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. 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.

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 yet to return from 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 Tracy - 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 Sarah Jane Adventures).
 * 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.

Ratings

 * 8.4 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Location Filming

 * Cirencester in the Gloucestershire countryside.
 * Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added

Continuity

 * The Five Doctors features Sarah Jane and includes a brief scene establishing that she still owns K9, providing a link to this special.
 * 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 Interference 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 School Reunion.
 * Sarah once more has a problem driving due to tractors, like in DW: Planet of the Spiders.
 * BFA: Comeback begins with Sarah dealing with Lavinia's death.

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.