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Lis Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, has died of cancer.
It's a truism in Doctor Who fandom that you never forget your first Doctor. He might not always remain your favorite, but he's the one who sets the template for what the role should be. I think it's also true that you never forget your first companion - they're the audience identification figure, after all. Sarah Jane Smith was my first companion, and although she wasn't perfect, I always loved that she was brave, smart, and unashamedly a feminist. Honestly, it was her appearance in the New Who episode "School Reunion" that really convinced me that David Tennant *was* the Doctor. I'd been skeptical up until then, but if Ten was good enough for Sarah Jane, he was good enough for me.
It's a truism in Doctor Who fandom that you never forget your first Doctor. He might not always remain your favorite, but he's the one who sets the template for what the role should be. I think it's also true that you never forget your first companion - they're the audience identification figure, after all. Sarah Jane Smith was my first companion, and although she wasn't perfect, I always loved that she was brave, smart, and unashamedly a feminist. Honestly, it was her appearance in the New Who episode "School Reunion" that really convinced me that David Tennant *was* the Doctor. I'd been skeptical up until then, but if Ten was good enough for Sarah Jane, he was good enough for me.
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