Blake's 7

[Theta Sigma]

Chapter 16 - Induction (Traitor segment 4):
The crisis that began at the beginning of this episode is finally resolved.
Sound amusing when Avon said that Blake was in fantasyland.
Finally the ship is called Liberator.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Chapter 17 - The Outcast (Traitor segment 5):
Oh my, the outcast of the title causes confusion in the cliffhanger.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Chapter 20 - In Memoriam (Traitor segment eight):
The actions of the Federation in this segment is the Federation we all love to hate.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Chapter 23 - The Standoff (Traitor segment 11):
Funny when Avon called Mezin, a Federation monkey.
Travis finally gets a first name.
What a good verbal spar between Mezin and Travis.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Finished listening to Chapter 24 two days ago and it ended the second episode Traitor.

Someone unfortunately meets an untimely fate but someone familiar finally comes along.

Traitor has been a very good episode.

The saga will be concluded with the final 12 chapters that makes up the final episode by James Swallow, available soon.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Now reaching towards the end of the third episode Liberator.




Chapter 32 - Divided Loyalties (Liberator segment eight):
Love it that Avon's plan backfired on him.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Chapter 36 - Warzone (Liberator segment 12):
Oh my, my, my, what an ending to the audio series.

 

[Theta Sigma]

On Australian TV:
Blake's 7 was a special subject in last night's Einstein Factor.

Contestant Derek Robertson did well in the first round finishing that round in the lead. Unfortunately he did not do well in the second and third rounds and lost out in the end.

All the Brains Trust in last night's show seems familiar with Blake's 7 with Dr Karen Brooks saying that she loves it.

There manage to be a couple of Doctor Who references as a result of Blake's 7 being on the show. The first was when Peter Berner asked for the first question which person who is well known for creating the Daleks also created Blake's 7 and the answer was of course Terry Nation. The other came later on when Derek mentioned that he is also a Doctor Who fan.

One question that he got wrong probably due to confusion of Doctor Who composers is which Australian composed the Blake's 7 theme. He replied Ron Grainer but the answer was Dudley Simpson.

It's too bad that he lost but it is great that he brought Blake's 7 on The Einstein Factor.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Last year my sci fi club had a screening of Blake's 7 in which the turnout was pretty bad. Last night the club showed Blake's 7 again and although the room was not completely full, the turnout was still better than last year.

The first six episodes were shown (the same as last year) and one person who is a fan of Doctor Who old and new (he even came in with a T-Shirt of the Fourth Doctor and Sarah) had never seen Blake's 7 before as with most people in the room. Upon seeing the title sequence he said he had a feeling he was going to like this. He definitely did saying that it is awesome and that it is like Doctor Who without the Doctor and when he saw the end credits for the first episode The Way Back, he responded by saying the entire production team of Doctor Who did this.

People like the humour delivered by Michael Keating as Vila. This is a just a guess but I think they were mesmerized with Jackie Pearce's performance as Servalan in her first episode and the last to be shown on the night, Seek-Locate-Destroy.

I am not completely certain but I think another person noticed the similarity with Firefly/Serenity as I heard her mention Firefly creator Joss Whedon's name.

Overall a pretty good reception to Blake's 7.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Video trailer of the audio series is now available at YouTube which includes clips from the spoof Blake's Junction 7:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=APbKnaQaA30

 

[Theta Sigma]

Apparently a new Blake's 7 TV series is currently being developed:
http://www.steadfast.tv/productions/Steadfastrevivessci.pdf

"MIPCOM: Apace-owned UK indie Steadfast Television is making its first foray into scripted series with a TV version of seventies cult sci-fi classic Blake's 7.
The project, in the early stages of development, is being headed by Steadfast's deputy CEO and creative director Steve Carsey and Andrew Sewell, chief of rights holder B7 Productions.

Carsey, a former director of programmes at Endemol-owned Initial, told C21 he is here in Cannes to explore copro opportunities for the series and is in negotiations with international broadcasters and distributors. Casting and
partners for the project are to be unveiled shortly.

Jules Grant
11 Oct 2007
© C21 Media 2007"

 

[Theta Sigma]

Apparently a new Blake's 7 TV series is currently being developed:
http://www.steadfast.tv/productions/Steadfastrevivessci.pdf

"MIPCOM: Apace-owned UK indie Steadfast Television is making its first foray into scripted series with a TV version of seventies cult sci-fi classic Blake's 7.
The project, in the early stages of development, is being headed by Steadfast's deputy CEO and creative director Steve Carsey and Andrew Sewell, chief of rights holder B7 Productions.

Carsey, a former director of programmes at Endemol-owned Initial, told C21 he is here in Cannes to explore copro opportunities for the series and is in negotiations with international broadcasters and distributors. Casting and
partners for the project are to be unveiled shortly.

Jules Grant
11 Oct 2007
© C21 Media 2007"

The following link seems to confirm a new TV series:
wshaffer - Some Blake's 7 News from Gallifrey

If it does happen, filming for a new TV series won't start until late next year meaning a probable broadcast for 2010. It would mean it could be shown around the same time as the Doctor Who season 35 in 2010.
The link also has news on the audio series and the writing team now includes Simon Guerrier (another Big Finish writer). The second season of audios are due later this year with Andrew Mark Sewell confirming that Cally will be in it (having been absent in the first season).

The link also mentioned the possibility of the audio actors reprising their characters for a TV series. Sewell says that he would like most of them to do it but a few actors who he declined to name were not physically right for their parts. Ultimately the broadcasters will have a final say on the casting.

The audio Blake, Derek Riddell seems agreeable on playing the character on TV but seeing the workload that David Tennant has on Doctor Who, he is a bit wary of taking a lead role in a big science fiction TV series. he even said that he probably be too old for the part by the time filming begins.

I think he has been very good in playing the audio Blake and if he plays him on TV it will be great.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Sky One to resurrect Blake's 7:
Quoted by peterawl at the Doctor Who Forum from an article at broadcastnow.co.uk:
"Sky One is planning a remake of iconic British science fiction series Blake's 7. Blake 7 Productions, is developing the 6 x 60-minute series.

Sky One commissioning editor Elaine Pyke has ordered two scripts for a potential series.

Pyke will work alongside Andrew Mark Sewell at Blake 7 Productions to reinvent the show.

The show will form part of Sky One's eight-figure investment in HD drama over this year and next."

 

[Avon]

This is awesome news. I just hope they do it justice, unlike what b7e were trying to do with it a couple of years ago.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Michael Keating returns as Vila in a series of prequel audios telling the stories of key characters before they met Blake with the series called Blake's 7 - The Early Years.

The first story in this series is called When Vila Met Gan.

Future episodes will feature Avon (written by Ben Aaronovitch ), Jenna (written by Simon Guerrier), Travis (written by James Swallow ), Cally (written by Marc Platt ) and Servalan.

An ‘extended' special edition CD (and download) of “When Vila met Gan†will be released for retail on 2 June 2008, with a re-cut version to be broadcast on BBC7 in the (UK) summer.

Welcome to B7 Media, Film and Television Production Services

 

[Theta Sigma]

To Australian fans:
Last night ABC1 showed the Compass programme called Chasing The Blake which was about the Blake Prize for Religious Art.

Given the programme's title I could not help to think whether it was intended as a joke reference to Blake's 7.

 

[Theta Sigma]

gaudaprime.com

Gauda Prime refers to the setting of the final episode of the original series. Do not know what the website is about only that it is coming soon.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Currently at the BBC7 website is Down and Safe, a celebration of Blake's 7 hosted by Mitch Benn. BBC 7 - Programmes A-Z

The programme includes the audio adventures The Syndeton Experiment (1999), Liberator (2007) and When Vila Met Gan (2008). When Vila Met Gan had previously been available on download so I finally got to listened to it as I don't how to download anything.

I'm only listened to the new stuff meaning that I skip through The Syndeton Experiment & Liberator.

It includes the making of the first season of the audio series as well as the spoof Blake's Junction 7 (which I still have not seen).

Throughout the programme Doctor Who is mentioned including former Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel saying that Blake's 7 is second only to Doctor Who (quite right too). Torchwood even gets a mention here. This happened when host Mitch Benn said that Blake's 7 had fallible characters like Torchwood but not so much.

Finally the part of the programme I had been waiting for - When Vila Met Gan because as I said before I don't know how to download things.
It has been a very fun prequel and Michael Keating being back as Vila works very well with current Gan actor Owen Aaronovitch. My favourite line from Vila is when Vila says he does not vote because voting means that the government gets in!

 

[Theta Sigma]

The second and third stories in the Blake’s 7: The Early Years are on one CD release. The second story is called Point of No Return, it is a Avon story and features Geoffrey Palmer as Professor Ensor and Keeley Hawes as Anna Grant.

The third story is Eye of the Machine, a Travis story.

Blakes 7 The Early Years - Avon - Travis

 

[Theta Sigma]

Kathleen Byron who had played Clonemaster Fen in the season 2 episode Weapon in 1979 has passed away.

Born on January 11 1923 she died on January 18 2009.

She had numerous roles in stage, screen and television.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Jan Chappell returns as Cally in the Blake's 7: The Early Years audio series.

She returns in the two thirty munute adventures Blood & Earth written by Ben Aaronovitch and Flag and Flame written by Marc Platt.

These adventures also feature Susannah Doyle, Julian Wadham and Michael Cochrane.

Cally Returns! | Blakes 7