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He's the companion that many fans (and certain PS members) would love to have as a companion. Popping up in Season 15 and leaving mid Season 18, he's one of 3 companions to be thought well enough of to get his own series.
But I would argue that Season 16 is K9's Greatest Season.
I'll post my arguments later on, but for now - What Do You Think ?
Hmm - could be! He certainly gets something to do in most of the stories. Although like the Daleks with stairs, it does point out K-9's inherent weakness, that he is unable to use rowing boats.
He gets smashed by the Ogri too. Poor K-9!
But he gets to be a hero too- fighting off the Polypahse Avatron and consulting with Mentalis. He gets taken over by The Shadow in time honoured companion mode, and is heroic and prissy and never ever better written for than in this season.
I agree with Jon!
It's true that K9 gets to do a load of cool stuff in Season 16 - tracking Garron, fighting Polyphase Avatron and Ogri (and nearly dying - gulp), fighting guardsmen and cutting holes in doors and walls, and being seduced by the Dark Side.
What triggered the idea for this thread is I decided to watch a bit of Androids, the bit where the Doctor goes off to meet Madam Lamia. What struck me was how K9 was being treated as a real character, and how wonderful the interplay was between the Doctor and K9. The way K9 lurches forward to head to the pavillion and the Doctor just holds him back a touch, to kerb his enthusiam. The escape (everyman for himself).
It's a testament to the writing, and to Tom, that there are so many scenes in this season where it's just the Doctor and K9 but that you never see behind the curtain of basically a man talking to an inanimate object with a built in loudspeaker.
For me, season 17 & 18 has K9 sidelined for far too much to ever get this magical feeling back again (there are odd flashes, but rarely). So I reckon this is his greatest season.
David Fisher really got how to write for K9. In his stories he's really at his best- treated as a character, as you said Jon. He's not just the get out of jail free card, or a mini-tank- he's a character in his own right and the interplay between the Doctor and K9 in both Stones and Tara is magnificent. Also, John Leeson really rises to the challenge this year. His voice is not over-modulated like it was for thw Mk1 model, so there's more inflection coming through, which again helps.