Doctor Who is bringing back a legendary companion for a brand new episode. Fifty years after her appearance in Doctor Who season 13, Sarah Jane Smith is reuniting with the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, on a new audio adventure.
Due for release in March next year, the first instalment of audio drama The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Ministry of Death is reintroducing the classic character – with a twist.
The role of the Fourth’s companion will be played by Sadie Miller, who is taking on the character originally portrayed on TV by her mother, Elisabeth Sladen, who passed away in 2011 at age 65. She previously voiced Natalie Redfern in the 2002’s Sarah Jane Smith audio drama series.
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The first of three planned full-cast audio drama box sets for 2026, The Ministry of Death sees the Doctor and Sarah Jane being called back to Earth for a special mission.
The duo is set to help the Brigadier (Jon Culshaw) and Harry Sullivan (Christopher Naylor) deal with “some unexplained deaths and some very familiar enemies”.
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“An electronics expert has died after being struck by lightning. But how could this possibly happen in his office? And that’s only the first death they discover. A wild scheme is underway. A case of twisted science and revenge. That’s about to hit closer to home than they could possibly anticipate,” the synopsis teases.
An adventure in four parts penned by Robert Valentine, The Ministry of Death will be released alongside a two-part episode for Big Finish titled The Inhuman Empire, from writer Phil Mulryne.
Speaking on Sarah Jane Smith’s return, Valentine described the character as a “thoroughly contemporary woman”.
“There is a certain magic to these lead characters of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah, Harry and the Brig. The Fourth Doctor is a far less clubbable personality than the Third Doctor was, and he’s this chaotic force who wants to leave, and the Brig is a force of order who wants him to stay,” Valentine said.
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“And stuck between them are Sarah and Harry, who are a very different couple of characters, who nevertheless get on extremely well. But Harry is a throwback to an earlier time, not unlike John Steed in The Avengers, and Sarah is a thoroughly contemporary woman who’s bang up to date for the 1970s. Or is it the 1980s?”
The episode is currently available for pre-order on the Big Finish website, where it’s priced at £19.99 (download to own) or £24.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).
Due for release in March, June and September, respectively, all three of 2026’s Fourth Doctor Adventures box sets can be pre-ordered together in a multi-buy bundle for £57 (download to own) or £70.50 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).
Alternatively, listeners can buy this release as part of a bundle of all 15 Classic Doctor Who box sets released in 2026 for £285 (download to own) or £352.50 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).