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| {{rename|[[K9 and Company (TV series)]], as this page needs a dab term, due to an [[in-universe]] topic having the same name, and as per [[T:DAB#Why is it Castrovalva (TV story) and not Castrovalva (city)?]], the in-universe page should be undabbed.}}
| | What does Sockpuppet vandal please, what the fuck? |
| {{retitle|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
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| {{real world}}
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| {{Infobox Merchandise
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| |name = ''K9 and Company''
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| |image = K9-and-company-title-card.jpg
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| |aka =
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| |designer =
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| |publisher = BBC One
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| |type = Proposed TV series
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| |price =
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| |release date = [[28 December (releases)|28 December]] [[1981 (releases)|1981]]
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| }}
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| {{Dab page|K9 and Company (disambiguation)}}
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| {{Big toc}}
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| '''''K9 and Company''''' was a proposed television series in the early 1980s. It was intended as a [[Doctor Who spin-offs|spin-off]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Ultimately only a single pilot episode was produced. It aired on [[BBC1]] as a Christmas special in 1981.
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| The series was to have starred [[Elisabeth Sladen]] reprising her role as [[Third Doctor|Third]] and [[Fourth Doctor]]-companion [[Sarah Jane Smith]], with [[John Leeson]] returning as the voice of [[K9]] or to be more precise, [[K9 Mark III]].
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| The pilot episode was produced by then-''Doctor Who'' producer, [[John Nathan-Turner]], and is significant for being the first televised spinoff of ''Doctor Who''. It is the precursor to ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''.
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| Although the pilot did not result in a series, ''K9 and Company'' has had a lasting impact on the character of Sarah Jane and the ''Who'' franchise. Most significantly, it offered insight into her family history, aspects of which have been used to build her post-TARDIS life in stories across all media. Most Doctor-less Sarah Jane fiction written after 1981 — like ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' and the [[Big Finish Productions]] [[Sarah Jane Smith (audio series)|Sarah Jane audios]], as well as the 2006 ''Doctor Who'' episode ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'' — use elements first seen in ''K9 and Company'' to inform their presentation of the character.
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| == Overview ==
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| The pilot episode was titled ''[[A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)|A Girl's Best Friend]]''. It was broadcast on [[28 December (releases)|28 December]] [[1981 (releases)|1981]]. In it, Sarah Jane gained a companion/assistant of her own, her aunt's ward [[Brendan Richards]], played by [[Ian Sears]]. Brendan was studying computers and additional maths at school among other subjects.
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| The pilot episode saw Sarah discovering a boxed K9 Mark III, a gift from the Doctor. The plot which followed involved a strange mixture of [[occult]] spookery and mundanity, with robed pagans chanting "[[Hecate]]!" and the supposed goddess being revealed as a person in a mask. The action occurred in early to mid-[[December]], the last scene on [[25 December (releases)|Christmas Day]]. As a result, ''A Girl's Best Friend'' is the first Christmas-themed ''Doctor Who'' universe special (as opposed to a regular episode, such as "The Feast of Steven" in ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]''), predating by a quarter-century the tradition followed by the revived ''Doctor Who'' series.
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| Many ''Doctor Who'' fans remember it most clearly for its electronic theme music, composed by long-term ''Doctor Who'' enthusiast and record producer [[Ian Levine]]. Both the theme music and title sequence have been ridiculed. Levine, who was also the unofficial continuity consultant for ''Doctor Who'' in the 1980s, said in an interview with ''Dreamwatch Bulletin'' that the music was intended to be an orchestral score, but was instead arranged directly from his electronic demonstration arrangement by [[Peter Howell]] (who also arranged the 1980s version of the [[Doctor Who theme|''Doctor Who'' theme]]) without Levine's knowledge. In an interview included on the DVD release, John Leeson jokes about being hired to come to the recording studio and being asked to simply repeat the name "K9" several times. This later was edited into the theme music, allowing K9 to "sing" his own theme song!
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| == Television stories ==
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| ==== Pilot - 1981 ====
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| * ''[[A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)|A Girl's Best Friend]]''
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| == Accolades ==
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| The viewing figures for the pilot were very strong, but due to a changeover in channel controllers at BBC One, a series was not made. Although previously approved by controller [[Bill Cotton]], new controller [[Alan Hart]] disliked the idea.
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| == Aftermath ==
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| Despite the fact that a full series was never commissioned, the concept of ''K9 and Company'' was acknowledged within ''Doctor Who'' itself as part of the show's continuity. In the 1983 anniversary special ''[[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors]]'', which featured appearances by many past companions, Sarah Jane makes her entrance accompanied by K9 Mark III (the presence of whom is not explained for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the spinoff). Decades later, ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'' again features Sarah and K9 Mark III, who was replaced with [[K9 Mark IV]] at the end of the episode. This in turn was followed by another attempt at a spin-off series, this time successful: ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' (which had four full seasons and a short fifth season due to star Elisabeth Sladen's death). While K9 Mark IV was on ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', K9 would later have a (non-BBC) [[K9 (TV series)|spin-off]] of his own with the [[K9 Mark I|original K9]] returning in a [[K9 Mark 2|new form]].
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| The ''Doctor Who'' franchise would not attempt another TV spinoff until ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]'' in 2006.
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| == Other media ==
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| The pilot episode was novelised in the late 1980s as the last in the Target Books series called ''[[The Companions of Doctor Who]]''.
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| The adventures of Sarah Jane would later continue in audio form as part of a series of licensed ''Doctor Who''-related projects made for audio in the early 2000s by [[Big Finish Productions]]. Although this series did not include K9, John Leeson reprised the role for several other Big Finish productions.
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| There was also a [[K9 Annual]] dated 1983.
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| [[File:K9 and Co theme music record cover.jpg|thumb|K9 and Co theme music record.]]
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| In [[1982 (releases)|1982]], a record was released in the United Kingdom with an A side of the theme music and a B side track called "Shana the Star Dancer" by Phil Wells. In [[1983 (releases)|1983]], it was released in the United States with the same A side, but a B side entitled "The Leisure Hive".<ref>[http://www.millenniumeffect.co.uk/audio/tributes/index2.html The Millennium Effect - Tributes Discography: Spin-Off Soundtracks - K9 and Company (BBC, 1982)] <small>accessed 30th December 2010</small></ref>
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| In [[1988 (releases)|1988]], ''[[It's Bigger on the Inside!]]'', a collection of original comics and other comedic features created by [[Tim Quinn]] and [[Dicky Howett]], contained a one-page comic story simply entitled ''[[K9 and Company (comic story)|K9 and Company]]''.
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| == Home media releases: ==
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| === DVD release: ===
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| Release as part of the K9 Tales boxset on 16th June 2008, with The Invisible Enemy.
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| Special Features:
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| * The K9 Files - The making of this story.
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| * K9: A Dog's Tale - K9 answers questions about his life.
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| * Pebble Mill at One - K9 on Pebble Mill at One.
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| * Trailers and Continuity - Programme announcements and adverts.
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| * The Adventures of K9 - Adobe PDF versions of four children's K9 books.
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| * The K9 Annual 1983 - Adobe PDF of the 1983 annual.
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| * Radio times billings - Listings from ''Radio Times''.
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| * Photo gallery - rare production photos.
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| * Coming soon - ''The Brain of Morbius''.
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| === Blu-ray release: ===
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| This story was included with the Season 18 Blu-ray set as a bonus feature with a new HD transfer of original film elements and upscaled studio footage.
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| Special Features:
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| * Audio Commentary - With Elisabeth Sladen, John Leeson, Linda Polan and Eric Saward.
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| * Info Text
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| * The K9 Files - Elisabeth Sladen, John Leeson & others look back on the special episode and K9's legacy.
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| * Behind the Sofa - With John Lesson, Sean Chapman and Gillian Martell.
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| * Brendan and Company - An interview with Ian Sears.
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| * Pebble Mill At One - K9's appearance from 23/12/81
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| * Trailers and Continuity
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| * Happy Christmas Trailer - Featuring next season's TARDIS crew.
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| * HD Photo Gallery
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| * PDF Written Archive
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| * A Dog's Tale
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| == Myths ==
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| * [[The Master]] sent Sarah-Jane K9. It was intended for it to be revealed he sent K9 to her. However, in ''[[School Reunion (TV story)|School Reunion]]'', [[the Doctor]] was delighted to see K9 and didn't question how Sarah-Jane got him, indicated he had sent her K9.
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| == External links ==
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| * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/k9/ Cast and Crew list at the BBC website]
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| * [http://www.drwhoguide.com/mp3/k9andcie.mp3 K9 and Company theme music]
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| * {{imdb|title|0138972|K9 and Company}}
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| * [http://www.tv.com/k9-and-company/show/1989/summary.html K9 and Company] at [http://www.tv.com/ TV.com]
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| == Footnotes ==
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| {{reflist}}
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| {{Spin-offs}}
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| [[Category:Television overviews]]
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| [[Category:Doctor Who spin-offs]]
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| [[fr:K9 and Company]]
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| [[it:K9 and Company]]
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