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K9 Picture History

  • Thread starter Thread starter exleo
  • Start date Start date
exleo said:
Due to the success of K9 within the Big Finish Audios and the subsequent desire to use the Character more, not only in the 'Gallifrey' series, but also in a new series of 4th Doctor adventures now that Tom Baker had Surprised everybody by agreeing to record a series, K9 found himself being a 'goodwill' gesture where Bob Baker was allowing the character to be used and in return the BBC allowed the original design to appear in other episodes of the TV show (briefly) and historical links to be hinted at as to K9s past adventures.
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This explains the images that appear in the Aussie 'K-9', with the original design drawn with other creatures that appeared in 'Doctor Who'. (I can't remember them all, but I think one was a Yeti, and there might have been a Dalek and TARDIS as well.) These sort of things appeared in several of the episodes. After all, in the first 'K-9' episode, he appeared in that professor's lab through a time vortex scoop of sorts, so he could have been snatched from the exploding Gallifrey even an instant before the explosion (which ended up not happening when the War, 10th and 11th Doctors (with help from the other 10 of him) altered the end of the Time War, and Gallifrey didn't explode after all).

exleo said:
Although the BBC still insist that any events that take place within the K9 tv series are absolutely nothing to do with Doctor Who and it's past present or future....
So according to BBC lore
K9 mk1 is still on Gallifrey with Leela and K9 mk2 is in E-Space with Romana. BUT, they retain the right to tie in with the big finish Audio 'Gallifrey' events in the future should they ever wish to.
K9 mk3 was seen to be destroyed in 'School Reunion'
K9 mk4 was last seen residing with Luke Smith as his companion.....
;D
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And to this - considering the above appearances of other 'Who' monsters and such in 'K-9' and his return with Tom Baker's 4th Doctor in the Big Finish Adventures - I have to wave that famous 'BS Flag' at the BBC. Everything above makes the 'K-9' series canon!

exleo said:
It was these events that sealed K9's fate for John Nathan Turner and he decided he hated the prop and wanted it gone...
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Don't even get me started on JN-T. What he did to the show was a crime, and he eventually killed it. (K-9 was not his only victim.)

exleo said:
So his old drive system was put back together and reinstalled in the hero prop... it was his good behaviour that got him the JNT reprieve in 'K9 and Company'. But in true K9 Style the Drive broke in the closing scenes of the special sealing its fate as a one off!
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This was a great pilot and never really given a chance. (Another black mark against JN-T. Between this and what he did to 'Doctor Who', it makes me wonder if he was actually out to put an end to the show from the day he took over as showrunner.)

exleo said:
Although this does indeed look like 3 wheels in this picture from 'Warriors Gate', The rear 'Wheel' was infact a ball, very like a large 'mouseball' fitted into an underside socket. This was found to work incredibly well on the studio floors giving greater movement and speed in turning and reversing, even over the metal door sills on the studio floors and up ramps such as in this shot...
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This is exactly how R2-D2's center leg was made (only at large as he was, there were two such "track balls" in that leg).

exleo said:
...but sadly when on location for 'Full Circle' the socket and ball would get jammed up by grass, and leaves, resulting in dragging and slowing to a halt...
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This makes me wonder if they had the same problems with R2-D2 (and all of the other such "R2 Units" they had).

exleo said:
So while the best device ever on the studio floors this was replaced for the next appearance in 'K9 & Company' by twin castors on a rotating plate ready for use on gravel and grass location filming... The large drive wheels and twin castors remained for the next 30+ years
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Again, I wonder if they'd ever replaced the track balls in the R2 Units' center legs with a rotating castor? They ran R2-D2 over sand, dirt, all of the debris on the ground on the Forest of Endor...

All very interesting and enlightening facts, exleo! Thanks for sharing this with us!

Dino.
 
exleo said:
Bob Baker retains the Character Rights on K9 having created him with his Writing partner Dave Martin for 1977s 'Invisible Enemy'. But the Design of the Original K9 is Soley owned by the BBC as it was Designed by Tony Harding while he was an employee of the corporation...

Eventually the BBC agreed that the original design could be used for a 'regeneration' scene to start the series, but the design could appear for no more than 2 minutes of total screen time. They also made it clear that although reference was being hinted at this being K9 Mk1 as last seen in the invasion of time, they would consider this completely uncanon along with the entire series itself, and as far as they are cocerned the original K9 is still on Gallifrey with Leela.
Of course around the same time the BBC had allowed the rights to Gallifrey and the Timelord Civilisation along with Leela and Romana and the Tardis to be used by Big Finish Audio for the 'Galifrey' Series. In return for his persuading the BBC to let the Original design be used briefly, John Leeson requested the return favour from Bob Baker that K9 as a Character could be used by Big Finish within the 'Gallifrey' audios... This was all agreed as Bob Baker felt the appearance of the original Design in the tv show, albeit briefly, would secure the character in viewers minds that the series was canon, regardless of what the BBC said, but he also felt allowing the Character to be used within the Big Finnish Audios, would keep the character within true canon BBC events so they would happily use it again rather than turn their back on the character and deny it future possible tv use within Doctor who or any spin off.

Due to the success of K9 within the Big Finish Audios and the subsequent desire to use the Character more, not only in the 'Gallifrey' series, but also in a new series of 4th Doctor adventures now that Tom Baker had Surprised everybody by agreeing to record a series, K9 found himself being a 'goodwill' gesture where Bob Baker was allowing the character to be used and in return the BBC allowed the original design to appear in other episodes of the TV show (briefly) and historical links to be hinted at as to K9s past adventures. Although the BBC still insist that any events that take place within the K9 tv series are absolutely nothing to do with Doctor Who and it's past present or future....
So according to BBC lore
K9 mk1 is still on Gallifrey with Leela and K9 mk2 is in E-Space with Romana. BUT, they retain the right to tie in with the big finish Audio 'Gallifrey' events in the future should they ever wish to.
K9 mk3 was seen to be destroyed in 'School Reunion'
K9 mk4 was last seen residing with Luke Smith as his companion.....
;D
Click to expand...

After reading that, a number of things happened.

1. My eyes now hurt
2. My head now hurts
3. I now really want to know what other episodes the original K.9 model was used in
 
http://s394.photobucket.com/user/warmcanofcoke/media/K9 001 creature_zpsiejggffk.jpg.html
Recently I entered a novelty store called Five Below. It sells colorful and weird impulse items all for $5 and under. I found a suction-cup bow and arrow set.
Arrow 01.jpg
Arrow 02.jpg
Arrow 03.jpg

Are these about the correct size for K9?

Also can someone recommend a motorized car aerial that would make a good base for K9's Probe? "Make" and "Model" of the car if possible, something I can find at a Auto parts store.
 
According to lespaceplie's plans for K-9 (specifically the grid-lined page for the head), that looks about right for the suction cup: a tad over 1 inch in diameter. (The link for his free PDF download K-9 plans is in his http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3180.0 thread: first post, last link in the post.)

As for a motorized car aerial/antenna, I think any model would do as long as it runs on +12 volts, which is most common. You could visit the JC Whitney web site and search for them, and get a look at the different ones they've got to see which are smaller (casing-wise) since room is a concern. Google Images should also be helpful with that. (I'm guessing one for something like a Geo Storm would be better than one for a Chevy Tahoe.)

I hope some of this is helpful.

Dino.
 
I think it looks like a brilliant find, Nate! The color pattern is certainly close enough to the tartan on K-9's collar. And when you consider the size of the scarf, the collar and how you would carefully cut out the strips to make the collar, for the price you could make enough spare collars to last you through all sorts of wear and tear: spills, literal wear, cloth-eating bugs, etc. Great spotting!

Dino.
 
Thanks Dino - I thought someone might be able to use this information. I have already purchased one of these for my self. But those K9 lovers who don't want the Buchanan tartan Collar will probably find this useful while it is still for sale.  :D
 
Not sure if the 'reboot K9' from the Australian TV series and movie gets a different topic, but the builder of the 3D printed maquette used to show the new movie reboot design has posted some photos and will be adding a build diary on his FB page:

Kay-nine.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/ItsAnAshton/posts/1566522690055511

I asked him about the design and whether he did the new sculpt design, or whether the Australian team that did the last reboot dog did it:

"The design was done by Paul and was modeled. I built 2 dogs from that design, one in card the other in wood. Using this modifications where made to the 3d model for printing. But turned and milling parts by myself where add to the print I built as it didn't work or the print failed in that area. All in all a lot of time and etc produced the finished product revealed today."

Also - according to him the dog will be a practical prop on set.

--Brian
 
Wow! I remember reading (what seems like way back when, now) that a second series of the Aussie 'K9' was in the works with K-9's design being reworked based on viewer and fan input. (I think Disney had its fingers in it at the time because the series originally aired on the DisneyXD Channel - before airing a year or so later in all-day marathon form on that Syfy Channel.)

I thought that second series had fallen by the wayside since years have gone by and no news of it has surfaced. Now it looks like they're making a movie? Is this to re-launch 'K9' Series 2? Or is this going to be a one-off movie? I see they've done a lot of tweaking on the design, and with having a real prop (as well as probably some CGI K-9 imagery) and all the works that's gone into this, I'd hate to see it just be a one-off.

Series 1 was cute, and definitely meant for the kids, but there were quite a few Easter Eggs of 'Doctor Who' in the show for us fans of the original.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Brian!

Dino.
 
I'm going to invite recrimination, ruin and wrath here and say that I really liked the original concept for the redesigned K9 back when the spinoff was first announced.

New K9 2.jpg

The final versions have seemed a bit too... like they were designed purely to make toys after for me. A bit too Power Rangers. Still, nice to see the character carving out his own niche. Also, anyone remember this version? If anything this is too far the other way... something a bit sinister about it!

K9 mk 4.jpg
 
k9003A.jpg
The ribs and buttons on the back of this thing and the lights and whistles. If done correctly with the Machine Gun Attachment collar. I'd take that to a Con.

View attachment 156078
This Unit has it's charms and I so would buy it as a Toaster.
This guy really summons up Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic feel. I like it.
 
Got to be honest... I really hate that design  :( :-[

I can see the evolution from the original; however it just feels so wrong.

maybe I'm just an old man stuck in the past... ;)
 
I could accept a minor re-design - less boxy, a few more curves and detail, and maybe update the neck/ears for more movement/expression... but since when did K9 need machine guns ???
 
I think it's mentioned on here somewhere that they had to use a re-designed K-9 because the physical design of the original was owned by either the BBC or someone else, and permission was only given for "cameo" purposes, and not for the full series use. That's why we only see the original K-9 for a few seconds in the first episode, and then sporadically in what looks like caveman-type drawings in an alien's book in an episode or two.

Vale said:
Also, anyone remember this version? If anything this is too far the other way... something a bit sinister about it!

View attachment 156080
Click to expand...
I remember seeing this design in the concept art stage when the spin-off was announced. As for that sinister feel to it, I think a few things contribute to that, such as the dark color and that "Cylon-esque" eye dot just to mention a couple. If they'd made this design in, say, a light metallic blue with the normal eye unit light, I don't think it would look half as sinister.

Of course adding Nate's pop-out side-mount machine guns to it gives it a bit of that 2008 'Knight Rider' Mustang KITT in battle mode look, and does add to that sinister look - like the Cybermen created their own version of "Cyber-K-9"! ;D

Dino.
 
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