Phoenix Film and Television Productions have announced on their website that K9 and Company is slated for release early next year. Phoenix Productions produce special features for "Classic" Doctor Who DVD releases.

Australia's Film Finance Corporation has approved funding for the spin-off series featuring K9.

A news release says financial backing was agreed at the organisation's July board meeting, although the exact amount of money involved is unknown.

It says: "When we meet him in the new 26-part Australian kids' show K9, this highly intelligent creature is guarding an abandoned prison transportation craft."

The series, previously understood to have been called K9 Adventures and K9 - The Series, has been created and is being written by Doctor Who classic era writerBob Baker, says the FFC.

TV distribution agent Park Entertainment says the half-hour episodes, to be made by Jetix Europe, will be live action and CGI.

The FFC is the Australian government's main agency for funding film and TV production in Australia.

UPDATE: C21 is reporting that Australia's Network Ten has also "come on board" the series.

The TV company will be paying a certain percentage of the production budget in return for rights to air the programme once it is made.

The show was understood to be already in pre-production but C21 quotes Park Entertainment chief executive Jim Howell as saying it was hoped the show would be in pre-production by October.

(Thanks to Adam and Ed Waller.)

"He has been rusting in his kennel for too long," says today's Times. "Now K9 is taking centre-stage with his own £3 million animated series and a range of high-tech toys." In a rather unsurprising development to anyone who has followed the trail of rumors - first reported on Outpost Gallifrey, in fact, nearly two years ago - K9 will feature in a new animated spinoff series worked on by one of his creators, Bob Baker, and made by Jetix Europe. "Doctor Who's faithful robotic assistant, who will be reunited with his master on Saturday in a special guest appearance on the revived BBC show, will become a star in his own right -- equipped with a lethal blaster -- in a computergenerated series made in partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation. K9 Adventures will be a 26-episode comedy-fantasy series set in outer space. The new-look K9 is a galactic crime-fighter -- far removed from the underpowered pup given to Tom Baker in 1977. Bob Baker, co-creator of the robot dog, promises to give his pet 'a sleek new look using state of the art CGI animation mixed with live action'. The new series is being made by Jetix Europe, owner of 14 children's television channels, which are screened to 43 million households across Europe and the Middle East. Disney is the majority shareholder in Jetix, which hopes to distribute K9 Adventures through mobile phones as well as its UK television channel. The series may also be sold to terrestrial commercial broadcasters. Contractual obligations mean that the Doctor is unable to join K9 on his space mission -- Doctor Who is owned by BBC Worldwide -- but K9 Adventures is the property of Bob Baker, whose writing credits include the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Paul Tams, a veteran Doctor Who designer. Baker said: 'It's thrilling to be able to offer younger Doctor Who fans the chance to get to know K9. I believe they will love the 21st century K9 as much as past generations did when he appeared in Doctor Who.' K9 partnered the Doctor from 1977 until 1981, and Saturday's special episode features a reunion between dog, master and Sarah Jane Smith, Tom Baker's assistant, again played by Elisabeth Sladen. They investigate sinister events at a modern day school run by Anthony Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. An animated K9 allows his creators to rectify some original design flaws. When the metal mutt was first presented to Tom Baker's Doctor his motorised noise drowned out the actors. His painfully slow movement meant that the dog, with his catchphrase 'insufficient data', was often more hindrance than help."

Broadcast Online reports additional information not covered elsewhere, that Jetix Europe is developing the 30-minute comedy-fantasy series alongside London-based distribution outfit Park Entertainment, and their report also features the first indication of an official reaction by the BBC. "'We've completely revamped K-9,' said Simon Barnes, head of films sales at Park. 'Instead of being a clunky old model, he's now going to be CGI.' According to Barnes, Baker brought the project to Park Entertainment long before the latest series of Dr Who returned to the BBC. 'We saw it had merit and wanted to invest in it,' he said. 'We never knew quite how well the new Dr Who would do.' ... The original K-9 is set to appear in the BBC's new series of Dr Who later this month. However, the BBC can't launch its own spin-off series based on the character without Baker's permission. 'Dr Who is very important to us and we feel we have to manage the brand very carefully on behalf of our audiences,' said Michael Carrington, head of animation and programme acquisitions at BBC Children's. 'As the BBC is already committed to a number of spin-off projects, we concluded that a K9 series may simply be an extension too far.' Park has high hopes for the series, though, and Barnes has already begun discussions with other international broadcasters. 'Anybody who is interested in Dr Who at the moment is probably going to be beating a path to our door," he said. "Canada is a natural home and the same with Australia. You go anywhere English speaking, apart from the US, and they all know who Dr Who is and who K9 is.' The company is also looking at developing electronic toys, games and comic strips based on the character."

Park Entertainment's involvement hearkens back to an October 2004 news report on the Outpost Gallifrey news page, which notes that, at the time, Park had teamed with Baker and issued a press release at the MIPCOM sales event in France that year. "Baker, who also wrote Aardman's Wallace & Gromit toon," said the news story at that time, "is working with Park's CEO Jim Howell to pitch the show to UK and international networks. The story follows 'a junk space ship led by a cynical old captain and a virtual reality female computer... After finding K9 in an abandoned spacecraft, and picking up an orphaned boy from a passing planet, they become a dysfunctional space-age family.' The proposed series would mix live-action and CGI, with K9 - who is 'cuddly in a robotic kind of way' - now able to morph into new shapes via a special dog collar. Howell and Baker, now in his late-60s, have attracted interest from networks in Canada and Australia. For the UK, Howell said that 'the BBC has some kind of first-refusal' on the spin-off show. 'We're aiming at the Dr Who market,' said Howell, regarding the show's target demo. 'Kids and adults love K9... If you can win both demographics with one show, you're really on to a winner.'"

Of course, there is no word as to whether or not how much of the original proposal noted here will be part of the final product. However, today, Jetix Europe also issued a press release that mentions Park's involvement, quoting Baker as saying, "I am absolutely delighted to be giving K9 a new lease of life and a new look for his own series," noting that kids today would love him as much as past generations. Howell is also still involved according to the Jetix press release, stating that "we feel that K-9 holds a very special place in the hearts of all Doctor Who fans and we are thrilled to be working with Bob, Paul and everyone at Jetix on the development and production of the series," giving the impression that the October 2004 story notes are likely the direction the series will take.

The image was featured in the Times, and according to Jetix is the final version used in the show. Also reported at BBC News and CBBC News and in the Belfast Telegraph, C21 Media, Euronext, the Daily Record, the The Independent. (Thanks to Steve Tribe, Kenny McGuinness, Paul Engelberg, Andrew Norris)

The Sun today reports that K9 and Sarah Jane Smith will appear in their own spin-off series, following their appearance in Series Two next month. The only additional information in the Sun story is a comment from a BBC spokeswoman refusing to comment ('We are not confirming any developments at this moment'), although Russell T Davies has commented in interviews that there are ideas for a second spin-off series after Torchwood.

Says the Sun article, "Doctor Who's robot dog K9 and ex-sidekick Sarah Jane Smith are to get their own spin-off show, TV Biz can reveal. We told how BBC bosses are bringing back K9 for an episode in the Timelord's new series. Now it has emerged that the pooch and Sarah Jane, played by Elizabeth Sladen, will also star together in their own children's series. An insider said: 'It would have been a shame to put K9 back in his kennel, so we've come up with an idea for another drama. It's early days but K9 and Elizabeth Sladen are inseparable characters. There are loads of things we can do with Doctor Who. It's one of the most popular shows on TV and viewers can't seem to get enough of it.' It will be the second spin-off from the sci-fi hit. BBC bosses are also making Torchwood, a racy drama for BBC3. That show stars former Doctor Who actor John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. ... A BBC spokeswoman said last night: 'We are not confirming any developments at this moment.'" Of course, this would be the second K9/Sarah Jane spinoff for the series, the first having been the short-lived (one episode) "K9 and Company" from 1980.

Thursday morning's The Sun reveals a big spoiler about one of the characters in "School Reunion". Click on the spoiler tag to read it... or, if you don't want to know, don't!

The BBC Press Office has issued a press release detailing the BBC Radio Wales competition reported on Outpost Gallifrey on 11 September. "As part of this year's Children in Need, BBC Radio Wales is offering two lucky people the chance to be wined and dined in the company of the time-travelling lord Doctor Who and his companion Rose û aka David Tennant and Billie Piper. On Monday 12 September, Radio Wales will be launching the competition of all competitions û the chance to win tickets to the Doctor Who Galactic Dinner that's being held at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday 14 October. David Tennant and Billie Piper will be materializing fresh from their time travels, along with the Doctor's arch-enemy the Dalek and maybe one or two other familiar faces. This amazing prize will consist of a pair of tickets to the dinner, overnight accommodation at the Holland House Hotel and the chance to mix with the cast of the hit drama Doctor Who. For a chance to win the hottest tickets in town, listeners will have to think of the question that they would like to ask either the Doctor, Rose, writer Russell T Davies or executive producer Julie Gardner. The two finalists will be selected on Roy Noble's programme on Friday 16 September 16 at 9.00am. They will then go head to head on The Afternoon Show (2.00pm) where one will be whisked off in the TARDIS and head for the dinner, and the other will be 'exterminated'. To find out how to enter, tune in to Radio Wales from Monday from 9.00am. If you're not lucky enough to get through then tune in to Radio Wales because tickets will be available to buy and Roy Noble will be announcing the all important number to call on Friday 16 September."

The official Doctor Who website features a report that states that John Barrowman will not have time to do a cameo in the second Doctor Who series currently in production.

Tuesday's edition of The Guardian carried an obituary for Michael Sheard. This makes special note of his appearances on Doctor Who: "Then there was Dr Who. He was proud to be one of that series' most prolific visiting actors, appearing alongside five Doctors in six stories between 1966 and 1988. His final association with the series is a studied performance opposite Paul McGann in an audio adventure to be broadcast on BBC7 shortly."

An article in last weekend's Sunday Mirror implied that the BBC archives, which hold Doctor Who episodes, were in danger. "Historic BBC shows are being destroyed - by rain. Many of the first year's episodes of EastEnders have been lost for ever, and some early Top of the Pops shows, Doctor Who episodes and landmark news and documentaries have also gone," said the article. "The rain has seeped through holes in the roof of the BBC's archive centre in Brentford, West London. The damage was discovered when researchers organising a 20th anniversary tribute to EastEnders asked staff for episodes starring Dirty Den and Angie Watts (Leslie Grantham and Anita Dobson). An embarrassed BBC source admitted that part of its stock of screen treasures is 'rotting away'. He said 'We get calls for programmes and go for them - only to discover they are damaged beyond repair. It is a terrible shame that household favourites are being lost forever. The archive is a national treasure and should be treated as such.' Other valuable footage has simply been lost in the huge warehouse stacked floor to roof with recordings."

The Stage has posted both interviews that Outpost Gallifrey reported on last week: with Big Finish producers Gary Russell and Jason Haigh-Ellery here and with Rob Shearman here. The Big Finish feature is an extended version of the one that was published in last week's print edition, and includes extra commentary from the producers about their working relationship with BBC Cardiff, editing Paul McGann's stories to fit the BBC7 schedule and the casting of both Doctor Who Unbound (including one potential casting for the Doctor that didn't quite come off) and Sapphire and Steel.

This Is London is running an online competition (from This Is London) to win one of two new 12" (though the article has made a typo - "12 ft"!) remote-controlled Dalek (with sonic screwdriver). The competition question: "Who is Dr Who's arch enemy?" The deadline date: 26 September 2005.

Doctor Who was praised at the TUC Conference in Brighton according to an article at BBC News. Says the item, "Writers have praised BBC One hit sci-fi series Doctor Who at the TUC annual conference in Brighton, in a call for more funding for UK TV productions. It showed there was 'still an audience for quality family entertainment', the Writers' Guild of Great Britain said. The union said there was no substitute for 'well-resourced, home-grown drama and comedy material written, performed and produced in the UK'. But member Hugh Stoddart criticised the BBC for what he called 'damaging cuts'. The writers' union ... which represents UK writers in TV, film, radio, theatre, animation and books - called for further BBC investment in programme-making to build upon the show's success. 'The popularity of the series demonstrates that there is still an audience for quality family entertainment, and that distinctive UK television productions can still provide a talking point for the nation,' Mr Stoddart said. He believed that 'while some imports and so-called 'reality' shows have their place in the schedules, they cost jobs and reduce opportunities for workers in our television industry'."

Stuff.co.nz writes about the Box Set of Doctor Who DVDs being available "early next year" and that You can import all 24 episodes on a seven-disc set from Britain (where it aired months ago) for less than what earlier seasons cost here."

Drum Media magazine says that "...before David Tennant was announced as the BBC's new Doctor Who, replacing the outgoing Christopher Eccleston, a number of actors were linked with the role in the media, all of them white. Sure, there has been the odd black name in the frame for these parts in the past, but it has always been reported in the media as a semi-novelty item." It also notes that "...former Red Dwarf star Craig Charles has spoken of his dream of becoming the first black Doctor." The writer of the article: "...visited four of the Internet's most popular Doctor Who and James Bond fan-sites and left near identical messages on each of their discussion forums. Posing as a 'lifelong fan, but first-time poster', I very gently suggested that maybe it would be 'cool' to have a black Bond or Doctor, and proposed Dirty Pretty Things actor Chitiwel Eijofor as a potential candidate. ... Doctor Who fans seem to fall into the same pattern of debate û a majority who simply state that 'The Doctor is white' and generate any number of convoluted and impossibly obscure plot-related reasons why this is an unalterable fact, and a minority who support the idea and are able to respond using their equally encyclopaedic knowledge of the Doctor Who universe in their defence."

(Thanks to Steve Tribe, Peter Weaver, Martin Hearn, Paul Hayes, Paul Engelberg, Bill Albert, Richard Jordan)

According to a press release from the BBC Press Office,John Leeson will reprise the role of the robotic sidekick K9, last seen during the original series in the twentieth anniversary story "The Five Doctors" in 1983, in the new series. The appearance of the robot dog was rumored on Outpost Gallifrey as far back as early July, but this is the first official confirmation of the appearance. "Today David Tennant, the Tenth Time Lord, will be reunited with two of his favourite and most iconic companions - Sarah Jane Smith and the faithful robot dog, K9," says the press release. "K9, who was the loyal friend to Tom Baker's Doctor between 1977 and 1981, joins Sarah Jane Smith, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey in a fight against the evil Krillitanes. John Leeson, the voice of K9, says: 'I am delighted to have been invited back on board the series - and a little gathered rust is no object to a fully functional K9!' Producer Phil Collinson adds: 'It is great to be welcoming K9 back to Doctor Who. A whole generation fondly remember him as an ever-faithful companion and best friend to Tom Baker's Doctor. I hope the new generation of viewers will fall in love with him in the same way. I'm sure he's going to prove an invaluable help to the Doctor in the fight against intergalactic evil.'" Leeson joins Elisabeth Sladen, previously confirmed returning to the role of Sarah Jane Smith from the original series. Says Sladen, "I am so thrilled to be back and I feel so empowered by the affection that [the whole team] have for Sarah Jane Smith and for the programme. Toby Whithouse's script is wonderful - it's an absolutely truthful progression of Sarah. I just hope I can live up to their expectation, and I hope I can still run as fast after 30 years!" The episode, "School Reunion," "sees the team investigate sinister events at a modern-day comprehensive school, and also stars Anthony Head (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Little Britain)." Also reported at the official BBC Doctor Who website and at CBBC,BBC News, The Mirror.

According to a press release issued during the recent MIPCOM television sales event in Cannes, UK distributor Park Entertainment has teamed with Bob Baker, who wrote many episodes of the original series, to produce The Adventures of K9. Baker, who also wrote Aardman's Wallace & Gromit toon, is working with Park's CEO Jim Howell to pitch the show to UK and international networks. The story follows "a junk space ship led by a cynical old captain and a virtual reality female computer... After finding K9 in an abandoned spacecraft, and picking up an orphaned boy from a passing planet, they become a dysfunctional space-age family." The proposed series would mix live-action and CGI, with K9 - who is "cuddly in a robotic kind of way" - now able to morph into new shapes via a special dog collar. Howell and Baker, now in his late-60s, have attracted interest from networks in Canada and Australia. For the UK, Howell said that "the BBC has some kind of first-refusal" on the spin-off show. "We're aiming at the Dr Who market," said Howell, regarding the show's target demo. "Kids and adults love K9... If you can win both demographics with one show, you're really on to a winner." Park is currently looking to finance the proposed project, including securing a production company partner to make the show. (Thanks to Steve Cole)

Carnegie Mellon's Robot Hall of Fame poll is on... and K-9 is one of the finalists! Click the link to vote!

Will FOX be picking up Doctor Who for more movies or a series?

Sadly, the answer now appears to be a definitive no. In an e-mail to a fan in late November, a spokesperson for FOX scheduling confirmed that FOX had declined to exercise its option on Doctor Who.

According to Ceefax, the BBC has also decided not to proceed with a new series, given the end of its American co-production partnership. A spokesperson suggested that a second movie was not out of the question, however. All this is particularly unfortunate as, in a phone-in poll conducted in late May and early June, 96% of 6000 voters indicated they would like to see Doctor Who return as an ongoing series.

At the Conservative Party Conference on October 9th. Will Wyatt, Head of BBC Television, confirmed that he felt Doctor Who was simply too expensive to make without American support. Wyatt also argued that the movie had been "too dark" and bemoaned what he perceived as a lack of quality in 1980s Who. He was, however, complimentary toward the enthusiasm of executive producer Phil Segal.

So what happens now?

It's hard to say. FOX's "first choice" option expired at the end of 1996, and Universal's will do the same in December if there is no positive activity (certain reports, and indeed Phil Segal himself, had suggested the option would terminate in April, but this does not appear to have been the case). Some reports suggest that BBC Worldwide is looking to countries where the film was a success for a new co-producer. Other sources, including BBC engineer Steve Roberts, claim BBC Worldwide may be interested in making a new series themselves. Roberts was quoted as saying on the CompuServe SF/Fantasy Media Forum in late March that BBC Worldwide "can't wait for the Universal option to expire so they can do something with it next year" (ie possibly make a new series). However, Philip Segal and others have pointed out in the past that BBC Worldwide likely lack the resources to make Doctor Who themselves, and would still require a co-production deal. Furthermore, it appears that BBC television is becoming increasingly less enthusiastic about Doctor Who, though the return of former BBC-1 Controller (and known Who supporter Alan Yentob as head of BBC Television (and official deputy of Will Wyatt, chief executive of BBC Broadcast) could potentially mean a change in this attitude. On March 17th, Segal was quoted on ITV Teletext urging the BBC to keep Doctor Who alive.

What were the US and UK ratings like? How about video and merchandise sales?

In the US, the movie netted a disappointing 5.5 rating and a 9 share, placing it joint 75th out of 98 network programmes for the week; this is far below the 15 share FOX was apparently hoping for. The half-hour breakdown in terms of rating/share was 5.3/9, 5.5/9, 5.4/8 and 5.7/9. Reportedly, the movie netted a 14 share amongst teenagers, a 12 share amongst men aged 18 to 49, and an 8 share amongst women aged 18 to 49. The 9 share is a little below the average for the FOX Tuesday Night movie, which stands at around an 11 share. The movie did do quite well in some regions, though, netting as high as a 15 share in the Washington, DC area. It was also the most-taped programme of the week.

The show faced tough competition, including programmes like Roseanne which ended up with a crushing 25 share.

Final UK Ratings are now in, and are significantly better than the early estimates predicted. Doctor Who finished with 9.08 million viewers, placing it 15th overall (9th when only counting once those programmes with multiple episodes that week) in the BARB charts for the week ending June 2nd (which was topped by an episode of Coronation Street at 16.02 million viewers), and at 10th place (5th place counting EastEnders and Neighbours only once) in the BBC's Top Ten. Doctor Who also finished 2nd amongst dramas, beaten only by ITV's The Knock with 9.92 million viewers. According to DreamWatch, its Audience Appreciation figure was very high at 75, a mark previously reached only by The Five Doctors. It is also important to note that Doctor Who's ratings may have been affected by its being aired on a Bank Holiday Monday -- that night's episode of Eastenders, for instance, was down 18% on the previous week.

The video, meanwhile, entered the CIN sales charts at 3rd place. The following week, it slipped to 6th and then disappeared off the Top Thirty in its third week of sales. While this is below expectations, it is nevertheless second amongst Doctor Who videos to Tomb Of The Cybermen.

The money lost to BBC Worldwide on video sales has apparently been recouped by stellar sales of movie-related merchandise, specifically that offered in Radio Times.

If Doctor Who returns, will Segal, McGann, Roberts and Ashbrook all be back?

With FOX having now passed on Doctor Who, it is unclear whether Paul McGann -- who had been contracted for five years if FOX had gone ahead with the programme -- is still bound to Doctor Who in any way. McGann, however, has suggested to Sylvester McCoy that he would like to play the role again (contrary to popular fan rumor), and even suggested the possibility of attending a convention if McCoy was there "to hold his hand".

Segal now has commitments to Lakeshore Productions, making it seem unlikely that he would return to Doctor Who. However, if the reports that Segal was influential in Universal's extension of their Doctor Who contract are true, it could be that Segal has reconsidered this position. Furthermore, he has hinted that, should nothing pan out for the programme in the near future, he may be interested in spearheading another revival as a cinematic venture.

As for the others, Ashbrook's involvement would presumably be contingent on the actress' schedules and on the willingness of any future production team to involve her. Roberts was essentially a one-shot guest star and would probably not return to Doctor Who again.

UPDATED! When will Doctor Who air in my country?

Doctor Who was aired on the French station France2 on Tuesday, March 18th at 11pm under the title Le Seigneur du Temps ("The Time Lord"). According to ITV's Teletext, Spain, Portugal, Greece and South Africa are also interested in purchasing the movie.

FOX still has the rights to repeat the movie one more time (and a video release in North America cannot occur before this happens). Although rumors had suggested this would take place this summer, FOX Scheduling now preports that Doctor Who will most likely not appear amongst their summer movies.

Where can I find more information about the movie?

A brief synopsis, as well as a cast/crew list and production history are available on my Eighth Doctor Page.

Is it true the BBC is being sued over the TV movie?

Yes. A consortium called Daltenreys, headed up by George Dugdale, John Humphreys and Peter Litten but also including two members of the band Dire Straits amongst others, had obtained the right in 1987 to make a cinematic version of Doctor Who. After several failed attempts, Daltenreys entered into a deal with Lumiere Pictures in 1993. Things appeared to begin to turn around then, with a new script written by Star Trek scribe Denny Martin Flynn, Leonard Nimoy on tap to direct, and Alan Rickman reportedly on the verge of signing to play the Doctor. Then, in 1994, the BBC seized back the rights, claiming Daltenreys had run out of time; the principals, however, claim that the BBC obstructed their attempts to move the production along, and made the deal with Phil Segal (which ultimately led to the production of Enemy Within) before their rights had actually expired. The Daltenreys principals -- who claim the BBC's actions financially bankrupted them -- are seeking about 14 million pounds in compensation and lost profits.

Is there anyone else interested in making Doctor Who?

A report in Doctor Who Magazine #252 suggests that an Atlanta-based company (which had previously tried to instigate a Doctor Who animated series in the Eighties) has entered into discussions with a British company with regard to a new series of Doctor Who. The Atlanta company is developing a format for two full 22-episode seasons of the new programme and hope to conclude talks this summer. However, BBC Worldwide is not yet involved and, given how many other such rumors have been bandied about in the past eight years, fans would be well advised not to get their hopes up at this stage.

Will there be a new K-9 TV show?

Doctor Who Magazine reports that a four-part programme featuring K-9 -- intended as a precursor to a full-fledged new series -- is now in development. Produced by Bob Baker (who created K-9 along with Dave Martin) and Paul Tams, K-9 will be redesigned and updated from his original appearance by Steve Mansbridge, who worked on several late Eighties Who episodes. The programme (which has not been picked up by a network yet, but has garnered interest from the BBC) will be targetted at a family audience -- featuring a variety of child sidekicks for K-9 -- and will demonstrate no obvious links to Doctor Who. The new K-9 episodes will begin filming later this year, allegedly with a seven-figure budget.