That's Smith, Sarah Jane Smith

The Sarah Jane Adventures are back for a second season and, hopefully, we will see them here in the Dominions. This Doctor Who spin off has begun to collect a sizable following amongst younger viewers in the UK and is now attracting the attention of the adult TV watcher. I recently read a critique of the series where they made the point that this was nearer to the spirit of the original Dr. Who idea as seen by the BBC back 'in the day'. The whole point of Dr. Who was to provide a educational service to present history in a manner that would attract a school child audience - no bug eyed monsters. Ha! That  lasted as long as it took Terry Nation to spring the Daleks on an unsuspecting world. Mind you, the producers did try hard - we started with the stone age and then onto the Aztecs, the Romans, the French Revolution and so on. The other object of the stories was to present moral difficulties and the solutions to them. The Sarah Jane Adventures do indeed bring back that same sense of education and moral compass that many kids shows seem to lack. I recommend this series to anyone with children below the age of 12 as great entertainment and with the added ingredients of scary fun and strong friendships that save the day. 'Mr. Smith, I need you!'