The presence of Elisabeth Sladen in the role that made her famous--intrepid reporter-turned-space adventurer Sarah Jane Smith--is one of the chief joys of The Sarah Jane Adventures, a delightful Doctor Who spin-off for younger viewers from series producer Russell T. Davies. Sarah Jane, once and forever companion to Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker's Doctors, steps capably into the lead for this series, which finds her partnered with a young neighbor (Yasmin Paige) to investigate and combat alien menaces in their comfortable London suburb. Who fans will recognize many of the foes, including the chaos-driven Trickster and the unpleasant Slitheen, both of whom menaced David Tennant's Doctor, but the new villains make their mark as well, most notably the Bane, an alien forced disguised as an ingredient in a soft drink. It's bright, breezy fun, well played by its cast of younger and more mature performers, and quite true to the mix of cheeky charm and outright thrills that has been the earmark of Doctor Who since its origin. And it's a genuine pleasure to have Sladen back as Sarah Jane; her spot-on mix of absolute conviction and gentle tongue-in-cheek humor make her the dream aunt or teacher of every adolescent science fiction fan. Extras on the four-disc First Season set are plentiful, though perhaps not as in-depth as those typically found on Doctor Who DVD releases. The lack of commentaries is perhaps due to the concept that younger fans might not be interested in listening to them, though that strategy short-changes older viewers who have been charmed by the program. Also, the very active menu animation, which depicts the interior of Sarah Jane's house, tends to get a bit tiresome when one tries to navigate the various options. But the featurette "From Journalist to Time Traveller and Beyond" should be a real pleasure for the Who faithful; it's a 30-minute tour through Sarah Jane's adventures with the Doctor, complete with scenes from many Pertwee and Baker serials. Sladen is naturally featured in several interviews, and there are behind-the-scenes clips from the UK children's program Blue Peter, as well as a plethora of info-heavy character profiles and even clips from a pair of audio books.

Language: English Subtitle: English