A Girl's Best Friend (TV story)

A Girl's Best Friend was a single-episode story produced in 1981 as a pilot for a potential Doctor Who spin-off called K-9 and Company. The BBC chose not to commission a new series, but did televise the episode as a holiday season special (the first of its kind for the Doctor Who franchise, to be followed many years later by an annual series of Doctor Who Christmas specials). This was the only attempt at a spin-off series during the "classic series" era to make it to the filming stage; it would be more than a quarter-century before this was attempted again.

It is common for this episode to be referred to only by the series title, K-9 and Company, including its initial release on home video and in the Target Books novelisation.

Synopsis
Sarah pays a Christmas visit to her Aunt Lavinia's house in the village of Moreton Harwood. She discovers that Lavinia, a noted scientist, has unexpectedly left early for a lecture tour of the USA. She does however meet Brendan - Lavinia's ward - and Commander Bill Pollock - her partner in a small market garden business. Also in the house, in a box sent to her by the Doctor, she finds K9. Brendan is kidnapped by a local coven of witches who want to sacrifice him to the goddess Hecate. Sarah, with K9's assistance, foils their plan and unmasks their leaders - Commander Pollock and local postmistress Lily Gregson.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * Brendan Richards - Ian Sears
 * K-9 Mark III - John Leeson
 * Bill Pollock - Bill Fraser
 * George Tracey - Colin Jeavons
 * Vince Wilson - Nigel Gregory
 * Peter Tracey - Sean Chapman
 * Aunt Lavina - Mary Wimbush
 * Juno Baker - Linda Polan
 * Howard Baker - Neville Barber
 * Henry Tobias - John Quarmby
 * Lily Gregson - Gillian Martell
 * P.C. Carter - Stephen Oxley

Crew

 * Director - John Black
 * Producer - John Nathan-Turner
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Writer - Terence Dudley

Story Notes

 * This is the first official Doctor Who spin-off; the second is Torchwood, the third is The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the fourth is K-9.
 * The Sarah Jane Adventures debuted with its pilot episode, Invasion of the Bane, only 3 days after the 25th anniversary of the original broadcast of this pilot.
 * The Winter Hill transmitter in the North West region suffered a power blackout at the time this story was screening (most likely resulting in lower than expected ratings).
 * The theme music was composed by Ian Levine. Supposedly it was meant to be an orchestral score, but was altered to be electronically performed, with John Leeson "singing" in character as K-9.
 * Running 50 minutes, this was the first time a Doctor Who-related production had exceeded 30 minutes in length.
 * This story had the working titles of Sarah And K-9 and One Girl And Her Dog.

Ratings

 * 8.4 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Filming Locations

 * Cirencester in the Gloucestershire countryside.
 * Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham
 * Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire
 * Wishanger Farm, Wischanger, Gloucestershire
 * Parish Church, North Woodchester, Gloucestershire
 * Barnsley House, Barnsley, Gloucestershire
 * Cheltenham Road, Bisley, Gloucestershire
 * Miserden Park Estate, Miserden, Gloucestershire
 * Miserden Nurseries, Gloucestershire
 * Miserden, Gloucestershire
 * Bear Inn, Bisley, Gloucestershire (Title sequence; Sarah typing on a typewriter)

Production Errors

 * When Sarah Jane and K-9 go out to look for Brendan in Sarah's car. Sarah leaves her aunt's house when it is dark and arrives at the Church in the dark, but the intervening driving scene is in daylight.

Continuity

 * DW: The Five Doctors features Sarah Jane and includes a brief scene establishing that she still owns K9, providing a link to this special.
 * DW: School Reunion reveals that Sarah Jane still owns K9, although he has become non-functional by that time (later to be repaired by the Doctor).
 * K9 and Sarah Jane Smith reappear in EDA: Interference - Book One and meet the Eighth Doctor and his companion Sam Jones.
 * K9 and Sarah Jane Smith meet the Tenth Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler in DW: School Reunion.
 * Sarah once more has a problem driving due to tractors, like in DW: Planet of the Spiders.
 * BFSJS: Comeback begins with Sarah dealing with Lavinia's death.

Timeline

 * This story occurs after DW: The Hand of Fear
 * This story occurs before: VD: Housewarming

DVD, Video and Other Releases

 * A Girl's Best Friend was released on video on 7 August 1995.
 * Released along side The Invisible Enemy on DVD as part of K-9 Tales

Novelisation

 * Main article: K-9 and Company (novelisation)


 * A Girl's Best Friend was novelised as K-9 and Company written by Terence Dudley and published as part of Target's Companions of Doctor Who series.