K9 – The Series
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Paul Tams and Bob Baker
There's some Fantastic news as UK viewers will soon see our entire K9 series starting in the Autumn/Winter schedules of Channel Five.
Mainstream broadcast in the UK and big promotion!

...
MIP TV TEASER.
PLEASE NOTE MUSIC, TITLES AND K9 VOICE ARE NOT THE FINAL ONES TO BE USED IN THE SERIES.
PLUS ALL MONSTERS ARE UNDER WRAPS.


John Leeson Interview From Outpost Skaro



K9 – The Series

The long-awaited television series K9, featuring everyone’s favourite robot dog, is nearly with us!

Originally created for the 1970s DOCTOR WHO series by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, K9 has long been an iconic television character. Now a brand new series of K9 is several weeks into production.. K9 is a children’s sci-fi/adventure series combining comedy, action and suspense - “X Files” meets “Men in Black” with a zany dash of “Ghostbusters”. K9 mixes live action characters with stunning visual-effects.

K9 and his three teenage companions become the earth’s front line defence against dangers threatening from anywhere and anytime in the galaxy. They will have a lot of fun, action, adventure, and some scares along the way, saving the earth from alien creatures, monsters and more than a few human threats.

Production commenced in early December 2008 on a specially built set just outside Brisbane, Australia. Shooting continues on this 26 part series until the end of April and the series is expected to begin broadcast on Ten Network and Jetix Europe early in 2010.

More will be revealed in the coming weeks……

Click for Bigger Picture
Bob Baker chatting with K9



Dear Websiters!
There has been some criticism of the new K9 for the Australian series.
I asked Bob to tell me his reasons for doing the new one.

REGENERATION! The New K9.

When Paul Tams and I decided to go ahead and devise a spin-off series featuring K9 we looked at the plusses and minuses of the original. One minus was certainly K9's ground performance. In a studio with flat floors it was fine - but in any exterior shot he looked sluggish and quite frankly unbelievable. Actually, when Dave Martin and I wrote K9 into "INVISIBLE ENEMY" we stipulated that K9 should hover just above the ground, however, the BBC couldn't afford this SFX and had little means to do it at the time. CSO would have been too time consuming and probably unsatifactory.

So, with a chance to regenerate K9, this was the first thing we considered and we feel it works well, because actors don't have to sit, crouch, kneel - or in Tom Baker's case lie down to converse with K9. He can now float up to be level with their faces. This makes it so much easier for actors to interact with him.

I do hope you are able to enjoy the new series and look upon new K9 as a new character just as we accept David Tennant is nothing like his predecessor. Similarly the old - now referred to as "classic" K9 - He will always have his fans, in an older generation perhaps?

We have not made a final decision on the voice of K9 yet. but we are close. I believe fans will be pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be the one I've been rooting for.

I did a recording for the "UNDERWORLD" DVD with Tom Baker and Louise Jameson, I showed them a picture of the new K9 and both, I'm pleased to say, were highly impressed .

Bob Baker

I realise we have to please an awful lot of people, but as a writer - and I'm sure Dave would have agreed - you have to go the way you want to. I wanted K9 to be able to exist in a new environment and have adventures that were, if you like, grown up - (Despite the fact that our target audience is 9 - 13 yrs.) I also wanted to enhance the humour that was always present when the old dog was about. Mainly in disagreeing with The Doctor and having somewhat pedantic view which caused humour between them. We have not descended into sit-com, but there are a good few laughs to be had both from K9 and at his expense.

I don't want to bang on about the series, it is for the viewers to judge, I've done my best and hope that if there's a second series to do even better. The die-hard fans of the old K9 just have to accept that the same mind - well 50% of it - is working to get a decent sci-fi series up and running.

This K9 is the one that was with Leela on Gallifrey and we assume that the Time Lords, which for copyright reasons we're not allowed to mention, implanted a "regeneration facility" like all Time Lords posess. The new K9 is the same K9 but in regeneration he has a body and capabilities more advanced than the previous one. I look forward to your comments when the series comes out here.

I thank you for your support and look forward to a new lease of life for K9.

Bob

K9 – The Series

GENRE: Comedy
Running Time: 26 x 1/2 hr episodes

PREMISE
Somewhere in the future…

COMING SOON

Originally created for the 1970s DOCTOR WHO series by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, K9 has long been an iconic television character. Now comes a brand new adventure series featuring everyone’s favourite robot dog!

K9 is a children’s sci-fi/adventure series combining comedy, action and suspense “X Files” meets “Men in Black” with a zany dash of “Ghostbusters”. K9 mixes live action characters with stunning visual-effects.

London, in the future: STARKEY (14) orphan and rebel ultimately plans to bring down the system but for the time being he is prepared to simply slip through the cracks. While evading the police he takes refuge in a large detached house, now the residence of reclusive scientist, Professor GRYFFEN. He is followed by JORJIE (14) an adventurous girl who partly admires Starkey’s dissident stance, but mostly wants to share whatever excitement is afoot.

Inside the dilapidated mansion, they see Gryffen absorbed in an experiment with a strange piece of alien technology, a Space Time Manipulator (S/TM). DARIUS (15) an artful dodger who, among his many occupations, runs errands for Gryffen, confronts the pair, but at that moment a portal opens and through the hole torn in the fabric of space/time burst two reptilian warrior JIXEN. The Jixen attack Starkey. The teenager is saved from certain death by a small dog-like robot, K9 Mark I, who follows the Jixen through the portal and places himself between the monsters and boy.

In the ensuing battle, the only way K9 can defeat the Jixen is to blow himself and them to pieces. One surviving Jixen limps out of the mansion. Before expiring, K9 is able to give instructions that allow Starkey to initiate a regeneration program. A new, more sophisticated and futuristically designed K9 is regenerated.

K9 and Starkey, with the assistance of Jorjie, Darius and Gryffen, become the earth’s front line defence against dangers threatening from anywhere and anytime in the galaxy. They will have a lot of fun, action, adventure, and some scares along the way, saving the earth from alien creatures, monsters and more than a few human threats.

Production of spin-off series K9 is well under way in Brisbane, with the fourth block of filming due to be completed soon.

Bob Baker is the show's co-creator, there will be 13 blocks, each comprising two half-hour episodes, with principal photography set to end on May 7th.

Taking the opportunity to put the record straight on various matters regarding the show, he confirmed that the series would be known purely as K9, adding: "We are pleased with the interest shown and hope K9 will be viewed as a series that "Who" fans old and new will all find something enjoyable."

As a teaser, hidden in most episodes fans will spot some nod to the past - either a mention or a visual treat.

Regarding the electronic dog itself, he said: "K9 will be seen on screen as both an animatronic prop and in CGI form. The latest design I have done that is being used in the show is sleek and different from any previous images seen on the net, etc. K9 will, however, be recognisable to fans new and old as the K9. And to clear up the identity of which mark K9 this is, to quote Doctor Who itself he is the original you might say!"

Most information - including cast and characters - was being kept under wraps. "The show will feature several new races of monsters created by Bob and Tams, alongside the Jixen Warriors as reported previously.

"We first planned and created the show back in 1998, so it has taken 11 years to get to the production stage. It has been a long and rocky road and we are working with some very talented people here: actors, artists, sculptors, costume-makers. The schedule is very hectic and full on."

"I have to tip my hat - if I wore one - to the creative teams in the '60s who worked under such pressure to turn monsters, costumes and sets around at such a fast pace on Doctor Who. I now know how they must have felt - exhausted!"

A new logo has been created, which will be revealed in due course, and Tams said that the show would be airing later this year, with Australian broadcaster Network Ten currently lined up to carry it.

Bob with a fans homemade K9, which he has signed.

Click for Bigger Picture


K9 recomends Outpost Skaro for all Dr Who Fans