Again, I'm a serial facebook like page/webpage image stealer, here is a pic of the "School Reunion" prop:

Poor old dog.

Dino.

Does anyone know what material was used for the original prop?

I am trying to work out if it is metal or fiberglass. I am pretty sure a wood prop would not have lasted 30 years.

Given the decision to weather it by making it look rusty, the 'real K9' is obviously metal. Which suggests they decided that because the prop is metal.

On a K9 binge today, I discovered something that I hadn't previously seen.

Here's a picture of the original K9? prop that gets used during the Sarah Jane Adventures:



Here's another shot of it:



Notice what we all believe to be foam tubing at the ends? They seem to be replaced by wooden bumpers of sorts during this promo - whats that about?

Oh wait, I've realised that first photo is actually the School Reunion prop and looks to be during some day show??? and not SJA?

Anyway, my point being, the SJA Wedding episode the K9 has wooden bumper when we're so used to it being a foam bumper.

Since the BBC pulled all 'Doctor Who' streaming from both Netflix and HuluPlus, as well as pulling 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' from HuluPlus ( ), I have no quick way to check on this (because that's one of the Series sets I don't have: either Series 2 or that series of 'Sarah Jane' - argh!). I think I'll just have to splurge and buy the lot and get caught up. (So much for my tax returns.) But someone with those DVDs could do a quick check; when the Doctor leaves Sarah Jane with K-9 Mark IV at the end of "School Reunion", does Mk IV have those new wooden "bumpers" on him? Is that when the change takes place?

(They do look pretty odd on those publicity shots, but in the normal scenes you'd never notice the change. I know I didn't, but now that I've seen it, I won't be able to un-see it.)

Dino.

The new Rubber (not wood) Bumpers were added for Series 3 of the SJA when it was decided K9 would have a regular featured role in each episode... To try and make him more reliable his Drive system was once again updated with newer RC  and speedier power systems... the head and body were also given a touch up wirh filler and resin to try and smooth out some of the 'Bubbles' that had starting appearing through the age of the FiberGlass.... The head screws were replaced with Rivets so that they looked more 'designed', and a sequencer was put into the eye lights so they would flash during dialogue to give a visual clue to viewers as to who was speaking...... An On/Off switch and a recharch socket were fitted into the under rim of the rear recessed panel to allow for easy charging without the need to get inside... this was also the point that a small LCD monitor was permanently placed into the 'screen' casing

Well THAT explains everything, thanks exleo! Mr Well Informed

Here's the original prop from the end of "School Reunion", Dino:

Thanks for posting that grab, David. It confirms what exleo said about the bumpers being round until K-9 was brought back for a full-time role in 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'. I understand the upgrades that were made to him when his role became full-time as being necessary for a 21st Century look (and the working LCD screen was nice - no more flat grey "monitor" that showed, well, nothing), but I wonder why they thought it was necessary to replace those round bumpers with such angled ones. Round implies more cushioning, like a round ball cushions its impact against a hard surface, whereas an angular piece of rubber (or even foam for that matter) has much more of a blunt force impact. Granted, it will still "bounce" because it's rubber, but not as much as something round. (That's one K-9 "upgrade" which was more of a "downgrade".)

Dino.

Interesting, the eye arrangement has changed over time too.

Here's a graphic that alternates between Hero prop-School Reunion prop-Hero prop-Reunion prop-Hero prop etc



The School Reunion prop has 5 lengths of red plastic for eyes as did the original prop right up until K9 and Company and now the Hero prop doesn't have this at all, it only has 3 and a half.

This is probably known to some (I noticed the whoprops proboard no longer exists/is accessible, so I cannot check the knowledge base there) but its new to me, not having researched the prop as much as I have recently.

I always thought he looked better with the five bars, which is why i put five on mine...



I really must finish him one day...

Quote from: davidnagel on Feb 09, 2016, 02:15 pm
Interesting, the eye arrangement has changed over time too.

The School Reunion prop has 5 lengths of red plastic for eyes as did the original prop right up until K9 and Company and now the Hero prop doesn't have this at all, it only has 3 and a half.

My guess is when they "refreshed" K-9 to the mark IV at the end of "School Reunion" they purposely changed the eye-slots arrangement to make the difference noticeable. Speaking of "K-9 and Company", that's when the Doctor (4th) left the mark III for Sarah Jane. He next appeared, very briefly, in "The Five Doctors". Is the eye-slots arrangement still the same? (I'm guessing it is since it was the same in "School Reunion".)

Quote from: davidnagel on Feb 09, 2016, 02:15 pm
This is probably known to some (I noticed the whoprops proboard no longer exists/is accessible, so I cannot check the knowledge base there) but its new to me, not having researched the prop as much as I have recently.

Odd. I was able to log in to the WhoProps Proboard (via the tab at the top of any TARDIS Builders page). It has a very different look to it, and I did need to refresh the page every time I tried to page back (it kept giving me an "Invalid Request" error and refreshing the page cleared that, which is why I didn't do very much looking through all of the K-9 references there), but all of the WhoProps boards were there, and the K-9 board had some recent activity (Feb 3, 2016).

Someone has definitely been doing the WhoProps Proboards up a bit. (I don't like it.)

Dino.

K9's control panel Stones of Blood. MKII (DVD Extra)



K9's buttons Warriors' MKII Gate


K9 and Company MKIII

In Five Doctors the eye arrangement is the 3 and half.

Now that is interesting. In "The Five Doctors" that K-9 is supposed to be the same "mark III" from "K-9 and Company", and the same weatherworn mark III in "School Reunion", but in "The Five Doctors" he's got the end-of-"School Reunion" mark IV eye slots. (I wonder how that happened? )

Dino.