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Thoughts of A Newbie

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« Reply #20 on: September 11, 2010, 11:31:52 am »

I've never watched this, but looking through this thread I really think I should. The OP makes it sound great so I am deffinately going to give it a try I think
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« Reply #21 on: September 11, 2010, 03:34:56 pm »

I've never watched this, but looking through this thread I really think I should. The OP makes it sound great so I am deffinately going to give it a try I think

Great! We need more SJA fans.
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« Reply #22 on: September 11, 2010, 05:01:47 pm »

I've never watched this, but looking through this thread I really think I should. The OP makes it sound great so I am deffinately going to give it a try I think

Great! We need more SJA fans.

Well I will be happy to come on board. I loved SJS in Doctor Who so I dont see why I wouldnt love the spin off. I know it is aimed at children primarily, but from what the grown ups are saying in here I think it will be worth a watch. Should do a watchathon like they did in the other thread for Doctor Who Cheesy
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« Reply #23 on: September 11, 2010, 05:45:20 pm »

Like I said earlier, the show, imo gets stronger after the pilot, so give it more of a chance than just that episode. Smiley
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« Reply #24 on: September 12, 2010, 11:45:23 am »

I watched an episode of this last night online. It is the first Doctor Who related show I have seen outside of Doctor Who itself. I had never seen or heard of Sarah Jane before so I did a wikiperdia search and read some about her before watching. I have to say I was quite impressed. The story was cleary aimed at youngsters, and that black girl was amazingly bad, but other than that i really enjoyed it. And it has kind of made me excited to see Sarah in the main series. I plan on ordering series one, and if I enjoy that I will go on and get series 2
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« Reply #25 on: September 12, 2010, 02:57:57 pm »

Relax. Kelsey doesn't stick around, and the character we get instead is so much better!
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« Reply #26 on: September 23, 2010, 11:13:22 pm »

The Slitheen One in the School

Picture the scene, dear friends, I have returned home from a long week of work and I am more hungry than a polar bear who has discovered he's left the fridge open and all his sprats have made a bid for freedom and Mrs Polar Bear has run off with the bacon slicer. So, naturally I do what all decent human beings do, I order a set meal for 4 from the chinese and put an episode of Friends on in the background so the person taking the telephone order thinks i'm having a dinner party and not about to scoff 35 quids worth of grub and ingest a potentially lethal dose of salt.

"What shall accompany my banquet?" a little voice asked, "A Sarah Jane Adventure of course!" another, slightly squeakier voice replied. So I put the one about the Slitheen at Luke's school on.

Yet again, I wasn't disappointed. This was very 'kid' heavy (being set in a school I suppose one shouldn't be surprised) but, again, the kids weren't irritating. I scooped a large portion of seaweed and a crispy wonton onto my plate (already swimming with Chicken and Cashew Nuts) and I thought to myself that the plot was very tight, the cliff hanger was good and the effects were highly serviceable. The Slitheen have a universal appeal, they have a wonderful reveal - the blue/white light and the noise are very effective. As soon as you see a portly actor hove into view, nothing is more certain that they are either slitheen or about to die and become slitheen.

As I guzzled the second of my four portions of fried rice, my thoughts turned to the music. It is really appealing. Not as grandiose and thematic as Murray Gold, but really suitable and complimentary. I follow both Dan J and Sam Watts on Twitter and they are fine fellows - I think their music reflects their personality; fun and perky, yet an underlying purpose.

Once again, another viewing of the SJA (this time a double episode) and another satisfied experience. But there was no way I was going to get on to those banana fritters!
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« Reply #27 on: September 23, 2010, 11:24:38 pm »

They are all "double episodes" from now on.

6 stories, 12 episodes a season. (Besides the pilot)

And now I want Chinese food....
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« Reply #28 on: September 23, 2010, 11:31:30 pm »

They are all "double episodes" from now on.

6 stories, 12 episodes a season. (Besides the pilot)

And now I want Chinese food....

Then my work here is done... Smiley And I do like the double episode format here - thinks it works nicely
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« Reply #29 on: September 23, 2010, 11:37:54 pm »

So this more for people to order Chinese than to get new people to watch SJA?

I have you figured out mister!  Tongue

When will you watch the next episode? Some good Clyde one-liners in it iirc.
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« Reply #30 on: September 23, 2010, 11:51:43 pm »

I'm hoping to get some watched this weekend (although as soon as I say that I know I have cursed it) Smiley
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« Reply #31 on: September 24, 2010, 01:53:32 pm »

Great review, I'm glad you are enjoying the show, I do think it's a cracker that more people should get into Grin 

Maybe go for an Indian takeaway for the next story? Tongue
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« Reply #32 on: September 24, 2010, 04:12:42 pm »

HA! Kelsey was hilarious (ly annoying...)!

I cant stand Rani. I loved Maria Grin
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« Reply #33 on: September 24, 2010, 07:17:43 pm »

You never fail to brighten up my day, Chris. Couldnt stop laughing Tongue
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« Reply #34 on: September 24, 2010, 07:27:08 pm »

You never fail to brighten up my day, Chris. Couldnt stop laughing Tongue

Yeah, I look forward to it every time I see his screen name in this thread  Grin
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« Reply #35 on: October 03, 2010, 06:53:58 pm »

Those of you who are regular readers to "Thoughts of a Newbie" will know that I like to give a little slice of life with my reviews of SJA Season 1. Yes, I (grudgingly) tell you what I thought of the episode. To me, however, context is king. I want to give you the sights, the sounds, the emotions and yes, even the smells of my SJA experience. But what to hang it on? I've already had a full english breakfast and half a box of french fancies, so it can't be food (truth be told i'm feeling a little bilious having tucked into last nights pizza which I heated up in the microwave while waiting for the sausage to cook). But then it hit me. Open up a bottle of Pinot Noir and see where the day takes me. I think this is my best idea yet. So below, dear friends is my drink by drink account of....

Sarah Jane and the Slightly Menacing Nuns and Gorgons (Season 1, the story after the Slitheen)

This is a most agreeable wine with a teasing bouquet and... ah, I can't pretend. All red wine tastes the same to me. It all makes my teeth go red and plays havoc with my ulcer. Therefore, with a Davros-like grasp of science, an idea occurs to me. I will wash down this foul wine with a bottle of Becks or two. That should cancel out any acid like qualities. It will also cancel out me having to go and see the in-laws as (by the time SJA is finished) I will not be in any fit state.

In terms of the actual show, I gotta tell you, these stories are really growing on me. There is an unpretentiousness and honesty about the whole thing. The stories have messages woven in to them such as how to cope when your family splits up (which is good because as I continue guzzling this wine that possibility grows ever more likely - time for a glug of Becks...) but these messages are not obtrusive and they don't in any way interfere with the story telling. The actual story (written by Phil "Waters of Mars" Ford) seems to be about some batty old dears at a nursing home who see nuns. Turns out, one of them starts talking about Sontarans and gives Luke a 'Talisman' and it all kicks off from there.

Then, an unexpected plot twist occurs. I am sick on the new rug. This necessitates a pause of the DVD, a quick clean up of said rug, apologies all round ("I think them French Fancies were out of date - that fourth one tasted a bit funny) and back to SJA. But I have learned my lesson. Clearly the balance between Becks and Red Wine was wrong and needs adjusting. So a quick glug of Becks and we're back on with the show.

I think what so impresses me about SJA is the fact that the stories do not try and be absurdly clever or cutting edge. The writers know they are not writing a James Bond film or the sequal to Inception. In fact because they are writing children's fiction, the stories are clear and there is no loose ends left. Whats more, there is little room for such things as canon or story arcs because the whole focus of the writing is guiding the audience to the end of the show.

As with all drinking, the choice of snacks is crucial. One cannot have too big a feast otherwise one gets too full to drink. Too little and one feels more hungry than a hippopotamus who, after a hard day at the swamp returns home to find all his dinner eaten, there are no chocolate biscuits left and it is half day closing at the local Spar. I plump for Monster Munch.

What I have found in my SJA watching, more than anything is good, enjoyable sci fi. But more than that, is that it shows what is missing from Doctor Who. It is not glitzy, it does not have a multi-media platform and a global brand. The stories are simple and the baddies are bad. In fact, its just a potty little kids show that the whole family can watch - does that remind you of anything? Incidentally, I have abandoned the red wine altogether and opened another bottle of Becks. Meanwhile the nuns have kidnapped Luke and put him into a hearse. I am really enjoying this story.

Again, regular readers of 'Thoughts of a Newbie' have probably detected more than a hint of bias from me. I constantly refer to SJA by referencing it to Doctor Who. I guess it means that, for me, SJA will never be more than a curious offshoot of the main event. But I think it really does act as a prism for Doctor Who, highlighting the oversights and the over dependence on deus ex machina rather than on simple plot and character driven story telling. (you can tell i'm onto my fourth bottle of Becks as I'm hitting you with the ghastly - and erroneous - pseudo intellectualism. God I hate myself when I start like this. Some Flaming Hot Monster Munch should assuage the self loathing for a while).

*Spolier Alert* The girls dad gets turned into a statue, the saucy mam starts pouring her heart out to the statute. Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde get locked in various rooms and the girl saves the day by pointing a mirror at the Gorgon and putting a necklace on her dad.

*Spolier Alert 2* I am told that my behaviour is 'unacceptable for a Sunday morning' and if I indulge in any more 'Morning Drinkies' (as I have taken to calling them) then I will be exiled to the garage and the secrets of time travel taken from my mind. I will then have to work as special scientific adviser to the mice who inhabit the garage and foil various alien invasions.
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« Reply #36 on: October 03, 2010, 11:53:38 pm »

Hahahaha you win.

About what you said: Season one is the slowest imo, I think they are trying to "find their identity". It picks up in s2 and definitely season 3.
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« Reply #37 on: October 04, 2010, 02:02:04 pm »

About what you said: Season one is the slowest imo, I think they are trying to "find their identity". It picks up in s2 and definitely season 3.

I know what you mean - although I am impressed at how well rounded the show is even at this early stage. I guess having Sarah Jane in there really helps because she is a 'Plug-in-and-Play' character. I can't wait to get to seasons 2 & 3 though! This is a rich area of discovery for me Smiley
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« Reply #38 on: November 20, 2010, 11:39:43 pm »

Ive never been in this section before I dont think. Hello all Smiley

Ive decided that as I am coming on such great guns with Doctor Who (half way through series 3) and Torchwood (finished series 1) I am going to start on The Sarah Jane Adventures after Christmas. Im hoping that I will be totally up to date by Christmas and then I can rewatch series 5 of DW by the New Year and then start SJA. My friend this week told me about how good series 4 was and I found myself itching to watch it and see what its all about. I know ive hijacked Chris' thread to say this but I didnt know where else I could put it Smiley

Just thought I would say that you will have a new contributer soon Smiley
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« Reply #39 on: November 21, 2010, 10:56:47 am »

I'm sure you will really enjoy it if you stick with it. It gets better with every season. Well worth sticking with. I only started watching a few months back and I love it.

Chris, did you ever get to series 2?
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