The relatively obscure Doctor Who spin off pilot K9 And Company, which first aired in 1981, is coming to iPlayer.
The news that the archive of Doctor Who was coming to BBC iPlayer (with one or two notable exceptions – for more on that, here’s a handy explainer), the Whovian community was thrilled. But what wasn’t clear – and still isn’t to a certain extent – is exactly what is landing on the 1st November.
We’ve known for some that most of Classic Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who Confidential will all be available – which is lovely, I’m sure we can all agree. But in a development that will please a particularly hardcore section of fandom, it has now been confirmed that we will also be able to watch the lesser-seen spin-off K9 And Company: A Girl’s Best Friend, which originally aired on the BBC all the way back in 1981.
For those who have not yet had the pleasure, the fifty minute episode, written by Terence Dudley, was intended to be the first of a proposed series. It followed Elizabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith and her faithful robot companion – the K9 of the title, voiced by John Leeson – as she investigates the disappearance of her aunt and gradually uncovers the mystery.
However, from issues with the plot to the notoriously awful opening titles – even if you don’t intend on seeing the episode, they are well worth a watch – critical reception wasn’t good, and a series was never commissioned. It will, however, always hold the distinction of being the first official Doctor Who spin-off, and it’s pleasing to hear that it’s being added to the (almost) comprehensive line-up of stuff on iPlayer.
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