N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

Lost in Time packs a lot in, almost trying to be three pseudo-historicals in one. That would be a lot for two episodes of Nu-Who, let alone these classic Who-length Sarah Jane Adventures episodes.

“History can be a dangerous place.”

Shopkeeper, Lost in Time, Part One

It starts with SJ and the gang stepping in to what appears at first glance to be Needful Things, where a slightly-too-portentous shopkeeper overloads them with exposition about the “tapestry of time”, forces them each into a wormhole, then tells Captain Parrot they have until the sands run out. Why? Why?

Via said wormholes, Rani makes a visit to Tudor England where even she cannot save Lady Jane Grey, Sarah Jane meets a Victorian ghost-hunter and helps prevent a fiery death, and Clyde battles with hapless Nazis and a you-just-knew-it dastardly schoolteacher. (And once again we are made to ask – why do villains explain their plots to their captive?)

Later the doom-and-gloom shopkeeper laments the gang will be trapped in the past forever if they don’t get a move on, although of course we all know that won’t be happening! But it takes a Blink-like plot twist to save the day.

I did think it was a pity Clyde didn’t get to meet old George, but there’s only so much you can cram into 2×25 minutes episodes.

Indeed there’s so much going on here, there’s no time for an appearance from Mr Smith, which means we have a week off from his ridiculous fanfare.