Book description
When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane
Smith in the 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know
the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly
remembered of the series' long history. The years that followed saw
Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee
and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa,
terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced
by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Egyptian mummies, actors in green Bubble
Wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in
1976, making front-page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most
familiar faces of a TV golden age. But you don't just walk away from
Doctor Who. Elisabeth was asked to reprise her role many times,
appearing in anniversary specials, an ill-fated 1981 spin-off with
robotic sidekick K-9, radio plays, and for the BBC's Children in Need.
She toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and
became one of the series' all-time favourite companions. So when TV
wunderkind Russell T Davies approached her to come back again, this time
to a show backed by multi-million-pound budgets and garlanded with
critical plaudits, how could she refuse? This warm and witty
autobiography, completed only months before Elisabeth died in April
2011, tells her remarkable story, from humble beginnings in post-war
Liverpool, through an acclaimed theatrical career working alongside
stage luminaries such as Alan Ayckbourn, to Coronation Street, Some
Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the furthest reaches of the Universe. A unique
insider's view of the world's longest-running science fiction series,
and of British television yesterday and today, Elisabeth's memoir is
funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining and a fitting tribute to
a woman who will be sadly missed by millions. Elisabeth Sladen played
Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She also
appeared in Coronation Street, Z-Cars and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em among
others, and enjoyed a long, successful and very happy career in the
theatre. She died in April 2011. 'Her candour and affection make this
a poignant parting gift and, in an unexpected way, one of the most
revealing Doctor Who books ever written.' Doctor Who magazine 'A
treasure trove of stories and anecdotes about the making of the show in
its glory years...a fitting and fascinating memorial to the Doctor's one
true assistant' Star Burst magazine 'The glimpses into the working
relationship and mutual adoration shared by Sladen and Tom Baker is
worth the ticket alone' Sci-Fi Now magazine 'If I thought I knew
Elisabeth Sladen before this book then I was mistaken...it's
heartwarming and honest and she gives us true insight into the real
Elisabeth Sladen' Tardis Base magazine 'Doctor Who fans will not feel
short-changed by this biography' Four stars **** SFX magazine 'Doctor
Who fans will not feel shortchanges by this biography...this book
succeeds in giving you a sense of her humility and down-to-earth nature'
Four stars **** Sfx. co. uk 'Absolutely not to be missed' 10/10
Scifibulletin. com Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor
Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She also appeared in Coronation
Street, Z-Cars and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, and enjoyed a long,
successful and very happy career in the theatre. She died in April 2011.
