Story: K-9: Regeneration
Written By: Shayne Armstrong & S.P. Krause
Length: 30 Minutes
Year: 2010
A long time ago, I attempted to watch and review the Australian Doctor Who spin-off series "K9," but I barely made it past the second episode. The completionist in me wanted to finally get to it. I started this process months ago, to finally do it, and I again stopped a few episodes in. But you know what? There is a long time between now and the next episode of Proper Who, I am committing to fully reviewing the show before the start of the next era in 2023. Wish me luck gang...
So...it goes down like this, Bob Baker, long time classic Who writer and co-creator of K-9 owns the copyright on the dog, since the passing of his co-creator Dave Martin. So he gets paid every time it’s used but also holds all permissions to use the character. So he allowed Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Adventures to use the dog from time to time. But he’s been dreaming of his own spin off for this dog or a long time, apparently since at least the 90s it has been in developmental hell. BBC had little interesting in spending the dough, which isn’t surprising, as Doctor Who itself had failed to even get the viewing figures to return full time in 1996. A show based entirely around a companion from 30 or so years ago is not going to get the viewing figures you’d like.
So when Doctor Who made its triumphant and successful return to television in 2005, I’m sure Baker finally saw his chance to cash in. Especially when the episode seeing the return of K-9 and Sarah Jane ended up giving Sarah Jane her own spin-off. Still hopeful to get his own spin off for the tin dog, Baker decided to only let the BBC use K-9 in a recurring capacity. The BBC already had two spin-offs for Doctor Who, Torchwood for the adults, Sarah Jane for the kiddies, and Doctor Who in between…so they didn’t see the need in making a second kiddie show…and Baker ends up going to…Australia?
So how is the actual first episode? It is just weird. All the acting from the kids seems forced, like they are spending more time trying not to slip out of their fake English accents. All the kids sound terrible, and act worse. The adults seem to be forcing it. The actual storyline feels confused, and you get the sense far too often that you walked into the middle of a story…they didn’t establish the universe of this particular series well. It is almost as if they made the episode, and then cut several key scenes that helped explain what was going on. It is a jumbled mess.
But I have learned not to judge a series entirely by its first episode, so I will watch the next two episodes, finish this three-part arc, before I give up entirely. At the moment I don’t know if I will even care enough to force myself to watch all 26 episodes of the first season.
NEXT TIME: Merons
So when Doctor Who made its triumphant and successful return to television in 2005, I’m sure Baker finally saw his chance to cash in. Especially when the episode seeing the return of K-9 and Sarah Jane ended up giving Sarah Jane her own spin-off. Still hopeful to get his own spin off for the tin dog, Baker decided to only let the BBC use K-9 in a recurring capacity. The BBC already had two spin-offs for Doctor Who, Torchwood for the adults, Sarah Jane for the kiddies, and Doctor Who in between…so they didn’t see the need in making a second kiddie show…and Baker ends up going to…Australia?
So how is the actual first episode? It is just weird. All the acting from the kids seems forced, like they are spending more time trying not to slip out of their fake English accents. All the kids sound terrible, and act worse. The adults seem to be forcing it. The actual storyline feels confused, and you get the sense far too often that you walked into the middle of a story…they didn’t establish the universe of this particular series well. It is almost as if they made the episode, and then cut several key scenes that helped explain what was going on. It is a jumbled mess.
But I have learned not to judge a series entirely by its first episode, so I will watch the next two episodes, finish this three-part arc, before I give up entirely. At the moment I don’t know if I will even care enough to force myself to watch all 26 episodes of the first season.
NEXT TIME: Merons
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