Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road

Rani Takes on the World #1

by Joseph Lidster, James Goss, Lizzie Hopley

Life on Bannerman Road was always an adventure for Rani Chandra and her friends. A childhood of mystery and wonder, of meeting aliens, time travellers, lost princes, intergalactic robots and so much more – all alongside Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane is gone. Childhood ends. Everyone grows up eventually. But the story doesn’t stop there. When Rani and Clyde are reunited, adventure finds them once again – ready and waiting to take on the world!

1.1 Here Today by Joseph Lidster - 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!

1.2 Destination: Wedding by James Goss - Rani and Gita Chandra have been invited to a dream wedding on a luxury island resort. But how did Tiff from school end up marrying a film star? And why has she asked all the worst people from her life alongside the Hollywood A-listers? While Gita samples the canapés and criticises the flower arrangements, Rani senses something amiss… The perfect wedding comes at a price – but who will be paying?

1.3 The Witching Tree by Lizzie Hopley - Chasing a podcast award, encouraged by a secret source, Rani investigates a ‘haunted’ restaurant built around a twisted tree. The owners could be faking the spooky activity, but Rani soon realises the tree is not what it seems. As a terrifying threat to planet Earth is revealed, Clyde and Phoenix are dragged into the fight. Rani is torn between revealing the truth, or keeping a secret too terrifying to broadcast.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Media Tie In

Audio CD

First published April 20, 2023

About the author

Joseph Lidster is an English television writer best known for his work on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

His debut work was the audio play The Rapture for Big Finish Productions in 2002. Numerous further audio plays and prose short stories followed for Big Finish, for their Doctor Who line, spin-offs and other series (Sapphire & Steel and The Tomorrow People).

In 2005, he started working for the BBC, writing tie-in material for the new Doctor Who television series. He made his television writing debut in 2008 on the second series of Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood and subsequently wrote three two-part stories for The Sarah Jane Adventures. He has written the two-part story "Rebel Magic" for the new CBBC series Wizards vs Aliens.

Lidster wrote the content for the tie-in websites relating to the fictional world of the television series, Sherlock. Alongside co-producer James Goss, he has produced Big Finish Productions' dramatic reading range of Dark Shadows audio dramas since 2011.

In 2012, he won the 'Audience Favourite Writer' award for his first play Nice Sally in the Off Cut Theatre Festival.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spinning off the events of The Sarah Jane Adventures Rani Chandra is getting on with her life after the death of the incomparable Sarah Jane Smith. And just when she thinks it’s all coming together … everything falls apart.

1.1 Here Today - So, this is not getting off to a great start. Time loop. First episode is a time loop. Not the best of ideas. It’s not that it’s not well written, it is a perfectly fine story in that respect. It’s great to have Clyde back, and the interactions between these old friends is wonderful. I was disappointed that Luke isn’t here, that he’s only mentioned as now working with UNIT (hopefully he’ll show up sooner or later). But time loops are such a cliché in sci-fi and there’s nothing really different or all that original here. (3/5)

1.2 Destination: Wedding - This one is fun. And it doesn’t have that oh-no-it’s-the-end-of-world-as-we-know-it Doctor Who cliché. Nicely done. (3/5)

1.3 The Witching Tree - Definitely the best of this batch! This one deals with Rani’s podcast and presents the events of an investigation as she’s involved. And things get weird pretty quick. (4/5)

I wasn’t too sure about this new series after the first episode, the second was a little better but still not quite grabbing me, but the third one was really well done. While I’m still not convinced this is going to work, I’m now intrigued enough to continue.

[The Post Monument · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Today - 4.5 stars
Destination: Wedding - 3.5 stars
The Witching Tree - 2.5 stars

Overall - 3.5 stars

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful continuation of The Sarah Jane Adventures! Really hoping there is more to come!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here Today:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended

I'm so happy to have these characters back, truly wholesome. For now I'll just cover this story, but I'll talk about how I feel about this as a whole later. This story as a standalone is fine. I love a time loop story, but this one does stretch itself a little bit, it feels like somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes could easily be cut from this without major effect.

What this story does really well is set up the characters for this run and, more importantly, the tone going forward. This is very clearly a follow on to SJA, but it is adding a definite edge that the original series did have but shied away from. In terms of the side cast, the characters exclusive to this story are fine, and while the characters that are set up for future stories don't get much exploration, it's clear that they are still very much in the set-up stage.

As for the plot itself, it's alright. I wasn't that interested in the romance plot, but it does feel like a late stage SJA plot. The arc started here with Rani carrying on the work from Sarah Jane is done brilliantly. She's not Sarah, while they share a lot of similarities, she brings her own fire to the role that is extremely captivating to follow. As for Clyde, I think I'm going to talk more about him later. For now, this is recommended as it is the start to what is an extremely captivating boxset and promises to be a thoroughly entertaining series.

Destination: Wedding:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended

This story was very fun and did a great job of exploring Rani in more depth. The actual plot to this is quite fun, with an ongoing mystery that kept me captivated and an ongoing threat that had me surprisingly worried for the main cast. Rani's mother is amazing, like I love this character. Don't get me wrong, she can be very unlikable, but in the most relatable, understandable and weirdly wholesome way possible. Also a shout-out to when her gossiping nature was used in this story to prod the main villain.

Talking of villains, the main cause for the events of this story, worded weirdly to avoid spoilers, has such a relatable reason for doing what they did that while they were lovably irritating for a hot minute, they come out as a very compelling character by the end. This story also teases where they're going to go with Rani's character in future installments and I'm all for it.

The Witching Tree:
8/10
Verdict: Recommended

I LOVE THIS FORMAT. Seriously I love love love it, the podcast set-up is so compelling, I was hooked as soon as I realised what they were doing with this, and even when the story drifted away from it as it progressed, it was still an extremely captivating hook that had me smiling from ear to ear.

As for the plot of this one, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that this was related to an antagonist we'd seen before. The deep possessed voice, the markings appearing on the skin, the talk of blood, armies and the occult. Maybe I've given it away but once I realised I adored this. As for the plot, Enthralling. The side cast were amazing, especially Rani's friend and producer who got especially fleshed out here. I also absolutely love how entwined Rani's career as a podcast host and a journalist are with her adventures. It just works. Love it and will love to see this in future.

Now I have to talk about the twist to this one. Some people are going to detest this. I didn't mind this, it had a very clear function and while I don't know yet if I can say if it was handled terribly, I can say I don't think it was done well. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate this for what it will do to our main cast going forward, especially the obvious one, but as for the twist itself, it was a bit messy.

Clyde has been amazing in this boxset. He has been adapted perfectly, his arc throughout this has been captivating, and going forward he is only going to get better and better, I can tell already. The things they've already set up with his character are awesome and I can't wait to see how he grows from here.

Before finishing this, I want to raise something kind of controversial that I feel a little bad for saying but I can't help but feel it. These characters are phenomenal, the stories are amazing and the arcs built here are extremely captivating. I'm sorry, but this is too amazing to be audio exclusive. This should be televised, especially what they are building towards with Rani and Clyde. This is massive for me and anyone else who grew up with SJA and it deserves to be front and centre with the new era of Who that is currently being entered into. If it remains audio exclusive, I will still love it, but I feel like this will be my generation's 8th doctor, a massive missed opportunity.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set of three stories featuring Rani Chandra and Clyde as adults, over a decade after the events of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Fans of Luke, or indeed, Mr Smith, will be disappointed, as they only get brief mentions with Rani being very much the star here, even if her ongoing relationship with Clyde forms a key subplot.

Here Today – The start of any new series of adventures like this one has to fill us in on the background but, in this case, that turns out to be pretty simple. Rani is a journalist and blogger sleeping on a friend’s couch after failing to pay her rent, but that’s about it for her, leaving Clyde’s reintroduction as a more significant element of the story since his life has changed more dramatically. Even so, this takes a backseat to the science fiction plot, which sees an alien spaceship landing on Ealing Common and risking widespread disaster. It’s a race against time that’s tied in with the lost romance of an elderly woman; the protagonists may be 30 years old by this point, which changes their outlook, but we still have a story that brushes aside the severity of the stakes for something with an optimistic tone. A decent, if not exceptional, start that leaves opportunities open for the future. 3.5 stars.

Destination: Wedding – Rani and her mother are invited to a lavish Hollywood wedding on a Caribbean island. This provides ample opportunity for name-dropping, although, obviously, the only Hollywood stars who speak are fictional. It’s clear from early on that something isn’t quite right about the supposedly flawless event, and the sense of unease builds as the story progresses, even if few of the characters in it can notice what we do. Despite the science fiction elements, however, it’s more about the pressure to create the perfect wedding and have everything be the best it possibly can be. I suspect that may resonate with those who have gone through the experience, although the detail is handled off-screen. 3.5 stars.

The Witching Tree – It’s in the final episode that the plot arc kicked off in the background of the first episode and hinted at in the second, finally bears fruit. It’s a darker, creepier tale than the first two, with Rani investigating a tree associated with ghostly legends that is, impossibly, growing through the centre of a restaurant. Some of the story is told as clips from her podcast, with her producer playing a key role, even though she isn’t directly involved in the action. There’s a surprising appearance from another guest star, too, although you’d have to follow another of Big Finish’s audio series to know who he is. Unsurprisingly, given the source material, there isn’t any gore or overt horror, but it is creepy in places – arguably more like Doctor Who than the original SJA, despite the setting and characters. While the story itself is self-contained, it is left open-ended, with some hints as to where the background subplot at least is going in future releases. 4 stars.

[Seb Hasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here Today - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was very hesitant going in to this ancestral sequel to the Sarah Jane Adventures, and in a way that hesitance was justified. The narrative being told was lovely and had so much heart to it, but everything else about the story did nothing for me. Bland, unlikeable characters and the constant repetition of dialogue (which yes it’s a time loop story but once the same scene is repeated six times it gets a bit excessive. This story did bank on nostalgia quite a bit and even I’m a sucker for that given how special SJA was to me as a kid, but with that and a simple plot, what else is there to real latch onto? The only bits of dialogue that were really enjoyable were the bits with Rani and Clyde reminiscing over old times and the sweet final scene. I just came away with no affection for Clyde’s fiancee, Rani’s friend and it seems they’ll be reoccurring characters it does give me hesitance progressing with the boxset.

Destination: Wedding - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story was quite original, a simple idea executed across a simple plot. Obviously that’s the merit but the detracting factor is that the plot is incredibly stupid. Yet again Rani doesn’t actually do anything and events just happen around her which really doesn’t give you the feel she is this inquisitive journalist following in the footsteps of Sarah Jane. Rani’s mother is easily the best bit of the story as her silly one liners and comedic presence do provide something enjoyable through the runtime. The antagonist is dispensed with easily and suddenly and then the story is just suddenly over, again much like the first story of this set. There are scenes scattered through the story which are fun and do give it some merit but on the whole the story is not bad just simply unremarkable.

The Witching Tree - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

The finale of the set finally sees Rani doing something. She investigates a mysterious tree grown through the middle of the shop responsible for many disappearances. The course of the story is done quite well and the developments are paced through the runtime to stop the story lulling. A cameo from Torchwood’s Tyler Steele was nice and gave the story something more to add interest, plus it’s just always nice to see him. The ending of the story is brilliant and I did not see it coming at all, and I love a story that takes you by surprise. Those good elements aside, at the end of the day it is just ‘Rani investigates a tree’. The lovely sci-fi elements and character drama aside, there is only so much to enjoy in the story sitting through an hour of it. Easily the best story of the set, but looking at the set as a whole it doesn’t really say all too much.

Overall, yeah there was some great dialogue, character drama, and sci-fi concepts to enjoy, but on the whole Rani Takes On The World: Beyond Bannerman Road was nothing special. There is so much potential with characters here and a series set up like this and nearly none of it was explored over the 3 hour runtime.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Today: A perfect return to Bannerman Road. Here Today captures the spirit of The Sarah Jane Adventures, with its bright-eyed optimism warming your heart. It's very much Rani and Clyde, but dealing with the new problems of adulthood. I loved all of the references to The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the story itself feels exactly what we would have got had that show ever made a Groundhog Day episode. It all ends with a beautiful moment, as we get an unexpected offscreen cameo from a child Sarah Jane.

Destination Wedding: This is a typically bonkers Sarah Jane Adventures story, with a sentient alien island giving Rani's old school friend Tiffany the perfect wedding at the expense of people who wronged her. We get some great Gita humour, with her remarks about renovating Bannerman Road and grievances towards the receptionist not giving her the special treatment stuff he promised raising many laughs. It also seems to tease a future romance between Rani and Clyde, which I really hope happens, because when I watched the TV Series I always thought they would become a couple.

The Witching Tree: A sinister conclusion to the first Rani Takes On The World box set. This has some very eery moments, with strange marks appearing on Rani and our protagonist repeating a series of unusual numbers. It ends in a typically Sarah Jane Adventures manner, with our heroes throwing pineapples at the titular tree.

Daniel Anthony is as always a welcoming presence, bringing such great levity to proceedings. Poor Clyde can't catch a break though, and the conclusion really makes you feel for the poor guy. I did not see the twist with Phoenix coming, and I'm interested to see how the relationship between Clyde and Rani develops in the next box set.

[Stephen Higham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Producer Emily Cooke continues to humbly produce the best Big Finish content. Rani is an apprentice and the spiritual heir to Sarah Jane Smith, introduced in the CBBC tv show. In this box set Rani grapples with her early thirties, seeing her friends personal lives flourish and wondering if she should be ‘further on’ in life after spending her twenties establishing a good career and minor celebrity status. Hot on Rani’s heels is Gita - her mother who displays a little too much enthusiasm in her quest to get Rani to settle down. Also present is Daniel Anthony’s boy who would never grow up, Clyde who is, against all the odds, on the cusp of career success and parenthood. Oh and there’s some whacky sci-fi fantasy mysteries to be solved.
Each of these stories is strong, imaginative and holds its own against the others. It’s quite rare for a BF box set to lack a weak link but here’s the proof that it can be done.
I grew up (like our errant producer) on a diet of Sarah Jane Adventures, and I was pleasantly pleased to see the tone of the series has remained in this successor show even if the characters are now experiencing adult problems. I’m also looking forward to the next box set, preordered and sparkling. I really hope the sales on this one are large enough to justify an ongoing series!

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful return to the world of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It does a great job honoring the legacy of that series. As I expected, K-9 is not mentioned by name, that I can recall. They skirt around that by just mentioning the "robot dog" when reminiscing at some point. But for a chunk of the first story, I found it curious that Sarah Jane was being mentioned, though not by name. And that worried me for a bit, but then she gets mentioned by name after all. And they mention the funeral that happened sometime before this, which of course was the very emotional story we all watched on YouTube.

What's kind of frightening to realize is I'm around the same age group as Rani and Clyde and pretty much growing up with them. Clyde announces that he's a father-to-be, and Rani attending a wedding brings about questions of whether she's happy with how she is. People of my age group notice others of the same age group getting married and having children around us, and it's scary and gives one existential questions. The curveball in the third story gave me mixed feelings, but I guess a certain sect of die-hard SJA fans will be pleased with it.

Between this and Class, I am very excited to see what more Big Finish may be able to do in order to honor the legacy of these Doctor Who spin-off shows. (And no, I did not forget Torchwood, but that can be hit and miss at times).

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road - 5/5 stars
This was a breeze to get through. The stories were great. The characters were amazing. Now I have to wait the rest of the year for the next set with Luke and Miss Wormwood.
1.1 Here Today by Joseph Lidster - 5/5 stars
A fun fast paced time loop story that brings us up to date with how Rani and Clyde are doing. With lots of little references to previous characters and a sweet love story, this is a great way to reintroduce Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
1.2 Destination: Wedding by James Goss - 5/5 stars
This one was really fun. Gita was great, god I missed her. The structure of this one was great as background people started to disappear and eventually, Gita which set the second half of the story into Rani being more active in solving the mystery. The set-up is great, and the pay off is great. Tiff is a cool character, love to see her again. There are also more teases to Clani which is an endgame ship.
1.3 The Witching Tree by Lizzie Hopley - 5/5 stars
I love that this one uses the podcast medium and seeing how Rani makes her podcasts. In the story itself, poor Clyde thought he had a girlfriend who was pregnant with his child but she was actually just an alien sleeper agent. I didn’t see Pheonix as a secret villain but the shock was really good.

[Piper Huxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. here everywhere - 4/5

a sweet first instalment. it was touching and funny. who doesn’t love a good time loop? thoroughly enjoyed this re-spark of clani and phoenix’s introduction.

2. destination: wedding - 4/5

i liked the second story. it was pretty strong, but my least favourite of the boxset. it’s always lovely to hear rani and gita’s voice together, too. so special. what a great pair! i hope we get to hear haresh next season.

3. the witching tree - 5/5

spooky and unnerving, the final episode was a cracker. truly a nightmare of mine come to life. it showed so much range for the characters, old and new. it was great to see samira back, too - hopefully we’ll get more of rani’s producer next boxset. i love anything that’s in found footage, podcast form. it was deffo a ‘me’ story.

overall, this was a fab boxset, a great return for clani, littered with great references to SJs life, the show and the extended doctor who multiverse. i loved it so much. i cant wait for the revenge of mrs wormwood !!

4.5/5

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit a successor to the Sarah Jane Adventures. A great reintroduction to the characters of Rani and Clyde, showing how time has passed and setting them up for more campy-alien-fun at Bannerman Road. This boxset is perfect - great acting (especially Mina Anwar as Gita Chandra), great sound design, wonderful scripts, and managing to capture the intimacy and emotion of the original series whilst ageing up the characters and their problems. 5 stars.

[Thomas Sherlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This set picks up the torch left by Sarah Jane Adventures over a decade ago. Each story felt a little more confident to step outside the original’s shadow, with the first entry very much keeping the tone of the original series. The characters are here and true though in a new era of their lives. I’m curious to see how this series keeps evolving.

[Finlay O'Riordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see a spiritual successor to the Sarah Jane Adventures, but the stories themselves are fairly average. The third one was pretty good for Clyde, but the first two were basic and didn't hook me in that well.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rani and Clyde reunite for 3 adventures and remember Sara Jane

[Sidney McKidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly really liked this! it lost a star for the last story which i did. not like as much. Really captures the characters and does an excellent job showing them a decade later.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here Today 4
Destination: Wedding 3.5
The Witching Tree 3.5

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