Liz Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) is dead.

[NecronLord]

BBC

Posted without substantial comment. It seems like there shall be no season five of the Sarah Jane Smith adventures after all.

The universe seems that little darker now.

[Crazedwraith]

Damn.

[Serafina]

Aww, i liked her It's always the good ones that have to go.
My condolences to her family, friends and loved ones.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Damn, I never even knew she was ill.

Well that sucks

She was one of my favourite companions as well, and I will shamelessly admit to watching SJA avidly despite being 16-19 when it was on.

[Night_stalker]

What a shame. Britain has truly lost one of it's finest actress's.

Requiescat in pace, Elisabeth. May you travel on with William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee around time and Space with the TARDIS for all of eternity.

[Patrick Degan]

I had no idea that she was ill. None. They kept that one very close to the vest. Obviously, she decided to keep working for as long as she could rather than go through treatments that might not have extended her life that much and would have wasted her away, instead to make the most of the time she had left.

Sarah-Jane is gone.

Damn.

And Tom Baker gets to bury another friend. This one's going to hit him hard.

[Srelex]

Holy shit...I also had no idea she had any problems. RIP.

[Gurachn]

That absolutely sucks.
I liked her a lot.

[LadyTevar]

Shew as the first companion I ever knew. A great lady has passed.

[Iroscato]

I just got an email from my dad...he had a huge crush on her in the 70s...
I'm in shock. She had cancer?
She was a legend, I thought she was an amazing actress. She died on my birthday...
RIP, Elizabeth Sladen. You were a true great.

[FaxModem1]

Damn, I never saw her stuff from the 80s, but I loved her in the new show and on SJA.

[dworkin]

...

[Iroscato]

Christ, I actually just cried a little...
I wonder how DWM will cover her passing.

[Big Orange]

Fucking hell, I want to throw up.

I was less shocked about Pete Postlethwaite dying after seeing him not looking too good in The Town, eighty somethings such as Leslie Nielsen and Nicholas Courtney passing away is sad but more expected, but a late middle aged Elizabeth Sladen who still seemed quite sprightly and not so old playing Sarah Jane Smith in recent years just passing away feels like it's in the same random, left-field WTF territory as Heath Ledger dying.

[Iroscato]

Fucking hell, I want to throw up.

I was less shocked about Pete Postlethwaite dying after seeing him not looking too good in The Town, eighty somethings such as Leslie Nielsen and Nicholas Courtney passing away is sad but more expected, but a late middle aged Elizabeth Sladen who still seemed quite sprightly and not so old playing Sarah Jane Smith in recent years just passing away feels like it's in the same random, left-field WTF territory as Heath Ledger dying.

I agree, I think the fact that she was midway through filming SJA, and seemed to have the energy of a woman in her 40's, intensified it for me. She was a big part of Doctor Who's DNA, which was mostly why I held her in such high regard.
Postlethwaite, Nielsen, Taylor, Gough, now Sladen...mankind has lost some truly brilliant actors in the last few months.

[Hillary]

I just echo everyone's comments. She was the first companion I remember and was a large part of my growing up. All a bit of a shock and extremely sad.

[Big Orange]

I agree, I think the fact that she was midway through filming SJA, and seemed to have the energy of a woman in her 40's, intensified it for me.(

Yeah, Sladen's enthusiasm and not coming across as doddery convinced me into assuming that Sladen could carry on with her Sarah Jane Smith role for two more decades easily, passing away at a similar age to Michael Gough, dying at 93 and not at the comparatively truncated age of 63. Elizabeth Taylor died at 79, but then considering having poor health in her youth and not exactly having a quiet life, it was amazing she lived that long and the same could easily go for Dennis Hopper.

Here's a phone interview by RTD - say what you will about Davies, but it was a very good call having her back and I assume that the completed S5 episodes of TSJA wouldn't be just be pissed up the wall, just that they should be broadcast with respect and then tied up with a final tribute.

[mr friendly guy]

Sarah Jane Smith was the first Doctor Who companion I became familiar with. I have among my memorabilia a photograph of her and Tom Baker from the Seeds of Death autographed by Baker. I had no idea she was so ill.

Like those who have gone before you, Liz Sladen is now truly with the Time Lords.

[DaveJB]

I remember when Journey's End was broadcast, Sladen said in an interview that she felt that story would be the last time she would meet the Doctor. If she knew as far back as that interview that she was terminally ill, then she demonstrated an extraordinary level of courage in continuing to work until her final days. Either way, a terrible loss.

Here's a phone interview by RTD - say what you will about Davies, but it was a very good call having her back and I assume that the completed S5 episodes of TSJA wouldn't be just be pissed up the wall, just that they should be broadcast with respect and then tied up with a final tribute.

It really depends what her family wants. If her husband and daughter decide they'd rather not have the remaining episodes shown, then I'm sure the BBC would lock the master tapes away in one of their vaults, never to be seen again.

[Broomstick]

Sladen and Baker were my introduction to Dr. Who and while I've come to enjoy the other Doctors and companions in many ways those two are the yardstick I compare the others to.

Had no idea she was ill, but good for her for continuing to live her life as long as she could.

She will be missed.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Shew as the first companion I ever knew. A great lady has passed.

Mine too, damn, I loved Sarah Jane...

[Broomstick]

[Anguirus]

I've only seen one Sarah Jane episode (the first time she appeared on the new Who) but damn, did she make an impact on me in that story. I'm quite shocked and upset. RIP.

[Iroscato]

That K-9 picture was so sad.
I hope in series 7 of Doctor Who, she gets some kind of real mention, maybe an episode where the Doctor attends Sarah-Jane's funeral. If they got it right, I'd be a tearful mess for the next few hours.

[Serafina]

*snip image*]

Damn, that made my cry a little
Well, i'll honor her by watching her re-debut episode and her show over the next few days. Oh, and she deserves a salute no matter how much she might dislike it.