REACTION | DOCTOR WHO | 2x3 | School Reunion 

REMINDER: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS IN YOUR COMMENTS. I did state in the video that I didn't want to know when Sarah Jane was going to be in Classic Who as I am reacting to that as well. Unfortunately, there have been multiple comments with spoilers for this that weren't able to be removed before I saw them. 😕

I’ve heard that David Tennant particularly loved this episode because Sarah Jane Smith was his favorite companion when watching the show back in the day and now here he was getting to portray The Doctor alongside Sarah Jane.

"Goodbye, my Sarah Jane!" - The moment David wasn't acting, being The Doctor alongside Liz Sladen! Such a heartwarming moment!

“Bad dog! Affirmative” best scene ever!

For a character who was left inside the Tardis more often than not, K-9 certainly captured our hearts.

I find it fascinating to see the juxtaposition between the reaction of older fans and newer ones when a Classic Who character returns. As soon as they reappear the older fans start jumping up and down like little kids - but you then get the same moment of excitement when that character makes their first appearance if the newer fan reacts to Classic Who! Both actually work well from a viewer's perspective.

Sarah Jane Smith (investigative journalist) is a much loved former companion of the Doctor... The show-runner (Russell T Davies) also loved the character so much that he wanted her to appear in new-Who... and yes, after this episode, Russell gave us the Sarah Jane Adventures spin-off (a great little show, but more for kids) 🥰

"Forget the shooty-dog-thing." is one of my absolutely favorite DW lines! LOL

This is one of those episodes where the alien threat is very much secondary, or even tertiary to the character development. And that's perfectly good. There are a few of these throughout the seasons. Vincent and the Doctor kind of thing.

an interesting thing, Anthony Head was one of the actors considered for the 8th Doctor back in 1996

This episode always reminds me how much I miss Sarah Jane and Elizabeth Sladen. The Sarah Jane Adventures sadly ended prematurely when Elizabeth Sladen passed away from cancer. I'd definitely watch it on RU-vid

I was an extra in two episodes of Sarah Jane Adventures - firstly in 2008 when Bradley Walsh (a very big actor, TV presenter and former footballer back in the UK) guest starred as this evil clown and the second time was in 2010 when Luke was getting his A-level results and was going off to Oxford University. They were all filmed at Cardiff High School near Cardiff. The second time around, we spend about three hours filming the scene where Luke runs out to show Marnie, Clyde and Sarah Jane his A-level results. Before we started filming that scene, I talked to Elizabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane) and showed her how to use the coffee machine that the crew had on a table outside the school. Then when we were about to go for a take, a few of us were sat on some sofas in the school foyer. Elizabeth talked to every single one of us, asking us where we were from and how we got into supporting artist work, to the point where even she got shushed by one of the crew before we went for the take - the one of many! We then filmed Luke's going away party in the school itself and in that scene, you can see me pointing at Luke's "good luck" card, having a laugh with another extra while Marnie's actress "filmed" us and dancing in the background. But Elizabeth herself was one of the nicest people I've ever met, which is why her death came as a huge shock to me. And it was only about a year later and she was 64, which is barely age at all these days! 😢

One of the more obscure titbits of information is when Anthony Head, as Mr Finch, says "forget the shooty dog thing", the 'for-' had to be added later. As originally shot, the line was "get the shooty dog thing". However, during editing, showrunner Russell T Davies decided to alter the line in post-production, via ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording). Unfortunately, RTD forgot to mark that particular amendment on the call sheet, so it wasn't done. Due to the fact that Anthony was unavailable for a further, albeit quick, ADR session, a little bit of technical jiggery-pokery had to be done. Basically, they found a moment where Head says "for" in another scene, altered it's pitch and timbre and added it to the beginning of the original scene. If you notice, the 'for' is said off-screen before we see Mr Finch finish the sentence. It's all very clever and completely seamless, I would say.

'Goodbye, my Sarah Jane!' Still today gets me every time.😥😥 Elizabeth Sladen was amazing as Sarah Jane Smith, both in classic and modern who. One of the most iconic, lovable companions in all of Doctor Who. Great reaction, so looking forward to the next one.🙂👍

Classic Who fans know Sarah Jane Smith very well, she was my favorite companion of all classic who companions and she was with my favorite classic Doctor, my memory has them together longer than they actually were due to that love of their interactions. Many people say that Elisabeth Sladen was just like she was in the show, friendly, warm & giving. R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen, you will live forever in our hearts.

I'm glad you're watching the Sarah Jane Adventures, so many people skip it because they think it's just a kids show. I would love to see the Sarah Jane Adventures on RU-vid if you can fit it in your schedule!

Sarah Jane was so iconic she was instantly recognisable to everyone over a certain age. It was interesting watching someone react who had the penny drop later as they didn't know who she was.

I think this episode was a perfect return for a much beloved, much missed, former companion. And it was good to also see Sarah Jane again.

This one is fun to come back to for Sarah Jane. She is a beloved character, and it's great to see how her re-introduction adds to the dynamic of how Rose (the new audience too!) feels about her situation with traveling with the Doctor. Looking forward to seeing your next one!

I loved your reactions to this special episode of new Who, Britany. Sarah Jane was my childhood Who companion and I have always loved her. Anthony Head became famous in the UK for an ongoing series of coffee adverts 1987 - 1993, in which he and a young woman enjoyed a love affair, over coffee. Anthony then gave an impressive performance as magician Adam Klaus in the pilot episode of murder mystery tv show Jonathan Creek 1997, but gave up that role to play Rupert Giles in Buffy. He also played King Uther Pendragon, father of Future King Arthur, in the fantasy tv show Merlin 2008 - 2012.

Lol this is how I know Anthony Head personally, and for me he’s always the actor cast in any show or film where they need someone really evil in a sinister slimy way. He also starred in this BBC radio series called Bleak Expectations in which he played a tongue in cheek comically villainous nemesis to the main character. Also he was in the Merlin show too, that might be something up your alley to react to.

This episode is always WILD for me to watch as it was filmed at the high school I ended up going to. My sister's even one of the background characters in it xD

I love that he reverted to Buffy speak with the “shooty dog thing” line. 😂

Behind the scenes when Rose and Sarah Jane were laughing at the Doctor, David Tennant had a mustache in pen on his face.

Sarah-Jane was in Classic Who & David, being the promoted fan boy he is, watched her the first time around.

Out of all the companions, Sarah Jane was the one I fancied most growing up. When I wrote DW stories, she was always the companion. This story was a delight when it aired and remains one to this day. Plus Giles snarling 'Bad dog' of course!

It's always interesting seeing this episode viewed by someone who hasn't seen Classic Who. Of course for me and those who saw Classic - it's an absolute emotional roller coaster of an episode! Sarah Jane! K9! Indeed, seeing Anthony Stuart Head playing a bad guy was strange! You should try a few episodes of Merlin...

Two pleasant surprises in this episode. Giles from Buffy and an old companion, Sarah Jane. By the way, Anthony Stewart Head was once in a series of Taster's Choice coffee commercials, probably before your time.

Oh you're a Buffy fan, that explains your excellent taste! ^_^ As you observed, the meat of this episode is all in the character stuff (and in Anthony Head's fabulous villainy). And for those not familiar with Classic Who, they get to watch the episode 'twice' - first without knowing who Sarah Jane is, and then (if going back and watching the old show) then learning her story and having the same emotional reaction as the Doctor. Also I want to correct everyone in the comments, because Elisabeth Sladen's name had an 's', not a 'z'... She is still missed. 💔 My daughters all loved The Sarah Jane Adventures, which came out when they were young.

Every time I see her now I start tearing up. R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen. You were brilliant.

Been waiting for this reaction. Seeing Sarah Jane again made it one of my favorite stories.

Next one is one of my faves. The trio of tooth and Claw, school reunion and the girl in the fireplace was my childhood peak

I'm sure by now someone on Patreon told you about the very rough 20th-century SJA draft that is "K-9 and Company." :) I'm an OG Whovian, so I remember K-9, the [CENSORED] Doctor followed by the [CENSORED] Doctor, etc. on early-to-mid '80s New Jersey public television.

I actually watched this be filmed. The school used was my niece's. Gone now. They also filmed a few scenes for series 3 finals

I am crying so loudly and so much right now with SJS (Sarah Jane Smith), I miss Elisabeth Sladen soooooooooo much

Hey Britnay, I was told to comment on this video, so here's me commenting! Love this reaction by the way, this is a sleeper favorite of mine due to the introduction of Sarah Jane.

Don't know how much you know about the Big Finish Doctor Who Audio adventures but Anthony Stewart Head appeared in a four part series called Excelis which featured Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy (5th, 6th and 7th Doctors). Some writers consider the Audio Dramas canon others not so much. Edit: it was released 2002, so near the end of Buffy

Old school British chip were fried in beef tallow, seasoned with malt vinegar and salt, and served in a wrapping of THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN. Delicious.

Giles (Anthony Head) is also in BBC's Merlin, as King Uther.

Oh Sarah Jane is such a treasure! I grew up with dr who and Sarah Jane adventures, she’s just such a ray of sunshine

The headteacher is great in Merlin :)

I'm the kind of guy who, If I saw the same actor, playing a character, usually main, in two different shows, I always love to swap their characters names. For example, Katie McGrath played Lena in Supergirl and Morgana in Merlin, so when I watch her appearance in Supergirl, I'll say "Morgana, how you doing, girl." And vice versa like "Lena, don't do that..." in Merlin. I don't know why I do it though... but I love doing it XD. So for this one, Anthony Head for you is Giles in Buffy, but he's Uther Pendragon for me, huhu.

We had an exhibition here in Edinburgh recently on Doctor Who. It was fab to see so much fun stuff, including K9.

I love this episode! It hit me as a kid and I didn't even get it aha. But now that I'm older, it means even more. Super excited about the fact you're reacting to Classic Who. Can't wait to see it!

I love Sarah Jane so much… so happy to have found your channel!

10:40 I love that too. What's scarier, when your current SO and ex meet for the first time and hate each other, or when after five minutes alone they're suddenly best friends?

In The Doctor Dances, 9 told Rose that he'd "travelled with lots of people".

I have a BritBox subscription, and making my way through Classic Who as well, so naturally I was going to say it’d be absolutely worth your time to see how the show began, so thanks for the caption cutting to the chase!

Sarah-Jane travelled with the 4th doctor (Tom Baker) in the 70s. He was the best had some good stories. K9 has appeared a few times in the old series.

I grew up with Sarah Jane and the 4th Doctor. I love the scene when she spots the Tardis and realizes DT is the Doctor.

Sarah Jane is from classic Who, and I understand why you don't want to know when. I look forward to seeing your reaction to when she appears.

"Giles" is also in Merlin in case you are interest.

Sarah Jane Smith is a companion from Classic Who. Cannot say more than that.

Since I know you're already beyond it on Patreon - I hope you had tissues for Girl in the Fireplace, miss "I don't need tissues for Dr Who anymore"! Also, this is one of the eps I think we were all thinking of back in early season 1 when you were dismissing Mickey. Another step in his arc. Looking forward to the next rxn!

Had such a crush on Elizabeth Sladen as a kid... Died so young, heartbreaking

Sarah Jane was such a special character in the Who verse and David definitely showed that.

Ahh sarah jane smith, probably the most popular companion of all the 26 years of classic who. She was the companion during the ‘golden era’ of classic who. And k-9….yeh he was in classic who for a bit too…yeh…

There are some things worth getting old for. Enjoying Doctor Who throughout the countless regenerations is definitely one of them; though I burnt out on the series for a time during a couple actors runs.

If you want to watch a great show with Anthony Head playing a very grey character then I recommend Merlin. It’s one of my fav childhood shows.

Loving these reactions! So I’ve done a bit of math for you (hope you don’t mind, I got bored at work). You have 152 episodes of Who left until you are caught up and the new season starts in November. :) Can’t wait for the next episode :)

Sarah Jane Smith set a high standard for companions. She and the Doctor were an ideal team, maybe THE ideal team.

I won't spoil anything about the character of Sarah Jane but just know she is a very beloved character for various reasons, not all are clear to you yet but the actress, Elizabeth Sladen sadly passed away in 2011 from cancer at only 65 years old. This episode is a one I like and when watching it for the first time as a kid I thought the Doctor must have met the Krillitaine in a Classic Who episode and went on beliving that for years but he did not, he has met them in an unseen story at somepoint in his 900 years which I love as it adds a but of mystery to them.

....and we see Britany getting hooked just a little bit more ....

Omg what I wouldn't do to relive these moments again

Keep pumping out doctor who . Ur gonna be so grateful that u have the chance to watch this show . It’s a brilliant show especially David’s tennant a era . U are gonna love it 😍

The actor portraying Sarah Jane ,Elizabeth Sladen would be 60 years when this season was aired. And I do say, she looks very good for her age. Nice to see her make this return.

If you want another show with Anthony Head (Giles) hes in merlin. Another bbc show we stan

Just throwin it in there, i think, doin a quick count, there was 28 on screen companions before rose. Not counting UNIT personnel

Giles used to be in a series of instant coffee advert.

i love ur reaction at the start buffy is one of my fav tv shows. also he is in another of my fav tv show called merlin

Sarah Jane was my companion when I was a wee kid in the 70s. She's the best companion ever!

Yes bring sja to youtube!!!! And classic who.

"I'm the tin dog!" Oh, Mickey Mouse... I miss the dynamic when it was the 10th Doctor... he was my favorite...

Thanks Britany. Yeah this episode is about Sarah Jane and letting us know old Who is still canon to new Who rather than than the alien storyline. You can find Anthony Head in Merlin btw if you've not discovered that show yet. If you're not into old coffee commercials. See you soon ☺. Ps are you really watching all of old Doctor Who. That should keep you're channel going for a decade or 2.

I would love to see your Sarah Jane Adventures reactions come to youtube. It's a great show with some stellar stories and concepts that aren't explored in Doctor Who - as of yet anyway, plus some returning villains.

Why am I not surprised, you being the editor and chief of your high school yearbook, you notice so much in this show, good eye for detail and .... it suddenly got me thinking, have you ever watched 'Press Gang'? It's the first show ex-teacher Steven Moffat (you know him by now) ever wrote. It's about a 17 year old girl, being the editor of the junior gazette, strong opinionated and feared by most but (then a still young) Julia Sawalha plays her so good. You can find the episodes on youtube , if you react to it, I would certainly watch.

The funny thing is I'm the opposite with Anthony Head, I've seen him in lots of things, but I've never seen Buffy. Merlin is always the first thing my brain thinks of.

I wonder if Steven Moffat was fully in the loop when he wrote The Girl In The Fireplace, as Rose seems absolutely fine about Mickey being there in that. I don't think she acted particularly jealous of Reinette either.

I've just started watching so I'll try and update the comment as I react to your reaction, but just to say, this is the first episode of Series 2 that I 'really' enjoyed. I remember being jarred at The Christmas Invasion because I'd come to the series 'so late' (at the time!); I got through Episode 1, but I think having Cassandra and the Face of Boe there was the biggest draws of the episode for me; and while I liked episode 2 at the time, watching your reaction last time, I found the constant "are you not amused?" grating, and I dunno, it didn't feel satisfying to me. But this, this episode means a lot to me! ANYWAY, NOW I WATCH! I'm surprised you didn't expect Rose's reaction to Mickey wanting to join the team. I don't know if it's just me, but even if you don't have context of other episodes, it seemed to me when she was on the phone with him earlier that she thought he was trying to bring her back to him while was trying to get away (not necessarily FROM him, but in general). She says something like "are you sure you're not making up an alien emergency to get me to come back." I think it's important to remember that she's still 19/20 at this point, and she's quite emotionally immature: she's enamoured with the Doctor, for sure, but she's also in love with the fantasy of the life he leads. Even in the previous episode, she's laughing and not really taking situations seriously that should be taken seriously, just as a child might. Bringing Sarah Jane back allows Davies to highlight that character flaw, and to some extent, reduce it: she is less jealous by the end, to the point of her being comfortable with Sarah Jane being offered a place on the TARDIS team. Rose's reaction to Mickey's want to join exposes that the character flaw doesn't just relate to her emotional maturity in a romantic context, but also in other, more platonic contexts. It's the equivalent of a firstborn being side-lined by the arrival of a new-born baby and them not getting the same level of attention that they're used to. I use this metaphor because despite previously being in a romantic relationship, and despite Mickey being older than Rose by a couple years, their relationship is a lot more sibling like (minus the obvious romantic things that are put in to remind you it's romantic), with Mickey adopting the role of the younger sibling. Even in the first episode, before she goes travelling with the Doctor, Rose takes care of him in the same way an older sibling may often be expected to take care of their younger sibling -- so there could be that aspect of: I don't want to have to hold your hand while we're doing fun stuff!

I think people misunderstood Rose’s reaction a lot. She’s aware that he traveled with a lot of people but Sarah Jane Smith is the first time she’s confronted with the idea that she might, as is viewed by both women, almost unceremoniously left behind and then lumped together with ‘a lot of people.’ And that’s a hard future to face where you finally confront that this person is your world and you might just be one in a line of people. In general I think people are really hard on Rose this season. She’s not perfect by any means but none of the characters are.

Did you know, David had to wear a red nose to film the scene where Rose and Sarah Jane compare their travels.

Yeah…if there’s one thing I definitely do not like about this era, it’s the jealousy. Both Rose’s jealousy and Martha’s in the next series, both always felt so cheaply forced and did massive disservices to the characters IMO. It’s also one of the reasons why I’ve never much liked the (Tenth) Doctor and Rose as a companion duo. “Women need to support each other, not tear each other down” 👏👏 That being said, I really do love this episode and all the moments with Sarah Jane and Rose after the whole trying to one up each other thing, it’s very rare for an old companion to be there to offer some experienced insight into what it’s like travelling with the Doctor to a newer companion. I’ve always loved the scene where the Doctor tells Rose about the curse of being a time lord, “you can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can’t spend the rest of mine with you” is a top tier line.

ASH is really great on Ted Lasso

Thrilling. Whatever will happen next!?!

She's with three and four in classic Who

I enjoy watching your reactions to Doctor who, it’s very nice to see someone reacting for the first time. I obviously don’t want to spoil anything but Sarah Jane is a companion from the classic era and that’s all I’ll say. Please please 🙏🏻 do reactions to Sarah Jane adventures on RU-vid it’s such a fantastic show just like Doctor who. It’s more aimed for children but it has its own charm to it which makes it stand out. This episode is one of my favourites as I’m a huge classic who fan, so it was so sweet seeing them reunite. The only part I don’t like about it is rose being so possessive of the Doctor. Xx

Sarah Jane is at the beginning of the time war. Genesis of the daleks.

I discovered Anthony Head in BBC's Merlin series, where he also plays a 'bad guy' as part of the main cast so when people said he plays a good guy in Buffy I thought "What? He has one of those mean faces made to look like a villain how is that possible?" but I guess he a great actor ^^ This episode is odd, I'm not a fan of set pieces, photography and the overall aesthetic of the episode, it feels cheaper and less pretty than season 1(I feel that for several episode of this season curiously) and the villain plot feels underwhelming for something so big and interesting... But the Sarah Jane - Doctor - Rose part, man this is brilliant, I tear up at the end everytime I could rewatch this part anytime :)

I enjoyed this but it showed a connection that wasnt there. There was NO romantic connection between Sarah and her doctor back in the day. I wont spoil it for you but she was with two of the greatest doctors of the classic era, and I cant wait for your reaction to them

Sear Jane Smith is my favourite doctor who companie

I would love to see your reactions to The Sarah Jane Adventures!

Merlin is a great show. You'd definitely enjoy watching it, and not just because of Anthony Head.

If you love anthony his performance in bbc merlin is top tier

So, what exactly happened with all of the students in this episode? I mean, not only did their school blow up, but all of their teachers are dead. Can someone give me an answer?

the next episode (with Mickey) is A-mazing 😍

You should watch The Rocky Horror Show with Anthony Head as Frank 'n Furter.

I have A LOT of interest in seeing SJA reactions.

I would love to see your reactions to the Sarah Jane adventures series. I Love your reactions!!!

Liz Sladen the wonderful Sarah-Jane Smith. Please bring the Sarah-Jane Adventures to RU-vid.

Who is She? She is the absolute best (says my 1980 self).