It is being reported in several places that Jackie Lane has passed away, at the age of 79. She played companion Dorothea "Dodo" Chaplet at the tail end of the William Hartnell era. Supposed to bring a fresh contemporary vibe to the series, with a character similar to original companion Susan, Dodo ended up being messed about with by the production team. In her first appearances we hear Lane using her natural Manchester accent, but this quickly reverts to BBC received pronunciation. Infamously, Lane departed from the series midway through the story (The War Machines) which introduced her replacement (Polly), with the character denied any kind of farewell.
Lane distanced herself from the programme afterwards, so it was a surprise to see her appear on the 50th Anniversary celebration programme. She latterly lived in France.
She gave up acting to concentrate on actor management, and had an agency which counted Tom Baker, Nicholas Courtney and Janet Fielding among its clients.
RIP.
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