Revenge of the Slitheen (TV story)

Revenge of the Slitheen
Featuring:	Sarah Jane Smith Luke Smith Maria Jackson Clyde Langer (introduced; joins) Mr Smith
Main enemy:	Slitheen
Main setting:	Ealing, London, 2008
Key crew
Writer:	Gareth Roberts
Director:	Alice Troughton
Producer:	Matthew Bouch
Release details
Story number:	2
Release number:	Series 1
Premiere broadcast:	24th September 2007
Format:	2x30 minute episodes

Revenge of the Slitheen was the second story of The Sarah Jane Adventures, and makes up the first two regular episodes of the first series. It introduces Clyde Langer as a regular companion to Sarah Jane.

Synopsis

First days at school are always difficult. For Maria Jackson and Luke Smith, the task of blending is made all the more difficult when their teachers turn out to be aliens from outer space, back for revenge.

Plot

Maria and Luke start their new school but find all is not as it seems. Aided by Sarah Jane and their new friend Clyde, they find the Slitheen, old enemies of the Doctor, this time disguised as teachers, have taken control of the technology block and are trying to switch off the sun. Luke unknowingly gives the Slitheen the code to start the machine, and they start to absorb the power of the sun. Sarah Jane investigates the company controlling the science block, and Maria, Luke and Clyde investigate the school. Sarah Jane is attacked by a female Slitheen who disguised herself as a company secretary, Janine. Luke finds a secret room and is confronted by the Slitheen commander, his headmaster Blakeman, whilst Maria and Clyde are chased first by their Slitheen Science teacher, Mr. Jeffrey and then the school genius, Carl, unzips in front of them to reveal a child Slitheen.

They all manage to escape and head back to Sarah Jane's house. Clyde figures out that the Slitheen are allergic to vinegar, and the team head off back to the school with squirty bottles of vinegar. After Maria uses the vinegar to blow up the Slitheen commander Blakeman, they head over to the secret room in the block and Luke tricks the Slitheen by telling them the machine won't take the power of the sun. He turns the machine off and uses the Sonic Lipstick to cause the machine to malfunction. As the room explodes, the continental Slitheen, still disguised, escapes whilst Janine is electrocuted and explodes and Jeffrey and Carl are trapped. They beg for Sarah's help, and she tries to open the door, but Jeffrey is killed when the technology explodes. However, at the same time, Carl escapes. Sarah Jane is highly affected by this, as she thinks Carl is dead. Afterwards, she tells Clyde about her travels with the Doctor, and then accepts him into the team, before sharing a long hug with Luke. She now knows that she's not alone in the world any more.

Cast

• Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
• Maria Jackson - Yasmin Paige
• Luke Smith - Tommy Knight
• Clyde Langer - Daniel Anthony
• Voice of Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
• Alan Jackson - Joseph Millson
• Chrissie Jackson - Juliet Cowan
• Greg Blakeman - Martyn Ellis
• Tim Jeffery - Ian Midlane
• Wendy - Pamela Merrick
• Janine - Imogen Bain
• Carl - Anton Thompson McCormick
• Trinity Wells - Lachele Carl
• Carl Slitheen - Jimmy Vee
• Jeffery/Blakeman/Janine Slitheen- Paul Kasey

Production Crew

Executive Producers – Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson Producer – Matthew Bouch First Assistant Director – Gareth Williams Second Assistant Director – Anna Evans Location Manager – Jonathan Allott Script Editor – Lindsey Alford Focus Puller – Steve Rees Stunt Coordinator – Abbi Collins Supervising Art Director – Matthew North Post-Production Supervisor – Nerys Davies Supervising Sound Editor – Paul McFadden Dubbing Mixer – Mark Ferda

Music – Sam Watts Casting Director – Andy Pryor Production Accountant – Dyfed Thomas Costume Designer – Pam Tait Makeup Designer – Emma Bailey Makeup Artists – Olivia Jones Visual Effects Coordinator – Jenna Powell Visual Effects Artist – Will Pryor Prosthetics Technician – Charlie Bluett Film Editor – William Webb Production Designers – Tim Dickel, Edward Thomas Director of Photography – Rory Taylor

References

• The Slitheen mention they ran into "interplanetary police".
• One of the Slitheen says "for the love of Clom", which is the home planet of the Abzorbaloff and the twin planet of Raxacoricofallapatorius.
• Some of the aliens seen in Mr Smith's files include the Arcateenians, Bane, Macra, the Beast, Krillitanes, Abaddon, the Lazarus Monster, Cybermen and Pterodactyls.
• This is the first time that a Raxacoricofallapatorian child is seen.
• UNIT is referred to.
• Sarah Jane is heard saying "Give my love to the Brig" in a telephone conversation with a UNIT contact. This is a reference to Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and is the first direct dialogue reference to the character in the revived Doctor Who franchise. A second reference would later be heard in DW: The Poison Sky and a third in The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith. The character would first be seen in Enemy of the Bane.
• When describing the Slitheen's previous attempt to destroy earth, Sarah Jane begins by saying "what happened..." then modifies herself to say "who happened ..." - a reference to the ongoing "Doctor who?" joke involving the Doctor's name.
• The headmaster Slitheen mentions the Blathereen, who are cousins and enemies of the Slitheen.
• Sarah Jane mentions "Slitheen in Downing Street", and that it was "something a friend said". This references Rose Tyler telling Sarah Jane in School Reunion about her adventures with the Doctor in the Doctor Who episodes Aliens of London and World War Three.

Story notes

• The first episode aired on BBC 1 only. Episode 2 was broadcast afterwards on the CBBC channel, and was shown on BBC 1 a week later.
• Beginning with episode 1, The Sarah Jane Adventures adopts a format of 25-minute episodes (following its 50-minute pilot episode). This marks the first time a Doctor Who franchise series has used the 25-minute episode format since episode 3 of Survival concluded the original series in 1989.
• Part 1 includes flashback footage from SJA: Invasion of the Bane.
• Mr. Smith's zapping of Clyde (followed by dark laughter) is a possible foreshadowing of his true intentions.

Ratings

• Episode 1 - 1.4m viewers
• Episode 2 - 0.4m viewers (CBBC channel), 1.1m (BBC 1)

Myths

To be added

Filming locations

To be added

Production errors

• When Mr. Smith is showing them the American news channel down the info bar at the bottom it says 'thepacific ocean' instead of the 'The Pacific Ocean'.
• When Clyde is squirting the head Slitheen he realises that he has no more vinegar in his squeezie, however in the previous shot, a good quarter of the mixture is still visible. 
• Mr. Smith brings up a world map before Sarah Jane asks him to.

Continuity

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

• The Slitheen family previously appeared in DW: Aliens of London, World War Three, NSA: The Monsters Inside and DW: Boom Town.
• This is the second time Sarah Jane has investigated schools with alien teachers, the first being DW: School Reunion. Sarah Jane refers to this fact, sarcastically saying it would be ridiculous for there to be something unusual in a school. In both cases the leader of the alien group is depicted as impersonating the school's headmaster.
• The Slitheen's tendency to flatulate while wearing a person's skin is featured more prominently here than in the previous Doctor Who appearances.
• The Blathereen are mentioned, and they are a rival family which appeared in NSA: The Monsters Inside.
• The events of DW: World War Three are mentioned. The Slitheen also state that they are attempting to wipe out Earth in revenge for the loss of family members in that episode.
• Sarah Jane recalls the phrase "Slitheen in Downing Street", which is a direct quote from Rose Tyler in DW: School Reunion.
• Sarah Jane refers to School Reunion when talking to Maria's dad.
• Much as she did in the pilot episode, Sarah Jane describes the Doctor to Clyde and explains how she used to travel with him.
• The American newsreader Trinity Wells (aka Mal Loup), who appears in numerous Doctor Who episodes, makes her first SJA appearance.
• UNIT are mentioned as handling the other Coldfire and Slitheen sites, and Maria is familiar with them.

Home video releases

This was due to be released on a vanilla DVD along with Eye of the Gorgon on 17 March 2008, until the release was cancelled. It is featured in the Series One box set, which was released in North America on 7 October 2008 and released in the UK on 10 November 2008.

Novelisation

See Revenge of the Slitheen (novelisation)

A novelisation was released on 1 November 2007, written by Rupert Laight. The cover features Sarah Jane, Maria, Luke, Clyde and the Slitheen.

External links

• Revenge of the Slitheen at the Doctor Who Reference Guide