During her time with the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith proved herself a stark contrast to many of the girls who had come before her. She was confident, aggressive and stubborn, never afraid to speak her opinion and stand by it. All the same, Sarah was sensible enough to know when she couldn't cope with a situation, and was not afraid to rely on the assistance of others when she needed it. More than twenty-five years later, it appears little has changed: Sarah is still resourceful and inquisitive, and still fully appreciates her own skills, and her own limitations. But now she also has a lifetime of experiences under her belt. Will that be enough to prepare her to confront the unknown without the Doctor?

Sarah Jane Smith is played by Elisabeth Sladen, who originally portrayed the character in Doctor Who from The Time Warrior in December 1973 to The Hand Of Fear in October 1976.

Maria Jackson is Sarah's thirteen year-old neighbour. Sensible, charming and inquisitive, Maria is also enduring the pain of her parents' divorce. Will she be forced to grow up too quickly, or will her experiences with Sarah Jane allow her to hang on to the wonderment of childhood?

Yasmin Paige has played Maria since Invasion Of The Bane.

Although essentially human, Luke was created as a test subject by the alien Bane. The synthesis of ten thousand different people, Luke -- now posing as Sarah's adopted son -- is essentially a blank slate, capable of learning at a rapid pace but utterly ignorant of most things. What kind of person will he become?

Tommy Knight has played Luke since Invasion Of The Bane.

Kelsey is very much the prototypical teenager. Loud, brash, overconfident, skeptical, and boasting an addictive personality, Kelsey is also a fast friend, and willing to trust above and beyond her own beliefs. How will Kelsey's encounters with the unknown help to refine and mature her?

Porsha Lawrence-Mavour played Kelsey in Invasion Of The Bane.

Alan Jackson is a man still trying to rebuild his life -- and that of his daughter -- following the demise of his marriage. The experience seems to have left him wary and weary, but his deep and devoted love for Maria shines through nonetheless. He also appears to view Sarah Jane as a positive maternal figure in Maria's life... but would he feel the same way if he knew the dangers and mysteries which are part and parcel of life in the secluded house across Bannerman Road?

Joseph Millson has played Alan since Invasion Of The Bane.

Whereas Alan seems to have taken his divorce as a reason to reinforce his adulthood, Chrissie Jackson acts as though she's enjoying her second youth. Like Alan, Chrissie wants to maintain her close ties with Maria, but as more of a friend than a parent. Shallow and self-serving, Chrissie foresees a safe, normal existence for Maria, and doesn't take kindly to Sarah Jane's eccentric influences. Will Chrissie stand between Maria and a life of incredible adventure?

Juliet Cowan has played Chrissie since Invasion Of The Bane.

Devilish, charming and a little bit full of himself, Clyde Langer is almost a typical cool kid at school -- typical except for the fact that, despite his slick exterior, he values his friends no matter how peculiarly they might act at times. Deep down, Clyde knows that he's an outsider like Maria and Luke, and he respects the bond that the three of them have formed. Still, Clyde has a streak of thoughtlessness and a tendency to be self-centred, and a little more curiosity than may be healthy; can Sarah Jane really trust him as an ally?

Daniel Anthony has played Clyde since Revenge Of The Slitheen.

With the enormous popularity of the new Doctor Who series amongst younger viewers, Children's BBC asked executive producer Russell T Davies to create a spin-off series targetted at that audience. The result was The Sarah Jane Adventures, which debuted with a one-hour special on New Year's Day 2007.

This was followed by a full season consisting of ten half-hour episodes, corresponding to five two-part stories. Although K-9 made a cameo appearance in Invasion Of The Bane, the ongoing development of his own spin-off series by cocreator Bob Baker will preclude his regular appearance in future installments.

Also not returning was Porsha Lawrence-Mavour, who played Kelsey in Invasion Of The Bane; Lawrence-Mavour was reportedly a disruptive presence on the set of the New Year's Day episode. She was replaced by Daniel Anthony, portraying a new regular character named Clyde Langer.

The writers for the full season included Invasion Of The Bane cowriter Gareth Roberts, Phil Ford (who wrote the lion's share of the Gerry Anderson-created children's telefantasy series New Captain Scarlet, in addition to episodes of Coronation Street, The Bill and Footballers' Wives) and Phil Gladwin (who has contributed to Grange Hill, Holby City and The Bill). Executive producer Russell T Davies had hoped to contribute to the season as well, but work on Doctor Who precluded this.

Block One (Revenge Of The Slitheen and Eye Of The Gorgon was directed by Alice Troughton (who earned credits on the Torchwood episodes Small Worlds and Out Of Time). Block Two (Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane?) was helmed by Doctor Who veteran Graeme Harper (who most recently worked on 42 and Utopia for the flagship series). The director for Block Three (Warriors Of Kudlak and The Lost Boy) was Charles Martin (who has previously directed for The Giblet Boys and My Life As A Popat).

Filming for the main season began on April 16th, 2007. The season premiered on BBC1 at 5.00pm on Monday, September 24th. Immediately afterward, the subsequent episode aired on the CBBC digital channel at 5.30pm; this pattern continued throughout the season, so that every episode except Revenge Of The Slitheen part one actually debuted on CBBC.

On January 25th, 2008, Elisabeth Sladen revealed in an interview with SFX magazine that The Sarah Jane Adventures had been renewed for a second season, this time twenty-four episodes in length; SFX has since suggested that the twenty-four episodes may in fact represent two seasons' worth, being filmed back-to-back. On February 6th, the BBC confirmed that The Sarah Jane Adventures would be back for its second season, and that this would indeed be twelve episodes long. Doctor Who Magazine has revealed that Phil Ford has been appointed the head writer; Gareth Roberts will also contribute to the programme.