Regeneration (TV story)

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Regeneration is the first episode of K9, an Australian-produced spinoff series featuring K9 Mark 2. The episode first aired in the UK as a special preview on 31 October 2009.

Synopsis

In 2050, London is under the control of a totalitarian regime. Two rebellious teenagers, Starkey and Jorjie, find themselves on the run from police and make their way into Professor Alistair Gryffen's lab building. Once there, they are witnesses to K9's arrival.

Plot

Two men arrive at the home and lab of Professor Alistair Gryffen to give him a case. It holds technology from a "fallen angel", a downed alien craft. They tell him the Department wants a full report in twenty-four hours.

Elsewhere, a teenage boy named Starkey who operates under the pseudonym of "Stark Reality" is by an outdoor public display board terminal. He hacks in to post a dissident message. As he finishes, a teenage girl, Jorjie arrives to yet again propose working together. Starkey refuses, but when she refers to him as Starkey he is shocked she knows his real name. She says she hacked his criminal activity file. She admires his work and wants to help. The CCPCs arrive and the two take off together. They end up in an alley with police at both ends. They desperately try a number of doors until they find one unlocked.

Inside they find Professor Gryffen's laboratory. They hide in the shadows and watch as Gryffen experiments with the Space-Time Manipulator. When the youngsters try to leave, Starkey accidentally kicks the power plug from the wall and the machines goes haywire. Instead of the professor's lost family, four reptilian warriors come through the STM's beam. Starkey is hit with their mucus-like secretion. As Jorjie and the professor turn to aid him, a fifth being comes through the beam. It is a dog-like robot who, after distracting the aliens to give Starkey time to escape, informs the humans that his power is running low and he must self destruct to destroy the four creatures. Starkey and Jorjie flee the building as Gryffen stays just outside the door, saying he suffers from a condition. Because the dog saved them, Starkey tries to help him, but is pulled back by Gryffen as an explosion rocks the room. They look inside to see the parts of the robot strewn across the floor.

Starkey picks up a oval, palm-sized object that seems to be active. The surviving alien goes down the stairs. Soon a boy arrives and asks what's going on. He notices Jorjie and introduces himself as Darius Pike, personal assistant and supplier of ordered goods, a delivery boy as Jorjie puts it. She introduces herself. Starkey warns her not to use real names so she calls him "Stark Reality". Darius comforts the distraught Gryffen and quietly places a call to the authorities while Starkey apologises to the professor. Just then the palm sized ovoid pulses and floats into the air. The parts of the robot dog are reintegrated and refashioned into a new, but still recognisable, design. The robot introduces himself as K9 and begins to recalibrate his systems, including his new flight system.

K9 exits the building for a flight test as the police arrive. They arrest Starkey, informing him of a sentence of six months in virtual reality (VR) detention. As everyone leaves the lab, the lone surviving reptile warrior, which K9 referred to as a Jixen, sneaks off into the shadows.

Professor Gryffen works with K9. K9 informs him that his memory has been scrambled and he does not recall who he is. He also says the Jixen mucus is used to mark their enemies for later tracking. Any Jixen that smells Starkey will recognise him as their enemy. In response to K9's question, the Professor says the space-time manipulator was built from parts found in fallen angel, spacecraft that have landed on Earth.

Meanwhile Starkey is in a barren room wearing VR goggles. He sees a plain white room with absolutely nothing to do. Jorjie appears, having used her own goggles to communicate with him. From the computer system she shows him images of aliens that have been locked up and are being experimented on in a secret Department facility. He says some of them might deserve it. She tells Starkey the reason she wanted to work with him was to expose this facility to the public. Starkey points out that he is already in detention and can't help her.

Gryffen works on K9 and activates a piece of music which K9 doesn't recognise. The damage to his memory is too great. He tells Gryffen he retains only fragments. He asks why the Space-Time travel device is located here. Gryffen says the Department wants him to get it operating properly. Gryffen explains the ability to travel through space and time is enormously valuable. There is no limit to where you could go or whom you could bring. K9 asks whether he will be able to return where he came from if Gryffen fixes the device. Gryffen tells him hopefully he will. As Gryffen works on K9, the robot makes a sound. K9 explains that he was in his remote identification system. Once a sound is imprinted, he can hear it across dimensions.

Soon after, alarms go off in the detention facility. They trigger the end of the VR session and Starkey turns to see the Jixen enter his cell. After he is sprayed a second time with the Jixen's mucus, a CCPC enters and is attacked by the Jixen. This gives Starkey time to escape.

Back at Gryffen's lab, Darius is tuning up Mariah, the professor's antique car. As Darius and the Professor discuss K9 and letting him stay there, Starkey enters the lab, covered with Jixen mucus. K9's still-repairing systems identify him as a Jixen warrior. Only the professor's protestations and Starkey's repeating some of the first words he said to K9 cause K9 to stop and reconsider his actions.

As that crisis is averted, June Turner, Professor Gryffen's primary contact with the Department, arrives to discuss the explosion in the lab and the robot "dog" seen in the vicinity near the time of the explosion. She asks if the professor has seen Starkey since his escape. June makes it clear that capturing the robot "dog" is a priority of the Department and she expects the Professor to find him and bring him in for study. If he fails or refuses, his funding for the STM project will be ended. It will be dismantled and passed to a more co-operative researcher. Gryffen tells her there is no need to do that. After she leaves, Starkey and K9 come out of their hiding place and Starkey thanks Gryffen.

After June leaves, Starkey tells Darius that no one has ever stuck up for him like Professor Gryffen has. Darius agrees that the professor is a great guy. Starkey also thanks Darius for not turning him in. Darius tells Starkey there will be other chances. As Jorjie enters, K9 tells her about nearly "neutralising" Starkey. To apologise, K9 gives Starkey a special whistle that will call K9 wherever Starkey is.

Cast

Production crew

References

Story notes

  • Before his "regeneration", the K9 that is seen is identical to the models originally used on Doctor Who. According to K9 creator Bob Baker, this is meant to beK9 Mark I, last seen on screen on Gallifrey with Leela. This implies that K9 Mark I survived the Last Great Time War. He was, however, destroyed in an audio play before the events of the Time War, so it is likely that he was rebuilt by Romana against Leela's wishes. Romana is also the person who probably installed his regeneration circuits. This means the K9 that appears at the beginning of the episode is actually K9MKI.I
  • K9 informs Professor Gryffen that much of his memory was damaged in his self destruction. K9 no longer seems to remember the Doctor. Whether he remembers his former mistress, Leela, or Romana and her K9 model, the Mark II, is yet to be seen.
  • When Professor Gryffen triggers a piece of music stored in K9's memory, K9 informs the professor that he cannot name the tune. The three notes played are the first three notes of the Doctor Who theme song.
  • The day before this episode was broadcast, another K9 appeared in The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.
  • This episode was originally reported to be rebroadcast on 3 April 2010 to start the series. However for an unknown reason The Korven was broadcast instead.
  • On its broadcast on Network 10 in Australia, and Disney XD in the UK, June is the only character to be credited. However, on its broadcast on Five, the supporting cast is credited as well.

Ratings

to be added

Myths

to be added

Filming locations

to be added

Production errors

  • When K9 gives Starkey the whistle, he says that if Starkey blows it it will "call you to my side." He must have meant it the other way around.

Continuity

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.

Home video releases

Official Boxset Cover.
  • This episode is featured in the Series One complete box set due to be released in Australia in 29 September 2010, UK release is unknown. [1]
The Bounty Hunter Official Cover.

External links

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K9 television stories
Series 1
Stories listed here are only those that have been officially licensed by Metal Mutt Productions.
v • e
Regeneration stories
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For the purposes of this list, a "regeneration story" is one in which a regeneration is actually and initially depicted. For this reason The War Games is not included below, even though it is commonly thought of as a "regeneration story". It doesn't actually include a clear scene of regeneration, and the preponderance of stories in other media confirms that the Second Doctor did not regenerate at the end of it.
Additionally, immediate post-regeneration stories, like the 2005 Children in Need Special Born Again — and ones like Castrovalva, where the regeneration sequence was replayed — are not included.
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