Rani Takes On The World: Beyond Bannerman Road from Big Finish Review

12 years ago, we said goodbye to a show that captured the hearts of a generation. Sarah Jane Smith may have travelled the universe with The Doctor, but with the help of Luke, Rani, Clyde, Maria & Sky, they showed us that life on earth can be an adventure too!

That song may have ended, but the story never ends. Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road brings the dynamic duo; Rani & Clyde back together again for a brand-new series of adventures.

To me, The Sarah Jane Adventures is the pinnacle of the Doctor Who spin-offs and is a series that will always hold a special place in my heart. So, when a continuation series was announced by Big Finish, although I was ecstatic, I will admit I had my reservations. It’s safe to say I needn’t have worried, this set not only honours the legacy of SJA but with excellent world-building in the series’ first story, (Here Today) it has brilliantly sown the seeds for many adventures to come.

So, without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into the first boxset of the Rani Takes on the World series; Beyond Bannerman Road.

Spoiler Warning: This is a spoiler-filled review.

Synopsis

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!

Here Today  by Joseph Lidster 

Synopsis:

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!

Here Today has the tricky job of not only re-introducing the now in their thirties, Rani Chandra & Clyde Langer and informing the listeners what they’ve been up to since last we saw them, but also adding a seemingly hostile extra-terrestrial threat intent on blowing up Ealing into the mix as well. Writer, Joseph Lidster handles this wonderfully, with excellent world-building and a beautifully crafted script. Due to Lidster’s previous work on The Sarah Jane Adventures, having written for the series on three different occasions, he understands Rani & Clyde inside out, from their delicate idiosyncrasies to the great chemistry the two share.

Rani, a now successful journalist and award-winning podcaster reunites with Clyde, now an equally successful graphic novelist, lovestruck & Dad-to-be. It’s not long before the pair are thrust back into the adventure, as a flying saucer makes its way over Ealing. Alongside a Unit soldier, Rani & Clyde are about to start investigating, when the flying saucer explodes, vaporising much of London.

What follows is a really well-scripted time loop adventure in which, because the duo still have residual Artron energy, they can remember the events of each loop. This is coupled with an endearing love story stretching back decades, interlinked with events in the present. The two tales come together to provide a well-rounded and heart-warming conclusion.

Favourite quote: “Don’t you dare fat shame my cat!” 

Anjli Mohindra and Daniel Anthony reprise the roles of Rani & Clyde with such ease. It’s an absolute delight to hear the pair back together again, both had such good chemistry on the television series, and nothing has changed in the 12 years since.

Destination Wedding by James Goss

Synopsis:

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?

Destination Wedding explores just how far a person will go, to have it all.

Imagine the wedding of your dreams, a luxury Caribbean private island, all your favourite celebrities, and your jaw-dropping spouse-to-be. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it can be all yours for only a small price to pay… serving up half the guests as a tasty snack!

Right off the bat, I have to say just how Blooming Lovely it is to hear Mina Anwar return as Gita Chandra. (I had to do it; I have no regrets)

The ever-so-bubbly florist with a knack for being captured is a favourite amongst fans and it’s an absolute joy to hear Gita and Rani together again. The actors bounce so well off one another that the ‘on-screen’ mother and daughter chemistry they share, feels so authentic. This isn’t hard to understand upon listening to the stories behind the scenes, where Mina Anwar and Anjli Mohindra share a touching catch-up in which Anwar expresses how even though the pair may not have seen each other in some time, it’s been lovely to “watch all the wonderful things” Anjli has done since their time on The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Favourite quote: “My famous daughter, who I’m very proud of on her own terms… If she’ll pass me more prawns”. 

You can tell that writer; James Goss had an absolute blast name-dropping what seemed to be every celebrity under the sun. That being said, the Big Finish veteran has written a wonderfully fun and lightweight adventure, with notes of darker themes woven in, such as Rani’s insecurities on how she’s doing in life, as Goss says himself “sometimes, even the most happy and brilliant people, forget just how happy and brilliant they are”.

The Witching Tree by Lizzie Hopley 

Synopsis: 

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… 

Things take a spookier turn in Lizzie Hopleys’ The Witching Tree. After receiving a tip from a very secret source, Rani starts investigating the titular restaurant, speaking with the staff and the owners, all of whom seem rather hazy about the details regarding the ‘haunted’ tree. In a bid to silence the naysayers of her award-winning podcast, (Mike Gethin from Stockport, I’m looking at you!) Rani decides to record an all-access, behind-the-scenes account of her findings.

It’s not long before the seemingly supernatural forces surrounding the tree start to affect our heroine, causing an inability to leave the town, short-term memory loss and recordings of a possessed Rani chanting a mysterious series of codes. Sensing that Rani’s in too deep, best friend and producer Samira and ‘top secret’ source Tyler Steele (a great name, if I do say so myself) call on Clyde Langer for help.

The conclusion to this story is in equal parts funny and heart-breaking. I love that pineapple is the key ingredient to saving the day as it feels incredibly Sarah Jane Adventures, but the revelation that Clyde’s girlfriend Phoenix, isn’t in fact pregnant with Clyde’s child, but has been lying and manipulating him from the start is soul crushing. I have never felt more emotion for Clyde Langer, than in this moment.

Overall, Hopleys’ The Witching Tree is a beautifully written piece that mixes the maturity level perfectly, something which was done so well in the main television series. The standout performance for me was Daniel Anthony. His ability to convey a heart-broken performance while remaining the cheeky chappie we all know and love, was excellent and even had me misty-eyed at one point!

Favourite Quote: “Clyde, what are you doing? Lobbing pineapple at a tree, join me, won’t you?”

My one caveat is the hope that going forward, Clyde’s heartbreak isn’t swept under the rug. After such a life-shattering bombshell, he would need time to process and heal, it would be quite jarring as a listener to hear nothing more said than an occasional comment on it.

In Closing

I keep reminding myself I need to give a balanced review, however, in my opinion, there is not a single thing I can negatively say about this boxset. From start to finish, Beyond Bannerman Road has been a joy to listen to. Every story hits the nail on the head from perfect performances from the cast and fresh storytelling with just the right amount of nostalgia without overindulgence, to the brilliant sound design and music throughout from Naomi Clarke and Sam Watts respectively. Speaking of, getting original SJA composer Sam Watts back for this, was a lovely touch.

Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road is easily my favourite Big Finish release of 2023. I can confidently see this series running for many years to come. With original cast members seemingly very happy to return to their roles, (watch the release day trailer here for a surprise announcement for the next box set) I would love to see some of the original SJA writers pen future episodes too. Maybe even one written by Russell T Davies himself? (something tells me he might be quite busy at the moment though..)

10/10

Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannerman Road is out now, priced from £16.99 on the Big Finish website.

What did you think of Beyond Bannerman Road? Did you agree with my thoughts? Let me know in the comments section below. Alternatively, join our free Big Blue Box Podcast Discord Server where we discuss all things Doctor Who Related on a daily basis.