Curse of Anubis (TV story)

Curse of Anubis was the tenth episode of Series 1 of K9 and revealed more events from K9's past.

Synopsis
K9 meets the Anubians. A race he helped in his long forgotten past. Once placid these creatures have now become war-mongers. They trick K9 by worshipping him as their saviour. The Anubians unleash control devices and take over Gryffen who banishes Darius from the mansion. Starkey opens up the Anubian book of deliverance and discovers their true plans. It is then left to Darius to release K9 from Anubian control and thwart an alien invasion.

Plot
At Department HQ, a department officer detects a pyramid-like alien ship entering Earth air space. Inspector Drake comes in and finds its not changing course, Drake prepares to lock orbital missiles. June tells him to stop as it hasn't been fully analysed and she argues it may be space rock. Drake however doesn't tolerate trespassers, when June asks if they come in peace he replies "Then they leave in pieces". The ship suddenly disappears, Drake is shocked by this as the computer tells him it has burnt up in the atmosphere.

K9, Starkey and Jorjie spot a shooting star as two CCPCs spot interrupt their stargazing. Jorjie spots the pyramid spaceship decloaking, K9 goes to have a look and bumps off it. As the CCPCs prepare to take action after K9's unlawful use of alien technology, two aliens arrive. The CCPCs prepare to attack them but are knocked out by energy shot out from their palms. The aliens then turn their attention to Starkey and Jorjie but K9 comes to their rescue. This shocks the aliens who seem to know of the "Almighty" K9, the hail their "Great Liberator" and bow.

At the Mansion, Gryffen and Darius feel the ground rumbling. Starkey then explains that alien friends of K9 are coming, Gryffen doesn't spot the space ship as its invisible so the Department wouldn't find them. The aliens arrive and Gryffen is shocked to hear them refer to him as "Great One". When K9 asks them who they are one gives his name as Nehetka and introduces his companion Geb, they tell the team that K9 liberated them in their distant past from the Huducts, When Darius questions them they take offence and are annoyed at his interruptions.

The Anubians show the team their history book and tell them of their oppression for generations and were liberated by K9. Darius doesn't believe the drawing of the old K9 is him and laughs at it. When Darius insults the old K9 more, Nehetka decides to "remove" him. Gryffen suggests that it would be best if Darius left, which he does. When Starkey asks about the rest of the story, the Nehetka refuse to show it. As Gryffen admires the Anubian ship, the Anubians tell him they need hide from the Department, who they call K9's enemies. Gryffen disputes this, saying that some of them aren't good but they are there to protect the Earth, but Nehetka insists they are enemies.

In the garage, Darius wakes up to find the Geb decorating Mariah. Darius goes to Gryffen only to find he is finishing a throne room. He, Starkey and Jorjie demand to see K9, and Darius activates him with his dog whistle. He tells Darius that Nehetka sugggested the Anubian decoration may help jog his memory banks. The Anubians are outraged at Darius' dog whistle and the idea of him giving commands to K9. Nehetka tells him that he taught them "freedom's everything". As he is under Gryffen's oath he asks him if they may take him away. Gryffen accepts their request to banish him from the house and never to return. Geb makes Jorjie and Starkey give them their dog whistles. Starkey notices something's weird with Gryffen and K9, and Darius leaves in Mariah.

Starkey and Jorjie discuss K9, Starkey thinks him and Gryffen have fallen victim to mind control, but Jorjie doubts that K9, being a robot, would be affected. She wonders about the old K9, but Starkey insists K9 means well. Jorjie considers that he's bad and remembering it, Starkey decides to talk to him. At the mansion Gryffen presents Starkey and Jorjie to K9, however K9 is preoccupied with restoring his memory banks. K9 informs Starkey he intends to liberate London from the Department, but Jorjie argues that some people in the Department such as June are good. Nehetka considers her to be misguided and the Department corrupt. When Starkey asks if the Anubians are declaring war on the Department, Nehetka tells Starkey they aren't going to war with the Department as there would be no contest. K9 then notices something in his memory banks, Tenklept. Nehetka tell him legends say K9 saved Tenklept the Glomb from being eaten by a Yakoclaw, Starkey and Jorjie then leave. At night Starkey and Jorjie go to the mansion as the Anubians are sleeping to take the book. They manage to retrieve it and read it in Starkey's room, it has a drawing of K9 leaving the Anubian homeworld with their oppressors now their slaves wearing the same headband worn by Gryffen. They look through and see a drawing of Anubian holding hands with an alien, and then on the next page attacking the same species. They then see many more races attacked by the Anubians. They decide to show K9 this but are met by the Anubians who puts the headbands on them.

Later, Darius goes back to the mansion and is shocked to find Gryffen, Starkey and Jorjie hypnotised. Darius wakes K9 up, after ignoring him briefly. K9 turns his attention to Darius and explains that running memory scans doesn't allow him to concentrate on anything else. Darius tells K9 to listen as there is something wrong going on, Nehetka tells K9 to ignore him. Darius says he has figured it out and it isn't the real Gryffen, Starkey or Jorjie. Darius says the Anubians have replaced them with robots, pod people or clones. The Anubians and the others laugh at him, Darius tells him to scan them. K9 scans Gryffen and determines he is Human. K9 goes back to his memory search as the Anubians grab Darius and Geb tells him his audience with K9 is at an end. When Darius leaves, Nehetka says that a slight attitude adjustment and he'd make a fine court jester and tells Geb to see to it that he receives it.

June arrives and knocks on the door, Gryffen answers and she tells him she is looking for Jorjie. He closes the door and comes back seconds after saying that K9 says she can enter. June is shocked to see Gryffen and Jorjie in Anubian dress. Darius goes to Mariah and sees that Geb is behind him ready to attack. Darius tells Mariah to open and Geb is knocked out by Mariah's door opening. Darius finds an ankh on his chest and pulls it off. June scans the vicinity and orders everyone to stay still, especially K9 and Nehetka. She calls Dispatch and tells them to send a containment team but her contact is interrupted. Nehetka takes action against the Department and begins the world's liberation. Hypnotic headbands start materialising on all Department officers. The Department Technican says they're appearing from thin air everywhere, Drake initiates code red but falls victim to the Anubians as well.

When K9 witnesses the Nehetka hypnotise June he tells him to stop, but he refuses to leave the Humans only half-defeated. K9 recognises the headbands as the ones used by the Huduct to control the Anubians. Nehetka reveals they made the Huduct their slaves instead of peacefully reconciling as K9 had. As Nehetka annouces their plan to take over the galaxy, K9 decides to take action but is attacked by Nehetka, who deactivates him. Suddenly the Anubian ship decloaks and Darius contacts Nehetka and reveals he's taken control of their ship through use of the ankh. Darius threatens to crash the Anubian ship into the mansion, but when Jorjie appears Nehetka determines he's bluffing. Darius reveals he's actually stalling, and K9 reactivates, knocking out Nehetka with his photon beam.

The Anubians are taken away by CCPCs. Darius teleports back and K9 apologises to the team. Gryffen decides K9 will do the redecorating. When Starkey asks where the Anubian's ship is, Darius tells him he parked it somewhere but cheerfully states "it's invisible" as he walks off with Gryffen and laughs, Starkey and Jorjie chuckle together at him.

Cast

 * K9 Mark 2 - John Leeson
 * Starkey - Keegan Joyce
 * Jorjie Turner - Philippa Coulthard
 * Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
 * Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
 * June Turner - Robyn Moore
 * Drake - Connor Van Vuuren
 * Nehetka (voice) - Todd Levi
 * Nehetka (body) - Micheal Tuahine
 * Geb - Matthew Reimer
 * CCPC - Josh Norbido
 * CCPC - Jason McNamara
 * CCPC - Edgen Bekafigo
 * CCPC - Dane Paltman
 * Department Technician - Stephen Sourkis

Production crew

 * Writer - Jim Noble
 * Director - Karl Zwicky
 * Producers - Penny Wall, Richard Stewart, Simon Barnes
 * Executive producers - Jim Howell, Grant Bradley, Steve Robbins
 * Associate producers - Bob Baker, Paul Tams
 * Supervising producer - Dale Bradley
 * Co-Executive producer - Mark Blythe
 * With special thanks - Sam Tromans
 * Line producer - Pam Collis
 * VFX Director - David Napier
 * Series Production Designer - Jon Dowding
 * Episodic Designer - Adam Head
 * New K9 Design by - Paul Tams, Alex Kubalsky
 * Series Director of Photography - Ben Nott
 * Episodic Director of Photography - Tony O'Loughlan
 * Music by - Christopher Elves
 * K9 theme music by - Michael Lira
 * Editor - Russell Maggs
 * Casting - Faith Martin and associates
 * Episodic casting - Lisa Maloney
 * Drama/Dialogue coach - Peter Kent
 * Story Producer - Greg Walters
 * Script Adaption - Michaeley O'Brien
 * Production Accountant - Pru Donovan
 * 1st Assistant Director - Peter McLennan
 * Script Supervisor - Sue Ketchington
 * Costume Designer - Joanne Thompson
 * Makeup Designer - Sharon Robbins
 * Puppeteer - David Pawsey
 * Location Manager - Charles Boyle
 * Sound Recordist - Ian Grant
 * B Camera Operator - Dan Maxwell
 * Gaffer - Steve Monk
 * Key Grip - Billy Harmer
 * Special thanks to - Space Furniture, Shredox, J. Barbour & Sons Ltd, Heath Williams at Firefly Lighting, Videopro
 * Safety Supervisor/Stunt Coordinator - Danny Baldwin
 * Transport Manager - Alister Ward
 * Unit Manager - Graeme Suhr
 * Post Production Facility - Cutting Edge Australia
 * Head of Post Production - John Lee
 * Sound Design - Warren Pearson

Story notes

 * This episode aired on the same day as the Doctor Who episode, The Time of Angels.
 * On this episode's broadcast on Disney XD, the beginning of the stargazing scene, where K9 identifies a star to Jorjie as the Quilian system, home to the "Incessant Song Talkers of Mool", is cut off. Instead, the scene starts with Starkey recounting K9 telling them about Montoon's ocean of brains.

Ratings
to be added

Myths
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Filming locations
to be added

Production errors
to be added

Continuity

 * The Anubians bear a resemblance to the Osirians. (DW: Pyramids of Mars)
 * This was the first episode since Regeneration to feature the Mark I design, albeit in drawings only.
 * In the Anubian book, there are drawings shown of an Anubian holding hands with an alien and on the next page attacking the same race, the unknown green-skinned species betrayed by the Anubians resembles the Moxx of Balhoon. (DW: The End of the World)
 * There are also drawings of a Sea Devil, a Jixen, a Mandrel and an Alpha Centauran in a gallery of races invaded by the Anubians.
 * A drawing of an Aeolian appears as well, this species later appears in K9TV: Aeolian.
 * The Anubian robes worn by K9 resemble Time Lord robes.
 * Two aliens pretending to be friends to the team, teleporting to meet with them and telling the team about their species is reminiscent of the Slitheen-Blathereen in SJA: The Gift.
 * In the Anubian book there is a picture of what looks like the TARDIS, so it is possible that K9 travelled to Anubis in the TARDIS with the Doctor, or the Doctor has visited them too.

Home video releases
This episode is featured in the Series One complete boxset.