Welcome Back Nicolas Courtney!!!!!

The Doctor Who News Page is delighted to be able to confirm the return of a popular and much-loved character from the classic series of Doctor Who. The character appeared in many classic series stories, and will be seen in a two-part story in the next series of spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.



The returning character is Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, played by Nicholas Courtney. The character - who for much of the classic series was the commanding officer of the UK branch of UNIT, and one of the Doctor's closest allies - first appeared in 1968 opposite the Second Doctor, and went on to appear in stories with the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh.

Courtney has also played the Brigadier opposite the Sixth and Eighth Doctors in officially-licensed audio dramas from Big Finish Productions.The same Sarah Jane Adventures story will also apparently see the return of the Sontarans, seen in several classic series stories and more recently in series four of Doctor Who. Samantha Bond is also believed to be returning as Mrs Wormwood, the character she played in the pilot episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures.of the thumbnailed photographs, to see who the returning character is.

• Smith begins to receive information that an attack on Earth is imminent - at the same time, Luke begins to experience strange dreams, with a familiar female foe haunting him. She's calling out for Luke, because [well, that'd be telling].
• Coincendentally, Sarah-Jane is receiving a visit from an old friend at the same time; Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart - formerly Brigadier of U.N.I.T (or at least, the U.N.I.T of the old days...)
• Sir Alistair is now semi-retired, having fallen out with the M.O.D over their treatment of U.N.I.T in recent years. Warfare isn't always the answer, he tells Sarah. It took a wise man (ergo, the Doctor) to make him realise that.
• The Sontarans are back; having formed an alliance with an old foe! They want "blood revenge" for their defeat in Doctor Who's "The Sontaran Stratagem" two parter.
• Sir Alistair has something rather sinister concealed in his cane - a gun! He uses it to shoot a Sontaran's probic vent!!
• A florists plays an important role within the story...
• There's "a lovely scene" with Sarah, the Brigadier and Luke up in Sarah's attic. It's a trip down memory lane; especially when Sir Alistair sees a picture of Harry Sullivan...+
• We learn what the Brig was doing during the Dalek invasion...