Review Blake's 7 (1978)

Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Have not heard any of the season 3 audios and only have the WARSHIP story. I presume that the scripts give him more to do than just challenge Avon and fall for every girl they meet now.

Mind you, I am surprised he came back for the two Barry Letts plays!
 
johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Sad to think that two of them are no longer with us and Paul Darrow, I believe is now in a wheelchair having had his legs removed. Very depressing! Looks like Pacey is happy to see Paul Valentine Birkby again too! :emoji_laughing:
JB
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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BLAKE’S 7 IS 40

To celebrate this great anniversary, tune into The Way Ahead, out now.

A brand new two-hour drama celebrating the 40th anniversary of Terry Nation's classic Blake's 7 series has been released today.

First broadcast on BBC1 in 1978, Blake’s 7 is the story of galactic renegades, led by Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) and joined by compatriots Jenna (Sally Knyvette), Avon (Paul Darrow), Vila (Michael Keating) and Cally (Jan Chappell). The crew of Blake's 7 and Blake's ship The Liberator changed over the years, with Avon leading the charge, joined by Dayna (played at Big Finish by Yasmin Bannerman) and Tarrant (Steven Pacey) but they continued the rebellion against the Federation, led by the ruthless Servalan (Jacqueline Pearce). Their adventures have continued on audio at Big Finish since 2012, with The Liberator Chronicles, Classic Adventures and now with The Way Ahead.

Roj Blake. Kerr Avon. Names that sent shockwaves through the galaxy, shattering the foundations of the Terran Federation and giving hope to the oppressed. But what is their legacy? Crusading heroes or dangerous enemies of the state?

In the early days of Blake’s rebellion, the Liberator comes to Malanar Delta to aid resistance leader Avalon, but the crew find Space Commander Travis and his Federation forces waiting. An abandoned Federation research project could give Travis the key to finally bringing Blake to justice.

Years later, in the aftermath of the Galactic War, Avon and the Liberator crew fight to survive as new battle lines are drawn and alliances forged by President Servalan. Will survival be enough when a symbol of hope is turned into a devastating engine of war?

Writer Mark Wright told us about honouring the iconic show on its 40th birthday. “It’s always special spending time in the Blake’s 7 universe as a viewer, listener or writer, but to be asked to write a special audio adventure to mark the 40th anniversary of Terry Nation’s wonderful creation was a true privilege. The Way Ahead – a title that was just too good to resist – brought with it a certain amount of challenge and pressure to come up with something that does justice to every facet of the series; the characters, the actors, the symbols, the themes. Two discs, three time periods, as many of the original cast as we could assemble in one epic adventure.

“I took inspiration from wherever I could find it; single lines of dialogue, the unforgettable performances of these wonderful actors, a character who appeared just once in the original television series. It had to work as something that examined all the themes that made Blake’s 7 a compelling television drama, but also as the kind of epic, action-packed Blake’s 7adventure that I loved as a 6-year old who started watching on 2 January 1978.

“Blake’s 7 is a television institution that grew organically out of Terry Nation’s original concepts, how they were taken forward by producers, directors, writers and designers, and how the cast made the characters their own to form an ensemble that’s always a joy to watch or listen to. I hope we’ve done justice to the legacy of Terry Nation, and to the memory of Gareth Thomas and all those Blake’s 7 greats who are no longer with us. Happy Birthday, Blake’s 7!”





 
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johnnybear

johnnybear

Member: Rank 6
Can't say I remember the Jan Chappelle Capari one sadly...! Found out that she was with Tim Woodward for years and had a child with him is that right?
JB
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I know that Jan left the show to raise a child. Not sure who the father was though.

Don't think it was Paul Darrow. :emoji_alien:
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I think it was Dennis Spooner that said once that Shakespeare would have made a good DOCTOR WHO writer, having a good understanding of the structure of drama.

Looking at this I think old Will could have penned a couple of BLAKE episodes too.

Having said that, I have no idea what Avon is wittering on about in this season five episode, set on a planet called Macbeth or something..... And obviously they couldn't get Jackie Pierce back....



 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
Doctor Omega said:
Have not heard any of the season 3 audios and only have the WARSHIP story. I presume that the scripts give him more to do than just challenge Avon and fall for every girl they meet now.

Mind you, I am surprised he came back for the two Barry Letts plays!
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I've heard the six episode " Search For Dayna" series that Big Finish did (it wasn't titled that BTW) , I thought it was ok but no more. Pity there probably won't be more series 1/2 stories, I'd hate the idea of recasting Blake though BF have done it successfully with the third Doctor. Who has the right voice to do Blake? No idea!
For more B7 chat the biggie is of course Horizon the official fan site.
http://www.blakes7online.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=2331
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I got the WARSHIP audio when it was released, as I thought that gap between Avon's "Fire!" and abandoning the ship at the start of AFTERMATH was a gap that needed plugging.

One thing about it though was Gareth's voice. Perhaps too many years of smoking and boozing, but I thought he sounded like his own grandfather and it pulled me out of the story a little.

It never occurred to me that they might recast Blake though until you just mentioned it Michael. I guess they might one day.
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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A haunting tale of strange shadows and weird evils which features three travellers, Parl Dro, Myal Lemayal and Ciddey Soban, who are drawn together on a quest for Ghyste Mortua, city of the dead.
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A short novel, 172 pages in the old mass market paperback version, but packed with more ideas and originality than some novels twice its length.

The main character is Parl Dro, a "Ghost Killer", one who can see and banish the dead from the mortal realm. He travels from town to town until he runs afoul of two sisters, one living, one dead, and a local musician in love with the living sister.
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Kill the Dead is about a ghost-killer...yes, a ghost-killer. Dro goes around from town to town and destroys the lingering spirits of the dead, even if people don't always want him to because they want their departed love ones around. Understandably, he isn't always a welcome visitor and he ends up being a pretty lonesome character. However, another young man, Myal, with an abusive past ends up hooking up with him anyway as the story unfolds and we eventually discover the strange link between them as they enter into an entire town of ghosts who just won't go away. I won't give it away, but there is a twist to the story.
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The other strange thing to this story is that the two main characters are based off of Avon and Vila in the British science fiction series, Blake's 7, including their names. If you have ever seen the show, you would recognize them and not just because their names are similar to that of the actors/characters. The characters in this book are somewhat similar to the characters from the tv show, however with a very different background. Tanith Lee wrote some scripts for the show, so she knows these characters very well and I suspect she wrote this book as an homage to them, and also because they are fascinating characters.
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I saw this book mentioned years ago in an old interview with (the late) Tanith Lee in a magazine called SPACE VOYAGER, but have never tracked down a copy yet - and still haven't bothered to check it out or read it yet, but thought I would mention it as a curiosity piece here.

I liked both her scripts for the show, preferring SARCOPHAGUS.
 
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