So I'm a convert

The fan buzz is that the "Sarah Jane Adventures", while a kid's show, is still superior in writing and acting to "Torchwood".

I'm inclined to agree.

Mind you, that's not saying much. The acting in "Torchwood" is pretty horrible. The writing is even worse. "Torchwood" is a show that squandered an incredible amount of potential to make a mediocre product.

The "Sarah Jane Adventures", however... I have to admit, I was surprised. I wasn't expecting much. I was a fan of Sarah Jane Smith in her tenure with the third and fourth Doctors. She was always the classiest of the Doctor's companions.

Okay, I had a mad crush on Leela. Most Dr. Who fanboys did. Let's get past that.

Sarah Jane was just always an interesting "everybody" character. She was startled by the weird stuff but always kept that British mannerism of controlling the fear that I found kind of awesome.

That said, I figured her in a kids show... that can't be good.

To be fair, I've only seen the first episode. It was campy, hokey, and a little silly. The main villain was Samantha Bond (Moneypenny from Brosnan's 007 run) who played it up in classic "Who" style.

They went kind of crazy with the "Sonic Lipstick" and the various alien doodads that Sarah Jane had strewn about her house. I mean, c'mon... now she's "Torchwood: Suburbia"? "UNIT Junior"?

Still, it was overall remarkably well-done. The freshman episode was superior to "Torchwood" and the revived "Dr. Who", in my humble opinion.

And I appreciated the subtle fanservice they added. Not just K-9's cameo, but the names listed at the end. Props to the reference to the old UNIT crew.