The Slitheen are back in this weeks TV Club Extra! Lets hope that Sarah and her gang can solve this problem! 
Rate and review below:
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4 Likes
Although āRevenge of the Slitheenā is more juvenile than most SJA episodes, it also shows children murdering aliens and the ethical ramifications of it in the showās second ever story. I enjoy it to this day since it introduces Clyde Langer (one of my favorite Whoniverse characters).
10 Likes
Well, I watched this back on Jan 31st, and what I said at the time was:
Watching āInvasion of the Baneā. I have watched it before, but itās been quite a while, and I donāt really remember it that wellā¦
Eh, generally fun. Sarah Jane and Luke were the best part of the special. Maria was fine. Kelsey failed to get eaten. Mrs. Wormwood was entertaining, occasionally relatable.
Also watched The Revenge of the Slitheen. Not a promising title, and I think thatās about as far as Iād gotten into SJA before.
Still not exactly aliens I really love watching stories about.
And I guess Clyde is replacing Kelsey. Maybe she was run over by the Bubble Bus between the special and the first episodeā¦
First part should probably have been in the last TV Club Extra, but didnāt know where it was at the timeā¦
(And yes, Faction Paradox was pointed out to meā¦)
6 Likes
Has a great introduction to Clyde, and helps establish what the show will do with all these characters moving forward, after the others introduction.
I hold a lot of love for it because of my childhood, but looking back, it definitely was a little too silly and immature even for childrenās standards. Although, thatās not to say it didnāt have its darker moments
7 Likes
This is probably the most CBBC of the stories SJA gave us (and I donāt use that as a pejorative term either, I think CBBC is a beacon in television and people should be far less dismissive of it (particularly Doctor Who fans when they do try to use it as a pejorative term).
When you compare this one to later stories the difference in tone is definitely evident. But itās not necessarily a bad thing as this is part of the process of educating the target audience in how this show is going to work. Setting the opening story of the series proper in a school makes absolute sense. Bringing the Slitheen over from Doctor Who is another clever move as it ties the show to its parent far more tightly than Sarah Jane herself ever would for the target demographic. Also, the Slitheen seem better suited to the style of SJA more so than Doctor Who. Iām not a fan who ever had a problem with the farting gags in Aliens of London but they do sit a little better in SJA. Having them as a recurring adversary is also fun as it sets up some interesting developments for the species.
Clyde is an instant hit and completes the trio of spunky Maria and naive Luke with the wise-cracking rogue. I donāt really think itās an accident that the character dynamics have echoes of the original TARDIS team either. Sarah Jane is the Doctor, Maria is Barbara, Clyde is Ian and Luke is Susan.
Are there better episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures - undoubtedly. Is this still a fun way to spend 50 minutes - absolutely. But we shouldnāt underestimate the groundwork that this story lays in setting out the seriesā tone and style - possibly more so, I would say, than Invasion of the Bane.
15 Likes
It sure is a lighthearted and fun start to SJA proper! I believe it took a while for the show to find its footing, but this first adventure sets the general tone of the spin-off well enough.
Revenge of the Slitheen is a serviceable start to SJAās episodic format, reintroducing a familiar foe while further developing Sarah Janeās young team. The school setting works well, and there are some great character moments, particularly for Maria and Luke. However, the Slitheenās exaggerated performances, Clydeās shaky introduction, and a slightly underwhelming finale keep this from being a standout. A fun but flawed series opener that doesnāt quite outshine its blobby green villains.
Hereās my non-spoilery review for those of you who fancy a read. Thanks!
6 Likes
This is probably my least favourite SJA storyāitās as bland as the show ever getsābut at least it introduces CLYDE! 
6 Likes
As much as Iāve come around on the Slitheen in Aliens Of London/World War Three, and Iāve always had a soft spot for Boom Town, their fundamental status as farting aliens who explode into watered-down Nickelodeon slime when theyāre killed really needs to be in the context of a kidsā show. And I donāt mean Doctor Who proper, which I see as more for families (and arguably more aimed towards older audiences during certain eras), and Iām not even talking about the major CBBC production aesthetics of RTD1. Justā¦ put them in a kidsā show, and their inherent juvenility makes sense.
And here, they actually work, without feeling out of sorts with the storyās tone. Ian Midlane hams it up to great effect as Mr Jeffrey, and Anton Thompson McCormickās reveal as Carlā¦ not gonna lie, actually kind of scary, I love that scene. Their mad science, āweāre going to turn off the Sunā villain plan is a good fit for them, much more so than the political machinations in AOL/WW3.
Also, right out of the gate, Clyde is delightful. He adds the missing piece to the overall group dynamic, a bit of self-aware humour to balance out Lukeās neurospice and Mariaās seriousness, and him and Luke are great to watch together.
8 Likes
This is a lesser liked episode but Iāve always had a real fondness for it. I love the way Sarah still has sharp edges, and I love Clyde <3
9 Likes
I like this as a second episode that really established the series and its format. It is not the best story but it gives us Clyde and it gets the ball rolling.
8 Likes
Itās a reasonably solid episode. The way the school is incorporated into the lives of these characters is done well, with Luke having a complete lack of social awareness yet still being endearing in how earnest he is and Maria starting to teach him a bit more about how teens usually behave. As others have pointed out, itās the introduction to Clyde, who is so much more engaging than Kelsey and makes a better fit in the team (and I do really like how his friendship with Luke will develop from here).
The stakes are unexpectedly high for what is the second storyline of a CBBC show, as the effects arenāt contained to just one property nor small scale enough to not do any serous damage when you really think about it.
9 Likes
Not a huge fan of the Slitheen but this a completely fine story, just not one of my favorites. I like that we see Sarah Jane still adjusting to having Luke in her life. And weāre also introduced to Clyde, who I found irritating in only this story and then he was great thereafter.
6 Likes
I didnāt really like this one, I am afraid.
Sure itās great to see the Slitheen again, but again I am just not fond about their entire āFartingā Deal, I still think it shouldnāt have been a Part of them to begin with, since I would have genuinely loved for them to come back more often, there is certainly Potential (as shown in Boom Town), but oh well guess Iāll to accept it.
Clyde is a great fun Presence and does add a lot to the already very solid Trio we gotten in Maria, Sarah & Luke. But outside of that, it doesnāt do all that much for me, sure I think it introduces the 2 Part Format quite well, but it does feel a bit too bland for my taste, not surprised since usually most Shows need to find their footing and having seen some of the later SJA Stories, it certainly finds it eventually!
4 Likes
I missed this thread till now.
I donāt love the Slitheen, but it was good to have a DW monster almost from the beginning in SJA. But the A-plot doesnāt quite work for me. Theyāve been pulling this with schools all over Britain, and no oneās caught on till now? Come on. Itās also a bit of a Jessica Fletcher problem, whereby everything happens to Sarah Jane and the kids simply because theyāre the main characters (and everything happens in Britain because itās made by the BBC).
The B-plot of the kids acclimating to school, I actually felt was really well done. The trope of ānew kidās first day at a new schoolā is so damn tedious, and they subverted it by having two new kids who have each other. While that was probably, again, necessitated by the seriesā setup rather than a deliberate narrative choice, it made it a lot fresher than it could have been.
6 Likes
IMHO, āRevenge of the Slitheenā succeeds in further establishing the showās tone and core dynamics. I quite enjoyed it.
One of the standout elements is how Clyde showed genuine potential right from the start. Daniel Anthony brings a natural charisma to the role, and you can already see hints of the wit and loyalty that would make Clyde such an integral part of the team. His chemistry with Maria and Luke feels authentic, and the way he adapts to the extraordinary circumstances around him suggests a character with real depth waiting to be explored.
Watching the Slitheenās antics registered as neutral for me. Iām not a fan of this kind of very silly humor, but it didnāt impede my enjoyment of the episode. And I believe they worked perfectly for what this episode was trying to achieve.
However, what really impressed me was the episodeās handling of a surprisingly mature moral question. Maria killing another being, and initially all that being played for laughs, felt somewhat jarring. The vinegar solution and the Slitheenās dramatic deaths could easily have been dismissed as pure comedy. But there was also Sarah Jane Smith, who set the joyous kids straight after they defeatedākilledāthe enemies, among them a 12-year-old boy. She made it clear that it was no laughing matter, even as the foes (including the boy) would have killed them and all humanity otherwise.
This moment showcases Elisabeth Sladenās exceptional ability to ground the series in emotional truth. Sarah Janeās reaction transforms what could have been a throwaway victory into something more complex and thoughtful. Her somber acknowledgment that taking life, even alien life threatening Earth, carries weight and consequence elevates the entire story. Iād say that was more effective storytelling than simply finding a way to avoid killing the enemy altogether: they did what they had to do to survive, but it was not goodāit was a tragedy, and Sarah Jane made that perfectly clear.
This approach demonstrates the seriesā willingness to tackle difficult themes while remaining accessible to younger viewers. Rather than shying away from the moral implications of violence, even in self-defense, the story uses Sarah Janeās wisdom and experience to provide context and gravity. Itās a sophisticated piece of writing that respects both the intelligence of its audience and the complexity of real-world ethical dilemmas.
So, all in all, a 4/5 from my point of view.
10 Likes
What is up with everyoneās ties???
3 Likes
Thatās how most kids had them back in the mid 2000s! It was a different time 
7 Likes
I really like the team dynamic of this show. With the new addition of Clyde, our four leads have such wonderful chemistry together that it makes this show such an easy and enjoyable watch.
Theyāre such a good team that they have me mostly enjoying a Slitheen episode, and I really do not like the Slitheen.
4 Likes
Ah I should probably go through all these cause Iāve finished s1ā¦
This oneās nice! I like Clyde he manages to pull off the āIām a cool guyā thing without coming off as an absolute ass or as annoying. But Lukeās probably my fav. Great use of the slitheen too! Theyāre perfect for the show, a bit too childish (though I didnāt hate them in s1) for the main show but perfect for the cbbc spinoff.
6 Likes
Yeah, the Slitheen were a really good choice for SJA as they do fit much better in that world. I donāt think they are as embarrassing in Doctor Who as some fans like to think, but I do think SJA their natural home.
9 Likes