Sarah Jane Gets Who Spinoff

Submitted by: Kyle Nin (SoSF Staff Reporter)

Doctor Who executive producer Russell T. Davies told SCI FI Wire that production is underway on the spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures, featuring Elisabeth Sladen in her role as the title investigative journalist, Sarah Jane Smith, who is known to Who fans as the companion to the third and fourth Doctors in the 1970s. “It’s a one-off special, not a pilot,” Davies said in an interview in London. “And that will be followed by a series that starts filming in April. Right now, we have to balance Doctor Who and [spinoff series] Torchwood, but the most important thing we always have to remember is that Doctor Who is the mother ship. Without that, we wouldn’t exist, so we plan everything very carefully.”

The one-hour Sarah Jane special will bring back the character, who was re-introduced in the second season of the current incarnation of Doctor Who in an episode titled “School Reunion” earlier this year on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. Smith was originally introduced in an earlier version of Doctor Who in 1973. “[We’re] getting our team ready to make a one-hour Sarah Jane,” Davies said. “After that, we’ll start working on the scripts, and by next April we’ll be ready for the series, so it’s all dovetailed nicely.”

In the new series, Sladen’s Smith will appear with Yasmine Paige, who plays Smith’s 13-year-old niece, Maria, and the two team up to battle alien forces they encounter around Britain, including the scheming Ms. Wormwood (played by Samantha Bond), who appears in the one-hour special.

One character that won’t be appearing in the series is Smith’s loyal robot dog, K-9, who last appeared in “School Reunion” and will also play a role in the special. “Sadly, we don’t own the rights to K-9,” Davies said. “[Writer] Bob Baker granted us the rights for ‘School Reunion,’ but he’s been planning his own spinoff series for K-9 for the past 10-15 years. That series is in development right now with Jetix, so I hope it happens, and good luck to him.” The “School Reunion” episode will air on the SCI FI Channel October 11, 2006.

“Doctor Who” will begin its third season in the UK on BBC1 early next year. The second season of the Doctor begins airing in the U.S. on the SCI FI Channel tomorrow night (September 29th) at 8PM ET/PT.