Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen)

Sarah Jane Smith is a liberated woman from Earth in the 1970's. She is an investigative journalist with an intelligent, inquiring mind; while on Earth with the Doctor she often pursues stories as a freelance, inadvertently stumpling across the occasional menace to Earth's safety in the process.

She lives up to the popular image of feminists at the time: she objects to being told to do things that men regard as women's work, such as making the tea or tidying up. And she will try to tackle any task that she believes she is the equal of any man at doing, sometimes taking on more than she can really cope with. Her outbursts at male chauvinism - which the Doctor is sometimes guilty - are often unheeded, which leaves her feeling quite indignant.

Her career and tendency to storm off in a huff or in exasperation mean she gets into quite a few scrapes from which she needs rescuing. Sarah, however, is plucky and will try to extricate herself from difficulty on her own, although, she becomes quite despondent if she fails. She protests heartily at any hardships; when she is on the point of giving up, however, the Doctor will goad her onwards. She often makes up for lack of skills by tackling a problem enthusiastically.

Sarah's clothes range from the fashionably smart to the downright practical. At one time she might wear a matching trouser suit, typically brown with wide lapels and even wider flares; for more expected adventures she resorts to wellington boots, a bright yellow waterproof coat, mid-length skirt and thick woolen pullover. Her attractive, heart-shaped face is framed by mid-length black hair; she has blue eyes.

Sarah gets on well with her fellow companions in the TARDIS and especially the soldiers of UNIT such as Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates.

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