Doctor Who - The Television Stories

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Synopsis

Sarah Jane Smith

The Doctor meets an old friend, Sarah Jane Smith, and Rose discovers the legacy of being a Time Lord’s companion.

Source: BBC DVD

General Information

Season:	Twenty Eight (New Series 2)
Production Code:	2-3
Story Number:	170 (New Series: 14)
Episode Number:	713 (New Series: 17)
Number of Episodes:	1
Percentage of Episodes Held:	100%
Working Titles:	"Old Friends" and "Black Ops"
Production Dates:	August - October 2005
Broadcast Date:	29 April 2006
Colour Status:	Colour
Studio:	BBC Wales (Unit Q2, Newport) and Enfys Television Studios (Cardiff)
Location:	Fitzalan High School (Leckwith, Cardiff), Duffryn High School (Newport) and Da Vinci's Coffee Shop (Newport).

Writer:

Toby Whithouse

Director:

James Hawes

Producer:

Phil Collinson

Executive Producers:

Julie Gardner and Russell T Davies

Associate Producer:

Helen Vallis

Script Editor:

Helen Raynor

Editor:

Liana Del Giudice

Production Manager:

Tracie Simpson

Production Designer:

Edward Thomas

Director of Photography:

Ernie Vincze BSC

Casting Director:

Andy Pryor CDG

Costume Designer:

Louise Page

Make-Up Designer:

Sheelagh Wells

Cameraman:

Julian Barber (Operator)

Visual Effects:

The Mill

Special Effects:

Any Effects

Prosthetics:

Millennium Effects and Neill Gorton

Stunt Co-ordinator:

Peter Brayham

Stunt Performer:

Maurice Lee

Incidental Music:

Murray Gold

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Paul Jefferies

Sound Recordist:

Simon Fraser

Sound Editors:

Doug Sinclair and Paul McFadden

Music Performed By:

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Title Music:

Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold

K9 Originally Created By:

Bob Baker and Dave Martin

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor)

Number of Companions: 3The Companions: Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) (Rejoins and Departs), John Leeson (voice only) (K9 Mk III) (Rejoins and Departs) and Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) Number of Acquaintances: 1The Acquaintance: Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith) Guest Cast: Anthony Head (Mr Finch) Additional Cast: Rod Arthur (Mr Parsons), Eugene Washington (Mr Wagner), Heather Cameron (Nina), Joe Pickley (Kenny), Benjamin Smith (Luke), Clem Tibber (Milo), Lucinda Dryzek (Melissa), Caroline Berry (Dinner Lady)Setting: Deffry Vale High School, London (2007) Villain: Krillitanes

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
713	School Reunion	29 April 2006	44'11"	8.3	Yes

Total Duration

44 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

8.3

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2006)	83.75% (Position = 4 out of 11)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	81.45% (Position = 33 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	82.09% (Position = 36 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 10 out of 36

Archives

This story exists and is held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library.

Notes

This story features the long-awaited return of one of the most beloved of The Doctor's companions, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen) and the robot dog K9 (voiced by John Leeson). Interestingly Sarah Jane was never actually given K9 in a Doctor Who adventure. Imstead she receive one as a gift in the 1981 spin-off story "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend".

Actress Elisabeth Sladen initially turned down the chance to resurrect Sarah Jane, mistakenly thinking that she was only being offered a cameo role, rather than a major one.

Guest star Anthony Stewart Head originally starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has also appeared in two of the BBC's animated Doctor Who adventures - "Death Comes to Time" and "The Infinite Quest" and has also narrated many episodes of Doctor Who Confidential.

Viewers learn that Sarah Jane Smith was left behind in Aberdeen and not Croydon. Sarah though seems to have forgotten the events in the 1983 Twentieth Anniversary Special "The Five Doctors".

During the bragging match between Rose and Sarah Jane the former companion mentions: "Death to the Daleks" and "Genesis of the Daleks" for the Daleks; "Robot", "The Sontaran Experiment" and "The Android Invasion" for 'lots of robots'; "Planet of Evil" for anti-matter monsters; "Pyramids of Mars" for mummies; "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" for dinosaurs and "Terror of the Zygons" for the Loch Ness Monster.

The Doctor refers to K9 as being a "mark three" which we learned in the 1981 spin-off story "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend".

The aged K9 prop is based on an original lightweight body shell used in the 1970s and 1980s, when he had to be carried by actors. The rebuilt version is the proper radio controlled version last seen in the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993 and owned by former BBC Special Effects designer Mat Irvine.

The Krillitanes were originally called 'Krillians', until it was discovered that the name was trademarked.

The 50 second TARDISode for this story depicted Mickey phoning Rose to alert her to the strange goings-on at Deffry Vale. This was filmed on the 8th October 2005 at the Da Vinci's Coffee Shop in Newport. As with all the other TARDISode's - all of which were written by Gareth Roberts - it could be downloaded from the BBC Doctor Who website or via a mobile phone a week before the broadcast of the main story.

The ending of this story contains a trailer for the next story - "The Girl in the Fireplace".

Following on immediately after this story, on BBC3, was the third chapter of the second series of Doctor Who Confidential, "Friends Reunited" presented by Mark Gatiss.

Writer Toby Whithouse went on to write the Torchwood episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts".

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first time a companion from the original series appears in the revised show.

The first time former companion Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen, appears in the revised show.

The first time former companion K9, voiced by John Leeson, appears in the revised show.

The first Doctor Who story to be written by Toby Whithouse.

Story Images

Show Text

The New Teacher

Rose Tyler

Sarah Jane Smith

Special Class

The Doctor

Sarah Jane Smith

Sarah Jane and Rose

A Krillitane

Mickey with K9

Mickey Pulls the Plug

The Doctor and K9 Reunited

Quote of the Story

'Aww, mate! The missus and the ex! Welcome to every man's worst nightmare!'

Mickey Smith

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
DVD	Tooth and Claw - School Reunion - The Girl in the Fireplace	June 2006	BBCDVD 1961	Photo-montage
DVD	The Complete Second Series	November 2006	BBCDVD 2122	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all 11 stories
DVD	The Complete Second Series (Amazon Version)	November 2006	BBCDVD 2122	Photo-montage	Limited Edition 'Cyberman Head' box set containing all 11 stories
CD	Original Television Soundtrack	December 2006	SILCD1224	Photo-montage	Music by Murray Gold
CD	Original Television Soundtrack - Series 1 and 2	2007		Photo-montage	Music by Murray Gold
DVD	Series 1 - 4 Box Set	October 2009	BBCDVD 3058		Boxed set containing all 43 stories on 23 Discs
Blu-Ray	The Complete Series 1-7 Box Set (Limited Edition)	December 2013	BBCBD 0242	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray boxed set containing all Series 1-7 stories at full 1080p high definition
DVD	The Complete Second Series (2014 Re-release)	August 2014	BBCDVD 3966	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all 11 stories
DVD	The Complete David Tennant Years Box Set	November 2014	BBCDVD 4000	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all 37 stories on 26 Discs
Blu-Ray	The Complete Second Series Box Set	August 2015	BBCBD 0262	Photo-montage	Blu-Ray boxed set containing 11 stories
LP	Original Television Soundtrack - Series 1 and 2	2016		Photo-montage	Music by Murray Gold
DVD	The Complete Second Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)	July 2017	BBCDVD 2317	Photo-montage	Limited Edition DVD Steelbook boxed set containing 10 stories (Amazon Exclusive)
Blu-Ray	The Complete Second Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)	July 2017	BBCBD 0393	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 10 stories (Amazon Exclusive)
Blu-Ray	Series 1 - 4 & Specials Blu-Ray Collection	November 2023	BBCBD 0582	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all Ninth and Tenth Doctor stories upscaled to high definition

In Print

No Book Release

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview	Issue 369 (Released: May 2006)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 370 (Released: June 2006)
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image	Issue 371 (Released: July 2006)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 445 (Released: April 2012)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 530 (Released: November 2018)
Doctor Who DVD Files	Volume 9 (Released: May 2009)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions/Acquaintance

The Tenth Doctor

Sarah Jane Smith

K9 Mk III

Rose Tyler

Mickey Smith

On Release

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Complete Series DVD Box Set

VIDEO

DVD Box Set
(Amazon Version)

VIDEO

Original Television Soundtrack Cover

AUDIO

Original Television Soundtrack Silva Screen CD Cover

AUDIO

Series 1-4 DVD Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series 1-7 Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series DVD Box Set<BR>(2014 Re-release)

Complete Series DVD Box Set
(2014 Re-release)

VIDEO

Complete David Tennant Years DVD Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set

VIDEO

Original Television Soundtrack Vinyl Cover

AUDIO

Complete Series DVD Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

VIDEO

Series 1 - 4 & Specials Blu-Ray Collection Cover

VIDEO

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 369

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 370

Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 371

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 445

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 530

Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 9

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
Tenth Doctor

Season 28 (New Series 2)

References

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