The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith
Encyclopedia
The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith is a story of The Sarah Jane Adventures
which was broadcast on CBBC
on 17 and 24 November 2008. It is the fifth serial of the second series.
, she later asks Mr Smith about the village
she could see in the distance, discovering it was Foxgrove, the village where she was born. When Luke inquires about her odd behaviour, she shows him a photograph
of her parents and tells him of how they abandoned her as a baby by the side of the road before being killed in a car accident, leaving her to be looked after by her aunt.
Though realising that the time fissure was a trap and initially refusing herself the opportunity to go back and meet her parents, that evening she does so, but accompanied by Luke who had anticipated her actions. Rani and Clyde ask Mr Smith where they have gone, and realise that she has gone back to when her parents were alive. Then the box from the episode Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
, the box that Maria had lights up. Sarah Jane and Luke spot her mother at the village fete
carrying Sarah Jane as a baby. When they shake hands with Sarah's father, they introduce themselves as David
and Victoria Beckham
. Luke spots the child they 'helped' earlier and follows him. Sarah Jane has a conversation with her mother, who reveals her plan is for Sarah Jane to have siblings. Sarah Jane leaves before she is forced to hold herself in baby form, which would have created a paradox. On seeing a newspaper
, Sarah Jane realises that the day she has visited is the day her parents died. She ignores Luke's warning that changing time was a trap, and sabotages her father's car thereby preventing the accident. The child, Oscar, reveals that he is in fact a Graske. Sarah Jane and Luke go through the time fissure again and discover that present-day London
has been destroyed. The Trickster then appears before Sarah Jane and mockingly thanks her for all she has done for him.
Meanwhile, Clyde and Rani explore the ruined London, reduced to rock formations and worked by the last surviving human slaves who are led by the Trickster's Graske. The slaves are being made to mine resources so that the Trickster may create a ship and extend his reach to the rest of the universe. Clyde and Rani implore the Graske to help them restore the original timeline but he explains that if he did the Trickster would punish him; years ago the Graske had nearly died in space, but had been saved by the Trickster in return for eternal servitude. Clyde promises the Graske that if he helps them, they will give him the puzzle box to free him from the Trickster. The Graske agrees and reopens the fissure so that Rani can tell Sarah Jane the new information.
In the past, Sarah Jane's parents come to realise who she is and what she was trying to prevent. However, their touch now instantly withers any organic life they hold and they realise it is their destiny to drive off this day. After telling their daughter how proud they are of her, they both enter the new repaired car and drive off. The Trickster begins to fade, unable to see how the timeline could have been restored. Sarah Jane proudly states that the Trickster's plan never considered that her parents would willingly sacrifice themselves to save the world. The Trickster vanishes, howling in pain.
Back in the modern day, the timeline is restored around the Graske and Clyde, who gives the alien the box. The Graske teleports away, beaming over its newly returned freedom. The fissure reopens as Sarah Jane, Luke and Rani return.
Later at home, Sarah Jane reminisces over her parents. Although she could not save them, she finally knows why they left and is incredibly proud of them. Mysteriously, the camera pans to an old piece of paper reading "Mr Smith, I Need You" on Sarah Jane's desk.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
which was broadcast on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
on 17 and 24 November 2008. It is the fifth serial of the second series.
Part 1
A child, Oscar, from the 1950s walks into a time fissure and is transported to the current year. Unbeknown to Sarah Jane, who takes him back, he did it deliberately under the command of the Trickster. Having spotted a milestoneMilestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
, she later asks Mr Smith about the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
she could see in the distance, discovering it was Foxgrove, the village where she was born. When Luke inquires about her odd behaviour, she shows him a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of her parents and tells him of how they abandoned her as a baby by the side of the road before being killed in a car accident, leaving her to be looked after by her aunt.
Though realising that the time fissure was a trap and initially refusing herself the opportunity to go back and meet her parents, that evening she does so, but accompanied by Luke who had anticipated her actions. Rani and Clyde ask Mr Smith where they have gone, and realise that she has gone back to when her parents were alive. Then the box from the episode Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? is the fifth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the seventh and eighth episodes of the show's first series...
, the box that Maria had lights up. Sarah Jane and Luke spot her mother at the village fete
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
carrying Sarah Jane as a baby. When they shake hands with Sarah's father, they introduce themselves as David
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
. Luke spots the child they 'helped' earlier and follows him. Sarah Jane has a conversation with her mother, who reveals her plan is for Sarah Jane to have siblings. Sarah Jane leaves before she is forced to hold herself in baby form, which would have created a paradox. On seeing a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, Sarah Jane realises that the day she has visited is the day her parents died. She ignores Luke's warning that changing time was a trap, and sabotages her father's car thereby preventing the accident. The child, Oscar, reveals that he is in fact a Graske. Sarah Jane and Luke go through the time fissure again and discover that present-day London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
has been destroyed. The Trickster then appears before Sarah Jane and mockingly thanks her for all she has done for him.
Part 2
Sarah Jane demands to know how saving her parents could have altered time so drastically, to which the Trickster explains the village was built on a fault in time. Sarah Jane's tampering with a fixed point in time opened this fault, allowing the Trickster to physically enter their reality and ravage Earth for the last half century. Sarah Jane and Luke go back through the fissure as the Trickster gloats he has already won.Meanwhile, Clyde and Rani explore the ruined London, reduced to rock formations and worked by the last surviving human slaves who are led by the Trickster's Graske. The slaves are being made to mine resources so that the Trickster may create a ship and extend his reach to the rest of the universe. Clyde and Rani implore the Graske to help them restore the original timeline but he explains that if he did the Trickster would punish him; years ago the Graske had nearly died in space, but had been saved by the Trickster in return for eternal servitude. Clyde promises the Graske that if he helps them, they will give him the puzzle box to free him from the Trickster. The Graske agrees and reopens the fissure so that Rani can tell Sarah Jane the new information.
In the past, Sarah Jane's parents come to realise who she is and what she was trying to prevent. However, their touch now instantly withers any organic life they hold and they realise it is their destiny to drive off this day. After telling their daughter how proud they are of her, they both enter the new repaired car and drive off. The Trickster begins to fade, unable to see how the timeline could have been restored. Sarah Jane proudly states that the Trickster's plan never considered that her parents would willingly sacrifice themselves to save the world. The Trickster vanishes, howling in pain.
Back in the modern day, the timeline is restored around the Graske and Clyde, who gives the alien the box. The Graske teleports away, beaming over its newly returned freedom. The fissure reopens as Sarah Jane, Luke and Rani return.
Later at home, Sarah Jane reminisces over her parents. Although she could not save them, she finally knows why they left and is incredibly proud of them. Mysteriously, the camera pans to an old piece of paper reading "Mr Smith, I Need You" on Sarah Jane's desk.
Continuity
- The Trickster is a returning villain. He targeted Sarah Jane in series one's Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? is the fifth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the seventh and eighth episodes of the show's first series...
and (by proxy) the DoctorTenth DoctorThe Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
via Donna NobleDonna NobleDonna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
in the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "Turn LeftTurn Left (Doctor Who)"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008....
".
- Flashbacks to the events of "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?" are shown and Yasmin PaigeYasmin PaigeYasmin Paige is an English actress who is best known for her role as Maria in The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Having acted and modelled since the age of four, she made her screen debut in the 2003 film Wondrous Oblivion...
makes an uncredited archive footageStock footageStock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
appearance in these as Maria JacksonMaria JacksonMaria Jackson is a fictional character played by Yasmin Paige in the British children's science fiction television programme The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. She is a 14-year-old girl who discovers that her new neighbour, Sarah Jane Smith, is aware of...
. The Trickster appears again in The Wedding of Sarah Jane SmithThe Wedding of Sarah Jane SmithThe Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith is a two-part story of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 29 and 30 October 2009. It is the third serial of the third series. It guest stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, marking the first appearance of parent programme Doctor Whos...
, opposite the Doctor.
- By going back in time, Luke meets his young maternal grandmother and infant mother, just as Ace McShaneAce (Doctor Who)Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
had done in The Curse of FenricThe Curse of FenricThe Curse of Fenric is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 October to 15 November 1989...
. Also similarly, their respective grandmothers hurry off in automobile, and their maternal grandfathers' deaths are described.
- By going back in time, Sarah Jane meets her infant self and young father, just as Rose TylerRose TylerRose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
had done in "Father's DayFather's Day (Doctor Who)"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
". Also similarly, their respective fathers voluntarilly die in automobile collisions to correct the timeline.
- Sarah Jane refers to how many innocent people have accidentally been abducted by random time fissures and rifts. This situation was previously explored in the TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
episodes "Out of TimeOut of Time (Torchwood)"Out of Time" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast on 17 December 2006. It is the tenth episode of the first series.- Synopsis :...
" and "AdriftAdrift (Torchwood)"Adrift" is the eleventh episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by BBC Three on 19 March 2008, and by BBC Two on 21 March 2008.-Plot:...
". When recounting all the people she has saved, she mentions the events of the Doctor Who serial The Monster of PeladonThe Monster of PeladonThe Monster of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 23 March to 27 April 1974.-Synopsis:...
and the series one premiere "Invasion of the BaneInvasion of the Bane-Sladen and Doctor Who:Elisabeth Sladen, who previously played Sarah Jane between 1973 and 1976. In 1981, she was offered the role again to ease the transition between the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, which she declined, but agreed to star in the pilot for the spin-off series K-9 and Company, which...
". Clyde also recounts various adventures he has had, including Revenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the Slitheen is the second story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It comprises the first and second episodes of the show's first series, aired on BBC1, broadcast in two parts on September 24 and October 1, 2007, with the second being broadcast a...
, The Lost BoyThe Lost Boy (The Sarah Jane Adventures)The Lost Boy is the sixth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the ninth and tenth episodes of the show's first series...
, The Last SontaranThe Last SontaranThe Last Sontaran is the first story of Series 2 of The Sarah Jane Adventures and is a continuation of events from Doctor Who two-part story "The Sontaran Strategem" and "The Poison Sky"...
and Warriors of KudlakWarriors of KudlakWarriors of Kudlak is the fourth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the fifth and sixth episodes of the show's first series...
.
- Sarah Jane's infancy in 1951, coupled with her statement in 1974 that she was 23, indicate that the ThirdThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
and Fourth DoctorFourth DoctorThe Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
s' stories with UNIT took place more-or-less contemporaneously to their original broadcasts. But see UNIT dating controversyUNIT dating controversyThe UNIT dating controversy is an ongoing debate in Doctor Who fandom, concerning exactly when the stories featuring the fictional military organisation known as United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, or more recently as the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, take place in the timeline of the...
.
- The TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
is mentioned for the first time by name on the show. In part 2, Sarah Jane encounters a genuine police boxPolice boxA police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police...
and briefly mistakes it for the Doctor's TARDIS. During this sequence, the Doctor's Theme was also played. Sarah Jane is aware of the paradox effectsBlinovitch Limitation EffectThe Blinovitch Limitation Effect is a fictional principle of time travel physics in the universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
that may occur if she held herself as a baby. This was further explored in the Doctor Who stories Mawdryn UndeadMawdryn UndeadMawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...
and "Father's DayFather's Day (Doctor Who)"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
".
- As she periodically did in 1973–1976 episodes of Doctor Who, Sarah Jane mentions having been brought up by her aunt, Lavinia Smith, who appears on-screen only in 1981's K-9 and CompanyK-9 and CompanyK-9 and Company was a proposed television spin-off of the original programme run of Doctor Who . It was to feature former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K-9, a robotic dog. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but...
. The description she gives of Lavinia, "never in one place long enough to lick a stamp", is the same description that Lavinia gave of Sarah Jane herself. Sarah Jane and Clyde each periodically imply in the series that Lavinia Smith is deceased; Sarah Jane explicitly says so in the 2002 Big FinishBig Finish ProductionsBig Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama, Sarah Jane Smith: ComebackSarah Jane Smith: ComebackSarah Jane Smith: Comeback is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It stars Elisabeth Sladen reprising her role as Sarah Jane Smith.- Plot :...
.