The Last Sontaran
07 – The Last Sontaran | |||
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The Sarah Jane Adventures story | |||
Cast | |||
Starring
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Guest
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Production | |||
Directed by | Series 2 | ||
Running time | 2 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
First broadcast | 29 September 2008 | ||
Chronology | |||
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The Last Sontaran is the first serial of the
Plot
Professor Skinner returns to the observatory on his own. Through an implant in his neck, Professor Skinner is working as Kaagh's drone to hack into every satellite orbiting Earth and target the planet's nuclear reactors, wiping out all life on Earth. Kaagh says this will make him an avenging hero for his fleet's failed campaign. In 45 minutes, a signal from the radio telescope will trigger the satellites' fall.
After receiving a phone call from his daughter Maria,
Six weeks later, Alan and Maria move to Washington, D.C. after Alan accepts a new job offer there.
Continuity
- Reference is made to the Mr Smith as seen in The Lost Boy.[3] Kaagh refers to The Doctor's victory over the Sontarans in Doctor Who two-part story "The Sontaran Strategem"/"The Poison Sky"[6][7] and footage of the Sontaran mothership exploding is re-used from "The Poison Sky", marking the first time footage from Doctor Who has been used in The Sarah Jane Adventures, aside from the still images shown in "Invasion of the Bane" and The Lost Boy.[6] Kaagh is shown to bleed green blood as other Sontarans have been shown to in Doctor Who.[8][9] Sarah Jane refers to her past encounters with Sontarans, alongside the Third Doctor in Earth's relative past in Doctor Who serial The Time Warrior[10] and alongside the Fourth Doctor and Harry Sullivan in Earth's relative future in Doctor Who serial The Sontaran Experiment.[8] Clyde observes that Sontarans resemble baked potatoes,[11] an observation also made by Sarah Jane and Bea Nelson-Stanley in Eye of the Gorgon,[4] and by Private Ross Jenkins in The Sontaran Stratagem.
- Clyde and Luke re-enact the Battle of Waterloo in simulation. The Doctor referred to his defeat of the Sontarans in The Sontaran Experiment as "their Waterloo"[citation needed].
- Sarah Jane likens the empty observatory to the deserted ship Mary Celeste, the abandonment of which was depicted in The Chase as being the result of Daleks arriving aboard.
- Sarah Jane plans to call in military organisation Rutans.[11]
- Stating "Some people never learn", Chrissie breaks into Sarah Jane's house through the same window she did in Eye of the Gorgon.[4]
- As Maria enters the attic to take one last look around and to say goodbye to Mr Smith, she looks to her left and sees numerous alien objects Sarah Jane has collected, including; a bottle of Bubble Shock! seen in "Invasion of the Bane";[1] Mr Smith's Portable Scanner; a Sontaran gas canister and Kaagh's gun taken from Kaagh in this story;[12] the MITRE headset seen in The Lost Boy;[3] a puzzle box seen in Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?;[5] and entanglement shells seen in Warriors of Kudlak.[12][13][14]
Outside references
Clyde and Luke refer to the
Production
Writing
Speaking to
Broadcast and reception
Broadcast
"Part One" was first broadcast on BBC One at 4.35 p.m. on Monday 29 September 2008
Overnight ratings for "Part One" of The Last Sontaran indicate that 0.7 million people (0.3 million above the average 0.4 million viewers for that time slot) watched the episode on BBC One on Monday 29 September 2008, earning it a 6.3 per cent share of the television audience. The Appreciation Index for the episode was 84 – the joint highest figure on BBC One on Monday 29 September 2008.[22]
Critical reception
Ben Rawson-Jones, Cult Editor for Digital Spy, praises The Last Sontaran for its "emotional content", but notes that "Part Two" "disappoints in the action stakes" following "Part One".[23] He argues that the title The Last Sontaran nullifies any potential suspense prior to the revelation of the Sontaran as the force behind the mysterious lights, but praises O'Donnell's performance as Kaagh as being largely responsible for making the Sontaran plot a success.[24] He views Sarah Jane's reaction to Maria's news that she is leaving as "a fascinating departure from her usual maternal role to the children" and suggests this is a result of Sarah Jane having been abandoned by the Fourth Doctor at the end of Doctor Who serial The Hand of Fear.[24][25] He claims Part Two has "[p]lenty of tension-free chase sequences function[ing] as meaningless padding and lessen[ing] the threat posed by Commander Kaagh", attributing the lack of tension to "inadequate direction."[23] He brands Clyde and Luke as "dependable as ever"[24] and the Jacksons as "endearing", the latter compensating "for [Part Two's] action failings" with Maria and Alan's departure being "well handled" and "touching" and Chrissie being "a revelation...[as] her seemingly vacuous nature has been replaced by an air of mystery."[23] Although Rawson-Jones notes "the subplot featuring the Sontaran-controlled Professor stalking his own daughter Lucy is rather disturbing for a CBBC show that airs at 4.35pm",[24] he describes the adventure as "[f]ittingly...death-free and surprisingly heartwarming."[23] However, he laments "that this wonderful show is not being shown in a timeslot when the whole family could sit down to enjoy it together."[24]
Writing for totalscifionline.com, Patrick Holm describes "Part One" as "Overall, a good start"[26] but that "Some odd gaps in logic and excess runarounds make...["Part Two"] not as effective as it could have been."[27] Holm expresses surprise at the lack of references to the "literally world-shaking events" of Doctor Who episode "Journey's End" which precedes this story chronologically and which saw a Dalek invasion of Earth and Sarah Jane, Luke and Mr Smith helping to defeat them and return Earth to its rightful place in space.[28] However, he states Ford's script for "Part One" is "enjoyable" and praises its mixing of "old and new Who mythologies" with its many "other references back to the parent series [Doctor Who]". He also praises Ford for "giving the Sontarans a few new tricks" and notes that the effects in "Part One" indicate that the budget for The Sarah Jane Adventures has been increased. Whilst praising Knight and Langer for being "much more fluid in their movements", Holm does not share Rawson-Jones's appreciation for the emotional scenes in "Part One" regarding Maria's departure and claims they lack "the resonance you might expect."[26] Holm does state, however, that "[t]he scenes regarding Maria’s departure are handled better...[in "Part Two"], even if some of the closing scene platitudes are a little vomit-inducing." He cites as examples of weaknesses in "Part Two"; the ease with which Kaagh is fooled by the children; and the incredible luck Clyde has when Sarah Jane and Luke happen to be on the other side of a locked door in order to let him in thus saving him from Kaagh. He is also critical of the reuse of the threat of "something being brought crashing down to Earth...an overused plot last season" and observes that an "end of season rematch with Kaarg is unsubtly telegraphed". However, he does states that "[t]here are some good moments [in "Part Two"], particularly as Chrissie Jackson gets more character development in one 30-second scene than she had in most of [Series One]".[27]
Holm likens Sarah Jane's gang to Mystery, Inc. from Scooby-Doo and sees Kaagh as "a character somewhere between the sadistic Styre from The Sontaran Experiment and General Staal in "The Sonataran Stratagem"."[7][8][26] Both Rawson-Jones and Holm view Kaagh's cloaking abilities as a "homage" to "'80s action classic" Predator (1987).[24][26][29]
Novelisation
Author | Phil Ford | |
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Series | ISBN 1-405-90509-3 | |
Preceded by | The Lost Boy | |
Followed by | The Day of the Clown |
This was the seventh of eleven Sarah Jane Adventures serials to be adapted as a novel. Written by Phil Ford, the book was first published in Paperback on 6 November 2008.[30]
Notes
- ^ As depicted in the 2008 Doctor Who episode "The Poison Sky".
References
- ^ a b Writers Gareth Roberts, Russell T Davies, Director Colin Teague, Producer Susie Liggat (1 January 2007). "Invasion of the Bane". The Sarah Jane Adventures. Cardiff. BBC. BBC One.
- CBBC Channel.
- ^ CBBC Channel.
- ^ CBBC Channel.
- ^ CBBC Channel.
- ^ a b c Writer Helen Raynor, Director Douglas Mackinnon, Producer Susie Liggat (3 May 2008). "The Poison Sky". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ a b c Writer Helen Raynor, Director Douglas Mackinnon, Producer Susie Liggat (26 April 2008). "The Sontaran Stratagem". Doctor Who. Cardiff. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ a b c Writers Bob Baker, Dave Martin, Director Rodney Bennett, Producer Philip Hinchcliffe (22 February – 1 March 1975). The Sontaran Experiment. Doctor Who. London. BBC. BBC1.
- ^ Writer Robert Holmes, Director Peter Moffatt, Producer John Nathan-Turner (16 February – 2 March 1985). The Two Doctors. Doctor Who. London. BBC. BBC1.
- ^ Writer Robert Holmes, Director Alan Bromly, Producer Barry Letts (15 December 1973 – 5 January 1974). The Time Warrior. Doctor Who. London. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ a b c d e f Writer Phil Ford, Director Joss Agnew, Producer Nikki Smith (29 September 2008). "Part One". The Last Sontaran. The Sarah Jane Adventures. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ CBBC Channel.
- CBBC Channel.
- ^ "Alien Objects". BBC. 6 October 2008. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
- ^ Writers Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas (story), Director Irvin Kershner, Producers Gary Kurtz, George Lucas, Rick McCallum (Special Edition) (21 May 1980). The Empire Strikes Back.
- ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben (30 September 2008). "'Sarah Jane' writer hails "best" Sontaran". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
- SFX. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
- ^ a b "The Last Sontaran – Part 1". BBC. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ a b "The Sarah Jane Adventures series two: Broadcast details". BBC. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ "The Last Sontaran – Part 2". BBC. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ "The Sarah Jane Adventures". BBC. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
- ^ "The Last Sontaran Part One – Overnight Ratings". The Doctor Who News Page. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 13 July 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d Rawson-Jones, Ben (29 September 2008). "'Sarah Jane': The Lost Sontaran – Part Two". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Rawson-Jones, Ben (29 September 2008). "'Sarah Jane': The Lost Sontaran – Part One". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ Writers Bob Baker, Dave Martin, Director Lennie Mayne, Producer Philip Hinchcliffe (23 October 1976). "Part Four". The Hand of Fear. Doctor Who. London. BBC. BBC1.
- ^ a b c d Holm, Patrick (30 September 2008). "The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Last Sontaran Part 1 (series 2, episode 1)". totalscifionline.com. Retrieved 5 July 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Holm, Patrick (30 September 2008). "The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Last Sontaran Part 2 (series 2, episode 2)". totalscifionline.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ Writer Russell T Davies, Director Graeme Harper, Producer Phil Collinson (5 July 2008). "Journey's End". Doctor Who. Cardiff. BBC. BBC One.
- ^ Writers Jim Thomas, John Thomas, Director John McTiernan, Producers Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, John Davis (12 June 1987). Predator.
- ^ "The Last Sontaran ("Sarah Jane Adventures 7") [Paperback]". Retrieved 17 December 2011.
External links
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