trailer break: “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith”

SJS getting married? boy, she sure turned her attitude around, didn't she? maybe she's unsuspectingly marrying an alien whose only purpose is to kill the Doctor. and if the Doctor shows up at her wedding, how will she ever go through with it, even if her groom is a nice, "normal" human type guy.

I am so looking forward to these 2 eppies. The reviews have been great so far from what I have found.

Bronxbee--aside from the real life answer that it's a plot device--it was established in School Reunion that Sarah Jane had pretty much put her life on hold after the Doctor dumped her, and that no man could live up to him. But School Reunion gave her the closure she needed to move on and start saving the planet, adopting a genetically engineered son, and, in theory, falling in love with a human who could be a father to said son. Yeah, I'm not buying it either, more likely she's been hypnotized by some alien into doing it! "Sarah Jane MUST marry!" :)

MA, good to see a mention of the SJA here. I've been surprised that you haven't included it in the Whovian love-fest, especially since it features a 61 year old woman playing an action hero. Can you see that happening in the US? If they brought back Wonder Woman (and there is a movie in development), what are the odds they'd let Lynda Carter star as Diana Prince again? I can see it now--she'd be sitting in a rocker on the porch, knitting, her tiara a bit rusty around the edges, wishing her granddaughter a good time in the World of Men and advising her to be careful fighting crime. After that cameo, the granddaughter, played by some 20-something actress, would take over the story. Am I right?

Sarah Jane runs around (literally) fighting aliens--they don't ignore or make a big deal of her age, they just take it for granted that, yes, women in their late 50s (SJ is actually 58 this year--she's 3 years younger than Lis Sladen, who plays her) are intelligent, confident, competent, strong human beings, capable of doing more than baking cookies. She has become a mum, late in life, to a genetically-engineered boy who had nowhere else to go, but clearly she isn't defined by being Luke's adopted mum. She isn't even all that good at being a mum at times because--SHOCK--not all women are instinctively motherly. Evil aliens accuse her of having a wasted life because she didn't reproduce (in the first episode, Mrs. Wormwood) but they are, after all, evil aliens holding this point of view. They want to take over the earth. Obviously, their take on Sarah Jane's wasted life must be up for debate.

I had no intention of watching the SJA until I started writing fan fiction about Sarah Jane. Then I thought, well, better watch this--research, you know. And I totally fell in love with the show and the character and the production team that just matter-of-factly presents Sarah Jane as a woman in late middle age who, yeah well, hangs out with aliens, fights them when they need to be fought, and helps them when they need help.

Amazing! Only in the UK.

I agree wholeheartedly with Weimlady. It is so frustrating trying to find strong women in entertainment, especially in shows that I can let my younger sisters watch. The show is fun and I hope my six year old and nine year old sisters are inspired by Sarah Jane.

I think PBS should be running the SJA in the US for that very reason. It was the home to Doctor Who for many years, and it is home to the best children's programming. Perfect match. Think I'll write them a letter!