Curse of Anubis (TV story)

K9 meets the Anubians, a race he helped in his forgotten past. Once peaceful, these creatures have now become warmongers. They trick K9 by worshipping him as their saviour. They unleash control devices and take over Gryffen, who banishes Darius from the mansion. Starkey opens up the Anubian Book of Deliverance and discovers their true plans. It is left to Darius to release K9 from Anubian control and thwart an alien invasion.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

At the Department Mobile HQ, an officer detects a pyramid-like alien ship entering Earth air space. Inspector Drake prepares to lock orbital missiles. June tells him to stop as it hasn't been fully analysed. Drake doesn't tolerate trespassers. When June asks if they come in peace he replies, "Then they leave in pieces". The ship disappears, apparently burning up in the atmosphere.

K9, Starkey and Jorjie spot a shooting star as two CCPCs interrupt their stargazing. Jorjie spots the pyramid spaceship uncloaking. K9 goes to have a look and bumps off it. Two aliens arrive and knock out the CCPCs. As the aliens turn their attention to Starkey and Jorjie, K9 comes to their rescue. The aliens hail K9 as their "Great Liberator" and bow.

The aliens arrive at the Mansion and call K9 "Great One". They identify themselves as Nehetka and Geb and tell the team that K9 liberated them in their distant past from the Huducts.

The Anubians show the team their history book and tell them of their oppression for generations and liberation by K9. When Darius insults the old K9, Nehetka is offended. Gryffen says it would be best if Darius left, which he does. As Gryffen admires the Anubian ship, they tell him they must hide from the Department, whom they call K9's enemies. Gryffen disputes this, but Nehetka insists they are enemies.

In the garage, Darius wakes to find Geb decorating Mariah. Darius goes to Gryffen, only to find he is finishing a throne room. Nehetka has suggested this may jog K9's memory banks. Darius activates K9. The Anubians are outraged at Darius' dog whistle and the idea of him giving commands to K9, who taught the Anubians that "freedom's everything". Gryffen accepts their request to banish Darius from the house and never return. Geb makes Jorjie and Starkey give them their dog whistles.

Starkey thinks Gryffen has fallen victim to mind control, but Jorjie doubts that K9, being a robot, would be affected. She wonders about the old K9, but Starkey insists K9 means well. At the mansion, Gryffen presents Starkey and Jorjie to K9, who is preoccupied with restoring his memory banks. K9 informs Starkey he intends to liberate London from the Department. K9 notices something in his memory banks, Tenklept. Nehetka tell him legends say K9 saved Tenklept the Glomb from being eaten by a Yakoclaw.

That night Starkey and Jorjie go to the mansion to take the book while the Anubians are sleeping. They read it in Starkey's room. It has a drawing of K9 leaving the Anubian homeworld with their oppressors now their slaves, wearing the same headband worn by Gryffen. They read further and see a drawing of Anubians holding hands with an alien and on the next page attacking the same species. They see many races attacked by the Anubians. They decide to show K9 this but are met by the Anubians, who put the headbands on them.

Darius returns to the mansion to find Gryffen, Jorjie and Starkey hypnotised. Darius wakes K9 and tells him there is something wrong. The Anubians have replaced his friends with robots, pod people or clones. K9 scans Gryffen and determines he is human. When Darius leaves, Nehetka says a slight attitude adjustment and he'd make a fine court jester. He tells Geb to see to it.

Geb follows Darius into the garage. Geb moves towards Darius with his arm outstretched. Mariah opens a car door hitting Geb and knocking him out. Darius removes the ankh from the front of Geb's breastplate.

June arrives. She tells Gryffen she is looking for Jorjie and is shocked when she sees Gryffen and Jorjie in Anubian dress. A struggle ensues. Nehetka takes action against the Department and begins the world's liberation. Hypnotic headbands materialise on all Department officers. Drake initiates code red but falls victim to the Anubians as well.

K9 witnesses the Nehetka hypnotise June. He recognises the headbands as the ones used by the Huduct to control the Anubians. Nehetka reveals they made the Huduct their slaves instead of reconciling. K9 decides to take action, but is attacked by Nehetka, who deactivates him. Suddenly the Anubian ship uncloaks and Darius contacts Nehetka, revealing he has taken control of their ship with the ankh. Darius threatens to crash the Anubian ship into the mansion. K9 reactivates and knocks out Nehetka with his photon beam.

The Anubians are taken away by CCPCs. Darius teleports back and K9 apologises to the team. Gryffen decides K9 will do the redecorating. When Starkey asks where the Anubians' ship is, Darius tells him he parked it somewhere but cheerfully states, "It's invisible", as he walks off with Gryffen and laughs. Starkey and Jorjie chuckle at him.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
Starkey - Keegan Joyce
Jorjie Turner - Philippa Coulthard
Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
Voice of K9 - John Leeson
June Turner - Robyn Moore
Drake - Connor Van Vuuren
Nehetka - Micheal Tuahine
Geb - Matthew Reimer
Voice of Nehetka - Todd Levi
CCPC - Josh Norbido, Jason McNamara, Edgen Bekafigo and Dane Paltman
Department Technician - Stephen Sourkis

Robert Moloney, Keegan Joyce, Philippa Coulthard, Daniel Webber and John Leeson are all credited in the opening of the episode and not the closing credits. With the exception of Leeson's credit, they are credited only by their name and not with their respective character's name attached.

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Writer - Jim Noble
Director - Karl Zwicky
Producers - Penny Wall, Richard Stewart, Simon Barnes
Executive producers - Jim Howell, Grant Bradley, Steve Robbins
Associate producers - Bob Baker, Paul Tams
Supervising producer - Dale Bradley
Co-Executive producer - Mark Blythe
With special thanks - Sam Tromans
Line producer - Pam Collis
VFX Director - David Napier
Series Production Designer - Jon Dowding
Episodic Designer - Adam Head
New K9 Design by - Paul Tams, Alex Kubalsky
Series Director of Photography - Ben Nott
Episodic Director of Photography - Tony O'Loughlan
Music by - Christopher Elves
K9 theme music by - Michael Lira
Editor - Russell Maggs
Casting - Faith Martin and associates
Episodic casting - Lisa Maloney
Drama/Dialogue coach - Peter Kent
Story Producer - Greg Walters
Script Adaption - Michaeley O'Brien
Production Accountant - Pru Donovan
1st Assistant Director - Peter McLennan
Script Supervisor - Sue Ketchington
Costume Designer - Joanne Thompson
Makeup Designer - Sharon Robbins
Puppeteer - David Pawsey
Location Manager - Charles Boyle
Sound Recordist - Ian Grant
B Camera Operator - Dan Maxwell
Gaffer - Steve Monk
Key Grip - Billy Harmer
Special thanks to - Space Furniture, Shredox, J. Barbour & Sons Ltd, Heath Williams at Firefly Lighting, Videopro
Safety Supervisor/Stunt Coordinator - Danny Baldwin
Transport Manager - Alister Ward
Unit Manager - Graeme Suhr
Post Production Facility - Cutting Edge Australia
Head of Post Production - John Lee
Sound Design - Warren Pearson

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Anubians sent torcs to Sector Z15.
In the Anubian book, there are drawings of resembling a Sea Devil, a Jixen, a Mandrel, an Alpha Centauran and an Aeolian in a gallery of races invaded by the Anubians.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story's title was referred to as The Curse of Anubis in some promotional and press materials prior to the airing of the episode.^[1]
This episode aired on the same day as the Doctor Who episode TV: The Time of Angels.
On this episode's broadcast on Disney XD, the beginning of the stargazing scene, where K9 identifies a star to Jorjie as the Quilian system, home to the Incessant Song Talkers of Mool, is cut off. Instead, the scene starts with Starkey recounting K9 telling them about Montoon's ocean of brains.
The green aliens which appear in the Anubian Book of Deliverance bear a resemblance to the Mekon, archenemy of comic book hero Dan Dare.
This was the first episode since TV: Regeneration to feature the Mark I design, albeit in drawings only.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

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Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

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Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

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Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

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Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Darius does not recognise a picture of K9 Mark I, having not arrived back at Gryffen Manor until after his self-destruction. (TV: Regeneration)
K9 is still haunted by his missing memories. (TV: Regeneration)

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This episode is featured in the following DVD sets:

Series One complete box set, released in Australia on 29 September 2010. [1]
A "vanilla" DVD called Alien Avatar, containing The Fall of the House of Gryffen, Jaws of Orthrus, Dream-Eaters, Curse of Anubis, Oroborus and Alien Avatar, released in Australia on 1 December 2010. [2]
K9: Series 1: Volume 1, containing episodes 1–12, released in the UK on 31 January 2011 and in the US on 30 March 2011. [3], [4]
K9: Ultimate Collectors Edition, containing the full first series, was released in the UK on 11 June 2012. [5]