-Tony! - Sorry.
-Get a move on, Tony. -I can't find it.
Who's there?
Tony!
Tony! Tony! Tony!
Tony!
Stu? Finney? Is that you?
How are you? How's everything back home?
It seems like only yesterday I was saying goodbye.
Time flies when you're having fun. I miss you all so much.
There are worse things than aliens.
These children going missing, it's terrible.
How is she? Does she like Washington?
She says it's awesome.
It sounds like Maria's going to fit in perfectly.
Sounds like it.
Luke, I know it's hard when a really good friend,
someone you really care about, moves out of your life,
but you'll see her again.
She's coming back for her mum's wedding.
-We'll all meet up then. -It won't be the same.
Maybe not, but that's not always so bad.
One of the best things about life is it's always surprising us.
Morning. This is Clyde Langer reporting live from Bannerman Road,
where at this precise moment there's a family moving in at number 36.
They've no idea what they're moving in over the road from.
They're never going to find out.
Promise me you'll never breathe a word about what we do.
-Mr. Smith, any of it. -Why would we?
It's not like it's Maria, is it?
-Come on, we're going to be late. -Yeah, sure.
We won't say anything.
We'd better hope Maria never left anything lying around.
-What do you mean? -We've been hanging out
with some pretty random intergalactic sorts.
Who knows what might have rubbed off and still be over there?
-I did not fancy Maria. -Boy, I taught you well, didn't I?
'Course I miss her. But people move on, Luke.
-Ask my mum and dad. -I've never lost anyone before.
It's not going to be the same without her.
I mean, who am I going to have to save from Sontarans,
the Slitheen and Gorgons now?
Hey! Watch where you're...
-Don't mention it. It's no problem. -Sorry.
-I'm looking for Mr. Cunningham's form. -That's our class.
-I start today. -And you run into me.
-Now that's what I call a start. -Yeah.
Like starting the 1 00 meters and tripping over your laces.
This is Clyde. He thinks he's cool.
-I'm Luke. -Who isn't.
Rani. My family just moved into Bannerman Road.
-Bannerman Road? -Of course. Where else?
Sarah Jane's right. The universe never stops weirding you out.
-Sarah who? -Never mind. I'll take you to class.
-Did you just see that? -See what?
Never mind. Come on, I'd better not be late.
The football team has been knocked out
of the Inter-Schools Challenge by West Hill
after a 4-0 mauling last night.
Yeah, settle down. We're looking for better news
in the National Schools Science Challenge.
Anybody who wants to sign up should see Miss Webster.
I'll be expecting to see your name on the list, Luke.
Lukey! Lukey!
-You're a brain box then? -They haven't got a box big enough.
That's enough! Silence, the lot of you!
This is a classroom, not Stamford Bridge.
Class, this is Mr. Chandra, our new head.
This is a school,
my school,
and you come here to learn, not to play about.
You, boy! Sit up straight and pay attention!
And that goes for all of you. I know it's been a while
since your last headteacher disappeared,
and it looks like standards around here vanished with him.
But, listen up,
Park Vale has a new captain on the bridge now.
I'm getting a very serious sinking feeling.
I'm a fair captain, but, believe me, I run a very tight ship.
Aye, aye, Skipper.
-Ah, the joker in the pack. -I do my best.
Well, Clyde Langer, I hope your classwork is as sharp as your wit.
-It takes brains to be this funny. -No, Langer.
It takes brains to know when to shut up and listen.
Now, a third child has gone missing.
I'm speaking to all classes today, reminding you all to be careful
and, just as importantly, telling you all
that if you see anything or anyone suspicious,
to tell the police immediately.
-Yes? Hello? -Hello. I live over the road.
Thought maybe you hadn't time to find the kettle.
Oh, tell me, do you save the world every day,
or is it just on Mondays? Come on in, come in.
Sorry it's such a state. I had a plan, a list, you know,
what was what and where it was going.
But then you have to go and use removal men, don't you?
And, frankly, you might as well give in to chaos.
-Oh, I'm Gita, by the way. -Sarah Jane.
-I'm very pleased to meet you, Sarah. -Jane.
-Shall I see if I can find some cups? -Perfect.
That's your house, is it? The big one right opposite?
Yes.
-Do you have kids, Sarah? -Sarah Jane.
-All clear. -Sorry?
Just my son, Luke. Just the two of us.
We've got a girl. Rani. She's very clever.
What were the last people like that lived in our house?
Mr. Jackson and his daughter?
-Nice. I miss Maria. -Oh, yeah?
I mean, we were friends. Maria, Clyde and me.
-We can be friends. -Yeah. It wouldn't be the same.
-Oh. Sorry, I suggested it. -No. I didn't mean it like that.
I can't explain. Inter-personal relationships
is something I haven't mastered yet.
I hope you don't mind me telling you,
you do know you're a bit weird, don't you?
I think you're all right. Just a bit strange.
I'm not strange, I'm just different.
-There's a difference. -Yeah. I suppose.
These kids going missing, that is weird.
Three in two weeks. The police just don't have a clue.
Don't worry. Statistically the chances of you
-being abducted are extremely remote. -I'm not worried.
I'm interested, that's all. It's weird.
I'm into weird.
Have you ever seen anything strange? Around the school?
Like what?
Langer! My office. Now!
So what do you do for a living, Sarah?
-I'm a freelance journalist. -Ajournalist?
My Rani wants to be a journalist. What a coincidence.
She could come round? You could give her some tips.
My work tends to be rather specialized. And I'm very busy.
I really should be getting on now.
She'll be excited. And she and Luke are bound to be friends.
You'll love her. She's very curious.
Wants to know everything about everybody.
Does she? Oh, good.
He's still got you here? But it was an accident.
Yeah, we didn't exactly hit it off from the start.
I think Mr. Chandra's jealous of my popularity.
Your trouble is you don't know when to lay off.
Yeah. Being funny is a curse.
It's like me and the Wolfman,
life's just one big, shaggy dog story.
I need some stuff for art club.
Dave? Finney, are you in there?
Finney, are you messing me around?
Hey!
-What are you? -All I want to do
is give you a balloon.
Langer! I've been looking for you.
Why aren't you outside my office?
-A clown? -That's what I saw.
If I'm making this up, tell me, where is Finney, I mean, Dave?
He's been kidnapped by a clown from the cupboard.
I don't know what sort of game you're playing.
This isn't the way to make an impression on me.
-I should've kept my mouth shut. -Children are disappearing
and that's something to joke about?
You told us, if we see anything suspicious to sing out. I am.
Look, I tell jokes, not lies, sir.
David Finn has probably bunked off early.
He wouldn't. Ask anyone.
How come no one else has seen this clown?
Not even our CCTV cameras?
I knew I was wasting my time talking to you.
You're never going to believe me.
It's a good thing there's someone else who will.
-So you think we should tell Mum? -What do you think?
Mr. Chandra's called the police,
but they're not going to be looking for a clown
-that comes out of a mirror. -Did you tell him that part?
What am I? Mr. Thicko from Thicksville? 'Course I didn't.
But we know aliens have nabbed kids before.
-Do you remember Kudlak? -Yes.
Aliens. That was a clown.
Why would an alien dress as a clown?
So you don't believe me. Thanks a lot.
-I do believe you. I don't understand. -There's a first.
-There it is! -Where?
Come on!
He's there! Come on.
-Where is he? -Search me.
But he was here. Look.
-Don't touch it! -Why?
I don't know why. Just don't!
-But you didn't tell anyone? -What am I supposed to say,
"Mum and Dad, I don't want to worry you,
"but I'm seeing clowns that no one else can see?"
-Why not? -Do you want them to get me locked up?
-Why would they do that? -What planet is he from?
Oh, Earth. Mostly.
You're so funny, Clyde. No wonder, the headteacher loves you.
Look, Rani, whatever this clown thing is,
I think we should leave it to the police.
They don't even believe it exists.
He's right. It's nothing to do with us.
There's something happening that doesn't make sense.
You ignore it as it doesn't go with your mp3 player
or your designer trainers, but I can't.
-I've got to know what's going on. -Sarah Jane's going to love this one.
There's something I've got to tell you.
Something about me you ought to know.
You're from another planet. I already guessed.
Clyde, it's worse than that...
No. Please tell me there's a good reason
why our new head just pulled up
that doesn't involve the word "dad".
He's all right. It's just his job.
That's what they said about Doctor Frankenstein.
-Rani. -Hi, Dad.
Haresh! Don't worry, there's still plenty of boxes for you to open.
How was your first day at school?
Did your dad go all Captain Bligh again?
I do not go Captain Bligh.
Yeah, just a bit. This is Luke and Clyde.
-Luke Smith. Pleased to meet you. -Luke Smith?
He's my son. I'm Sarah Jane Smith.
I've been looking at his results for the past year.
Very impressive. Remarkable, in fact.
Yes, well, he's very gifted.
-Sarah's a journalist. -For real?
I'm really interested in becoming a reporter.
-Maybe I can come over some time? -I really am rather busy.
Clyde Langer, the joker in the pack, apparently.
Oh, and I see clowns that don't exist.
Of course your headteacher was never going to believe you.
Nor would the police. Children don't vanish out of closed rooms.
-They think it's impossible. -But what about the clown?
If it's an alien taking these kids, a clown disguise isn't low-profile.
It might know that kids like clowns.
-They always gave me nightmares. -Clourophobia, fear of clowns.
-Johnny Depp has it. -What encyclopedia
-did you find that in? -Heat.
We need to talk to someone close to the missing boy.
His parents will be busy with the police.
What about his friends?
They'll be at football training.
What about Rani? She's seen the clown.
-I don't want her involved. -She's determined
to find out what's going on. She's in danger.
You're right. Someone should keep an eye on her.
-I'll do that. -I don't think her dad
would let you go anywhere near her.
It looks as if the boy disappeared like the others.
His poor parents must be going out of their minds.
Makes me ill, just thinking about it.
-You watch yourself, won't you, Rani? -She'll be fine,
if she stays away from that Langer boy.
David Finn is one of Clyde's best friends. He wasn't making it up.
Clyde saw a clown. Why would he lie?
I don't know. But a clown, it's ridiculous.
I should let the police take a look at Finn's books.
There's a chance that something was worrying him
and he ran away. If so, there may be a clue.
Before that, you can help me move the bed.
The removal men didn't listen to a word I said.
-And they got out alive? -Come on, I'll show you.
No. You're not there.
Rani, you've got a visitor.
Thought you might need a hand unpacking.
My dad says journalists are scum.
They're like crows picking at roadkill.
I guess he only buys a newspaper to look at the pictures then.
Come on, she's trying to help find Finney.
-I don't know anything. -Had he been acting strangely recently?
-Not that I saw. -What about clowns?
Did he ever say anything about clowns?
No. Hang on.
There was this clown handing out tickets by the station.
Oi, take a hike, Krusty.
Tony Warner, the boy that went missing in the park,
-he took a ticket, as well? -Yeah.
But they were just tickets from a clown.
-It doesn't mean anything. -What were the tickets for?
Just a minute. I'd forgotten all about this.
My mum picked it up for me at the shops.
Spellman's Magical Museum of the Circus.
Like I'd want to go.
It was in the kitchen, Luke. It's getting closer to me.
Don't worry, it's gone now.
There's more. Look at this.
Dad's taking Finney's books to the police.
They're looking for clues, but I don't think they'll be looking
-for size 20 footprints. -If they take this seriously,
there might not be anything they can do.
This isn't natural. It's supernatural!
-I doubt it's supernatural. -You've got a closed mind!
It's only science we don't know yet,
-like life on other planets. -That's different.
I've got to do something. Look at those pictures.
Finney was seeing the clown the same as I am.
"Spellman's Magical Museum of the Circus"?
People were handing these out by the Tube.
-I think you should talk to my mum. -I can't talk to anyone.
You haven't seen the clown.
I think only kids that get one of these can see it.
-And then they disappear! -Clyde saw it.
-Then he must have a ticket. -Mum understands things like this.
No one understands things like this.
But this ticket, it's got to be a clue. Are you coming?
Welcome to the Circus of Horrors.
Occasionally your sense of humor really leaves something to be desired.
Who said I was joking? Are you all right?
Clowns make my skin crawl.
Come on.
Museums don't normally creep me out,
all those stuffed animals, old bones and mummies,
but this place doesn't just take the biscuit,
this place gets the whole Christmas tin.
Welcome, welcome
to Spellman's Magical Museum of the Circus
and the story of the most wondrous family entertainment in the world.
From the tumblers and jugglers of Ancient Rome
to the father of the modern circus.
Believe it or not,
a sergeant-major in the 1 5th Light Dragoons.
-Mr. Spellman, I presume. -Elijah Spellman at your service.
My name is Sarah Jane Smith. I'm a journalist.
This is my friend, Clyde.
-We're here to talk to you about clowns. -Ah.
The princes of the sawdust ring! This way, please.
Mankind has always needed someone to make them laugh,
slave or king.
Can you do me a favor and drop a note to my headteacher?
The Pharaohs had fools, so did the Native Americans.
We had harlequins.
And in the Middle Ages, the jester.
It's not the clown's showbiz history that I'm interested in
but their reputation for scaring people.
The fear of the painted smile.
It's not as simple as that.
They used to paint clowns on children's wards,
but, when they were asked, every child said
the pictures scared them. Children sense things. I know.
-Come on! -I don't think we should be doing this.
Okay. We won't. I'll go in on my own.
Sarah Jane, look at this.
The same colors as the clown I saw.
-Red, yellow and blue. -This isn't a clown.
This is the Pied Piper. The story goes
he rid Hamelin of its plague of rats,
then when the town refused to pay him,
he came back and took all their children.
The oldest and most accurate picture of the Pied Piper.
The colors of his costume signify
he was a traveling entertainer, but I'm afraid,
even clowns have their dark days.
And that's exactly the sort of clown I'm interested in.
-One that makes children disappear. -But that was a fairy tale.
Myths, legends, fairy tales. Every story has its inspiration.
-Mr. Spellman? -Where did he go?
I don't know. We should get out of here, too.
-Come on! Luke! -Mum!
-What are you doing here? -What are we doing here?
-What are you doing here? -I stayed with her.
Am I missing something?
-And keep her out of the action. -What action?
-What's happening? - They're moving!
- Something's animating the clowns. -SARAH JANE: Look out, all of you.
-They're alive! -Run!
-What happened to Spellman? -He's controlling them.
I think they're like puppets, probably under some
-telekinetic control. -Walking puppets?
-Telekinetic control? -He's controlling them with his mind.
-I know what it means. Who's Spellman? -Probably an alien.
Stand back.
-What was that? -Sonic lipstick.
Never leave home without it. I've seized up their joints.
Should hold them up while we get out of here.
-Aliens. Luke said aliens. -Actually, he said alien.
And it will still be around here somewhere. Come on.
There's no time for explanations.
She's right. And from what I've seen,
one alien can be as much trouble as a whole invasion.
Come on.
-He's sealed the doors. -Telekinesis.
The same way he animated the clown mannequins.
Whatever we're dealing with here, it's powerful.
-What did I tell you? -It's got us trapped!
-No. It just thinks it has. -Oh, no, Miss Smith,
-I'm convinced of it. -Are you really an alien?
Stay back. Leave this to me. Who are you?
-And what do you want? -Who am I?
I am the Pied Piper,
who conjured away a whole town's infants
and has chilled the hearts of parents
for more than seven centuries.
And now I am Odd Bob the Clown,
who snatches children in the heartbeat their mother's back is turned.
I am the thing that lives in the darkest corners.
I am all these things and more.
I am all that you fear the most.
And you are mine to feed on!
Mum, I think you have to tell her everything.
-I want to know the truth. -This is a Vorgatt
-defense field emitter. -Morning.
I'm going to find out what you are, Odd Bob.
We're only scared of what we don't understand.
I will chill the blood of a nation.
And millions will shudder,
sleepless with a bone-gnawing fear.
-Help! -No!