Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-11-09
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 337 minutes

DVD Description
This 3 disc boxset features the following stories (each story has two parts):

The Last Sontaran

Episode One
Reports of strange lights around the Tycho Radio Telescope lead Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Maria into a terrifying forest encounter – and Sarah Jane comes face to face with her oldest enemy. Meanwhile Maria wrestles with a huge decision when her dad is offered a new job in America.

Sarah Jane investigates alien lights and encounters an enemy from the past – and Maria faces a big decision.

Episode Two
Sarah Jane and the gang have only 40 minutes to save Earth as Sontaran Commander Kaagh plots to bring the world’s orbiting satellites crashing down on nuclear installations across the world. And Maria’s Mum finally gets to the truth from Alan – but will they be in time to save Maria?

Sarah Jane has 40 minutes to stop Kaagh destroying Earth as Chrissie finds out the truth about aliens.

THE DAY OF THE CLOWN

Episode One
New girl in Bannerman Road, Rani Chandra, is being haunted by a sinister clown – does it have anything to do with the local children that have gone missing? When Clyde’s friend disappears the trail leads them to a strange circus museum – and the legend of the Pied Piper!

Is there a connection between a sinister clown and missing children? The investigation leads to an ancient legend.

Episode Two
Sarah Jane’s investigation into Spellman and Odd Bob the Clown takes her to a meteorite at the Pharos Institute. But Spellman’s plot to make all of Park Vale’s pupils vanish leads Sarah Jane into a confrontation with her own childhood fears in a bid to save Luke.

Luke is taken by Spellman and Sarah Jane has to confront her oldest fears to save him.

Secrets of the Stars

Episode One
Astrologer Martin Trueman is making a stir with his uncanny insights and predictions – Sarah Jane doesn’t believe in astrology, but she does believe that all is not as it seems with Trueman. Around her people are falling under Trueman’s sinister spell and even Mr Smith doesn’t understand what’s going on.

An astrologer attracts Sarah Jane’s interest with his uncanny predictions. Earth is under threat - from the stars!

Episode Two
As Trueman begins to take over the world’s population through their star signs, Clyde takes a big gamble to help Sarah Jane, Luke and Rani into the astrologer’s inner circle. But when Sarah Jane’s plan to defeat Trueman fails, who will be Earth’s last hope to overcome the Ancient Lights?

Sarah Jane and the others infiltrate Truman’s circle as he takes over the population through their star signs.

The Mark of the Beserker

Episode One
With Sarah Jane away, Rani has to work out what to do with an alien pendant that gives its wearer the power to control others. When Clyde’s estranged father, Paul, turns up Clyde makes a big mistake by showing him Sarah Jane’s attic - and sharing the secrets it contains.

An alien pendant is stolen from Sarah Jane’s attic which gives people the power to control others.

Episode Two
Luke and Rani enlist the help of Clyde’s mum to help track down Clyde and his father, who has the alien pendant. The chase leads to a terrifying waterside confrontation as the pendant takes control of Paul and begins transforming him into The Berserker who wants Clyde as his soldier.

Luke and Rani, with Clyde’s mum, track Clyde and his father to a waterside confrontation with The Berserker.

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

Episode One
When Sarah Jane returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure back to 1951 she realises she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. But is it a trap? Sarah Jane and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by The Trickster.

Sarah Jane can’t resist going back in time to meet the parents she never knew – with disastrous consequences.

Episode Two
Clyde and Rani, trapped in a devastated alternative world with the survivors of mankind, make a desperate bargain with The Graske, and Rani travels to 1951 to help Sarah Jane, reunited with her long-lost parents, defeat the Trickster – but will the price Sarah Jane has to pay be too high?

Sarah Jane has to make a devastating sacrifice in order to save Earth from The Trickster.

Enemy of the Bane

Episode One
Gita vanishes and Sarah Jane encounters an unwelcome face from the past – Mrs Wormwood. Now hunted by the Bane, she needs Sarah Jane’s help to foil their plan to take over the galaxy with an ancient alien power. And Sarah Jane needs help of her own – from the Brigadier.

Sarah Jane turns to an old friend for assistance when former enemy Mrs Wormwood appears asking for help.

Episode Two
Mrs Wormwood and Kaagh reveal their true colours and Sarah Jane and the gang find themselves in a race against time when Luke is kidnapped – and discover they have a hidden enemy amongst them. Only the Brigadier can save the day before a final showdown at an ancient stone circle.

Luke is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood and Kaagh. Sarah Jane prepares for a showdown at a stone circle.

Disc Guide and confirmed extras (episodes in bold):

Disc 1
The Last Sontaran
The Day of the Clown

Series 1 synopsis recap
Character, Tools & Alien profiles
Blue Peter interview with cast
Audio clip from the Time Capsule

Disc 2
Secret of the Stars
The Mark of the Berserker

Character, Tools & Alien profiles
Me & my movie with Tommy Knight (x3 short behind the scene clips)

Disc 3
The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith
Enemy of the Bane

Series 2 synopsis
Photo galleries (x2: behind-the-scenes and scene shots)
Quiz (answer questions correctly to see Comic Relief 2009 special)
Trailers (SJA Cinema Trailer and the 10 Drs Trailer)

Synopsis
In this exciting DOCTOR WHO spin-off, Maria Jackson's boring life collides with the excitement of that of Sarah Jane Smith, when the pair find themselves living next door to one another. Sarah inhabits a world of intrigue and adventure and Maria is about to tag along for the ride. Includes all the episodes from the show's second series.

Customer Reviews

Sarah Jane Steps Up Her Game!!!
Following the huge success of the first series, it was always going to be difficult for The Sarah Jane Adventures to improve with its second series.

Does it pull it off? Almost.

THE LAST SONTARAN sees the return of Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen), Luke (Thomas Knight), Clyde (Daniel Anthony) and Maria (Yasmin Paige). Also, the Sontarans make a well-deserved comeback with Anthony O'Donnell delivering his Kaagh lines very well indeed. This story has a lot of tension in it, which is helped by really good music. However, Maria leaves at the end...

Rani (Anjli Mohindra) makes a cofident, if slightly flawed debut in THE DAY OF THE CLOWN, a truly chilling tale of clowns. Bradley Walsh does a brilliant job playing three different characters, plus we also get more brilliant scenes between Tom and Lis.

SECRETS OF THE STARS follows, as the Ancient Lights prepare to take over the starsigns. It's an intriguing premise, with a brilliant cliffhanger, and a powerful, and slightly mad performance from Russ Abbot as Mr Trueman.

Clyde finally takes centre stage, in THE MARK OF THE BERSERKER, as his Dad (Gary Beadle) turns up again. What follows is a magnificent story in which an alien pendant that makes people do whatever you want them to finds its way around Paul Langer's neck, with disastrous consequences. Incredible acting all round, with Anjli's acting improving.

THE TEMPTATION OF SARAH JANE SMITH, possibly the best story, features the return of the Trickster, as he lures Sarah Jane back to 1951, on the day that her parents die. However, don't go dismissing is as another Father's Day, as this delivers big time. Except maybe the kid playing Oscar, who I couldn't stop laughing at.

As the series reaches its finale, ENEMY OF THE BANE, Mrs Wormwood (Samantha Bond) and Kaggh the Sontaran return to find the mysterious Horath. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane teams up with the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney) to find Horath, as well. It's a slightly disappointing finale to be fair, due to it not feeling like a finale, and the Brigadier being severely underused.

Overall, it is a very good series from CBBC. Look out for Series 3 in September, with the Mona Lisa, Judoon, and a certain Doctor...

Not as good as the first
When The Sarah Jane Adventures returned to CBBC in September 2008, for its second run of twelve episodes. This series we say goodbye to Maria Jackson and her family, say hello to Sarah Jane's new companion Rani Chandra and welcome back some old faces, both friends and foes.

The first series set such a high mark for this one to match up to, and in a lot of cases, series two, although still all round a good effort, falls short of series' one's quality. We meet very few new aliens this year, and all but one of the stories deal somehow with aliens taking control of humans. It is something which gets a little old, and perhaps suggests a creative rut the writers were going though.

That aside, there are some really good stories here. The first story, The Last Sontaran is arguably the best of the bunch, but the Clyde-centric story The Mark of the Berserker is also an excellent outing for the gang (minus Sarah Jane who is MIA for most of the time doing her own investigating).

The weakest story is easily The Secrets of the Stars which features very little alien element whatsoever, however the first part does end with one of the series' best cliffhangers.

Rounding off the collection is The Day of the Clown, which introduces new girl Rani and has a fantastic guest appearance from Bradley Walsh. The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith sees Sarah Jane going back in time to visit her parents, with predictably disastrous consequences. Finally, the series final, Enemy of the Bane sees the return of treasured classic Doctor Who character the Brigadier and Sarah Jane pilot villain Mrs. Wormwood.

As with the first series, the acting is top notch, particularly from Daniel Anthony, whose character Clyde really comes into his own this series. Anjli Mohindra at first is slightly awkward, however she settles in nicely and shows a lot of potential for series three. Elisabeth Sladen is also back on fine form as Sarah Jane, and her love for the character really comes through on screen. Although not given as much to do this year, Tommy Knight as Luke and Yasmin Paige as Maria are also strong members of the cast.

So while this is still an excellent set of episodes, compared to the previous series, there is a slight lack of creativity which is missing from series two. There aren't as many new and exciting aliens as there was last year, there are some reused characters/plots and even Sarah Jane's wardrobe is looking less exciting than what we are used to.

However, if you are a Sarah Jane or Doctor Who fan, then this is an essential addition to your collection, and hopefully the next series will be released on DVD much quicker than the previous two.

FINALLY
After nearly a year after it aired, the DVD is finally on its way and i can't wait. A big improvement on the already great series 1, this series sees new girl Rani join the gang, Maria leave and all the characters change in some ways. The stories are more emotionally involved and seem more aimed at both kids and adults being appealing to both

The Last Sontaran - A cracking opener including the doctor's old enemies as well as a fiendish plot. Kaagh is a great enemy and this is a great story

Day Of The Clown - Scary stuff in a lot of ways and quite a strange plot but introduces Rani well, and Bradley Walsh plays a great clown

Secrets Of The Stars - The weakest story of the series but still great with an original plot however it lacks real alien enemies but Russ Abbot is still great

The Mark Of The Berserker - emotional stuff, without Sarah mostly however the story is simple but effective. Clyde is fantastic in this story and is also good for bringing back a familiar face - a classic

The Temptation Of Sarah Jane Smith - the almost inevitable 'what if' episode. Sarah has to fight her own temptation to stop her parents being killed and also the trickster. Again emotional and powerful

Enemy Of The Bane - A great finally, bringing back 2 great enemies and the Brigadier. The Bane are a great alien race and helps bring this series to a brilliant close

Overall a brilliant series and i personally can't wait til series 3 with the return of K9 and an episode with the doctor, the Judoon and the blathereen (friends/enemies of the slitheen?)