The very first Dr Who I ever watched (by accident) was her last episode on the series, "Hand of Fear." It was cheesy, and I missed the first part, so I didn't have a good feel for any of the story or the plot. But it was Science Fiction -- British Science Fiction. And the low-budget special effects were endearing (the show was produced in 1976, when the height of special effects was four TIE fighters chasing after the Millennium Falcon and I was watching it in post-Battlestar Galactica 1982).
A few years ago at OryCon, (where else am I going to bump into a television screen?) I managed to catch her farewell scene with a much later incarnation of The Doctor. What struck me was, A) wow, she can act, and B) OMG, I hope I look half as good as she does at... her... age (oh, wait).
What I liked about her portrayal of Sarah Jane Smith was that she was competent without being
- an alien (Time Lord or otherwise),
- Nobel Savage Cheesecake,
- or a Ditzy Whiner.
2 comments:
Indeed, John. At Swords, Lasers, and Cocktails (a San Francisco Science Fiction and Fantasy book club) on Tuesday nights, we had an entirely voluntary moment of silence. You forgot to meention she was the only companion who had a current show in the Whoniverse.
The problem with not having a television in my house is that I haven't had a chance to watch much of anything Who-related produced after 1985.
I've been hearing all sorts of good reviews of the Sarah Jane Adventures, so it might be time to see if the local library carries any of the show.
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