Chris Port Blog #217. Goodbye... my Sarah Jane...

Goodbye... my Sarah Jane...

R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen

"I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith, the world was lucky to have Lis." ~ Russell T. Davies, Producer.

" 'Never meet your heroes', wise people say. They weren't thinking of Lis Sladen. Sarah Jane Smith was everybody's hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories. But many years later when I met the real Sarah Jane - Lis Sladen herself - she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever and a ferociously talented actress, of course, but in that perfectly English unassuming way." ~ Steven Moffat, Producer.

"I just can't believe that Lis is gone. She seemed invincible.The same woman who enchanted my childhood, enchanted my time on Doctor Who and enchanted generations who have watched her and fallen in love with her - just like I did. I feel very honoured to have shared a TARDIS with Sarah Jane Smith, and I feel very lucky to have shared some time with Lis Sladen. She was extraordinary." ~ David Tennant, Actor.

"What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who. And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely." ~ Matt Smith, Actor.

Very sad. I'm actually heartbroken. RIP Elisabeth Sladen. I adored you as Sarah Jane. You were a very precious part of my childhood, and always will be. In memory of your first goodbye. 

Until we meet again...

Goodbye...

The first time we met. Seems like yesterday... 

A Tribute to Sarah Jane Smith...

Oh stop whining girl. You’re useless.

You can’t really use words like ‘spunky’ and ‘feisty’ these days without raising a titter or a groan. But that’s why every boy fell in love with Sarah. It was like having a crush on some tomboy Virgin Mary you wanted to protect. Who wants to protect Lara Croft? Schooldays… Looking back, the Doctor seemed to employ a few teacher tricks as well.

SARAH: I’m jammed. I can’t move either forward or back.

DOCTOR: Oh stop whining girl. You’re useless.

SARAH: Oh Doctor.

DOCTOR: ‘Oh Doctor’. Is that all you can say for yourself? Stupid foolish girl. We should never have relied on you. I knew you’d let us down. That’s the trouble with girls like you. You think you’re tough, but when you’re really up against it you’ve no guts at all. Hundreds of lives at stake and you lie there blubbing.

SARAH: You… wait… ‘til I get out! ... I can manage! I don’t need your help thank you!

DOCTOR: Yes you do. Yes you do… Splendid. You’ve done marvellously Sarah. I’m very proud of you. I really am very proud of you.

SARAH: What? Conned again. You’re a brute.

DOCTOR: Me a brute? Don’t be ungrateful. I was only encouraging you.

You've done marvellously Lis. Everyone is very proud of you and misses you terribly.

Rest in peace x