Now this is surprising and depressing. My initial report of Elisabeth Sladen's death came from Tom Wilson at Just Tv and I was extremely hopeful this was yet another Web hoax since you know how typically that takes place any longer.

Apparently Sladen had been quietly battling cancer for very some time.

For people of you who like me weren't raised on the exhibit, Sladen's Sarah Jane was the companion of selection for followers of traditional Medical professional Who. From the Guardian:

Sladen 1st starred as Sarah Jane opposite Jon Pertwee. The pair worked together for 3 seasons, just before Pertwee left the present in 1974.

She then became the assistant for Tom Baker. When the show relaunched, she appeared in an episode alongside modern-day Physician Who David Tennant.

In a 2006 interview with the BBC forward of rejoining Doctor Who, she spoke of her enjoy for the programme, stating: "I believe it has wonderful layers and I'd defend the programme to any person.

"I am really emotionally component of that programme and I think a good deal of the men and women who worked on it are. You utilised to love going to operate every day."

Sladen of course went from the School Reunion episode of the show to her own series, The Sarah Jane Adventures, which ran on CBBC, the British pubcasters children's channel and on The SciFi Channel here in the States ahead of that channel's title modify to Syfy.

From BBC Radio news right now there is these words from the man who introduced Sladen back again to energetic Physician Who duty, Russell T. Davies, at this website link.

The text of the press release from the BBC is posted right after the jump, following a excellent clip from the episode of Medical professional Who Confidential where the cast of the show talks about Elisabeth's return and their reminiscences of her tenures with Medical professionals 3 and four.