Luke is coming home from college, and it’ll be the first time he’s met Sky since Sarah adopted her. Sarah’s been invited to a sneak preview of the soon-to-be-launched SerfBoard personal computer, and takes Luke and Sky with her so they can get to know each other. But both of them notice something else: Serf “glitches,” a telltale sign of a hologram. Sarah manages to land an exclusive interview with Serf, and begins asking awkward questions, producing the expected result: whoever is controlling the hologram of Serf can’t keep up with the unusual line of questioning. But Serf isn’t the real threat, and he’s not in charge of Serf Systems. Who’s pulling the strings, and what secrets lie inside the SerfBoard that’ll soon be in the hands of millions?
written by Gareth Roberts
directed by Joss Agnew
music by Sam & Dan WattsCast: Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Sinead Michael (Sky), James
Dreyfus (Harrison), Mark Aiken (Serf), Edyta Budnik (Adriana), Peter Bowles (Lionel Carson), Dan Starkey (Plark), Alexander Armstrong (Mr. Smith)
Notes: While Serf’s name is a play on Vint Cerf, one of the computer scientists instrumental in the creation and development of the internet, the character of Serf seems to be largely based on Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, who died mere days before this story’s premiere. (The iPad-like SerfBoard and its carefully orchestrated PR rollout are also storngly reminiscent of Jobs’ meticulously stage-managed 2010 introduction of the iPad, and the jab at Serf’s payment and treatment of its labor force is also clearly aimed at Apple.) Serf is played by Irish-born actor Mark Aiken, who’s been busy on both sides of the Atlantic, appearing in 24, Charmed, Alias, CSI and MI-5.
LogBook entry by Earl Green