In 2011, Nicholas Courtney the actor who played Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the Classic series died, before he could make a return to the show's revived series. Reportedly, the actor only wanted to return if his character could be killed off. When the Brigadier did die, it wasn't on-screen. It was however a huge plot device; the Eleventh Doctor, determined not to die himself, insists to Dorium that he's got a time machine: death will never catch up with him. He rings up the Brig, hoping to gallivant off on another adventure, but instead speaks to a nurse, who tells him that Lethbridge-Stewart died, a few months ago. "He talked a lot about you, if that's any comfort," she says. "Always made us pour an extra brandy in case you came round one of these days." What's quite so sad about this moment is that it's real; this was a tribute to Nicholas Courtney. The show hasn't referenced the passing of Elisabeth Sladen yet, but be prepared for a teary moment when they do.
