You've got K-9 back in a larger capacity this series. How does he assist the team?
"Yes - we see more of him. He's out of the black hole and we can use him for what he can do for us - he can sense things, he can shoot at things and he can do mathematical things. There's a nice jealousy between him and Mr. Smith because they're on the same mechanical level. He is actually useful instead of trundling along - the kids can phone him and you can ask him to use his doggy brain!"
The first story involves the Judoon...
"Yes, we have a Judoon and we have [another alien] as well. I love the Judoon, and I love Paul Kasey, who's inside the Judoon - he's Foxy Bingo as well!"
What's your favourite story from the new series?
"That's really difficult. I love episodes one and two because I got to do things I haven't been called upon to do before and I loved it. I'll give too much away if I say though! It's something where she's not just Sarah Jane. I love five and six as well because we've got David and it's quite emotional. The haunted house one is so scary - we were screaming during it" We'll have to be careful how we show it because there's a frightening scene in a nursery and this is a show for eight-year-olds."
Episodes five and six are mysteriously titled 'The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith'...
"Sarah Jane has a reality check. Something at the end of one of the stories makes her realise something quite weird - that The Doctor may come back into her life - and I think there's a line like 'we'll all face the future together'. So there's an inkling that he'll be there and The Doctor gets something the other end to say that he's needed. I cried a lot, on and off. She allows herself to go to places she would never have dreamt of before, emotionally. It's very hard and of course it's written by Gareth Roberts, who always comes up with little nuggets that make me cry. I can't read it too often or I'm spent - I have to limit my reading of Gareth Roberts!"
What was it like having The Doctor as part of your show?
"Brilliant! I don't know if David enjoyed it so much though - as soon as we knew we'd got him, they started giving him loads of dialogue, so I think Dave thought 'Bloody hell! What have I come on to?' But he came to us straight off Who, and maybe it was a kind ease-out for him. His final scenes are with us - isn't that lovely? I know they wanted it for the last two episodes - 11 and 12 - and if it had been, I don't know what ending they would have done. David's schedule meant he had to film it as five and six though, so we treated it as five and six."
Could you not have shifted five and six to become 11 and 12?
"I don't know - we could have done but they decided not to, for some reason."
Was it sad filming your last scenes with David?
"I wasn't there on his last day because I had to do something else. I don't think it was sad, though - he was laughing a lot with the kids."
There are three more Who specials to go with David Tennant - are you returning to Who at all before he leaves?
"You'll have to wait and see!"
Are you open to the possibility of going back into Who with Matt Smith's Doctor?
"I never say never with Who, because look what's happened, but I don't see the call coming and I don't wait for it or expect it. It's a new dynasty now because of Russell leaving."
Have you met Matt yet?
"I met him on his first day when he came to look around the studio. Tracy, who's the executive producer on that, grabbed me and said 'Matt would love to meet you!' and I thought 'No, poor bugger - he wouldn't!' So I got foisted on him."
Are you filming Sarah Jane in HD this year?
"Yes we are. I only really want to see birds and David Attenborough in HD so I thought 'I'm not bloody looking forward to seeing my pores on the screen!' But I have to say, Christ, I think it looks like a film. Now the attic looks so bloody expensive! I look at it and think 'wow!'"
When I visited the attic it was very dusty...
"It's bloody filthy! Sarah Jane's an absolutely awful housekeeper. My daughter says my favourite programme is How Clean Is Your House? - give me a pair of rubber gloves and I'm happy. I bloody hated that filth. One director last year said 'let's get some smoke in here' and I thought 'we've got enough bloody dust, we don't need bloody smoke!' Nightmare."
There are rumours that a fourth series is in pre-production?
"It is, it's in pre-production, but we won't get the green light for quite some time I don't think."
Is Russell still going to be involved?
"Yes - it's his baby! I just got a text from him in LA saying: 'Oh, hooray! I'm sitting in sunny LA - I can't believe I'm watching Sarah Jane defeat whatever it was. Life doesn't get better! Lots of love.' Really lovely. He's there for everyone, not just me, and he loves the programme. Also Julie [Gardner] is the best exec producer a girl with a sonic lipstick could have. In the readthroughs they bring so much energy and appreciation. They're the bones of the whole series."
How long do you see yourself doing the show for?
"I don't know - I guess until I'm wheeled on in my bath chair! But no, I think I'll know. I think we'll all know. I left Who when I wanted to leave. I have to leave when there's still life in her - I've got to leave people wanting. I'm never going to stay until there's no more life in it. It's still got to be fresh and it's still got to be good. I owe it to her and to Russell - I would never hang onto anything. I think it's got another series in it though [after this], I really do."
Series 3 of The Sarah Jane Adventures begins on Thursday 15th October with the first two-parter story 'Prisoner of the Judoon' and continues with next day with the second episode.
> Digital Spy's page on this interview
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