The BBC has announced that Elisabeth Slayden, who played Sarah Jane Smith, one of the Doctor’s longest-running companions on the British series Doctor Who and its spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, died on April 19th. She was 63.
Commentary: Sarah Jane Smith was not the first Companion I saw, but she was by far the most memorable one of my early Doctor Who experiences. Cheekily impersonating her scientist aunt to infiltrate UNIT, she quickly became a part of the team and a constant companion to the mysterious Doctor for three and a half seasons. It was that longevity that resulted in another record: Sarah Jane Smith was probably the most hypnotized, mesmerized and mind controlled Companion, to the point she was tremendously annoyed at it.
“I must be mad. I’m sick of being cold and wet and hypnotised left, right and centre. I’m sick of being shot at, savaged by bug eyed monsters, never knowing if I’m coming or going… or been… I want a bath, I want my hair washed, I just want to feel human again… and, boy, am I sick of that sonic screwdriver. I’m going to pack my goodies and I’m going home…”
The episodes of hypnotic interest are:
- “The Five Doctors” — Mass domination of the present companions (including Sarah Jane Smith) by President Borusa in the Tomb of Rassilon
- “The Hand of Fear” — Mind control by the alien Eldrad, hypnotized by the Doctor to remove the control
- “Invasion of the Dinosaurs” — Attempted hypnosis into believing she was on a space craft
- “The Masque of Mandragora” – Drugged into a complaint state, later drugged and hypnotized into assassinating the Doctor
- “Planet of the Spiders” — Telepathic domination by the Spider Queen of Metebilis IV
- “The Time Warrior” – Sontaran interrogation device
- “Terror of the Zygons” — Hypnotized by the Doctor to survive decompression
Sarah Jane Smith was also (briefly) hypnotized before being placed in suspended animation in “The Ark in Space.”