The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Second Season

Genre : DVD ( DVD )
Release : 2009/11/10
Price : $31.49

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The charming Sarah Jane Adventures continues to provide fun and entertaining children's television while remaining true to its roots in the venerable British science-fiction series Doctor Who. Elisabeth Sladen, who remains among the Doctor's best-loved companions (she accompanied Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker on their interstellar jaunts from 1973 to 1976), is again front and center for this program, which takes place entirely on Earth. That doesn't mean it's safe from alien invasions, as the 2008 second season illustrates: menaces from Sarah Jane's past (a warlike Sontaran, whom she first encountered in the 1973 Doctor Who serial "The Time Warrior," is on the loose in "The Last Sontaran") as well as newer foes (the Lovecraftian Bane return in "Enemy of the Bane," along with a nice supporting turn by Nicholas Courtney, who reprises his Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart) present challenges to the intrepid journalist and her teenage companions. The six two-part episodes that comprise season 2 deliver both the breezy cheek and the imaginative sci-fi that producer Russell T. Davies has brought to the revamped Doctor and its more grownup spinoff, Torchwood, and if the plots and action here are somewhat milder than those of the Doctor or Captain Jack Harkness, fans of both should be pleased that they can get an equal level of enjoyment from a show that they can also watch with younger viewers.

The three-disc set has an agreeable amount of extras, though many, like episode synopses for both seasons and character profiles, are text-based and therefore a bit underwhelming. More interesting are interviews with the cast and behind-the-scenes footage, most taken from UK kids' series like Blue Peter. There's also an enjoyable quiz section that yields an amusing comic clip. --Paul Gaita

Bottom line, we've enjoyed watching it. For the true Dr Who aficionado, this series is a must have. Be warned that it is aimed specifically at a very young audience and The Doctor is mentioned once or twice and has only made one rare appearance in Series 3. This show IS NOT ABOUT The Doctor. That said it, is a fun addition to complete the spin off shows of Dr. Who. The quality of the writing in the first two series has not been as good as Dr. Who hence the actors have had less material to work with. The "aliens" and special effects have all been excellent, except for Mr Smith's campy entrances. Elisabeth Sladen does a good job of transitioning from the 2nd fiddle position of Companion to being the Lead of the show.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a spin off of Doctor Who. This is a really great show! It's smart, funny, and it's fun for the whole family. I think everyone will enjoy this show!

Good clean fun for all ages, especially pre-teens and teens, as well as adults.

A touch of mystery, excitement and save the world attitude.
Enjoyable.

I enjoyed watching this with my niece. She liked the second season even more than the first and is now waiting for me to get the third season.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Second Season was very entertaining and fun to watch. As a long-time Dr. Who fan, I love the concept of Sarah Jane Smith still having wonderful adventures on her own, and as the mother of a 13 year old, the Sarah Jane Adventures are a family hit. These stories have a slightly lower "scare factor" than Dr. Who, and because the stories are all about Sarah Jane and her bunch of teenage helpers they appeal to a younger audience, while still being fun for the "grown-ups".