K9 (TV series)

Last updated

K9
K9 logo 2009.jpg
K9 title card
Created by
Developed by
  • Shayne Armstrong
  • SP Krause
Starring
Voices of John Leeson
Theme music composer Michael Lira
ComposerChristopher Elves
Country of origin
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producers
  • Grant Bradley
  • Jim Howell
  • Steve Robbins
Producers
  • Penny Wall
  • Richard Stewart
  • Simon Barnes
Running time25 mins
Production companies
Original release
Network Network Ten (Australia)
Release3 April (2010-04-03) 
25 September 2010 (2010-09-25)
Network Disney XD (UK & Ireland)
Release31 October 2009 (2009-10-31) 
20 November 2010 (2010-11-20)
Network Channel 5 (United Kingdom)
Related

K9 is a science-fiction adventure series focusing on the adventures of the robot dog K9 from the television show Doctor Who , achieved by mixing computer animation and live action. [2] It is aimed at an audience of 11- to 15-year-olds. [3] A single series of the programme was made in Brisbane, Australia, with co-production funding from Australia and the United Kingdom. [4] It aired in 2009 and 2010 on Network Ten in Australia, and on Disney XD in the UK, as well as being broadcast on other Disney XD channels in Europe.

Contents

Development

K9's co-creator Bob Baker (like several 20th century Doctor Who creators) had contractually retained particular IP rights from the TV episode scripts co-written with Dave Martin and had long sought to produce a television series starring the character. Indeed, in 1997 Doctor Who Magazine announced that Baker and producer Paul Tams were producing a four-part pilot series provisionally called The Adventures of K9. The magazine stated that the pilot would be filmed that year "on a 'seven-figure' budget", and that the BBC had expressed interest in purchasing the broadcast rights. [5] However, funding proved elusive, [6] and despite persistent rumours, the series remained in "development hell" for many years.

Promotional poster from early in the series development, back when it was titled K9 Adventures K9 2009.jpg
Promotional poster from early in the series development, back when it was titled K9 Adventures

In 2006, Jetix Europe announced that they were "teaming up" with Baker, Tams, and London-based distributor Park Entertainment to develop a 26-part series, then titled K9 Adventures and set in space. [2] This announcement, timed to coincide with K9's return to Doctor Who in the episode "School Reunion", was picked up in the British media and Doctor Who fan press. [7] [8] In 2007, Park Entertainment revealed that the main setting for the series (by then retitled K-9) would be the Platte, "an old Prairie-class spacecraft" once used for asteroid colonization. In addition to K9, the characters would include Slocum, a thirty-something "space gypsy", and Djinn, "an overactive computer module in the shape of an attractive young woman". [9] This early premise was abandoned before production began in Australia.

Production

Each episode of K-9 is approximately 25 minutes long, made for Disney XD (formerly Jetix) and Network Ten by Stewart & Wall Entertainment, in association with London-based distribution company Park Entertainment. [4] The project is being overseen by Baker; [7] [8] the television series concept was developed by Australian writers Shane Krause and Shayne Armstrong, in association with Baker and Paul Tams. [10] Krause and Armstrong are the primary writers for the series; four episodes were written by Queensland writer Jim Noble. [10] [11] [12] The series is produced by Penny Wall and Richard Stewart of Stewart & Wall Entertainment Pty Ltd, and Simon Barnes of Park Entertainment. [11] Grant Bradley of Daybreak Pacific and Jim Howell serve as executive producers. [4] Michael Carrington, head of animation and programme acquisitions for BBC Children's, told Broadcast that the BBC had declined the opportunity to be involved in the production of a K9 series, saying, "As the BBC is already committed to a number of spin-off projects, we concluded that a K9 series may simply be an extension too far." [13] BBC-owned characters like the Doctor will not appear in the series, due to rights considerations. [14]

In July 2007, the Australian Film Finance Corporation approved funding for the series, and the programme was pre-sold to Network Ten. [11] The Pacific Film and Television Commission (PFTC) (subsequently renamed Screen Queensland) also provided additional financing. [10] The first series was shot between 3 December 2008 and 8 May 2009. [15] [16] [17] The series is produced in Brisbane, Australia, shooting on location around the city and on a set built in a South Brisbane warehouse. [10] [18] A logo for the series was released on 27 February bearing some similarities to the original font seen on the casing of K9. [19] A trailer produced to promote the series at MIPTV was released on 2 April 2009. As it was made early in production, the music, titles, and voice of K9 were not the final ones used in the programme. [20] A second trailer was released on 1 October 2009. [21]

Concept

K-9 is set in near-future London, with 14-year-old characters Starkey and Jorjie, alongside a Professor Gryffen, who is experimenting with a Space-Time Manipulator, and 15-year-old Darius who runs errands for Gryffen. K9 Mark I follows the villainous reptilian warrior Jixen who came through a space-time portal created by the professor's experiments and saves the Londoners. While protecting them, K9 is forced to self-destruct, but is able to give Starkey instructions to rebuild him in a more advanced form. K9 and the humans then form the front line defence against alien menaces from outer space and other times. [22] The Brisbane Times reports that the series is set in London in the year 2050 and Professor Gryffen is employed by a clandestine government agency, "The Department". [18] The design of K9 is noticeably different from that seen in Doctor Who because although Bob Baker owns the character rights to K9, the original character design is owned by the BBC.

Connections to Doctor Who

As this was not a BBC production, direct references to Doctor Who were not legally allowed for rights reasons. However, Baker and Tams have confirmed that this K9 is the original K9 Mark I, who appeared in Doctor Who from The Invisible Enemy (1977) to The Invasion of Time (1978). [15] This model was last seen in the possession of Leela on Gallifrey; in the first episode, the robot dog is damaged and undergoes a "regeneration" into a new, more advanced form capable of flight. He then explains that most of his memory was damaged, so he cannot remember anything about himself or his past. [15]

The decision to launch the show in Australia on 3 April, the launch date for Doctor Who's "The Eleventh Hour", which introduced Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, was interpreted by the Gawker Media blog io9 as a way of taking advantage of the latter show's popularity to boost interest in the new show. [23]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byWorld Premiere
(Scandinavia)
UK
air date
Australian
air date
Prod.
code
1"Regeneration" David Caesar
Mark DeFriest
Shayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
11 January 201031 October 2009 (2009-10-31)3 April 2010142817-1
Whilst Starkey and Jorjie are trying to escape the police, they take refuge in a large detached house, now the residence of reclusive scientist, Professor Gryffen. They come across two Jixen [ broken anchor ] warriors and a robot dog, K9 Mark I. After the ensuing battle with the Jixen, K9 regenerates...
2"Liberation"David Caesar
David Napier
Shayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
18 January 20109 October 2010 (2010-10-09)10 April 2010142817-2
Having been "tagged" by Jixen slime, Starkey is in hiding from The Department and from the Jixen warrior who survived K9’s blast. Jorjie tells Starkey that the Department is imprisoning Aliens, and K9 flies off to investigate. Jorjies’s mother turns out to be Department inspector June Turner, and there is a confrontation as the youngsters and K9 try to help release the innocent Aliens. Starkey confronts the Jixen with dire consequences.
3"The Korven" Karl Zwicky Tim Pye25 January 20103 April 2010 (2010-04-03)17 April 2010142817-3
Starkey is homeless and K9 and Jorjie try to help. Gryffen’s assistant Darius contacts them after the Professor, an agoraphobic, disappears from the mansion. A warning from the 50th century is received, and K9 and the youngsters give chase to a mind-sucking alien called the Korven, who has snatched Gryffen.
4"The Bounty Hunter" James Bogle Ian McFadyen 1 February 20104 April 2010 (2010-04-04)24 April 2010142817-4
K9 becomes confused about his memory loss when an alien "bounty hunter" arrives and teams up with an evil Department inspector called Drake. Ahab, the Bounty Hunter, claims there is a price on K9’s head for murdering a galactic peace delegate in the 50th century.
5"Sirens of Ceres"Daniel NettheimDeborah Parsons8 February 201010 April 2010 (2010-04-10)1 May 2010142817-5
Drake uses a strange alien substance on a group of school children in an experiment to gain control of the population. Jorjie stumbles across the plan, and K9 and Starkey have to find and destroy the control devices.
6"Fear Itself"Karl ZwickyEverett DeRoche
Graeme Farmer
15 February 201011 April 2010 (2010-04-11)8 May 2010142817-6
London is out of control; riots erupt due to irrational fear. The focus of the paranoia is based in an old junkyard where a strange alien consciousness is at work. K9 discovers the emotion of fear for himself in his bid to thwart the unknown.
7"The Fall of The House of Gryffen"Daniel NettheimShayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
22 February 201012 June 2010 (2010-06-12)15 May 2010142817-7
Darius, Starkey and Jorjie spend a very spooky evening at Gryffen’s mansion, as spectres from Gryffen’s past materialise, causing mayhem. K9 sees the "ghosts" for what they really are, and the group have to convince Gryffen before the youngsters' life forces are drained away so that the alien energy beings can take physical form.
8"Jaws of Orthrus"James BogleLindsay James1 March 201017 April 2010 (2010-04-17)22 May 2010142817-8
Inspector Drake is attacked by K9, or so it seems. June Turner and the Department have orders to capture K9 and destroy him. However, Starkey discovers Drake has had a basic double of K9 built to discredit him.
9"Dream-Eaters"Daniel NettheimJim Noble8 March 201018 April 2010 (2010-04-18)29 May 2010142817-9
An ancient stone obelisk is unearthed by the Department, and an alien force is unleashed that literally starts inducing everyone to sleep and dream. The Bodach feed on brain waves, and what better entrees than human nightmares?
10"Curse of Anubis"Karl ZwickyJim Noble15 March 201024 April 2010 (2010-04-24)5 June 2010142817-10
K9 meets the Anubians, a race he helped in his long-forgotten past. Once placid, these creatures have now become warmongers. They trick K9 by worshipping him as their saviour, a veritable God. Darius sees through the plan and tries to thwart the alien invasion.
11"Oroborus"Daniel NettheimDeborah Parsons22 March 201025 April 2010 (2010-04-25)12 June 2010142817-11
K9 notices a change of behaviour within his group of friends and discovers that time itself is being disrupted. Small chunks of time are being "eaten away". A "Time Snake" has invaded, and Starkey makes a discovery that means that only he alone can face the Oroborus and offer himself up as a meal to defeat the creature.
12"Alien Avatar"Karl ZwickyGraeme Farmer29 March 20101 May 2010 (2010-05-01)23 June 2010142817-12
Following The Thames being heavily polluted by an alien chemical, K9 discovers the alien "Medes" are imprisoned by Drake and they need a special "key" to be made for the release of their spaceship.
13"Aeolian"Karl Zwicky Dave Warner 5 April 20102 May 2010 (2010-05-02)26 June 2010142817-13
London is being bombarded by strange sound waves that cause mass panic. K9 and Starkey are on the trail of the Alien, identified by Gryffen as an Aeolian. Darius desperately tries to rescue Jorjie as she is trapped by falling debris.
14"The Last Oak Tree"Dale BradleyJim Noble12 April 20108 May 2010 (2010-05-08)3 July 2010142817-14
Panic ensues when a museum exhibit is stolen and K9, Starkey, Darius and Jorjie are on the trail of the culprit only to find a giant menace hiding in London’s abandoned sewers. However, is the Alien really a threat or is Drake the bigger evil?
15"Black Hunger"James BogleChris Roache19 April 20109 May 2010 (2010-05-09)10 July 2010142817-15
The Department are using an experimental device that literally eats rubbish. Darius sees an opportunity to make some money and snatches the device. However, the alien virus in the device escapes and threatens to devour everything it touches.
16"The Cambridge Spy"Mark DeFriest Jason Bourque 26 April 201015 May 2010 (2010-05-15)17 July 2010142817-16
A freak accident engages the STM, and Jorjie is taken back in time to 23 November 1963. K9 and Starkey follow to rescue her and become embroiled in a spy-ring and a race against time to save Darius from never having existed.
17"Lost Library of Ukko"Mark DeFriestDeborah Parsons3 May 201016 May 2010 (2010-05-16)24 July 2010142817-17
Inspector Thorne sets a trap for K9 and Starkey is whisked away to a far-off planet all contained within an alien library card. The Librarian arrives to reclaim the card, and K9 and friends need June’s help to rescue Starkey and teach Thorne a lesson.
18"Mutant Copper"James BogleJohn O'Brien10 May 201022 May 2010 (2010-05-22)31 July 2010142817-18
The CCPC’s are hunting a rogue officer who has developed a personality and consciousness. K9, Starkey and Jorjie take the rogue CCPC back to Gryffen’s mansion and hide him from The Department, only to face the mutant copper causing mayhem.
19"The Custodians"James BogleShayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
17 May 201023 May 2010 (2010-05-23)7 August 2010142817-19
"Little Green Men" is a new virtual reality game that is sweeping the nation. However, it has a hidden secret. It has a link to an Alien that turns humans into his own kind. K9 and Starkey race to save Darius and Jorjie from being turned into scaly green creatures.
20"Taphony and the Time Loop"Mark DeFriestShayne Armstrong & S.P. Krause (story)
Anthony Morris & Graeme Farmer
24 May 20102 October 2010 (2010-10-02)14 August 2010142817-20
Gryffen tries to free a time being imprisoned by The Department. He was responsible for an experiment that bought the "Time Blank" into being and K9 assists him in his plan. Unfortunately, the Blank, in the guise of a girl (Taphony), turns on Gryffen and begins to drain Jorjie's life force in an attempt to stabilise her existence. Guest stars Maia Mitchell as Taphony.
21"Robot Gladiators"James BogleJim Noble31 May 201016 October 2010 (2010-10-16)21 August 2010142817-21
Darius and K9 go undercover to expose a criminal who is using illegal robot technology in what he calls "destruct-ertainment". K9 becomes a Gladiator and has to face the evil "pain-maker" in a battle to the death. But what is the sinister secret plan instigated by Thorne?
22"Mind Snap"David Napier Bob Baker
Paul Tams
7 June 201023 October 2010 (2010-10-23)28 August 2010142817-22
K9 is using the STM to try and rectify his memory loss of events prior to his arrival and regeneration. Gryffen and Starkey discover him linked to the machine, which creates a feed-back, and K9 loses all control of his memory and programming. He becomes a danger to everyone and starts his self-destruct programme.
23"Angel of The North"James BogleBob Baker14 June 201030 October 2010 (2010-10-30)4 September 2010142817-23
Gryffen is taken by Thorne in a special VR encasement suit to the crash site of the "Fallen Angel", the spaceship that the STM was taken from. In the frozen wastes of Canada, Gryffen faces his own demons and the dreaded Korven. K9 and Starkey try to rescue Gryffen from this most evil of alien menaces.
24"The Last Precinct"James BogleShayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
21 June 20106 November 2010 (2010-11-06)11 September 2010142817-24
A vigilante group of former police officers discover that the Department are upgrading the CCPC’s with Alien tech, and make a stand by holding Gryffen hostage. K9 and Starkey battle the intruders whilst Darius faces up to his past.
25"Hound of the Korven"Mark DeFriestShayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
28 June 201013 November 2010 (2010-11-13)18 September 2010142817-25
Thorne entices K9 to hand over his regeneration disc in exchange for his missing memory chip. As a double cross, the fake chip contains a sequence turning K9 into a bomb. Starkey is taken by a Jixen who has a few surprises for K9 and friends too.
26"The Eclipse of the Korven"David NapierShayne Armstrong
S.P. Krause
5 July 201020 November 2010 (2010-11-20)25 September 2010142817-26
A strange phenomenon occurs in the STM that heralds the imminent arrival of a Korven invasion. Thorne is plotting to help them and has as his back-up a sinister giant creature that has K9’s regeneration disc implanted making it an indestructible weapon. K9 faces his biggest threat ever.

Casting

John Leeson reprises his role as the voice of K9. [24] Sixteen-year-old Brisbane native Philippa Coulthard plays Jorjie Turner, a rebellious 15-year-old whose mother works for the mysterious "Department". [18] 20-year-old Keegan Joyce plays Starkey, a 14-year-old orphan rebel; and 21-year-old Daniel Webber plays Darius Pike, an assistant to Professor Gryffen, who is played by Canadian character actor Robert Moloney. [15] Recurring cast members include Robyn Moore as Jorjie's mother June Turner, and Connor Van Vuuren as Inspector Drake, later replaced by Jared Robinsen as Inspector Thorne.

Cast

Broadcast

The first episode aired as a sneak preview of the series on Halloween 2009 on satellite channel Disney XD in the UK & Ireland. The full series later aired on Network Ten in Australia, Disney XD in the UK & Ireland, Scandinavia, Poland, Italy and The Netherlands; and Disney Channel CEE in Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It was subsequently syndicated around the globe, including on Channel 5 in the UK and on Cartoon Network in New Zealand. [25] In the UK, Channel 5 broadcast the first series between December 2010 and April 2011. The US cable channel Syfy began airing the series on 25 December 2012, initially by broadcasting the entire first series in an all-day marathon.

Country / RegionNetwork(s)Premiere
United Kingdom, Ireland Disney XD (UK & Ireland)
Channel 5
(Disney Original Run) 31 October 2009 (Episode 1)
(Disney Original Run) 3 April 2010 (Full Series)
(Channel 5 UK premiere) 18 December 2010 (Full Series)
Scandinavia Disney XD Scandinavia 11 January 2010
Turkey Disney XD (Turkey)6 February 2010
Poland Disney XD Poland 6 February 2010
Bulgaria
Romania
Moldova
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Hungary
Disney Channel CEE 6 February 2010 (double episode)
Australia Network Ten
Cartoon Network
3 April 2010
Italy Disney XD May 2010
Netherlands Disney XD 2 June 2010
France RMC Découverte [ citation needed ]September 2011
Russia Carousel 3 September 2011
JapanChannel GingaFebruary 2012
Canada BBC Kids 4 October 2012 [26]
United States Syfy 25 December 2012 [27]

Home media

SeriesRelease name# of discsRegion 4
(Australia)
Region 2
(UK)
Region 1
(US)
Notes
1The Complete First Series427 September 2010 [28] 11 December 2010
(DW Shop Exclusive) [29]
Contains the Complete Series 1, Episodes 1-26 and UK Limited Edition is signed.
The Bounty Hunter127 September 2010 [30] Contains Series 1, Episodes 1-6
Alien Avatar11 December 2010 [31] Contains Series 1, Episodes 7-12
Series 1; Volume 1231 January 2011 [32] Contains Series 1, Episodes 1–12.
Series 1; Volume 2218 April 2011 [33] Contains Series 1, Episodes 13–26.
Ultimate Collectors Edition411 June 2012 [34] Contains the Complete Series 1, Episodes 1-26
The Complete Series47 May 2013 [35] Contains the Complete Series 1, Episodes 1-26
plus two extras, "The Making of K9" and "Interview with K9"

Merchandise

K9 Mark 2 figurines were sold on the official K9 website. Tie-in books titled The Complete Book of K9 and The K9 Storybook were announced on the official website but went unreleased. [36] The Essential Book of K9 , a hardback book that follows the story of K9 through all four models, crossing over from Doctor Who , K-9 & Company , The Sarah Jane Adventures, and K9, was released in 2015. It also included original short stories and a comic. [37]

In 2019, Obverse Books published the third in their Time's Mosaic series of guidebooks to Doctor Who by Finn Clark, in part covering the K9 Television series and associated spin-offs. [38]

Awards

In 2009, Shayne Armstrong and SP Krause, writers and developers of the series for television, won the John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing at the Australian Writers Guild AWGIEs for their script for the episode "The Fall of the House of Gryffen". The episode was also a nominee in the category for Best Children's Television in that year. [39]

In 2009, Shayne Armstrong and SP Krause were also nominated as finalists in the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards for Best Television Script for the episode "Regeneration". [40]

In 2010, Tony O'Loughlan, director of photography for the show, won two bronze awards at the Queensland and Northern Territory Cinematographer Awards for his work on the episodes Angel of the North and The Eclipse of the Korven. [41]

Series VFX Director and Director of four other episodes, David Napier, was nominated for "Best Direction in Children's Television" at the 2010 Australian Directors' Guild Awards (AWGIES) for episode 26, "Eclipse of the Korven". [42]

Proposed further series and film

The show's creators stated that a second series was in development. [43] A new design of K9 for series 2 was scheduled to be unveiled by Bob Baker and Paul Tams at the Who Shop on 27 July 2013. [44] Bob Baker told an interviewer in 2014, "Paul and I are in process of getting another series going. Hope it doesn’t take another eleven years!". [43] Paul Tams revealed on a Kickstarter page for his proposed Marti series that he and Baker are sitting out a protracted production deal before bringing back the series in a reboot titled K9 Adventures. [45] In April 2016, Bob Baker stated in an interview posted on K9 OFFICIAL PAGE on Facebook that the TV series will not continue and they will for now just focus on the TimeQuake film. [46]

On 24 October 2015, Bob Baker and Paul Tams announced the film K9: TimeQuake which was destined for cinemas in 2017 and was to feature the robot dog facing off against classic Doctor Who villain Omega in deep space. [47] [48] Despite the film not materialising, it was announced on 9 September 2018 that "a new multi million dollar series" was in development under partnership with "a major US/UK company" prior to the release of the feature film. [49] On 20 December 2020 'Megabytes', an anthology featuring K9, was released which was teased as being "the road to TimeQuake". [50] When Bob Baker died in November 2021, the official Twitter page released a statement "Bob had recently completed scripts for both a new K9 Film and TV series, which will continue in tribute to Bob and his legacy," [51] but as of 2023 this was the final message posted on the account and there is no other information available to suggest the project is still active.

Related Research Articles

<i>Doctor Who</i> British science fiction TV series (1963–present)

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes. The Doctor often travels with companions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toon Disney</span> Kids television channel

Toon Disney was an American multinational pay television channel owned by Disney Branded Television, a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Television Group. The channel's target audience was children aged 7–11, and older children and adolescents aged 8–15 during the Jetix programming block.

K-9 and Company is a one-episode television pilot, for a proposed 1981 television spin-off of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist played by Elisabeth Sladen, and K9, a robotic dog voiced by John Leeson. Both characters had been companions of the Fourth Doctor, but they had not appeared together before. The single episode, "A Girl's Best Friend", was broadcast by BBC1 as a Christmas special on 28 December 1981, but was not taken up for a continuing series.

Omega (<i>Doctor Who</i>) First Evil Time Lord

Omega is a fictional character created by Bob Baker and Dave Martin for the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. In the context of the series, Omega is known as one of the founders of the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey, and is a revered figure in Time Lord history together with the equally legendary Rassilon; the Third Doctor refers to him as the Time Lords' "greatest hero". Omega first appeared in the 10th anniversary story, The Three Doctors.

Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Jane Smith</span> Fictional character in various TV series including Doctor Who

Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series Doctor Who and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien time traveller the Doctor while trying to break a story on a top secret research facility, and subsequently becomes his travelling companion on a series of adventures spanning the breadth of space and time. After travelling with The Doctor in four seasons of the show they suddenly part ways, and after this she continues to investigate strange goings-on back on Earth. Over time, Sarah Jane establishes herself as a committed defender of Earth from alien invasions and other threats, occasionally reuniting with The Doctor in the course of her own adventures, all the while continuing to work as a freelance investigative journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Leeson</span> English actor

John Francis Christopher Ducker, known professionally as John Leeson, is an English actor. He is known for portraying Bungle in Rainbow and voicing K9 in Doctor Who and spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9.

K9 (<i>Doctor Who</i>) British sci-fi character, created 1977

K9, occasionally written K-9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977. K9 has also been a central character in three of the series' television spin-offs: the one-off K-9 and Company (1981), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011) and K9 (2009–2010). Although not originally intended to be a recurring character in the series, K9 was kept in the show following his first appearance because he was expected to be popular with younger audiences. There have been at least four separate K9 units in the series, with the first two being companions of the Fourth Doctor. Voice actor John Leeson has provided the character's voice in most of his appearances, except during season 17 of Doctor Who, in which David Brierley temporarily did so. The character was created by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, to whom rights to the character still belong; consequently, Baker's spin-off series K9, which is not BBC-produced, could not directly reference events or characters from Doctor Who, though it attempted to be a part of that continuity.

Jetix was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action/adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated from the Saban Entertainment library, airing live-action and animated series with some original programming. The channel's target audience was older children and adolescents aged 8–15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Doctor</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.

Robert John Baker was a British television and film writer. He was best known for working on the original run of Doctor Who, and for being a co-writer of the Wallace & Gromit films The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

<i>The Sarah Jane Adventures</i> British science-fiction television series

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who and is aimed at a younger audience than Doctor Who. It focuses on the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist who, as a young woman, had numerous adventures across time and space with the Doctor. Following Sladen's death in 2011, the BBC confirmed that the show would not return for a sixth series.

Jetix Europe N.V. was a European television broadcasting company that owned children's television channels and programming blocks across the Europe and Middle East, such as Jetix and Jetix Play.

<i>Kid vs. Kat</i> Canadian animated television series

Kid vs. Kat is a Canadian animated television series that originally aired on YTV in Canada from October 25, 2008, until June 4, 2011. The series was created and co-directed by Rob Boutilier, developed and produced at Studio B Productions, in association with YTV and Jetix Europe 52 episodes were produced.

<i>Doctor Who</i> season 18 Season of television series

The eighteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who consisted of seven four-episode serials broadcast from 30 August 1980 with the serial The Leisure Hive, to 21 March 1981 with the serial Logopolis. The season is Tom Baker's final as the Fourth Doctor before his regeneration into the Fifth Doctor, as well as Lalla Ward's as companion Romana II and John Leeson's as the voice of K9. For the second time, the entire main cast changed over the course of a single season. The season also sees the debut of Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, and Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka, the three of whom would remain regular companions into the Fifth Doctor's era, as well as the return of the Master, portrayed both by Geoffrey Beevers and Anthony Ainley.

<i>Doctor Who</i> season 17 Season of television series

The seventeenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 1 September 1979 with the story Destiny of the Daleks, and ended with The Horns of Nimon. This was Graham Williams' final series producing Doctor Who. The script editor was Douglas Adams.

<i>Doctor Who</i> season 15 Season of television series

The fifteenth season of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 September 1977 with the serial Horror of Fang Rock, and ended with The Invasion of Time. The fourth series for the Fourth Doctor, new producer Graham Williams became producer for this series, while Robert Holmes left script editing for Anthony Read midway through.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney XD (British and Irish TV channel)</span> Childrens television channel, 1996–2020

Disney XD was a British and Irish pay television channel. First launching in October 1996, it originated from the US version of the channel and was operated under a joint-venture between Fox Television Entertainment and Saban Entertainment, before moving along to the Euronext-operating Fox Kids Europe. It rebranded itself to Jetix in January 2005 after The Walt Disney Company's prior-purchase of Fox Family Worldwide in October 2001, and then reached its final name in August 2009 after Disney acquired Jetix Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney XD</span> American pay television channel

Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old.

<i>The Essential Book of K9</i> Science fiction book based on Doctor Who

The Essential Book of K9 is a science fiction anthology book by Paul M. Tams and Bob Baker based on the television series Doctor Who and focuses on the character K9. The book was released in 2015 and published by Meteoric Books.

References

  1. "Doctor Who dog K9 gets spin-off" (Press release). BBC News. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Doctor Who veterans to create new 'K-9 adventures' with Jetix Europe". Jetix Europe. 24 April 2006. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  3. "K9". Stewart & Wall Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Film Finance Corporation Australia. "2007/2008 - Children's Television Drama". Screen Australia . Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  5. "He's back! K9 takes the lead in four-part pilot series". Doctor Who Magazine (253): 4. 2 July 1997.
  6. "K9 prepares to slip leash!". Doctor Who Magazine (258): 4. 19 November 1997.
  7. 1 2 Milmo, Cahal (24 April 2006). "Doctor Who's K-9 sidekick is dragged into 21st century in computer-designed cartoon". The Independent . Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  8. 1 2 Sherwin, Adam (24 April 2006). "K9 is back and ready to fight in shining armour". The Times . London. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  9. "Television series". Park Entertainment. 2006. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Robot Dog Brings Jobs for Queenslanders". Screen Queensland . April 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.[ dead link ]
  11. 1 2 3 "FFC Funding Approvals (July 2007)" (Press release). Film Finance Corporation Australia. July 2007. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  12. Noble, Jim. "Diary of a Screenwriter". Screen Queensland. Retrieved 16 December 2009.[ dead link ]
  13. Lyon, Shaun (24 April 2006). "K-9 Back for Animated Spinoff - Updated". Doctor Who News Page . Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  14. Johnson, Richard (11 March 2007). "Master of the universe". The Sunday Telegraph . p. 3. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Blum, Jonathan (24 June 2009). "K-9". Doctor Who Magazine . No. 409. pp. 8–9.
  16. "Oscar Writer in QLD For New Action Series". Pacific Film and Television Commission. June 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009.[ dead link ]
  17. "In Development". Limelight International Media Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  18. 1 2 3 Casey, Scott (9 June 2009). "The future of London is ... Brisbane". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  19. Bowman, John (27 February 2009). "K9 Logo Revealed". Doctor Who News Page . Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  20. Rowe, Josiah (2 April 2009). "First K9 series trailer". Doctor Who News Page . Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  21. "K-9 The Series (2009)". Park Entertainment. 1 October 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  22. Rowe, Josiah (12 March 2009). "K-9 news". Doctor Who News Page . Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  23. Alasdair Wilkins (26 March 2010). "K-9 Series Premiere Goes Up Against Doctor Who's Return". io9. Gawker Media. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  24. "Look who's back once again as the voice of K9!". Doctor Who Magazine (411): 7. 19 August 2009.
  25. "K-9 Series II - "WHO's a good dog?"". Stewart & Wall Entertainment. Archived from the original on 3 November 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  26. Shows Watch Play Get BBC Kids. "Schedule | BBC Kids". Bbckids.ca. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  27. "Schedule". Syfy. 25 December 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  28. "K-9 (2009) - The Complete 1st Series (4 Disc Set)". Ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  29. "Niet compatibele browser" . Retrieved 18 May 2011 via Facebook.
  30. "K-9 (2009) - The Bounty Hunter". Ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  31. "K-9 (2009) – Alien Avatar". Ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  32. "K9 Series One Volume One. [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  33. "K9 Series 1 Vol 2 [DVD][2009]: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  34. "K9 Complete Box Set [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  35. "K9 DVD news: Announcement for K9 - The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  36. "K9 Official - Shop - www.k9official.com". k9official.com. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  37. "The Essential Book of K9". The Doctor Who Site. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  38. "Colin Baker, BBV & K9". obversebooks.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  39. "John Hinde Award for Science Fiction". austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  40. "Shayne Armstrong". austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  41. Queensland and Northern Territory Awards Archived 29 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine – Australian Cinematographers Society
  42. "Australian Directors Guild Award Nominations". screenqueensland.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  43. 1 2 Christian, Lewis (16 February 2014). "Bob Baker — Interview". Wobbly Sets. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  44. "Saturday 27th July is K9 DAY at The Who Shop!". thedoctorwhosite.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  45. "MARTI - The World's only Superhero Meerkat! (Canceled) by Paul Tams — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  46. "For Adam Kelleher...K9 OFFICIAL PAGE". www.facebook.com.
  47. "#K9fans ... Bob Baker and Paul Tams are... - K9 OFFICIAL PAGE - Facebook" via Facebook.
  48. "K9 to Battle Omega in Movie "Timequake"". doctorwhotv.co.uk. 24 October 2015.
  49. "K9 - UPDATE NEWS... - K9 OFFICIAL PAGE - Facebook" via Facebook.
  50. "The Road to TimeQuake" via Twitter.
  51. "Dear Friends" via Twitter.