The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 2 Episodes 3 & 4 - The Day of the Clown

Bradley Walsh steals the show as the villain in ‘The Day of The Clown’. For those who don’t know, he is a well-known entertainer-turned actor on British TV and perhaps one of the last people you’d expect to be in a children’s show!

This story also sees the introduction of Rani (played by Anjli Mohindra) and you know what? I was impressed! However, I do think there's something sinister going on with her though, not because her name's Rani (no not at all!) it just seemed like there was more to her than meets the eye. Apparently she wants to ‘be a journalist’, like Sarah* so expect her to be shadowing and coping all her traits. Hope she doesn’t get annoying!

Another surprise was the pace of the story. It felt more like a ‘classic’ episode of Doctor Who, as the tension was built up, little by little. I suspect it was a case of trying to do the introduction of Rani character that took up most of the time.

She arrives in Bannerman Road with her Mum and Dad (who just happens to be the new Headmaster at Luke and Clyde’s school and immediately builds up a love-hate rapport with the former!) and befriends the lads. Meanwhile, children are going missing and only Clyde and Rani can see the sinister clown’s that seem to be hanging around the place. They learn that the missing kids took tickets from a clown and disappeared not long after.

The team (is that the right word?) are lead to Elijah Spellman’s museum of ‘fun’, thanks to a ticket that Clyde had (which is why he could see the clown). They learn that Spellman isn’t what he seems to be – he’s an alien that feeds on fear! It’s also revealed that he is also the fabled ‘Pied Piper of Hamlin’, which is a well known fairytale about how a travelling entertainer took all the town’s children away after they refused to pay him for his ‘rat removal’ service. Seeing as having your children taken away is any parent’s greatest fear, it’s a rather good idea for a creepy tale, which could have worked just as well in Doctor Who!

After getting over the shock (and giggling!) of seeing Bradley Walsh playing three roles (Spellmen, The Pied Piper and ‘Oddbob The Clown'), I quite enjoyed the story! It was creepy and funny in all the right places and the kids must lap it up! Not sure about Sarah Jane’s fear of clown’s but it didn’t put me off.

The three kids work well together and Maria wasn’t really that missed, expect by poor Luke! Although I did enjoy him admitting he found out that Johnny Depp was scared of clowns – by reading Heat!**

Here’s looking forward the next story, where I believe another bizarre but brilliant piece of casting has taken place!

9/10

Next Time: Luke is (not for the first time) mistaken for Eastenders character Martin Fowler and bricks are thrown. It won’t be a pretty sight!

* I quite enjoyed Sarah insisting her name was Sarah-Jane to Rani’s mother. But if ‘Sarah’ is what the late great Jon Pertwee's Doctor (and Tom Baker) called you, that’s what I’m calling you!

** For those who don’t know, Heat is a very abysmal ‘celebrity’ gossip magazine for Women.