When I discovered about the death of Carrie earlier this week, I was utterly heartbroken. Liz has always been one of my top ten Doctor Who characters and Caroline herself was such a lovely woman. I wrote to her on several occasions and she always wrote back, and I always felt she was genuinely touched by the adoration fans had for her. I remember when I finally got to meet her, I told her who I was and thanked her for her letters and she grabbed my hands and told me it was so nice to meet me at last, and that I didn't have to be grateful - but I was. We all were. During her stage talk, she was very witty and very interesting. She complimented the new series and said how impressed she'd been with the prosthetics on the new Silurians; but then turned to the audience, and asked loudly, "but where's the third eye?!" to much agreement. She spoke about how she'd love to go back, but said that it would have to be written in a way that made it clear to Liz that this was the Doctor - "there are things he'd know about her that no-one else would." The talk ended with much applause and Caroline looked, not embarrassed, but bewildered maybe. I think she found it unusual that something she'd done over 40 years ago was still so appreciated by people. But there was reason for it, and the fact her death was in the BBC headlines shows just how brilliant both Liz Shaw and Caroline herself were. May she rest in peace.
NB - There is more about Liz Shaw in her "Greatest Characters" post.
NB - There is more about Liz Shaw in her "Greatest Characters" post.