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Doctor Who's Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane) Dies at 63

Posted by timothy on from the lifetime-pass dept.

Doofus writes "NPR reports that Elisabeth Sladen, who played the Doctor's assistant Sarah Jane, has died at 63. Sladen played opposite Jon Pertwee and then Tom Baker, and eventually earned her own show. BBC stories here, including a picture with K9, and here."

17 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Good Bye Sarah Jane by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Way before her time. She will be missed!

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    1. Re:Good Bye Sarah Jane by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      She will be missed indeed. I was very suprised at how much this saddened me. She was but one actor in such a long running show, and yet it is amazing how her character's impact is still felt today (at least for me). I think it was because she was on for so long, and because she had such a warm connection with the Doctor. You could tell they cared for each other, more than with other companions (and without all the stupid sexual angst that the modern series displays).

      When she reprised her role in the modern series, it was such a delight to see her again; it was like seeing an old friend. It was nice that this feeling was also displayed by the Doctor, who referred to her fondly as "my Sarah Jane".

      I have been watching The Sarah Jane Adventures recently. A lot of the stories are understandably juvenile, but there have been some in the later seasons that really quite good. I still haven't finished watching the show, but it is going to be very sad to do so knowing that Elisabeth Sladen has passed away. I hope that this last season has a fitting finale with which to bid her goodbye.

    2. Re:Good Bye Sarah Jane by Ciggy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Perhaps like me she would have been one of the first (most likely the first) assistants you remembered as I started watching Dr Who in the early '70s.

      Even after watching later, and pre (on video), incarnations of Dr Who, Jon Pertwee + Elizabeth Sladen will always be the doctor and his assistant to me.

      --

      A rose by any other name would smell as sweet;
      A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell
    3. Re:Good Bye Sarah Jane by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      My first would have been Liz Shaw, although she never had much impact for me. Jo Grant was a bigger hit with me as a kid because she was more familiar to me since she acted like a big kid. Plus I thought she was the hottest woman on TV at the time.

      But Sarah Jane was such a strong character, more forthright and proactive than the other two companions I had seen. She also was the first one (for me) to cross the border of regeneration. I think that the warmth of Tom Baker's Doctor may have coloured how I saw Sarah Jane. Perhaps they really weren't as close as I imagined; it is just that their relationship post-regeneration seemed friendlier.

    4. Re:Good Bye Sarah Jane by osu-neko · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm a bit shocked that she died so young (63!!)...

      Cancer sucks...

      --
      "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  2. What? by Laebshade · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who?

    1. Re:What? by bluemonq · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's The Doctor to you.

  3. Bad things Happen in 3's by supertrinko · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Brigadier, died in February. The Celestial Toymaker, died in March. Sarah Jane Smith, died in April. I hope it ends here.

    --
    If it rhymes it must be true.
    1. Re:Bad things Happen in 3's by iced_773 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Tom Baker's getting up there in years...God I hope it doesn't happen

    2. Re:Bad things Happen in 3's by Fractal+Dice · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You know you've been following a show for a long time when you start to tune in for the obituaries

      :_(

      Goodbye Sara Jane.

  4. Even in the new series... by ndogg · · Score: 4, Informative

    Even in the new series, she was awesome. She'll be sorely missed.

    Neil Gaiman tweeted about this video, and it seems apropos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1QgCx1CIaQ&feature=youtu.be

    --
    // file: mice.h
    #include "frickin_lasers.h"
    1. Re:Even in the new series... by RDW · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Tom Baker on the news:

      http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=159

      'Sarah Jane dead? No, impossible! Impossible. Only last week I agreed to do six new audio adventures with her for Big Finish Productions...She can't be dead. But she is: she died yesterday morning. Cancer. I had no idea she was ill; she was so private, never wanted any fuss, and now, gone. A terrible blow to her friends and a shattering blow for all those fans of the programme whose lives were touched every Saturday evening by her lovely heroic character, Sarah-Jane Smith.'

  5. K9 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    John Kovalich summed it up nicely: http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower942.gif

    1. Re:K9 by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 3, Informative

      Parent link really is worth the trouble to follow.

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  6. SORELY missed by Unka+Willbur · · Score: 4, Informative

    Like so many folks, she was my first "Doctor Who Girl" and I've had a crush on her all these years. I got to interview her in the early 80s and a nicer, kinder and more friendly person I have never met. A great actress and good person. She's the first celebrity whose death I have wept for in I don't know how long. She will be sorely missed and always remembered.

    --
    "Remember when I said I would never lie? Well, that was the first time."
  7. Culture by k2r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > Last time I check Slashdot wasn't some Hollywood gossip blog.

    1) What Hollywood? She wasn't American.
    2) Doctor Who is a cultural phenomenon most British and many internatonal readers of Slashdot grew up with. Hell, I was born in the year Elisabeth Sladen became the compagnon and though I'm not even British I know her.
    Slashdot is about culture and those things are part of geek culture.

  8. Re:WTF is this? by BluBrick · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hollywood?
    HOLLYWOOD?

    Gimme your Geek Card...


    NOW mister!

    --
    Ahh - My eye!
    The doctor said I'm not supposed to get Slashdot in it!