Aww, maannnn...
I first discovered
Doctor Who sometime around 1984. Our local Public Broadcast Station only carried the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) at the time, so of course I saw a lot of Sarah Jane Smith. She was my first, you might say. I now have the complete original
Doctor Who, and love all the Doctors and all the companions, some more than most. Sarah Jane is right up there at the top.
I haven't seen any of the newer shows, but looking at the pictures I'm glad they brought her back. It will be hard for me to actually miss her, since I only know her from the show, and I can watch her again any time I want, but it's still sad.