RIP Elisabeth Sladen, 1948 – 2011
The first Doctor Who episodes I saw featured Tom Baker (fourth Doctor) and his companion, Sarah Jane Smith, played by a very young Elisabeth Sladen. Many more Doctors and companions have followed in their shoes over the decades, but Sarah Jane was always a favourite.
One of my favourite episodes from the new series of Doctor Who (“NuWho”) was School Reunion, which featured a previous companion, Sarah Jane, meeting the Doctor and his current companion, Rose (played by Billie Piper). An older, wiser Sarah Jane compares notes with Rose about their travels with the Doctor: initially competitive and then softening to laughing about the Doctor’s antics. It was wonderful to see the delightful person Sarah Jane grew into.
And now that delightful woman, who has touched so many generations of Doctor Who fans, has passed away. Arwenae, a commentor on the BBC article on the passing of Elisabeth Sladen, summarized the outpouring of love from Twitter steams, Facebook pages, and comments on articles: “It feels as though the internet is crying.”
We will not forget you, Sarah Jane Smith or Elisabeth Sladen.