How Doctor Who is bringing back Sarah Jane Smith for “brilliant” new Tom Baker adventure

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The classic Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith is returning in a brand new audio story! After fifty years since she first appeared in season 13, she’ll be joined once again by Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor.

The first part of the audio drama, *The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Ministry of Death*, will be released in March and brings back the beloved character with a new take on his adventures.

Sadie Miller will play the companion to the Fourth Doctor, a role originally made famous by her mother, Elisabeth Sladen, who sadly passed away in 2011 at the age of 65. Sadie previously provided the voice of Natalie Redfern in the 2002 audio drama series, Sarah Jane Smith.

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The Doctor and Sarah Jane return to Earth for a crucial mission in *The Ministry of Death*, the first of three planned full-cast audio dramas scheduled for release in 2026.

Jon Culshaw and Christopher Naylor will be joining forces as the Brigadier and Harry Sullivan to investigate a series of mysterious deaths and confront some returning villains.

A lightning strike killed an electronics expert… inside his office. This is just the first in a string of mysterious deaths, hinting at a dangerous plot fueled by both scientific manipulation and a thirst for revenge. And this conspiracy is about to become very personal.

Robert Valentine’s new four-part story, *The Ministry of Death*, is coming soon from Big Finish, along with a two-part episode called *The Inhuman Empire* written by Phil Mulryne.

I was so excited to hear Sarah Jane Smith was coming back! The showrunner, Russell T Davies, described her as a really modern, relatable woman, and honestly, that’s exactly what she always was. It’s great to see they recognize that!

Valentine described a captivating dynamic between the Fourth Doctor, Sarah, Harry, and the Brigadier. Unlike his predecessor, the Fourth Doctor isn’t easily sociable and has a restless energy, constantly wanting to explore. This contrasts with the Brigadier, who represents stability and wants the Doctor to stay put.

Sarah and Harry are quite a pair – very different personalities who somehow manage to get along wonderfully. Harry feels like he’s from another era, reminiscent of the classic spy John Steed from *The Avengers*, while Sarah is a modern woman, totally in tune with the times. Or is it the 80s, not the 70s?

You can now pre-order the episode from the Big Finish website. It costs £19.99 to download and keep, or £24.99 to get a digital copy plus a special collector’s edition CD.

You can now pre-order all three of the 2026 Fourth Doctor Adventures box sets – due for release in March, June, and September – together for a discounted price. The digital download costs £57, while the download plus a collector’s edition CD is £70.50.

You can also purchase this release as part of a complete collection of all 15 Classic *Doctor Who* box sets, which will be available in 2026. The digital download costs £285, while the digital download plus a collector’s edition CD costs £352.50.

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You can watch the latest Doctor Who episodes on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ internationally. If you’re in the UK, you can also find classic Doctor Who episodes on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-10-16 22:49