Doctor Who's Elisabeth Sladen dies aged 63 ~ Arden Forester

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Doctor Who's Elisabeth Sladen dies aged 63

10:59 pm Arden Forester 4 comments

Elisabeth Sladen

I've just seen this news pop up on the BBC tonight. Elisabeth Sladen, who was the star in the Doctor Who spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, has died aged 63. She originally appeared as Doctor Who assistant Sarah Jane Smith in the BBC television sci-fi series between 1973 and 1976, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. That part I remember. I haven't watch the Sarah Jane Adventures, but my children do. They will be shocked to hear the news.

Elisabeth Sladen, as Sarah Jane, had quite a following I understand. Her return to the role was well received by fans. She died of cancer. As one person comments on the BBC website "I worked with Elisabeth about 10 months ago on Sarah Jane. She must have been ill at the time, but worked like a pure professional." Cancer is well named. It strikes like a crab and moves seemingly indirectly. Sufferers may appear well but then have a rather quick decline on many occasions. I've witnessed that with relatives and am seeing such in a friend currently. That's why it is often a shock to hear of such deaths if one is not aware of the causes. Elisabeth Sladen leaves a portfolio of work which will no doubt provide entertainment for many years to come.

Posted in: BBC,Doctor Who,Elisabeth Sladen,Sarah Jane Adventures

4 comments:

Anonymous says:

11:10 am

I'm sorry, as I'm usually far more sympathetic with regard to a celebrity's passing, but I do not mourn for her at all. I feel that she, and/or her family, were most selfish in not telling the public that she was ill--for there are personal friends who will never get to say goodbye to her due to this. Pure selfishness is how I see it on her part. She didn't want the responsibility of accountability to her public but she certainly wanted the fame and the money.

Andrew Ridge says:

7:41 pm

What a strange thing for anonymous (11.10 am) to say. Selfish? A strong word for someone minding their own business. In recent times I have lost a friend of thirty-two years to cancer. He chose not to speak to anyone in his final months, and while his death was a shock, and I had no chance to say goodbye, I am not going to call him selfish, so why would I Miss Sladen. I was, and am, merely one of her public. I was twelve when she took the role of Sarah Jane, and will admit to watching a couple episodes of her CBBC show, as a forty-nine year old. I never knew her, and still wept at her death. My thoughts go to her family and friends. If anonymous (11.10 am), is one of them, I understand. If not, hush!