Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Doctor Who spin-off is worry-free fun for tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
K-9
What's the Story?
K-9 follows the continuing adventures of the robotic dog of Doctor Who fame, who falls through a time portal and winds up in the futuristic laboratory of Professor Gryffen (Robert Moloney) by way of a space-time manipulator he's repairing. But when the machine malfunctions, it also opens the door for some unwelcome aliens, who target a teen named Starkey (Keegan Joyce) until K-9 (voiced by John Leeson) steps in to defend him, exploding in the process. Fortunately Starkey is able to help K-9 regenerate, and the revamped robo-dog becomes the constant companion of Professor Gryffen; Gryffen's assistant, Darius (Daniel Webber); Starkey; and his sharp-tongued friend, Jorgie (Philippa Coulthard). The team combats a constant stream of otherworldly visitors and the overbearing regulations of the governing body, the Department.
Is It Any Good?
Even if you're not a Doctor Who fan going into this series, K-9 is a fun blend of sci-fi, comedy, and adventure that's easy to follow from the beginning. The story makes some references to K-9's past escapades -- particularly with regard to the professor's efforts to return K-9 to his place of origin -- but that's merely a complement to the development of this show's own characters and plot.
K-9's mostly clean content reflects the needs of its intended audience of tweens; older viewers will find that the humor and the costumed aliens veer toward the juvenile. At the same time, younger kids might be frightened at the implications of combative alien races who use mind control and physical force to overtake humanity. Also at play is a domineering government agency against which the heroes rebel throughout the show. The bottom line? This fun sci-fi series will entertain your tweens and might just raise some issues you can talk about with them afterward.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the definition of good and evil. Who gets to decide whether an action is right or wrong? Can the terms be subjective, or are there definitive criteria for them? When people's definitions differ, how can the issue be resolved?
To what extent does the sci-fi genre lay the groundwork for scientific advancements? Of the futuristic concepts in this show, is it feasible to think they could become realities? How would things like time travel affect us?
Do you believe in extraterrestrial life? Will we ever know the answer for certain? What evidence exists to support the idea? To combat it?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 25, 2012
- Cast : Robert Moloney , Keegan Joyce , John Leeson
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures , Animals , Robots
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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