K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend (1981)

Country of Origin: UK
Date(s) of Broadcast: 28 December 1981
Number of Seasons: n/a
Total Number of Episodes: 1
Average Episode Running Times: 50 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: John Nathan-Turner
Production Manager: Robert Gabriel

SCRIPT
Script: Terence Dudley

DIRECTION
Director: John Black
Script Editors: Eric Saward, Anthony Root

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Phil Wilson
Studio Lighting: Barry Hill

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Michael Lomas
VT Editor: John Burkill
Vision Mixer: Mark Kershaw

MUSIC
Theme Music: Fiachra Trench, Ian Levine
Theme Music Arranged By: Peter Howell
Incidental Music: Peter Howell

SOUND
Sound: Dave Brinicombe
Special Sounds: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Susie Bancroft
Costume Designer: Ann Arnold

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Designer: Mat Irvine

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Nigel Jones
Property Buyer: Michael Preece
Graphic Designer: Bob Cosford

MISCELLANEOUS
Technical Manager: Barry Chatfield
Production Assistant: Yvonne Collins
Assistant Floor Manager: Sue Hedden
Production Associate: Angela Smith

LOCATIONS
Locations: Cirencester, Gloucestershire

CAST
Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)
John Leeson (voice of K-9)
Colin Jeavons (George Tracey)
Bill Fraser (Commander Bill Pollock)
Nigel Gregory (Sergeant Vince Wilson)
Sean Chapman (Peter Tracey)
Mary Wimbush (Aunt Lavinia Smith)
Ian Sears (Brendan Richards)
Linda Polan (Juno Baker)
Neville Barber (Howard Baker)
John Quarmby (Henry Tobias)
Gillian Martell (Lilly Gregson)
Stephen Oxley (PC CArter)
Barbara Carey, Diane Collette, Pam Couch, Sue Crossland, David De Villiers, Constance Farmer, Adrian Fletcher, Terry Forrestal, John Glentoran, Gay Hopkins, Carol Howard, Stephen Howe, Dave Mitty, Ann Palmer, Brian Peacock, Nat Pearn, Margaret Piggot, Sarah Raybould, Michaela Rea, Sylvia Shire, June Simmons, Len Thomas, John Underwood, Adrian Varcoe, Francesca Waters, Ricky Williams, Sally Ann Wright (extras - uncredited)
Bruno (Jasper - uncreited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The Doctor's former travelling companion, journalist Sarah Jane Smith, visits her Aunt Lavinia in the village of Hazelbury Abbas to start work on a book and look after Lavinia's young ward, Brendan. She also finds that The Doctor has sent his robot dog, K-9,  for safe keeping. Sarah Jane and K-9 are soon involved in a mystery involving Black Magic and a sect that worship the godddess Hecate.

A failed attempt to spin two off Doctor Who's best loved supporting characters into their own series. The production failed to ignite viewers interests - despite resepectable viewing figures - and the proposed series never happened. Features possibly the worst title sequence and theme tune ever seen and heard on British television. (Full Review)

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1981
December
12: UK - television broadacst (on BBC1)

1982
December
24: UK - television broadacst (on BBC1)

One Girl and Her Dog - working title
Sarah and K-9 - working title

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
TV's Finest Failures (2001)

SEE ALSO
Doctor Who (1963 - 1989)

KEYWORDS

black magic, journalists, robots

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008