Beyond Bannerman Road: Here Today

"You know what I did as a kid? It's happening again."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: April 2023

Series: Rani Takes on the World 1.01

Featuring: Rani, Clyde

Synopsis 

Years after her adventures with Sarah Jane Smith and friends, Rani Chandra is a successful journalist – she's brought down a government, and her podcast is making waves. And she's about to be surprised by a visit from her best friend, Clyde Langer – who has an announcement of his own.

But tonight Clyde isn't the only visitor to Ealing... In the skies above, a flying saucer approaches – and only one person on Earth can stop it destroying London!

Verdict 

Here Today was an outstanding story to kick off the Beyond Bannerman Road first series of Rani Takes on the World! I was hugely excited by the news that we would be getting a continuation of The Sarah Jane Adventures characters and story, with Rani almost inheriting the lead role much like she did the infamous 13 Bannerman Road house. I thought this episode did an incredible job in bringing SJA back to life but to a more mature audience given that Rani and Clyde are thirty years old here. Thirty! I feel incredibly old and I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way, but it was lovely for them to be catching up here. They clicked again just like old friends always do and Clyde had some very big news! I thought it was lovely that he was able to announce he and Phoenix were expecting a baby. Linking that with Clyde’s troubled relationship with his father and that brief panic where he couldn’t see himself as being a dad was excellent. But of course that would make him stronger and make him an even better dad to his future daughter. I thought the fact he was having a baby girl was wonderful and I loved that Phoenix was more than happy to name her after Sarah Jane. There could only be one name and she was absolutely fine with that. Phoenix was a really likeable character and it was nice that she got on with Rani too. I’m sure we won’t have heard the last of her as this new spinoff continues. It was quite a sad moment for Rani and Clyde to look on at their old school and see that it was now shut down. Clyde was never one for school but even he could admit that he’d enjoyed a lot of good memories there. The references to the Blathereen, evil clowns and Mr Smith were fun stuff as Phoenix and Samira re-enacted the stories they were told by Clyde and Rani respectively, and I appreciated that it was all fun and not mocking their childhood experiences. Samira was a great character with a troubled past to have as Rani’s trusted friend, and the club she owned was a good base for the story to return to once the time loop was reset. I really appreciated the continuity from Farewell, Sarah Jane and it’s quite sad to think that Rani and Clyde hadn’t been in too much contact since the funeral. I thought it was good that Sarah Jane’s name wasn’t mentioned until close to the end of the episode because we all know who is meant when referring to ‘her’ and the passing, but that moment at the end with Patricia babysitting a small Sarah Jane was tremendous. The time loop itself was fantastic and I thought the pace and number of repetitions was perfect. It didn’t get boring and the way Clyde and Rani embraced the problem was brilliant. It was good stuff to have the events of Death of the Doctor work in their favour as they were fizzing with artron energy meaning the effects of the loop weren’t working on them. They remembered everything. I’m glad at the end that it was acknowledged that the Doctor’s other companions wouldn’t be effected too but of course they would be too far from Ealing to help in time. The mention of Dodo and a camper van was spectacular though! The letter readings from Patricia that came between each reset of the loop was superb and her love story with David being the cause of the loop as his ship exploded in trying to time travel was terrific. He was a charmer and even after seeing his old flame Patricia aging sixty years, he still saw the sunlight in her eyes and wanted to whisk her off. She didn’t want to lose her life and after many attempts, they were able to avert the time quake! Following these events, Rani knew she had to stop avoiding entering 13 Bannerman Road after it was left to her even if Sarah Jane wished it all closed up. That meant Mr Smith too. It was an emotional moment where she explained the sadness she experienced every time visiting her parents across the road, but now it was time to inherit her role which sets us up nicely for the future! The continuity there with The Mad Woman in the Attic and the elderly Rani living in the houses was superb. I really appreciated that and it’s nice to confirm that Rani will end up there. It just feels right somehow. The lead into the next episode with Rani having to tackle her mother was fun and I look forward to hearing Gita back again in the next episode. Overall though, a sensational opener!

Rating: 10/10