K-9 and Company(1981)

K-9 and Company is a 1981 British science fiction pilot that spins off from Doctor Who, pairing two beloved companions for the first time. Elisabeth Sladen returns as Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist, alongside K9, the robotic dog voiced by John Leeson. Though both travelled with the Fourth Doctor, they never met during their time on the original series. The single episode, "A Girl's Best Friend," aired as a BBC1 Christmas special on 28 December 1981. Despite its festive debut, the pilot failed to secure a full series order, leaving this unique team-up as a one-off adventure that would later inspire Sarah Jane's own successful spin-off years later.