The world of Doctor Who is still reeling from the passing of Elizabeth Sladen last year- it'll be some time before the fanbase will be able to recover from the loss of one of the show's greatest companions and its best spin-off too. Still, at least we've now got the fourth season of the wonderful The Sarah Jane Adventures on DVD- here's my definitive verdict on the boxset...THE EPISODES
THE NIGHTMARE MAN- A creepy and edgy final adventure for the character of Luke Smith- Tommy Knight shines as the teenage boy plagued by the terrifying Nightmare Man in his dreams. Definitely worth a watch, much more psychological than SJA ever has been. 4.5/5
THE VAULT OF SECRETS- Androvax's second outing wasn't expected to do much good for the series, but the villain presents a surprisingly empathetic plight. Plus fans of Who's animated adventures should look out for some familiar men in black...4/5
DEATH OF THE DOCTOR- Matt Smith makes his first and only appearance on SJA as the Eleventh Doctor in a brilliantly fast-paced episode crafted by previous Who showrunner Russell T Davies and starring none other than Katy Manning as classic companion Jo Grant. 5/5
THE EMPTY PLANET- A Shaun of the Dead/28 Days Later-esque empty Earth opening part makes for thrilling viewing, and while the second part lets us down, Daniel and Anji give us some of their best performances yet here. 4/5
LOST IN TIME- The introduction of the mysterious Captain and his pet Shopkeeper here boasted big potential for another character every bit as iconic as the Trickster to re-emerge, but although we only saw him once more (in Sky), this is still a brilliant historical romp! 4.5/5
GOODBYE, SARAH JANE SMITH- A sadly poignant tale, Goodbye investigates the effect of age on Sarah-Jane's work, and newcomer Julie Graham is fantastic as anti-hero Ruby White...4.5/5
SPECIAL FEATURES
As per usual for the Sarah Jane boxsets, this is a pretty meagre offering, with just one main extra present on the set. However, to be fair, that is an entire story of Doctor Who from the classic era- Pyramids of Mars- which until the documentary due to be featured on the Series 5 set is a nice tribute to Sladen's work, even if it isn't necessarily her best adventure.
THE VERDICT
£20 is a bargain for what is undoubtedly the strongest season of the entire show, especially with a classic Who DVD essentially attached too, but The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fourth Series is lacking in special features to make it a truly recommended purchase unless you're a dedicated fan wanting another way to bridge the gap until the mother-show returns this Autumn.
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