Doctor(s): 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee), 4th Doctor (Tom Baker); later reunited with the 10th and 11th Doctors plus her own spin-off shows
Traveled: 1973 – 1976 (returned repeatedly afterward)
Actor: Elisabeth Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011)
Episodes & Stories
The Time Warrior (introduced) through The Hand of Fear, including Genesis of the Daleks and Pyramids of Mars. Returned in The Five Doctors, School Reunion (2006), The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End (2008), and led her own spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011).
Personality
A tenacious, independent-minded investigative journalist, Sarah Jane is inquisitive, brave and resistant to being patronized — one of the most enduringly popular companions in the show’s history.
Interesting Facts
- Sarah Jane is the only classic-series companion given her own long-running spin-off franchise.
- She’s one of the few companions to travel with more than one classic-era Doctor and return decades later in the revived series.
- Elisabeth Sladen was widely considered one of the best-loved actors in Doctor Who history.
What Happened to the Character
Sarah Jane is dropped off in The Hand of Fear (1976) when the Doctor is summoned back to Gallifrey; she goes on to a long, adventure-filled life as a journalist.
The Actor Today
Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane for the rest of her life, including leading The Sarah Jane Adventures until her death from cancer on 19 April 2011, aged 63.