Doctor Who Special Releases - Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road: 1

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Still, the incongruity of such a primal horror being dealt with a tactic straight from the old school Bannerman Road play book might see you hooting at the absolute cheekiness of it. The character, a teenage protégé of Doctor Who companion and investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith appeared in four series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. 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!

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! Carving out a unique identity for a new spin-off is no mean feat, but Rani Takes on the World has an even tougher challenge spinning out of a spin-off. In this case, the two returning characters have grown up, but the tone remains faithful to their teenage exploits. The chemistry between Anjli Mohindra and Daniel Anthony survives the transition intact too, and we’re keen to hear more from the pair.Rani and Clyde, two of the young leads from The Sarah Jane Adventures (SJA), return to continue their mentor’s good work in Beyond Bannerman Road. Producer Emily Cook said: “I was chuffed with the reaction to the first Rani set. I was so excited for it to be released because it was an entirely new range, and I hoped it would strike a chord with fans, especially fans (like myself) who grew up watching The Sarah Jane Adventures as children. I received so many lovely messages after its release. I’m thrilled that people found it so moving and engaging.” Big Finish have announced details of the three full-cast audio dramas from the worlds of Doctor Who featuring the return of The Sarah Jane Adventures’ Rani ( Anjli Mohindra). Now an award-winning journalist, in Beyond Bannerman Road she’ll face a mysterious alien spaceship, discovers the trust cost of a picture-perfect wedding day, and takes her podcast listeners behind-the-scenes of her most terrifying investigation yet! And her old friend and fellow Bannerman Road alumnus Clyde ( Daniel Anthony) will also be on hand. Together they’re ready to save the world all over again. 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. After falling asleep on the night tube, Rani and Clyde wake in a nightmare – a future in which the Bane have succeeded in taking over the Earth. Humans are docile cattle, the planet’s resources sold to the highest bidder. Bane Uncle Crispin believes all opposition has been crushed, but the new arrivals are ready to fight. Are they the last hope of resistance? And how can Rani and Clyde ever return home?

Rani Chandra (Anjli Mohindra), Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony) and Luke Smith (Tommy Knight) are reunited in January 2024. Rani Takes on the World: The Revenge of Wormwood contains three brand-new audio adventures continuing the story of the characters first seen on television in The Sarah Jane Adventures. Rani has of course followed in Sarah Jane’s footsteps, with a successful journalistic career of her own. But when she and Clyde meet up for the first time in a while, there are surprises in store. Not least of which is the total destruction of Ealing! 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. As the villain in The Sarah Jane Adventures pilot ‘Invasion of the Bane’, plus a rematch in the Season two finale ‘Enemy of the Bane’, the scheming Mrs Wormwood was a top tier villain for Sarah Jane and her teenage allies.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. 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.

Set 15 years after the events of The Sarah Jane Adventures on television, Rani is now following in the footsteps of her former neighbour as an award-winning journalist. And like Sarah Jane, Rani seeks to right wrongs and fight for the truth. It's an absolute joy to revisit these beloved characters. They've grown up a bit since we last saw them, and it's great to catch up with where they're at in their lives now. But, at the same time, we've consciously kept the youthful, energetic, vibrant spirit of The Sarah Jane Adventures at its heart. The Witching Tree” by Lizzie Hopley rounds out the set perfectly. Listeners are treated to Rani’s podcast in an immersive way. 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, hot on the heels of a couple of guest spots, in The Eighth of March: Protectors of Time and the recent BBC Sounds drama Doctor Who: Redacted, Anjli Mohindra will reprise her role for a new run of box sets. With the series titled Rani Takes on the World, the first release is called Beyond Bannerman Road.

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...