Candy Jar Books has announced the full contents of Just Sarah: More Than Fifty Years of a Doctor Who Companion, a celebratory book all about Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen.
Alongside a rare interview with Third Doctor actor, Jon Pertwee, conducted in the 1990s shortly before his passing, the collection features chapters written by Tim Treloar, who plays the Third Doctor for Big Finish audios; Colin Howard, whose paintings graced the covers of the 1990s Doctor Who VHS range; and Doctor Who Magazine artist, Martin Geraghty.
Treloar recalls how he was cast in The Third Doctor Adventures, and how he came to write the series’ latest instalment, Operation Vengeance! He says:
“It was fun capturing that era of the show. I watched the whole Third Doctor era twice, in quick succession, and even though I knew lots of stories like the back of my hand – The Dæmons, The Mutants, Planet of the Spiders – it was great experiencing them all again. The more I watched, the more it became clear that Sarah had to be the companion in Operation Vengeance. I needed someone who was so well known as a feminist, to fight back against chauvinism, who was so strong-minded. In a lot of stories, the Doctor and his companion get separated, so I followed that rule here too, and I liked the notion of her meeting someone who was resisting the Nazi invasion.”
Just Sarah, which begins with a timeline of Sarah and Elisabeth Sladen’s lives, features stunning illustrations by Martin Baines, whose art further graces the cover.
The book also includes lots of chapters written by contributors to The Doctor Who Companion, so if you like this site, you’ll like Just Sarah!
Here’s what else to expect inside Just Sarah:
- Baz Greenland explains why, to the Doctor and to the fans, she’s not ‘Sarah Jane’ – she is ‘just Sarah.’
- Lucy McCaul looks at Sarah’s importance as a journalist in the 1970s.
- Graham Clements charts Sarah’s history with the Sontarans, from The Time Warrior to The Sarah Jane Adventures: Enemy of the Bane.
- Simon Danes, organiser of the Bedford Who Charity Con, reviews Sarah’s first set of stories, i.e. Doctor Who Season 11.
- Alistair Cameron-Kettle argues that Death to the Daleks is an underrated classic.
- Artist, Colin Howard, remembers meeting Elisabeth Sladen and keeping a very special promise to her.
- Thomas Spychalski shares how the Fourth Doctor took over America.
- Colin Burden enthuses about another much-loved companion of the era: Harry Sullivan!
- Matt Badham suggests that the memory cheats when it comes to Genesis of the Daleks.
- Bar Nash-Williams examines Sarah’s relationship with the Doctor.
- Martin Geraghty shares fond memories of Sarah, and drawing her for the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip.
- Jordan Shortman encourages us to hide behind the settee as he looks at horror influences in the early Fourth Doctor era.
- Rick Lundeen casts a tearful eye over all the times we’ve had to say goodbye to our Sarah.
- David Cromarty guides us through all Sarah’s post-Doctor Who adventures.
- Scott Varnham marvels at Elisabeth Sladen’s endless professionalism.
- Peter Shaw looks firstly at all the times Sladen returned to the role of Sarah; and then at her wider career, outside of Doctor Who, often working with Third Doctor producer, Barry Letts.
- I shine a light on Sarah’s ‘forgotten companions’; watch K9 & Company for the first time (yes, really); and write a couple of love letters to The Sarah Jane Adventures.
- Anthony Forth mulls over The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space, as well as his long-lost interview with Jon Pertwee himself.
- Andrew Hsieh professes his love for School Reunion; and shows us around his (and Sarah’s!) home-town of Ealing.
- Mike Ranahan argues that Sarah’s appearance in School Reunion sums up Doctor Who Series 2’s theme – grief – perfectly.
- Alex Skerratt asks: who was April Walker, the actress originally cast as Sarah Jane Smith?
- Brad R. Edwards enthuses about how The Sarah Jane Adventures can live on; then mourns the passing of Elisabeth Sladen.
- Jonathan Appleton rifles through the archives to discover Sarah Jane Smith ‘in her own words.’
The book is also featured in Doctor Who Magazine.
Putting this book together has been a mammoth task, but also a joyous one. It started out with just a look at her stories and some recollections of what they mean to us all; but it quickly grew into something much greater – because if you mention ‘Sarah Jane Smith,’ everyone wants to be involved! And rightly so. Revisiting her era of Doctor Who and rewatching every episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures has been a wonderful experience, and I’m so happy we can share that with all the fans.
Here’s the blurb for Just Sarah:
On 15th December 1973, Sarah Jane Smith joined the Doctor on his travels and became one of the most loved companions throughout its initial twenty-six-year run. In 2006, she returned to Doctor Who, which led to her own spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures – the most successful show on CBBC.
Half a century on from The Time Warrior, this essay collection celebrates not just this cherished character but also the remarkable person who played her, as well as those lives she touched.
Just Sarah: More Than Fifty Years of a Doctor Who Companion includes a guide to Sarah’s travels in the TARDIS and beyond; examinations of her relationship with the Doctor; a look at the horror tropes in tales like Planet of Evil and The Brain of Morbius; recollections of Sladen’s other roles (often for Third Doctor producer, Barry Letts); warm memories from artists, Colin Howard and Martin Geraghty; and much more.
Plus, of course, why she’s not Sarah Jane Smith – she is just Sarah.
