Dept. of Unwanted Doctor Who Passages

[kaffy_r]

Gone Too Bloody Soon:
Elisabeth Sladen, Feb. 1948-April 2011
     I am uncomfortably close to gutted after hearing that Elisabeth Sladen — once and forever Sarah Jane Smith of Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, as well as a fantastic person in her own right — has died of cancer, at the age of 63. My condolences to her family and friends.

     Goodbye, Sarah Jane. You were brave and dauntless when you were young. You were that and more — a magnificent and level-headed journalist who didn't suffer fools, a woman unafraid of life as a glorious solo adventure, and still full of love for those around her — in your maturity. You'll never know how much I'll miss you.

Comments

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Oh, how sad! She will certainly be missed.

[kaffy_r]

It's a real loss, and coming so soon after the loss of Nicholas Courtney and the Brigadier, it's doubly so.

[heatherbelles.livejournal.com]

I just read this. Very sad.

It's weird - I was just watching bits of DT's video diary where he was all giddy about working with her - it was lovely to see.

[kaffy_r]

Everyone who worked with her loved her, I think.

[azalaisdep.livejournal.com]

I know - I had no idea she was even ill. So sad for her husband and her son. I'm just about too young to remember her in DW first time around, but I enjoyed her performances in the reboot enormously - Sarah Jane and Rose together in School Reunion were a hoot.

[kaffy_r]

Oh, weren't they? I think the two actresses must have clicked, to make the connection between Sarah Jane and Rose so wonderfully believable.

And yes, I had not heard a single syllable about her illness. She was one hell of a trouper.

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

Just breaks my heart. She was indeed a brave and wonderful woman and she will be missed. Much too soon to lose her. My heart goes out to her family, and to her co-workers and her many fans.

[kaffy_r]

I was surprised at how quickly tears sprang to my eyes when I heard this news. But I shouldn't be surprised, not when Sarah Jane and Lis Slader were such vibrant presences in the Whoniverse.

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

I have things going on in my personal life that I'm struggling with-- or struggling with the idea of giving into worry, but this just seemed to release all that. So I cried a little. Then my granddaughter and I had a little snuggle and tear (She loved the SJA), and fondness for Sarah Jane was one of those things that I could share with my children and my Grandchildren. I will be sixty in Octorber, and there is not much of the Classic Doctor Who that I remember that I loved that didn't include Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane.

[kaffy_r]

The mention you make of your granddaughter reflects something that came up again and again after word of Sladen's death; "How am I going to tell my little boy/little girl/kids/grandchildren? They loved Sarah Jane!" Her ability to leap the generation gap was truly outstanding.

(And I will be 56 in September, so I, too, remember Sarah Jane from Classic Who.)

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

Do you have Grandchildren who watch the show? It is nice when something like SJA or Star Trek crosses the generation lines. I told the older girls, but I let the younger one read the announcement at the Doctor Who site.

[kaffy_r]

My son, who is 26, is completely gutted by her death. He's been a DW fan since his childhood, and the person to whom I can most easily squee in fannish glee about anything in the Whoniverse. No grandchildren yet, but when they come, I have no doubt that they will be raised to be science-fiction (or as we call in CasaKaffyr, "skiffy"), fantasy, and DW fans as well. It's a wonderful thing to pass on to future generations. How did the younger one (who old is she?) take the news? How did the older ones?

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

I received some heartbreaking, although expected news from home yesterday, and the youngest granddaughter has been very supportive. Although, on a different degree, because although the news of Ms. Sladen's was very sad, she is not family, the youngest was more supportive, sharing, because she is still young enough where the possiblity of losing someone close to you is not a reality.

I thought Moffat and Davies did nice tributes.

[kaffy_r]

I'm sorry to hear that you had to deal with personal sad news; I'm glad your granddaughter was able to provide some support and comfort.

Both Davies and Moffat did indeed do lovely tributes, and both of them seemed to come from the heart.

[penguin2.livejournal.com]

Ah, I just commented about this in your previous post before checking my LJ list page!

I love Steven Moffat's tribute. Especially 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.

[kaffy_r]

That is a lovely tribute, and spot-on.

[clocketpatch]

The shock hasn't worn off. I just went to check my Flist and saw this - too young, far too young.

[kaffy_r]

My feelings precisely; she was only eight years older than I am - and looked about 10 years younger!

[cathica.livejournal.com]

I didn't know. Oh. Shit. 8(

[kaffy_r]

Exactly.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I'm not usually affected by celebrity deaths, but Lis Sladen was family. I've been thinking about her all day.

[kaffy_r]

I went to bed last night thinking of her, and woke up thinking of her. You're right; it's not often a celebrity death can hit like that.

[namarie24.livejournal.com]

I had no idea she was ill until I heard the news earlier today! So terribly sad. She will definitely be missed.

[kaffy_r]

She kept her illness from just about everybody within the entertainment world, as far as I can see, and must have worked through much of it. That makes me respect her even more.

[mack-the-spoon.livejournal.com]

This is absolutely tragic news, in the true sense of the word. I will miss her tremendously.

[kaffy_r]

I join you in that.