To keep Whovians entertained while we’re stuck indoors during this period of quarantine, Doctor Who creatives past and present have been sharing new content online, with many of them featuring the return of fan favorite stars. The best of the lot, though, has to be this new video – released today – which finally wraps up beloved spinoff show The Sarah Jane Adventures in the most emotional, satisfying way.
First of all, in case you aren’t aware, SJA followed classic companion Sarah Jane Smith’s adventures after her life with the Doctor. It had a successful five season run from 2007 to 2011, and was only brought to a premature end when leading lady Elisabeth Sladen passed away. The series never got a proper conclusion, then, but creator Russell T. Davies has now brought together various familiar faces to give it a finale at long last.
The 13-minute video, titled “Farewell, Sarah Jane,” features narration from Jacob Dudman and revolves around Sarah’s funeral. The story is littered with brief cameos – filmed remotely, of course – from the likes of former Doctor Who stars Katy Manning (Jo Jones) and Sophie Aldred (Ace) and SJA leads Thomas Knight (Luke Smith), Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer) and Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra).
“Farewell, Sarah Jane” will bring on the waterworks for any fan, as it reflects on Sladen’s loss and legacy so poignantly. It also allows us to find out what happened to the show’s characters. Notably, Luke is revealed to have a husband, finally making his sexuality canon, after plans for him to come out were curtailed when the series ended early.
After working with seven Doctors, in some capacity, and leading her own spinoff, Elisabeth Sladen was always a Doctor Who legend, but now the character of Sarah Jane Smith has finally got the fitting final chapter she deserved.
