God Bless Nick and Lis

Recently, Britain has lost two of their most talented actors. Both were well known for their roles in the science fiction show, Doctor Who. I am talking about the untimely deaths of Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen.

Courtney's death, I learned by happenstance, was in late February. The exact cause of death was not given, but it sounds like it was cancer. Courtney has worked, in one way or another, in various roles throughout the 26 years of the original Doctor Who, working along side six of the seven incarnations of the lead character. He most often portrayed the character Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, one of the most beloved characters in Doctor Who. He reprised the role in more recent audio adventures of Doctor Who.

Then, not two days ago, I heard that Elisabeth Sladen died. She played Sarah Jane Smith, one of the most popular Doctor Who companions, and certainly one of the first headstrong, independent female characters in the show's history. She worked alongside the incomparable Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker for three and half years. She reprised her role in an episode of the new Doctor Who series, which led to a new spin-off show. Sladen became an icon for a new generation of children, and sadly, now she is gone.

I shall miss them both.