J is for... Jackson, Alan

 

Father of Maria Jackson, who became a companion to Sarah Jane Smith some years after she had left the TARDIS. Alan had split from his wife, Chrissie, and he and daughter Maria moved into a house across the road from where Sarah lived. Alan's attempts to make friends with Sarah were met with a cold shoulder, initially. Maria became involved in Sarah's work with aliens after seeing strange lights at night coming from Sarah's garden, witnessing her communing with an alien being. Alan was later taken over by the Bane after drinking their Bubbleshock drink. Sarah and her computer, Mr Smith, invented a cover story to explain this away. It was decided that Sarah and Maria's activities would be kept secret from Alan. 

Alan worked as a computer consultant. When Maria started at her new school she reported strange phenomena around the new science block. Sarah approached Alan as he had worked on a similar new school building where the same phenomena had been noted. It transpired that these buildings were the work of the Slitheen, who wanted revenge for the destruction of most of their family by the Doctor in Downing Street. 

Later, Alan was accidentally turned to stone by an alien Gorgon, who had come to kill Sarah. Chrissie was convinced that Sarah was obsessed with Alan, and had made a statue of him. He was turned back to flesh and blood, with no memory of what had happened.

When the evil Trickster attempted to remove Sarah from history, Maria' memories of her were protected by an alien artefact. This later came into Alan's possession when Maria was removed from time, meaning only he could remember her. He captured the Trickster's Graske servant and learned the truth about what was going on. After the Trickster had been defeated and Sarah and Maria returned, Alan entered Sarah's attic and learned all about her encounters with aliens.

He insisted she stop seeing Sarah, Luke and Clyde, and even made efforts to move away from the area.

However, when the Slitheen threatened the Earth once again, Sarah had to call on his computer skills to help save the planet. After this, he became more accepting of what Maria and Sarah were doing.

Alan and Maria were on holiday in Cornwall when the Earth was stolen by the Daleks and moved across space to the Medusa Cascade, and so were not around to help Sarah and Luke.

However, soon after this Alan was offered a new job in the United States, which he could not turn down. There was one last adventure against a lone Sontaran, during which Chrissie also learned about her daughter's activities, before he and Maria emigrated.

When Clyde fell under the malign influence of his estranged father, who himself had become possessed by a Berserker artefact, Alan was able to assist remotely from the States.

Played by: Joseph Millson. Appearances: SJA Pilot Invasion of the Bane (2007), SJA Series 1 (2007), SJA 2.1 The Last Sontaran, SJA 2.4 Mark of the Berserker (2008).