K9 (TV series)

K9 (TV series)

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	2009
Headquarters	Brisbane , Australia
Area served	Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, United States, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Russia, Turkey, New Zealand
Key people	Bob Baker (co-creator), Paul Tams (producer), Shane Krause (lead writer), Shayne Armstrong (lead writer), Penny Wall (producer), Richard Stewart (producer), Simon Barnes (producer)
Products	Television series
Parent	Stewart & Wall Entertainment Pty Ltd, Park Entertainment
Website	www.k9.tv

K9 is a science-fiction adventure series centered on the robotic dog K9 from Doctor Who, blending live-action sequences with computer-generated imagery. Aimed at viewers aged 11 to 15, the show was produced as a single season in Brisbane, Australia, supported by co-production funding from both Australia and the United Kingdom. It was broadcast between 2009 and 2010 on Network Ten in Australia and on Disney XD in the UK, as well as other Disney XD channels throughout Europe.

Development

Co-creator of K9, Bob Baker, retained specific IP rights derived from the original television scripts he co-authored with Dave Martin, with the intention of developing a series starring the character. In 1997, Doctor Who Magazine revealed that Baker and producer Paul Tams were working on a four-part pilot titled The Adventures of K9, which was planned with a seven-figure budget and potential interest from the BBC for broadcast. Despite this, financial obstacles halted progress, leaving the project trapped in extended "development hell."

By 2006, Jetix Europe collaborated with Baker, Tams, and London-based distributor Park Entertainment to create a 26-episode series initially named K9 Adventures, set in outer space. This development coincided with K9’s reappearance in Doctor Who’s episode "School Reunion" and garnered media attention. In 2007, Park Entertainment announced that the story would take place aboard the Platte, an aged spacecraft used for asteroid colonization missions, featuring characters such as K9, Slocum—a nomadic space traveler—and Djinn, an AI manifesting in human form. This premise was later altered before production commenced in Australia.

Production

Each installment of K-9 has a runtime of approximately 25 minutes and was created for Disney XD (previously Jetix) and Network Ten by Stewart & Wall Entertainment in collaboration with London-based distributor Park Entertainment. The series was supervised by Bob Baker, with its concept developed by Australian writers Shane Krause and Shayne Armstrong alongside Baker and Paul Tams. Krause and Armstrong functioned as lead writers, while Queensland author Jim Noble contributed scripts for four episodes. Production responsibilities were managed by Penny Wall and Richard Stewart from Stewart & Wall Entertainment Pty Ltd, together with Simon Barnes of Park Entertainment. Executive producers included Grant Bradley from Daybreak Pacific and Jim Howell. The BBC chose not to participate due to existing spin-off commitments, and characters owned by the BBC such as the Doctor were excluded because of rights restrictions.

In July 2007, funding approval came from the Australian Film Finance Corporation, complemented by additional investment from the Pacific Film and Television Commission (later known as Screen Queensland). Filming for the initial series took place between December 2008 and May 2009 in Brisbane, utilizing various city locations alongside a purpose-built set within a warehouse in South Brisbane. A series logo unveiled in February 2009 reflected the style of the original K9 font. Promotional trailers appeared in April and October 2009; however, early promotional content included placeholder music, titles, and voiceovers.

Concept

Set in a near-future London circa 2050, K-9 follows teenagers Starkey (14) and Jorjie (14), Professor Gryffen who is conducting experiments with a Space-Time Manipulator device, and Darius (15), who assists Gryffen. The plot involves K9 Mark I confronting Jixen, a hostile reptilian warrior who arrives through a space-time portal triggered by Gryffen’s experiments. After sacrificing himself to protect London’s inhabitants through self-destruction, K9 instructs Starkey on how to reconstruct him into an upgraded model. Together, K9 and the young protagonists combat extraterrestrial threats originating from outer space and different time periods. Professor Gryffen is portrayed as an operative within a secretive government organization called "The Department." Due to intellectual property ownership distinctions—Bob Baker holds rights to K9 while the BBC owns the original design—the K9 model featured differs visually from its initial Doctor Who incarnation.

Connections to Doctor Who

Being produced outside the BBC, explicit mentions of Doctor Who were limited. Nonetheless, creators Baker and Tams confirmed that this iteration of K9 is the original Mark I model from the 1977–1978 Doctor Who era. Within the series, K9 undergoes regeneration, resulting in an upgraded version with partial memory loss regarding previous experiences. The Australian debut of the show coincided with the 2010 revival of Doctor Who starring Matt Smith, capitalizing on the latter’s renewed popularity to attract viewers.

Episodes

Comprising 26 episodes broadcast between 2009 and 2010, the series aired across various international platforms. Central plots include K9’s regeneration and subsequent memory gaps ("Regeneration"), confrontations with alien species such as the Jixen and Korven, internal dangers posed by "The Department," and time-travel escapades involving the Space-Time Manipulator. The episodes delve into themes like extraterrestrial invasions, governmental conspiracies, and advanced futuristic technologies influencing society.

Casting

John Leeson returns to provide the voice for K9. The principal cast features Philippa Coulthard portraying Jorjie Turner; Keegan Joyce as Starkey; Daniel Webber in the role of Darius Pike; Robert Moloney playing Professor Gryffen; alongside Robyn Moore and Connor Van Vuuren in recurring parts.

Cast

• John Leeson as K9
• Philippa Coulthard as Jorjie Turner
• Keegan Joyce as Starkey
• Daniel Webber as Darius Pike
• Robert Moloney as Alistair Gryffen
• Robyn Moore as June Turner
• Connor Van Vuuren as Drake
• Jared Robinsen as Thorne

Broadcast

The pilot episode premiered on Disney XD UK & Ireland on Halloween 2009, with subsequent full series airings on Network Ten (Australia), Disney XD (Europe), Channel 5 (UK), Syfy (US), and additional networks in Scandinavia, Poland, Italy, and New Zealand. This staggered release approach broadened its international audience reach.

Country / Region	Network(s)	Premiere
United Kingdom, Ireland	Disney XD Channel 5	31 October 2009 (pilot) 3 April 2010 (full series) 18 December 2010 (Channel 5)
Scandinavia	Disney XD Scandinavia	11 January 2010
Turkey	Disney XD Turkey	6 February 2010
Poland	Disney XD Poland	6 February 2010
Central & Eastern Europe	Disney Channel CEE	6 February 2010 (double episode)
Australia	Network Ten Cartoon Network	3 April 2010
Italy	Disney XD Italy	May 2010
Netherlands	Disney XD Netherlands	2 June 2010
France	RMC Découverte	September 2011
Russia	Carousel	3 September 2011
Japan	Channel Ginga	February 2012
Canada	BBC Kids	4 October 2012
United States	Syfy	25 December 2012

Home media

The entire first season was released on DVD for Regions 2 and 4 between 2010 and 2013 through various collections including complete season box sets and themed compilations. Among these were a UK Limited Edition signed set and an Ultimate Collectors Edition featuring all episodes accompanied by bonus content.

Merchandise

Officially licensed products included figurines of K9 Mark II. While tie-in books advertised on the official website never materialized, The Essential Book of K9 was published in 2015, covering all four K9 variants from related series along with original narratives and comics. Additionally, Obverse Books issued a guidebook within their Time's Mosaic collection in 2019, focusing on the K9 television series and its spin-offs.

Awards

Writers Shayne Armstrong and SP Krause earned the John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing at the Australian Writers Guild AWGIEs for "The Fall of the House of Gryffen" (2009) and were shortlisted for Best Television Script with "Regeneration." Tony O'Loughlan, Director of Photography, received two bronze accolades at Queensland and Northern Territory Cinematographer Awards (2010). Director David Napier garnered a nomination for Best Direction in Children's Television from the Australian Directors' Guild Awards (2010).

Proposed further series and film

Plans for a second season were announced, featuring a redesigned K9 unveiled in July 2013. Creators Bob Baker and Paul Tams expressed their desire to continue development; however, production setbacks led to a reboot effort called K9 Adventures. In April 2016, attention shifted toward a feature film titled K9: TimeQuake, slated for a planned release in 2017 with classic antagonist Omega featured. Despite delays, reports indicated a multi-million dollar new series was in development by late 2018 alongside film plans. An anthology named 'Megabytes,' released in December 2020, was promoted as paving the way for TimeQuake. After Bob Baker’s passing in November 2021, scripts for new film and television projects were completed but no further updates have emerged since.

External links

• Official K9 Website