she has to adjust to life on only one planet, without all of Time & Space on her doorstep. Thankfully Sarah Jane is thriving – of course she is, what else would she do – back to her day job as a journalist, with a side hustle saving the world, but with that streak of sadness of what she’s left behind. Her reintroduction to The Doctor is fantastic on both sides, with The Doctor’s glee at seeing her replaced with a more sombre tone reflected by Sarah Jane when she recognises him. It really is a strength of Nu Who that we can have scenes like this, done properly, in a way the Classic series wouldn’t & couldn’t.
RTD and Whithouse are also really savvy when it comes to introducing Sarah Jane & Rose. The easy route would have been for them to get on from the start, but it’s much more interesting to have that jealousy between the two: it’s more real as well, of course that’s how anyone would react. It leads to that scene where they have a “monsters I’ve fought” pissing contest, and gives Rose a glimpse into her Doctor-less future; something that will be important to her & us as the series progresses.
Alongside this character work, we have The Doctor & Giles from Buffy squaring off. Anthony Head is a brilliant villain: it’s one of those turns where you would love to see him come back, but are also perfectly happy with him just being a perfect one off. The whole “turn kids into computers through chips” plot is just the right size to keep the story going but lets us focus on the companion stuff.
Of course, it’s not just the one companion coming back, we have K9 returning too: battered, rusty, but undeniably K9. John Leeson also picks up where he left off, as if he’s never been away. His modern day equivalent is Mickey; actor Noel Clarke may have tarnished the reputation of his character, but Mickey’s arc is a solid one, taking him from cowardice in Rose through the third wheel in Boom Town, to acceptance and purpose here. Sure, he’s the Tin Dog of the group here, but that’s no bad thing: K9 was an essential part of the stories from Seasons 15 through to 18, that part of many a childhood & a key part of Doctor Who’s DNA; if that’s who you’re going to be compared with, then that would be fine with me…!!
But at the end of the day, this is the Sarah Jane show. As a fan himself, David Tennant must have thought all his Christmases had come at once when he got to not only be The Doctor, but the Doctor who welcomed her back to the show. There are a few points where the line between Doctor & David is invisible – their first scene together and their last springing straight to mind – and not for the last time in his era.
And then Elisabeth Sladen, coming back and slotting right back in the role. This isn’t exactly the Sarah Jane that left us, she’s older, wiser, changed by her experience; not quite battered & rusty but not far off. Off the back of this story the Sarah Jane Adventures was born, giving a whole new generation the experience of growing up with this character, and you can see why, with Sladen morphing the character from a best friend to a mother figure seamlessly.
For what it gives us and what it represents – nostalgia, a fresh start for an old favourite, and the joy of having K9 back – this story would ride high. Being a well paced, fun story with a great villain just pushes it higher.
COMING TOMORROW: “I am your serrrrr-vant….”
Skies Full of Diamonds 