'The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith' (Part 1) by Gareth Roberts

Tracking an anomaly to an abandoned store in a shopping mall, Sarah, Luke, Clyde and Rani arrive just in time to see a young boy from the 1950s step through a shimmering rift in space and time. Once Luke and Rani have grabbed the terrified boy, Sarah uses an energy converter to control the fissure so that they can send him back home. Seeing that the boy, Oscar, is frightened, Sarah takes his hand and leads him through the rift, emerging on a hilltop overlooking a nearby village. Sarah is enchanted by her idyllic surroundings, until she notices a nearby stone bearing directions to the town: Foxgrove. Sarah is visibly shaken, more so when Oscar reveals that they have arrived in July 1951. Seeming to make a huge decision, Sarah turns and walks back through the rift; after she has gone, Oscar calls out to his master, and a familiar, eyeless horror clad in a black cloak materialises before him: the Trickster has returned! The evil creature is looking forward to doing battle with his old enemy, Sarah Jane Smith, once more – and this time he has set a trap that she cannot resist… Back in the present, Sarah closes the rift and drives everyone home; although she is putting on a brave face, Luke, Clyde and Rani are not fooled – they know that something about Sarah’s trip into the past has unnerved her. Consulting Mr Smith, Sarah determines that the fissure is no longer active, and that the village of Foxgrove was demolished in 1964 to make way for the A7665. As Sarah gazes wistfully at an old photograph she is surprised by the arrival of Luke. He soon manages to coerce Sarah into revealing what has been bothering her, a secret that she has told no-one, not even the Doctor: Sarah was born in Foxgrove, and in August 1951, when she was just three months old, her parents, Barbara and Eddie, were killed in a car crash with a tractor – but Sarah survived, because for some reason her parents had left her behind in her pram before driving off. Brought up by her Aunt Lavinia, Sarah has always wondered if her parents loved her, and what made them abandon her – and now she has the chance to find out. Luke is immediately against the idea, as it could be disastrous; Sarah is forced to agree, and she also suspects that such a perfect opportunity is a trap made especially for her. Although Sarah vows not to return to the rift, her resolve soon crumbles, and that night she dresses up in period clothes and sneaks out of the house; however, Luke knows his foster mother too well, and he catches her on her way out and insists that he go with her. Together they drive to the shopping mall where Sarah reopens the rift; she is now convinced that it is a trap, but knows that taking the bait is the only way to find out who set it. Although Sarah believes that the portal will remain open for an hour, it begins to close as soon as she has stepped through, forcing Luke to jump through after her – while the Trickster watches the duo’s departure from the present with satisfaction, a gleeful Oscar witnesses their arrival on the hillside above Foxgrove... Concerned that no-one is at home at Number 13, Bannerman Road, Clyde calls on Rani, and together they use the spare key to gain entry to Sarah’s attic and summon Mr Smith; whilst the supercomputer can find no trace of Sarah and Luke, he can hazard a guess where they have gone: into the past to Foxgrove. At that moment, Mr Smith detects an energy surge behind them, as the Trickster’s puzzle box begins to glow with an unearthly blue light… Reassured that they can still reopen the rift, Sarah and Luke head for the village, only to find the place deserted. Realising that everyone is in a nearby field for the village fete, they immediately set off for a look; Sarah is overwhelmed at the prospect of meeting her parents, but promises Luke that she will be careful. As they walk amongst all the happy villagers, each enjoying the delights of the stalls and games on offer, Sarah hears her name: turning round, she sees a woman holding a young baby: Sarah’s mother, Barbara, and baby Sarah herself. Despite Luke’s objections Sarah begins talking to Barbara, and after Luke correctly determines the number of gobstoppers in a jar, they are joined by Eddie; Sarah introduces herself as Victoria Beckham and her adopted son, David. Leaving Eddie to look after baby Sarah, Barbara sets off to work on the tea stall, eagerly accompanied by Sarah; meanwhile, Luke spies Oscar and runs after him, only to lose the boy amongst the crowded stalls. Back in the present, Clyde and Rani arrive at the deserted shop, where the puzzle box glows ever more brightly… Chatting with her mother, Sarah sees how much the doting Barbara and Eddie love their baby girl; overwhelmed with emotion, Sarah bids them a hurried goodbye and runs off to meet Luke. However, Sarah’s happiness is quickly cut short when she sees the date on the newspaper Luke has found: August the 18th, 1951 – the day her parents died. While Luke is confused as to why Oscar lied about the date, Sarah turns and sees her father’s car parked nearby – and immediately sees a way to change things for the better. Luke is horrified, warning that of all people, Sarah knows the repercussions of interfering with time. But Sarah is adamant – she no longer sees her situation as a trap, but as a reward for all her good work, and so she uses her sonic lipstick to disable the car’s engine. But as Sarah and Luke then head back to the site of the rift, a nearby building begins to crumble, and thunder booms across a cloudless sky… At the shopping mall, Clyde and Rani see the box glow a fierce red, just as a figure steps through the rift – but instead of Luke, they see Oscar, who grins maliciously as his body transforms into the troll-like form of a Graske! Brandishing its gun, the diminutive creature chases Clyde and Rani outside; the two friends hide behind some bins, but then the world begins to shudder and spin all around them… Meanwhile, Sarah and Luke step through the rift, only to find themselves standing in a world in ruins – a rubble-strewn wasteland, all that is left of the London they once new. Elsewhere, the maelstrom whirling around Clyde and Rani subsides, and they find themselves in the broken remains of Greenford. As Sarah and Luke stare in horror at the apocalyptic world they are confronted by the Trickster – the evil being laughs in triumph at the terrible destruction that has been caused by Sarah’s actions…

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Thomas Knight (Luke), Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra), Alexander Armstrong (Mr Smith [Voice]), Rosanna Lavelle (Barbara Smith), Christopher Prizzley (Eddie Smith), Paul Marc Davies (The Trickster), Jimmy Vee (The Graske [Krizlok]), Georgie Glen (Mrs King), Robert Madge (Oscar), Philip Hurd-Wood (Voice of the Graske)

Directed by Graeme Harper
Produced by Matthew Bouch
Executive Producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner
A BBC Wales production

TX (CBBC):
17th November 2008 @ 5.15pm
24th November 2008 @ 4.35pm on BBC 1

Notes:
*Featuring Sarah Jane Smith, Luke, Clyde, Rani and Mr Smith

*The Trickster and his box were first seen in ‘Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?’; the Trickster was also referred to in the ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘Turn Left’