But what happened to K-9?
Originally posted by Goddess Willow
But what happened to K-9?
K-9 left 'Doctor Who' in the Eighteenth Season episode "Warriors Gate". This was the culmination of a subplot, about the Time Lords wanting Romana returned to Gallifrey, and would feature the departures of both Romana and K-9 from the series. This was also in accord with the new production team's desire to make the regular cast more vulnerable. K-9 was able to zap monsters too easily.
John Leeson, who provided the voice of K-9, had returned to Doctor Who for Season Eighteen with the understanding that K-9 would be written out before the end of the year.
When John Nathan-Turner announced that K-9 would be leaving the series midway through Season Eighteen, fans were outraged. Such was the public outcry over the robot dog's departure that the BBC agreed to broadcast a pilot episode for a potential series entitled K-9 And Company, starring Leeson and Elisabeth Sladen as the Doctor's former companion, Sarah Jane Smith. This was broadcast on December 28th, 1981, but did not ultimately lead to an ongoing programme, the option on a series was never taken up. Nonetheless, Leeson did return as K-9 for The Five Doctors in 1983 and the charity special Dimensions In Time in 1993.
K-9 And Company: A Girl's Best Friend by Terence Dudley
The one-hour episode depicted Sarah Jane returning to her aunt's house in the superstitious village of Moreton Harwood, where she finds a parcel waiting for her from the Doctor -- a new K-9. Sarah soon finds the robot dog's aid essential, however, when he aunt's ward, Brendan, is kidnapped by a druidic cult who intend to sacrifice him to their evil goddess, Hecate.
(with acknowledgements to
A Brief History of Time)
