Elisabeth Sladen: 1948 - 2011

Hello. It is with great sadness that I tell you that Elisabeth Sladen, the extremely famous Doctor Who companion, has died after battling with cancer.
Sladen first appeared as Sarah Jane Smith in 1973. She was the companion to both the third and fourth Doctor. Eventually, she reunited with the tenth Doctor in the 2006 episode School Reunion. At that point, she also reunited with the metal dog K-9. In 2007, the Sarah Jane Adventures began in which Sarah Jane battled monsters on Earth with four children - Luke, Clyde, Maria and Rani. In the episodes, Sarah Jane and the children fought: Slitheen, the Bane, Gorgons, the Trickster, Sontarans, Androvax, the Shansheeth and even the Mona Lisa herself. The fifth series of SJA was in progress and it is undecided whether the series will be continued.

The controller of CBBC, Damian Kavanagh, said last night:

 

“I’m deeply saddened and shocked by the news of Lis’ untimely death. Lis brought joy, excitement and a sense of wonder to her many fans in her role as Sarah Jane Smith. She was adored by our young audience and I know all of them will miss her as much as I will.”

The SJA creator, Russel T Davies, said:

I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis.”

Head Writer and Executive Producer of Doctor Who Steven Moffat said:

“‘Never meet your heroes’ wise people say. They weren’t thinking of Lis Sladen.
Sarah Jane Smith was everybody’s hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories. But many years later, when I met the real Sarah Jane – Lis Sladen herself – she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever; and a ferociously talented actress, of course, but in that perfectly English unassuming way.
There are a blessed few who can carry a whole television show on their talent and charisma – but I can’t think of one other who’s done it quite so politely. I once showed my son Joshua an old episode of Doctor Who, in which Lis appeared. “But that’s Sarah Jane,” he said, confused “In old Doctor Who. From years ago. How come she always look exactly the same?” It’s not a comfort today, of course, but children will still be saying that fifty years from now.”

It's coincidental how Elisabeth Sladen died just months after the Doctor's other companion the Brigadier (played by Nicholas Courtney) died.

R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen - you shall be missed.