Liz Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) Dies

[Spectral Morn]

Just heard the news that Liz Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith during Jon Pertwee's and Tom Baker's period of DR who has died from cancer :(

She was my fave companion/assistant.

I think Tom Baker's tribute here says it all.

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


Regards D S D L

[MartinT]

That news made me sad. She seemed to be playing her role for CBBC until quite recently.

[Spectral Morn]

That news made me sad. She seemed to be playing her role for CBBC until quite recently.

Yes she seems to have been working right up to the very end and was not letting anyone (bar her family) know how ill she was.


Regards D S D L

[Barry]

Hi Neil,

Yes, I too read that. Though I lost interest in 'Doctor Who' during John Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor (the nadir of that programme in my opinion), I did enjoy her re-appearence with David Tennent (and K-9).

A sad loss. And as had been said, a brave and courageous woman for working until the very end.

She will be sadly missed by many.

Regards

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,

Yes, I too read that. Though I lost interest in 'Doctor Who' during John Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor (the nadir of that programme in my opinion), I did enjoy her re-appearence with David Tennent (and K-9).

A sad loss. And as had been said, a brave and courageous woman for working until the very end.

She will be sadly missed by many.

Regards

For me it was when Tom Baker left but the Jon Pertwee period is my fave. After Tom Baker it became mostly a joke with the odd good story.

I agree re Liz's private battle.....very brave indeed.


Regards D S D L

[lurcher]

http://www.dorktower.com/images/comics/DorkTower942.gif

[Jac Hawk]

you can tell we are all in our 40' and 50's as Jon Pertwee was my favorite too, i remember hiding behind the sofa at my grandparents house, i used to go there every Saturday as i recall, anyway for me he was the best Doctor and Sarah Jane was the best assistant by a country mile, i was shocked to hear this morning that lis sladen had died, very sad indeed.

[Marco]

Very sorry to hear that Liz Sladen has died - and such a shock, as (like others) I had no idea whatsoever she was so ill. It's truly amazing she managed to continue working at such a demanding level almost right up to the end, which I guess was testament to the type of person she was...

She'll be sadly missed :(

As for who was the best Dr Who and assistant, yes I loved Jon Pertwee. However, for me, Tom Baker just edged it, as I enjoyed the rather maverick humour he brought to the role.

I was probably just a little too young then to fully appreciate the series when Jon Pertwee was the Doctor, as in those days the storylines were rather more adult orientated than they are now.

Tom Baker existed as Doctor Who mostly in the heart of 'my era', and was the longest serving in the role, too. The series he featured in lasted into my later teens in the early 80s (I was 16 when he left the role in 1981), serving up some of my all-time favourite episodes - many of which were very dark and truly scary (just my sort of thing)!

But, as far as assistants go, Sarah Jane Smith was without equal. She made the character she played so very believable and 'human'. May she rest in peace.

Marco.

[Barry]

you can tell we are all in our 40' and 50's as Jon Pertwee was my favorite too, i remember hiding behind the sofa at my grandparents house, i used to go there every Saturday as i recall, anyway for me he was the best Doctor and Sarah Jane was the best assistant by a country mile, i was shocked to hear this morning that lis sladen had died, very sad indeed.

I guess everyone's favourite Doctor is the one he grew up with. It's no secret that I saw the very first episode of Doctor Who, so William Hartnell was the Doctor for me. I put up with the "space hobo": Patrick Troughton (Yes, I thought the Cybermen were really scary) - but John Pertwee?

My recollections were, being punished by the Time Lords, Pertwee's Doctor was confined to the Earth and spent all his time 'trundling' round in an old 'crock' car and fighting foes in muddy, disused quarries. And there was the Brigadier (representing UNIT) ....! As I said, in my opinion, the low point in the series.

But we each love our 'own' Doctor.

Regards

[Marco]

I guess everyone's favourite Doctor is the one he grew up with.


Indeed. Rumour has it that you were first introduced to science fiction by John Logie Baird ;)


My recollections were, being punished by the Time Lords, Pertwee's Doctor was confined to the Earth and spent all his time 'trundling' round in an old 'crock' car and fighting foes in muddy, disused quarries.


Yep, which was one of the reasons why I preferred the Tom Baker series, as it was mostly filmed in 'dark (forboding) spaceships and planets', which I loved. My three all-time favourite Dr Who episodes are: 'The Robots of Death', 'The Ark in Space' and 'The Brain of Morbius' - oh and of course anything with Daleks and Cybermen!

The sea creatures were also a personal favourite of mine, and so I enjoyed all the episodes where they were featured.

Marco.

[Barry]

Indeed. Rumour has it that you were first introduced to science fiction by John Logie Baird

Respect Sir, have respect! I was introduced to science fiction by no less than M. Jules Verne and Mr. H. G. Wells (in person?) :lol:

[Marco]

LOL! Here's a trip down memory lane with Sarah Jane in one of my favourite episodes:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x95eyg_the-ark-in-space-part-1_shortfilms

Marco.

[John]

Yes really sad news and a really brave woman.
As for my favourite doctors I have two; Christoher Eccleston and Patrick Troughton
I like Patricks Troughton wit and thought the Christopher Eccleston version a bit more flawed by his history than others

[Pete The Cat]

Desperately sad news.

I'm for the Pertwee era. The Davidson and McCoy stuff felt like a travesty by comparison but to each...

Pete

[DSJR]

Sorry, started watching the show halfway through the first Dalek story (Dec 28 1963 from memory) so Hartnell and Troughton are by far "my" Doctors. I didn't "get" Jon Pertwee until decades later, but I love the first Sarah-Jane story (The Time Warrior iirc) and actually preferred some of the current SJA episodes to the 'Who ones being broadcast a couple of years ago..

Farewell Liz, and sincere thanks.