Sladen, Elisabeth - Elisabeth Sladen - The Autobiography

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The world of Who never stays still. JNT had replaced Philip Hinchcliffe’s successor, Graham Williams, at the start of 1980. He arrived in all-guns-blazing mode and you’d hear all kinds of stories – he was thinking of dropping the sonic screwdriver, K-9, and even the TARDIS! I think he just wanted to shake things up a bit, although he eventually got his way with the dog. Not all his ideas were about breaking with the past, though. In the summer of 1980 I received a message asking if I’d go and see him. What on earth for? I wondered, but in the end decided, Why not?

So I pootled along to Threshold House: I have so many happy memories of that building, it’s a shame they don’t use it any more. Even the stroll up to the front door seems like a trip down memory lane, all those familiar shops and restaurants.

John’s reputation was as a bit of a showman, so I was already primed for the flamboyant gestures and shirts as loud as his voice.

What I wasn’t prepared for was his offer:

‘Lis, I want you to come back as Sarah Jane.’

‘You’re joking !’

It was as if I was trying to talk myself out of it.

‘We’re deadly serious,’ John said. ‘You were the most popular companion. We want to put you and Tom back together. The Dream Team – the fans would love it!’

Ah, ‘the fans’. How often I’d hear those words from John over the years.

I shook my head. ‘I don’t think so, John.’

‘You don’t have to make your mind up now,’ he boomed, still smiling confidently. ‘Take a few days. Talk to Brian, talk to your agent.’

‘Look, I’m sorry, I don’t need to discuss it with anyone. I had such a good innings with Tom, I can’t risk going back and it not working – that would be so upsetting to me and, yes, the fans – I don’t want to go there.’

Think about it from Tom’s point of view , I told myself. He’s been there for years, he’s in his own groove, he’s moved the Doctor on, I’m sure – although I’d not seen it – I’d just be an anchor from the past . I was genuinely worried that maybe I wouldn’t fit in any more. What if he took it the wrong way? What have they brought her back for? It’s my show!

No , I thought, it’s the right decision .

Before I’d departed on a high – I couldn’t allow anything to soil that memory.

When I left his office, I honestly thought I’d never hear from John again. Luckily, or unluckily, for me, he’s not the sort of man who takes ‘no’ for an answer.

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A year earlier I’m not sure I would even have gone in for the meeting, but by the time I saw JNT in summer 1980 I’d already been re-admitted to the Whoniverse.

And I liked it.

In late 1979 I’d received a request from my agent asking me to attend a Who fan event. It wasn’t the first invite I’d received for something like that and usually I just responded, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’ I wasn’t in the show any more – to me it seemed rude to be making public appearances when there were others who were more entitled.

So what made me say ‘yes’ to this one?

Well, enough time had passed, I was going to be the ‘star’ guest and Ian Marter would also be there. Brian could come, too – if he could get out of his play in Richmond.

Oh, and the event was to be held in Los Angeles!

Lucy Chase Williams – who has written a book on Vincent Price and is such a together, organised lady – and Amy Krell, now a producer, were arranging their first Doctor Who American convention, ‘Whol’, and they wanted me as their star guest – and people say there are no female Doctor Who fans! I think the US Public Broadcast Service channel had recently begun to achieve good ratings for its Who episodes and, being a little behind the UK, I was still in the show over there. On top of that, VHS recorders had started to become more commonplace – fans were taping episodes and trading them with others. It’s much easier to get a buzz going when you can all see the same thing.

Lucy and Amy couldn’t have been more welcoming. They met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel on Rodeo Drive. We got a tour of the downstairs convention rooms, dinner, and you just knew you were in safe hands. I don’t know what they’d heard about Ian and me but I’d never seen so much booze around! I had a room where I would be able to relax between sessions, which was so thoughtful. ‘Anything you want, Lis, you just ask,’ said Lucy. Music to my ears …

So far it was just like a holiday – I almost forgot I was there to work.

I had genuinely no idea what to expect. Autograph hunters are one thing, but usually they’re stepping into your territory. Bumping into you in the street, hanging around a location shoot or queuing at the stage door, that sort of thing. Today, though, I was stepping into their world.

Even as Lucy led me through towards the convention rooms I was convinced this had been a wasted journey.

I left the show in 1976. No one here will care who I am. I’m just going to be the mad aunt nobody wants to sit near at the wedding .

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It started in the morning when Lucy handed me a copy of the Hollywood Reporter – the movie business’s trade paper. There it was, in black and white: ‘Lis Sladen from Doctor Who , will be appearing at …’

Wow!

Lucy and Amy said they’d booked me as their ‘star name’ but I didn’t expect anything like the reaction I got when I entered the room. It was incredible – the volume of applause when I was introduced blew my socks off! Just like Blackpool all over again but condensed into a far tinier space this time so it seemed even more intense. Everywhere I looked there were people laughing and smiling, whooping and cheering – it genuinely took my breath away. I was practically carried over the audience’s heads just to reach the stage.

I was there to answer questions on stage, do signings, take part in discussion panels, things like that – they’ve all become standard events at conventions down the years and now I can do them with my eyes shut. But it was so new to me then. Being interrogated by several hundred of your most devout fans can be intimidating and mind-blowing at the same time: you’re aware they know more about the show than you do but you soon learn that you can say anything and they’ll consider it. There are no quick judgements, everyone in that room is on your side.

While I was doing my thing in the main room, I think there were other sessions, like workshops and screenings, going on elsewhere. It really was a packed programme. Sometimes I got to work alongside Ian, which was such a treat. Other times we were separated so they could get as many people involved as possible.

At the end of that first night there was an auction and guess what the top prize was? A dance with yours truly! An awe-struck young boy won, thanks to his father’s generosity, and in fact we still keep in touch now.

The absolute highlight of the weekend for me, however, was the fancy dress competition. Ian and I were the guest stars so we were the obvious choice for judges. Unfortunately, apart from a break for lunch, we’d been sitting there for the whole day – and I have to say we were feeling a bit high by then. Possibly, alcohol may have been involved.

Anyway, they started this contest and all manner of eye-catching shapes and colours were wheeled past us. Honestly, the invention of Who fans will never, ever cease to impress me. Some of the monsters I recognised from my time, others were clearly pre- or post-Sarah Jane. I remember looking at Ian for help and being met with a shrug. Then we’d both nod at the entrant and say, ‘Well done, very realistic.’