I’ve only recently begun to get caught up on the original Doctor Who series, starting with Tom Baker’s run and featuring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. From the episodes I’ve seen, including her recent return with David Tennant as the Doctor, I can understand now why the words “beloved” and “iconic” are used by fans discussing Elisabeth as Sarah Jane. Bismo and I were talking about her just last night.
Elisabeth Sladen died today. The news that she’d had cancer for some time was a sad surprise and a tragic shock to everyone.