For longtime Doctor Who fans like me this is very sad news indeed. I was 10 years old when she first took on her role as Sarah Jane Smith in 1973. The tributes are rolling in via the internet and I can't think of any other SF actor to receive such unanimous approbation.

Of course, being selfish, I'm sorry that the excellent Sarah Jane Adventures series will be (presumably) cut short in an untimely manner. For a series funded by and produced for Children's BBC this was a mature and layered programme, offering much for adults to enjoy as well as hitting its target demographic. I understand that six episodes of the planned 12 episode fifth series were filmed before Liz Sladen became too ill to continue and will likely be completed and broadcast later in the year.

The fate of the remaining half series is intriguing. It's been budgeted for. Scrips are written. Pre production has been done. Even with insurance it's a major layout to write off. The series has always been an ensemble show with three younger actors and other supporting cast sharing equal screentime with the star. Naturally fan speculation will turn towards the possibility of continuing the series even without its titular star. Others wonder if another "old" companion might be inducted to extend the series' longevity - the Mickey Smith Adventures, for example, or the Jo Grant Adventures (given that Sarah Jane's immediate predecessor as a 70s companion recently returned to guest-star in an episode). Don't count on the Jack Harkness Adventures though - Captain Jack's strictly post-watershed and apparently fully booked for Torchwood's US debut.

What interests me though is whether the series could actually survive without Sladen's measured and authorative input. Sladen's experience as an actor allowed her to be the bedrock on which the younger actors based their own work. I'd be interested to see how they managed in a post-Sarah continuity and how well they can hold the spotlight in a post-Sladen production.

It's turning into a bad year for Who alumni. Nick Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart) died only a few weeks ago. "Old" Who fandom has lost its two main stalwarts. The remaining fan-active pre-cancellation cast is diminshing, although Davison, Colin Baker, and McCoy are still all regular convention turns. There seems to be a deliberate policy from the new production team not to encourage their current cast to do much convention and "fan-interactive" work (excluding massive US PR/sales appearances at Comicon) so one wonders if the great age of Doctor Who conventions is now drawing to a close.

IW