A Tear, Sarah Jane? Elisabeth Sladen 1947-2011

-
Like many others, I couldn’t quite believe the news. Lis Sladen can’t be gone, surely? It took the BBC news report for it to sink in and even then, I still couldn’t believe it. Lis was a person who always looked so well for her age and I would never have guessed in a million years that she was ill. But she was, but she kept it private, which I think speaks volumes about the lady.

The reaction has been that of shock around the world, as many people, in many countries, grew up with Sarah Jane Smith. Lis didn’t just brighten the day for kids of the 1970’s, she also did it for the kids of today with The Sarah Jane Adventures too. Reading these messages from children on the Newsround website just shows how well this middle-aged lady is thought of. She was definitely someone special.

For many, Sarah Jane was ‘their’ companion. My first foray into ‘classic’ Doctor Who was Tom Baker’s first series and watching her and The Doctor wind up Harry, seeing them working with each other to defeat a foe - you could tell exactly why this girl was used as the bridging gap between Pertwee-Baker. Her acting qualities could hold things together and I will defy anyone not to have a lump in their throat when watching the last few minutes of 'Planet of The Spiders'. Just beautiful.

Anyone who met Lis has said she was gracious with her time and was a big promoter of the show and Sarah Jane in particular. We owe these people a hell of a lot for keeping the positivity going, when the series was off air and, in some quarters, a laughing stock. Doctor Who fans do take news of their show to heart and it’s been really nice to see all the outpouring of grief, but Lis was private about her news for a reason - that of her family. All our condolences and thoughts should be with her husband and daughter at this time.

I’m really struggling to write something that makes sense here, as it was such a shock to us all. It’s even more of a shame that it was just weeks after her good friend, Nick Courtney too. I’ll leave this link to Tom Baker’s tribute, as nobody could put it any better. Rest in peace and thanks for everything, Lis.


There will be a full tribute to both Lis and Nick in Issue 5 of Fish Fingers and Custard. If you would like to send in your memories of Lis/Sarah please e-mail them to fishcustardfanzine@googlemail.com before the 29th April

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cash Cows Go To Cardiff!

-
Image
As I write this, the BBC (or BBC Worldwide) have dropped a bollock by announcing an official convention, with Matt Smith and Steven Moffat. Great news! Well, not really. To get into the convention, you have to part with £99 which doesn’t include autographs ( £20/25 per signature, depending on whichever person you want to sign) and photographs at the same price.  All that is before you have to think about travel to and from Cardiff, food, drink and hotels...it all mounts up. I’m not for one minute saying that you shouldn’t go, as that’s up to you, but surely you can see that this is just a blatant rip-off? Using Doctor Who as a tool to rake in money in the most obscene way possible – by ripping off the very people who love it. And I’ve not even mentioned the best bit yet – Children aren’t really welcome... You heard me right, Children and Families - the very people the show is made for, are NOT advised to attend. What does the convention contain? Lapdancers with Cybermen ...
Read more

Fish Fingers and Custard - Issue 1 OUT NOW!

-
Image
It’s here…and it’s about time! Issue 1 of Fish Fingers and Custard, a Doctor Who fanzine that takes a light-hearted look at the show and its fandom. In this issue: The Eleventh Hour Review The infamous ‘PBS Hijacking Incident’ Interview with Doctor Who Podshock’s Louis Trapani ‘Cracks’ an original 11th Doctor story Invasion Convention review ‘The Doctor In Wonderland’ “It Could Have Been A Spin-off” Plus: Actor Harry Sedgewick pens his own exclusive column And much, much more! You can download the 36-page PDF file here (Please note that the download site experiences heavy traffic, so the file may not always be available, just keep trying!) The paper version will be released soon, check back soon for updates Blog: http://www.fishcustardfanzine.blogspot.com/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fishcustardzine Facebook: Search - “Fish Custard Fanzine” This fanzine is non-profit and is distributed as a free PDF or in print, at a small cost to cover production. If yo...
Read more

Issue 2 Preview

-
Image
Issue 2 is now out in print and available to purchase! The free download will be available next week. So in the meantime..here is a little something from Issue 2 to wet your appetite! ALL THE TABLOID NEWSPAPER RUMOURS – ALL THE TIME Matt Smith Is Rubbish And Is Getting Sacked D octor Who fans have seemingly got their way. A bloke I spoke to down the pub reckons that Matt Smith will be sacked as Doctor Who, because ‘he isn’t as good as David Tennant and the geeks don’t like him’. Message Boards have been awash with calls for the actor, 16, to be booted out. I must say that I agree with them, as the internet is never wrong. Not that I steal anything off there and publish it here, mind. Despite smashing all records for most views on the BBC IPlayer and viewing figures on BBC America, SPACE and some Australian channel (not to mention the upturn in profits of DVD’s, books and other merchandise) the interest in Doctor Who is at an all-time low and I know this because my ‘insider’ said so (w...
Read more