With the tragic death of actress Elisabeth Sladen last month, the BBC will not continue The Sarah Jane Adventures series which Sladen starred in as the title character. The network will air the last six episodes that Sladen had performed in. She was beloved for her portrayal of the character of Sarah Jane, a fan-fave companion of The Doctor’s in the Doctor Who series in 1973 that spun off into her own series in 2007 created by Russell T. Davies.
The BBC released this statement regarding the future of the show:
“Contrary to press reports today we can confirm that no new episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be filmed following the tragic death of actress Elisabeth Sladen in April, 2011. As a tribute to Elisabeth the six episodes that were recorded with her last year will be broadcast on CBBC at a date to be confirmed.”
Fans of Sladen’s and the show could find this statement comforting that her Sarah Jane would not be replaced by another actress. Sladen made Sarah Jane the character that she was and it is a fitting tribute to her work for the network to be able to air the remaining episodes that she had taped.
Sladen’s legacy with the sci-fi community has been remarkably significant and heartfelt as the actors and creative forces behind Doctor Who give tribute to their friend. Matt Smith, Russell T. Davies, David Tennant, Sladen’s co-stars on The Sarah Jane Adventures Tommy Knight, Daniel Anthony, and Anjli Mohindra, John Barrowman, and fellow Companion Katy Manning (Jo Grant) share what Sladen meant to them and to Doctor Who:
A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR89sr3mPbk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz93ll2gLro[/youtube]
The Sarah Jane Adventures was honored by several nominations for recognition for Children’s Programmes: in 2008 for a British Academy Children’s Award and in 2009 for a BAFTA Cymru. In 2010, the series won a Royal Television Society award for Best Chidren’s Drama.
Keep it here on SciFi Mafia for the date for which these final episodes of Elisabeth Sladen’s The Sarah Jane Adventures will be aired.
[Source] BBC
