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K-9 was a robot dog (or rather a series of robot dogs) who appeared in Seasons 15 through 18 of the long-running British television show Doctor Who and subsequent spinoffs.

Contents 1 Appearance and Personality 2 Models 3 K-9 Adventures 4 Quotes

Appearance and Personality

K-9 is a somewhat boxy, metallic approximation of a medium-sized dog. He has no legs, but rather runs on a sort of tread concealed beneath the base of his body. An antenna-like tail extends from his hindquarters, and small, radar dish–like "ears" adorn his head. A small, cylindrical energy weapon can be extended from his nose.

Despite his tendency to be a know-it-all, K-9 (as voiced by actor John Leeson), managed to capture something incredibly endearing that appealed to children of all ages. He remains one of the most popular characters ever to appear on the show. On Doctor Who, he functioned largely as a deadpan comedic foil to Tom Baker's erratic portrayal of the The Doctor.

Actor David Brierley also voiced K-9 for a few stories in Season 17.

Models

Four models of K-9 have appeared in Doctor Who. K-9 Mark I first appeared in the 1977 story "The Invisible Enemy." He had been constructed by Professor Marius, a medical researcher stationed on a hospital asteroid near Titan. Marius had owned a dog on Earth, but had not been allowed to bring one along to his current home. So he built one. However, since Marius was now due to return to Earth (and presumably still couldn't bring a dog on the journey), he asked the Doctor to care for his robotic creation.

K-9 Mark I traveled with the Doctor for only a short while. He left the TARDIS with Leela (the Doctor's then-current traveling companion) when she chose to stay on Gallifrey in the Season 15 closer, "The Invasion of Time." Seeming somewhat depressed by this turn of events, the Doctor is seen pulling out a large box marked "Robot Dog" at the end of that story.

Seasons 16 through 18 featured K-9 Mark II, a version that appears to have been constructed by the Doctor himself. Mark II appeared identical to the original K-9 (though the prop was propelled by a much quieter tread than the Mark I, whose movement had a tendency to drown out the other actors). Mark II was forced to depart the TARDIS in the Season 18 story "Warrior's Gate," when exposure to the time winds caused his circuits to deteriorate. He would only remain whole as long as he stayed in the gateway between E-space and normal space. Romanadvoratralundar (Romana), a time lady who had been traveling with the Doctor since the beginning of Season 16, chose to stay with the ailing K-9. Although Mark II was never again seen on television, subsequent Doctor Who novels and the audio dramas by Big Finish Productions have postulated that Romana repaired Mark II and eventually returned to Gallifrey with him.

Mark III appeared first in the the 1981 Doctor Who spin-off K-9 and Company. In the pilot, titled "A Girl's Best Friend," it was revealed that Mark III had been constructed by the Doctor and sent to former traveling companion Sarah Jane Smith as a gift. Although the series was intended to follow the sleuth-like adventures of Sarah Jane (a reporter) and her new friend K-9, the pilot was not successful enough to merit the commissioning of additional episodes. Mark III also appeared briefly with Sarah Jane in the Doctor Who 20th anniversary special, "The Five Doctors," and again in the 2006 episode "School Reunion." However, due to the lack of suitable parts in 20th-century Earth, Mark III had fallen into disrepair by the time of the latter story. He was briefly reactivated by the Doctor, but chose to sacrifice himself at the end of the story.

Mark IV was given to Sarah Jane as a replacement for the K-9 she lost. He appears briefly at the end of "School Reunion" and in the premier episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

K-9 Adventures

In April of 2006, K-9 creator Bob Baker announced that he is overseeing production on a new television series titled K-9 Adventures, which is planned to air in early 2008. The series will be live action, but will feature a CGI version of K-9. His CGI update will be a new design that retains most of the key identifying features of the original prop, but gives K-9 a more modern appearance overall. No word yet on whether original voice actor John Leeson will return to play the part.

The series will be set on a spaceship.

The BBC has declined to be involved in this new series, so it is unlikely that characters owned by the BBC (such as the Doctor) will appear.

Quotes

Professor Rumford: "I still don't understand about hyperspace."

The Doctor: "Well, who does?"

K-9: "I do!"

The Doctor: "Oh, shut up, K9!"

from "The Stones of Blood"

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"Optimism: belief that everything will work out well. Irrational, bordering on insane."

from "The Armegeddon Factor"

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Drax: "Blimey, it's a dog! Who's a little tin dog, then?"

K-9: "Your silliness is noted. Drive systems regenerating..."

from "The Armegeddon Factor"

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"Prognostication impossible in matters concerning the Doctor."

from "The Invasion of Time"

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"Cerebral circuits in order. Physiognomy dubious.

K-9 examines the Doctor in "The Invasion of Time"

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"You are a very stupid machine."

to the TARDIS in "The Invasion of Time"

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