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K9As voiced by John Leeson and David Brierly |
A Time Lord's Best Friend by Phil Arnold 4/4/98
Many televison shows simply use robots as a gimick. This is certainly evident in shows like Lost in Space and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which features robots (or androids) who strive to be more human in physically or emotionally. But there are not many robots who are just happy being a robot; K9 is one of these robots. When I first saw K9 in The Armageddon Factor, I said to myself, "You got to be kidding me! A robotic dog?!" Indeed the concept does seem a little... well... stupid to a teenager in the 90's such as myself, but K9 is more than just a robot, he's a dog with attitude!
K9 has never been an automaton, but a relative freethinker despite of his complete obediance to the Doctor. He can have an in-depth conversation with a good human character in an episode and make the human character look like a total putz. One example of that is when a frustrated K9 plays backseat driver to the Time Lord Drax, who is repairing him in The Armageddon Factor. K9 is also an arrogant dog as well, "I've been talking with one of my own [mechanical/computer] kind!" (almost as if organic life-forms are inferior)! K9 doesn't ask for permisson to ask if he can voice an opinion or even speak, he just says it. Of course there is K9's obvious and well done dog-like attributes like his passion for walks, treats, and his love and obediance to the Doctor.
K9 works very well today, despite his problems with stairs and water. A limited budget program has to deal with things such as special effects, and I feel if Doctor Who had a large budge,t K9 would be a showy, special effects riddled, brainless, hollow, almost non-character which you would care little about. In Lost in Space, whenever the robot was destroyed (which happened often), you always knew that Will Robinson would would eventually repair him. With K9, I got distressed when his battery ran low in The Pirate Planet because we actually see more in K9 than what meets the eye.
The Dog Behind The Legend by Robert Thomas 8/1/01
To commemorate my dog's first birthday I have decided to review the companion that was K9.
Let's face it with K9 you either love him or hate him. I always liked him and he livened up every episode he was in. Even some writers hated him and didn't include him in their stories.
I have always thought of K9 as a character of moments. We all have those classic K9 memories that make us laugh - in book and video form. People tend to think of him as a computer but lets face it he was a dog. Loyal and fun loving with the ability to voice a completely innocent wise crack.
K9 - He was fantastic, great and all the other words you can think of. To close here are a few of my favorite K9 moments:-
His first scene in The English Way of Death.
The end of The Androids Of Tara.
The rosette
bit in The Horns Of Nimon.
When he tries to walk
through the field in Nightmare Of Eden and The Doctor
grabs him.
His scene in Destiny Of The Daleks.
The Invasion Of Time - every scene he is
in.
A Review by Stuart Gutteridge 24/12/03
Despite being aimed at younger viewers, there is something in K-9 that appeals to fans of all ages. In essence he is just a robot dog, but thanks to John Leeson (and to a lesser degree David Brierly) he continues to endure. K-9 is just as much a part of Doctor Who as the sonic screwdriver, Bessie or the TARDIS. His most appealing facet is his smugness, the fact that he knows he is right and is able to correct his master, the Doctor at any given opportunity. Add to this his defensive capabilities and his inability to cope (like the Daleks) with stairs and this simply strengthens his appeal.
GREATEST MOMENT: Simply because K-9 is so fiercely loyal, it has to be his battle with the Polyphase Avatron in The Pirate Planet.