Elisabeth Sladen the Autobiography

by Elisabeth Sladen, David Tennant (Foreword)

A unique, insider's view of the world's longest running science fiction series, from one of the fans' favorite companions. David Tennant's foreword caps this warm, witty memoir — a fitting tribute to a woman who will be sadly missed by legions of fans.

 
When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in 1973 Doctor Who story "The Time Warrior," little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered in the series' history. Here she shares the story of her years as Sarah Jane—traversing time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, while a generation of children were terrified but transfixed as their heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, man-eating alien flora, Egyptian mummies, extras in Bubble Wrap, and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age. But that wasn't the end of Sarah Jane. Elisabeth discusses the many times she has reprised her role—anniversary specials, a 1981 spin-off pilot with robotic sidekick K-9, and radio plays. She discusses touring the weird, wide, and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom. And lastly, she shares details of Sarah Jane's most recent incarnation—when TV wunderkind Russell T. Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a Doctor Who backed by lavish budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she possibly say no? Funny, ridiculous, insightful, and entertaining, hers is the story of another girl, another planet, completed just months before she died. 

Genres: Doctor Who, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

346 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith. She appeared as a regular on Doctor Who with both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. She also appeared in the pilot for the spin-off series, K9 and Company. Most recently, she reprised her role as Sarah Jane on Doctor Who and in its spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from Badelynge.
Ninety-nine out of every hundred people reading this book are going to be dyed in the wool Doctor Who fans. Lis knew this quite well. Which is probably one of the reasons the bulk of the book is taken up documenting the short period of her life working on the show. She's giving the target audience what they want. I'm a hardcore Doctor Who fan myself. I love all her insights and observations about the show. But I would also have liked to read more about the real Elisabeth Sladen behind the Sarah Jane Smith parade. There are glimpses of it of course but not enough. Her parent's history is just a short prelude and her childhood rushes by in a confusingly unchronological blur of Elvis posters and tomboy hi-jinx. Her early career on stage and tv bring more structure to the book as the various productions provide a set of hooks to pin her years on. There are some fascinating insights into the many famous faces she worked with or encountered - names like Michael Crawford, Robert Morley and Alan Ayckbourn. Here she also meets her soon to be husband and apparent soul mate Brian Miller . There is a sort of embarrassed reluctance though to let the reader get under the surface of their relationship, whether in defence of their privacy or insecurity about how much personal detail a fan of a tv show would want - I don't know. There is an opinion, probably accurate, expressed by her daughter, that Lis didn't really fully realise just how much she was loved by the fans of the show.
It's no use denying that most fans of the classic show are pretty hard-core nostalgia junkies. I am one of them so I lapped up all the stories about her time on the show. All the stuff about her love hate relationship with Jon Pertwee are priceless, the utter Doctor Who legend that was Barry Letts, Tom Baker, the lovely but tragic Ian Marter. There are also names that she was less impressed with allowing her grumpier aspects to have a bit of page space. Her time on the show comes to an and the book almost fast forwards to the finish, stopping briefly to describe some of her later involvements on specials and spin-offs, conventions, missed career opportunities, the birth of her daughter and the eventual resurgence of the show that would lead to The Sarah Jane Adventures.
We live in a media age where it seems that not a day can go by without someone familiar passing away but I can honestly say I have never been shocked so badly as the night I found out we'd lost Lis Sladen. This book was completed only at the last and it has been a sad pleasure to hear her voice in my head again.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading Lis's autobiography yesterday. It was very much a career autobiography, as Lis was very much a private person it pretty much focused on her acting career, all the plays she did before who, her other tv roles and of course Doctor who. It was a wonderful mixture of very sweet and sarcastic comments. I managed to read it through without crying too much before the end. The old Who stuff was lovely to read but it wasn't until she sat down with RTD that I found myself tearing up. I think it just brought it up to the present and reminded me of the loss.

But I really enjoyed hearing all her stories. I was really touched by Jon Pertwee bursting into tears her first night with the crew because he missed Katy so much! That was so sweet. The big macho man really missing her. (Having met her once I'm not at all surprised either). On the opposite side I was kinda horrified to read that he slapped Lis once! Even though she slapped him back it's the kinda thing you just don't expect to happen. Sounds like he was quite the personality.

I was also relly touched by all the wonderful things she had said about Tom. Having read about people complaining about how he got quite manic or moody to work with towards the end of his series, it was lovely to read about how wonderful he was to start with. He just sounded totally lovely. My absoulte favourite moment in the entire book was when she was sad they were going to miss the showing of Doctor Who that night as they were out on location and she'd not missed one of her episodes. And Tom said they should go and knock on someone's door and ask to watch it with them. Which he then did! "Hello I'm the Doctor and this is Sarah Jane is it ok if we watch ourselves with you?" Can you even imagine???

All the stories and the details about shooting all the episodes were incredible. I'm amazed how she was able to remember all the details so clearly 30 years later. I loved the insights, particularly the reasoning behind the Andy Pandy costume in Hand of fear, it totally makes sense now!!! It was funny to read all the nice things she had to say about the actors and all the mean things about the directors!

The other thing that I really liked was that Lis clearly put her family before her career. She was taking roles so she could be with her husband rather than ones that would progress her to "stardom" which I totally respect. It was quite shocking to read how she got pregnant at 38 (the same age I am now!). But how she just threw herself into it.

It was such a lovely book and even though the ending was sad I'm really glad I read it. I'm so looking forward to the launch TOMORROW!!!!! *squee*

[Taksya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sono di parte, terribilmente di parte. Ho conosciuto Liz Sladen come Sarah Jane la prima volta che Doctor Who arrivò in Italia, nel 1980, e da allora è la mia companion preferita. In seguito l'ho vista in altre produzioni, ma DW resta il punto di riferimento, così come è il punto focale della biografia. Partendo dai suoi primi passi nel mondo del teatro, fino al ritorno in tv con la serie dedicata al suo personaggio in DW, la Sladen ripercorre i periodi felici e quelli più difficili della sua carriera e, di tanto in tanto, inserisce qualche informazione personale. Ricordi, gossip, anedotti dentro e fuori il set... un racconto interrotto bruscamente dalla morte dell'attrice, avvenuta prima che potesse concludere felicemente il racconto, portato alle stampe dalla figlia e dal marito, in ricordo della Lis Sladen amata dal pubblico.

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when first came out she finished it just in time because she died not long after it came out like Kieth Ffloyd she just made it. Sad that she never really made anything from it.
Both Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, David Tennant and Matt Smith are here and she is one few stars have worked with 2,3,4,5,10,11, Doctors. With K9 and her own TV adventure series in 1970s and later children's series.
She talks about her family on Who. A most for any bounding Who fan.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elisabeth Sladen is best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith, one of Dr Who's most popular companions. She starred in the series from 1973-1976 alongside two doctors - Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. There were a few spin-offs along the way, such as TV specials and radio plays. However, no one would have expected the resurgence of Sarah Jane's popularity in the 2000s. After co-starring with David Tennant in the emotional 'School Reunion' episode, she was offered her own show, 'The Sarah Jane Adventures', an award-winning children's program which ran for five seasons until her untimely death in 2011.

About 80% of this book focuses on those Dr Who connections, with lots of behind-the-scenes insights and reminiscences. It definitely made me feel nostalgic for some of the older shows, and I've since rewatched 'The Monster of Peladon' with Jon Pertwee and 'Seeds of Doom' with Tom Baker. The wonky sets, dubious special effects and badly-choreographed fight scenes wouldn't cut it today, but that's part of the classic series' charm. Some of her anecdotes are hilarious and she has genuine affection for the show (even though she's not a sci-fi fan herself - Shock! Horror!).

In spite of her success, she comes across as very down-to-earth. She and her actor husband Brian based most of their work decisions around family and whether they'd enjoy it, rather than looking for lots of money and big breaks. She also worked a lot in theatre, especially prior to "Who', so I also enjoyed those stories. The only thing that grated on me was that she swears a fair bit. Never drops the F-word, but does use some terms that I consider blasphemous. I know most people probably regard them as fine, but I would have liked it better if they weren't there. Still, it's a fascinating insight into one of my favourite shows, so I enjoyed it overall.

Apparently she and her co-author had finished the draft of this book prior to Christmas 2010, but she hadn't gotten around to doing the edits. She'd been feeling tired for some time, was diagnosed with cancer in February 2011 and died in the April. The book was published in the September and ends with an epilogue by her husband and daughter. So sad she died when she was riding a new crest of popularity, but this book is a great memento for fans.

You'd probably have to be a Dr Who fan to enjoy this book. However, if you love Sarah Jane, you'll love Elisabeth Sladen.

[barča]

end of the year dnf

[Alistair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tear Sarah-Jane?

So why did I give this book five stars? Well to be honest I wish Goodreads did half stars.
To me this is a 4.5 star, mainly due to the later part of Elisabeth’s life jumping forward too much.
That very minor annoyance apart, this is a great read.

Elisabeth’s personality really shines and her humour and occasional ‘naughty’ word always bring a smile. The Doctor Who fan will find a lot here and the little insights, especially about Jon Pertwee are fascinating. It has been said Elisabeth was a very private person and this also shows here, with little information about her private life compared to her many acting appearances.

Knowing how the story really ends, this adds poignancy when reading and yes emotion does hit the reader. There is deeply moving forward by David Tennant and an Epilogue by her husband and daughter, Brian and Sadie Miller, so sad you feel their loss.

May I also recommend the audio book version. I have also borrowed that and you get David Tennant actually speaking his words and Brian Miller the epilogue. Elisabeth’s text is read by Caroline John, a veteran of Dr Who. She really has used her skill as an actress to read in a voice so like Elisabeth’s it is uncanny.

Update 21.6.2012. Heard today that Caroline John has died. Another sad loss. RIP.

[Lauren (WesterDrumlins) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this since it first came out in 2011 and I'm not sure why I'd never gotten to it before now - maybe because of the attachment I had with the Sarah Jane Adventures at the time or the difficulty I had in processing Elisabeth's passing, or a combination of reasons.

Regardless, I started this on Monday 19th April 2021, on the 10th anniversary of Elisabeth's passing to find out more about her life and career, and inevitably cry remembering watching SJA with my Nan and the joy she brought us. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Elisabeth's career and her working relationships with the Doctor Who cast and crew, and found the writing to be so personable, meaning it felt like I sped through it whilst taking my time to appreciate everything she had written (I did feel that some wording choices have definitely not aged well in the 10 years since the book was published but that didn't massively hinder my connection, it was just a little bit jarring). I loved this so much and thank Elisabeth for her part in my childhood (and the childhood of so many people), but also thank Brian and Sadie Miller for their part in making sure this was published (and David Tennant for writing a foreword that made me cry immediately!).

[Collin Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Elisabeth Sladen – the seemingly immortal Sarah Jane Smith -- has died. She is hilariously and wickedly alive in the pages of her autobiography, finished just before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Lis Sladen was "my" companion on Doctor Who. When I started watching the show on PBS back in the 80s, Tom Baker was the Doctor and Lis was his feisty companion Sarah Jane. When she returned to the show in 2006 for the School Reunion episode with David Tennant, I was verklempt. When Russell T Davies had the smarts to give Sarah Jane her own show -- The Sarah Jane Adventures -- I was overjoyed that Sarah Jane Smith would be around for many years to come. Still clever, still funny and looking as if she'd made some bargain with a Time Lord, because Lis Sladen did not look like a woman in her 60s. This autobiography is for Who fans. The majority of the book is dedicated to her time on the show in the 70s, meeting fans at the Who Conventions and her inability to escape the famous character. It's a loving, playful book of memories and you can hear Lis' voice almost narrating it in your head. It's a fitting tribute to her time on Doctor Who and a lovely goodbye for the fans. Sarah Jane Forever!

[Andrea]

Highly entertaining, this gives a huge behind the scenes insight into early Doctor Who, and many of the actors and behind-the-camera people involved - along with a glimpse into the nuts and bolts of being an actress.

Quite a few tasty bits of gossip as well, and particularly interesting for the light it shines on Jon Pertwee, and early Who script development. The indifference of some of the directors toward anyone but the Doctor, and some of the uncomfortable sexism which was embedded in the times.

Very interesting to learn that the Doctor was totally going to wipe out the Daleks until Tom Baker stood firm on the likelihood of the Doctor committing genocide.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of stories I didn't know about making Doctor Who, even though I thought I knew that well. Plus reading about the rest of her career was fascinating. It is surprising and a little sad that she was so self-critical of her own performances but I can understand that attitude, suffering from it myself. She concentrates on her professional life and so the epilogue by her daughter about her mum is especially poignant.

[Steve Cann · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so good to receive this book as a surprise birthday present, and it made for a fascinating read.
As with most people who will read this book, Lis came into my life in 1973 as the new assistant to Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who in the classic TV series.
She had big shoes to follow in taking over from Katy Manning, but did so well & made the part of Sarah-Jane her own.
This book takes us on a Tardis-ride back to her childhood - showing how she got into theatre & acting at a young age, gradually getting TV roles after performing in many plays & performing with many actors who would go on to find fame too.
Even though she seemed happy to move on from Dr Who when she left the show, the door always seemed to be left open, and she'd return in various specials and spin-offs - finally culminating of course in her own TV series 'The Sarah-Jane Adventures'.
It's just so sad that while she was enjoying this new-found fame that her life was to be cut tragically short, & so suddenly.
Her personality really sparkles through in this autobiog though, & we get some fascinating insights into what it was really like to be on Dr Who.
Definitely a must for all fans - a perfect tribute to a well-loved & special lady.

[Leisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I always look for in a celebrity bio is copious background info about the show or movie that made the person famous in the first place. For example, as much as I adore Carrie Fisher in all her eccentric insanity, she doesn't talk much at all about the making of the Star Wars movies in her memoirs...and that's what I want most to read about! To my delight, Elisabeth Sladen's posthumously published autobiography really delivers on the Doctor Who backstage tales. It's like when she sat down to write her book, she really remembered who her fans were and thought about what they wanted most to read about in her life. She had to have kept a diary and/or had an incredible memory, because there are such very specific stories included. It's also possible that many of the tales were told over and over: she indicates early on that she loved "actor's tales" and that she collected them, so it makes sense that she would have her own collection to contribute to the Doctor Who discourse. Reading the book was bittersweet - Sladen's death came as a deep shock. She (and Sarah Jane) are still missed. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Who and Sarah Jane, as well as to anyone who just loves to read about stage acting and TV in the 1970s.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1857495...

I liked it very much; Sladen comes across as a modest person, driven by her instinctive desire to be an actor, prepared to tell of her own bad experiences as well as the good - a run of difficult directors in the Pertwee era, health problems while filming both The Five Doctors and School Reunion - but generally enjoying the process of recounting her career highlights and making the reader/listener enjoy the process as well. I have noted one particular point on Who history which the autobiography illuminates a bit, and no doubt there are others. It's a shame that she doesn't find time to talk about her role in Big Finish's audios more than a couple of passing mentions, and of course it's a bigger shame that she wasn't able to finalise the text and see the book into print herself. There is a moving foreword by David Tennant (which he reads on the audio version) and an afterword by her husband and daughter Brian and Sadie Miller, read with understandable emotion by Brian Miller on the audio. Caroline John isn't of course the right voice for this - we won't hear that voice again - but makes a decent fist of it. Recommended for Who fans.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAGNIFICENT. Even though I knew very little about her work prior to 2006, that didn't matter. Every page was engaging, intriguing, informative. A wonderful walkthrough of her career, while at the same time infused with warm personal commentary that made it seem like a more intimate reveal(frequent side references to her present-day work helped - a better introduction, they could not have written). I learned so much about her, and all of it good. Now I miss her even more.

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I don't live in Great Britain, I probably couldn't appreciate the early chapters of the book, as it mentions so many names that I don't know. However, I very much enjoyed the chapters that covered Lis's time on Doctor Who and afterwards. She certainly knows how to tell her story and she wasn't shy in telling the truth about people. It was an enjoyable read.

[Paul Griggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remembering Lis one year on. My review of her book is on my blog. https://bitly.com/JfpJOl

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is brilliant to read this autobiography and put into context all of the many times that Lis Sladen took on the all important (to fans at least!) role of Sarah Jane Smith on Doctor Who (and, later, on her own eponymous adventure show too). While I often got lost in the litany of who's who in the theatre and/or acting world; Sladen's love of life and her family and, eventually, of the show which thrust her into "celebrity" comes through in every sentence. It was truly a book that showed a life lived with, if not intent (she admits to a lot of "just letting things happen") then at least with passion and kindness. It was fun to hear her stories on working with the various members of Who but also to hear her views on how acting/performing changed over time. I feel I got a good feel for how rough the ever-changing job of an actor/actress could be and feel a bit broader minded after it regarding the difficulties to be had in trying to create magic with a shoestring budget...or with a giant budget and the same levels of desire to produce something amazing.

Definitely a delightful read if you're a fan of her work or of Doctor Who.

[Stephen Ede-Borrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who knows Lis Sladen's work on Dr Who (and in that I include the spin-off 'Sarah-Jane) this book will be a joy to read. It is beautifully written and you can hear her voice in the numerous anecdotes about Who and its cast members - and production staff.

Even if you aren't a Who fan, and perhaps surprisingly to most readers I guess that would include Lis herself, you will find the memories of working at the BBC, and indeed how the BBC itself worked, to be of interest.

Beyond that whilst a great deal of the book is about Who it is also the memoir of a hardworking and talented actor so there is a lot here about the profession both before and after the short period when Lis was in the series.

The book is quite wonderful. Yes, I admit to being of the age to have had a childhood crush on Sarah-Jane Smith, but this book brought me to tears more than once. Don't skip to the end but the final 'Epilogue' from her husband and daughter is heartbreaking.

I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Joey]

"I don't know how to say this, but I was never a sci-fi fan – and I'm still not!"

A lovely autobiography from Elisabeth Sladen, most famous for playing Sarah Jane Smith, the definitive "Doctor Who" companion, before headlining in "The Sarah Jane Adventures" over three decades later.

Sladen graciously devotes significant portions of the book to her "Who" years, despite their being just one part of a full, happy life (topics include her tumultuous friendship with Jon Pertwee, her joyful experience working with Tom Baker, and countless insights into the highs and lows behind the scenes). It's a real gift for fans.

Additionally, this is a true autobiography, with plenty of emphasis on her childhood, many years spent on the stage, and her beloved family.

"If I have to remember anything of my time on 'Who', it would be just having a blast with Tom. Me and him, Doctor and companion – us against the universe."

[Gerard Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m biased because Sarah Jane is my favourite companion and, like many, was in shock for days when Elisabeth Sladen passed away. So this was a chance to “listen to her voice” and see Dr Who through her eyes.

The book does not disappoint a fan of Dr Who but I felt that she didn’t let us into Elisabeth Sladen. So I had a huge sense of loss when finishing the book - we’ll never get to listen to her without her guard up.

Afterwards I reflected, that perhaps she did. She had difficulty in accepting praise for what she actually achieved by touching all of us and remained unresolved around disappointments. Little cracks in that guard showed when she spoke about the conventions - insights about her.

So once that initial sense of loss dissipates - you realise that she’s just human with all the fragility, doubts and dreams. And it’s all beautifully written in her voice.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the Sarah Jane Adventures when I was young and I was absolutely enthralled by it, I watched every single episode and even though I never really watched Dr Who I adored the series so much. When I was around 8 I remember my parents telling me that Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane) had died, clearly a core memory for me given that it is still very vivid to me now, over a decade later. It took me a little while to read this, I dipped in and out, but eventually I settled into a rhythm with it and I loved hearing about her wonderful life and all the amazing things that she did throughout it, in and out of the Dr Who franchise. Overall, I loved it, and it brought back a desire to rewatch the Sarah Jane Adventures again.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely autobiography about a woman who was clearly very private. Most of the book is about her working life (about 70% of the book is dedicated to Doctor Who - Pertwee, Baker years, conventions and Tennant and SJA). It's so sad to read how much she was looking forwarding to the 5th season of the SJA and how excited she was to imagine how long it would last, only for her to die from cancer within months of finishing this book.

The tribute to her by her husband and daughter at the end will definitely bring a tear to the eye, overall lovely book and a great recommendation for all DW fans.

[sparrowcrazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far the most enjoyable doctor who related biography I've read.

It's well written, entertaining and easy to follow.

If you're planning to read other DW biographies, I would recommend starting with this one, it will make some names more familiar to you.

Though the book does out of necessity have some namedropping it manages to put them into context, so that, as the book progresses, you actually start to get to know and recognize persons you'd never heard about before.

It's a biography that is satisfying when it comes to detail, without sharing too much. Which also makes it fairly kids-friendly to read.

[Jeanne Hedge · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Lady of Who-dom

Lis Sladen wasn't a big star, a la Maggie Smith or Judi Dench, but she was a respected working actor. This biography provides a glimpse into the life of that working actor, from childhood entertainer through Shakespeare and television and forays into film and of course family life, until shortly before her untimely death. The sections related to her work on "Doctor Who", which provided her with a devoted international fan base, are fascinating, allowing the reader to see the behind-the-scenes of several different eras of that program. Recommended.

[Sedna Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable And Bittersweet

This was a bittersweet book to read as I found it interesting in learning about the woman that played a remarkable character in Doctor Who Sarah Jane Smith and find out that she, the woman herself was just as remarkable. Yet after watching the Sarah Jane Adventures as a teenager and seen her on the main show along with snippets of the classic show I found it good to know what she thought behind the decisions that she made.
Yet I did find it bittersweet as I read this long since she had been dead. So long live you legend!

[Iona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this years ago when I was bored on holiday. As a child that grew up watching the Sarah Jane adventures in the 2000s, and has since developed an interest in classic doctor who, this book showed me a side of her life that I did not know. From her childhood in Liverpool, meeting Brian who would eventually be her husband to a great career in tv, even beyond doctor who, she had a rather interesting life. I would recommend this book.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished, typing this through tears, even though we lost Lis almost 10 years ago, but the epilogue from Brian and Sadie, having being immersed in her memories, hearing her voice, knowing just how much we loved, and love, her, involuntary tears. It’s a beautiful book, Lis was a beautiful soul, Sarah Jane was such a wonderful character and I love this book that we ate privileged she chose to share wit us.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long time fan of Doctor Who , coming across the book was a pleasant surprise. It’s a interesting look into the early years of Who and one of the most favourite companions.
It’s a sad note that Ms Sladen died before the release of her book, but it is really sweet that her daughter and husband finished the book for her.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite taking longer to finish this book even though it was good...I loved it. It was what I wanted to read about, and was expecting to read when I read in Tom Bakers book but was disappointed.
I loved how she spoke fondly of the relationship she had with Jon Pertwee and the type of person he was, also Tom and Ian.