CarrieAnn

Meliana

Hi, thanks for this, I just thought I'd alter the OP of your thread to showcase the show. I loved Blake's 7 when it was first broadcast, and I'd love to discuss it here.

CarrieAnn

Oh thanks, how kind of you! I joined Fan Forum years ago then let it slide so I've forgotten how to subscribe to threads to see new replies.

Yes I would love to discuss Blake's 7 with you.

I watched Blake’s 7 when I was little in the 1980s and I'm rewatching it on Forces TV now.

Blake’s 7 was one of the last shows I watched with my dad before he died, so when my husband said, ‘ooh Blake’s 7 is on, let’s watch it,’ I was nervous, thinking it would bring back some bad memories. It did at first but I soon got into the show and remembered how good it was. How I loved Avon/Paul Darrow and still do. Although I appreciate Vila and Blake a lot more now too.

I've just watched City at the Edge of the World, I think it’s one of my favourite episodes with the heroic and goofy Vila.

I'm open to your thoughts, Meliana

Meliana

I have to say I don't remember the first season from the first broadcast, but I have watched them all since although it was a while ago. I remember loving Vila and the capacity and presence of Avon's character. I always found Sevalan really creepy, too.

I loved the music for the show too. Just talking about it makes the music come into my head again!

Plus I always remember the most shocking moment when the Liberator blew up!

I hope if it does make you think of your Dad then they are the happy memories of watching it together.

I also love how Orac and the Liberator computer are like characters too. I had a friend who made his own Orac!

CarrieAnn

I know what you mean. I only really remember the episodes when Gan died and afterwards. So that's mid series 2 then 3 and maybe 4. I was shocked that a major character was killed off. I think I'd lost interest a bit when series 4 came along because my dad was ill by then and I was a teenager.

Yes, the music is brilliant!

I was devastated when the Liberator blew up, far more so than when the human crew were killed, I don't really remember that bit.

It was so long ago that I lost my dad but he liked the idea of rebels fighting an evil Federation because he was a bit of a rebel too.

I always hope there will be a reboot, but I'm not sure how they could get another Avon as brilliant as Paul Darrow.

Yes, Servalan was creepy. She reminded me of my Maths teacher.

My favourite characters are/were:

1. Avon
2. Vila
3. Cally
4. The Liberator
5. Travis

Meliana

Found a video of the theme music.


source

I think that was my reaction to the Liberator blowing up too.

Well maybe there could be a reboot. It seems big finish have been doing audio episodes, which I didn't realise until I started looking just now. The sci-fi storytelling would definitely be ideas that would work today.

CarrieAnn

Thanks, a UK TV channel is showing the whole series from the beginning at the moment, we're watching an episode every night. So I've got the theme tune going round my head all the time, lol.

An episode every night is overwhelming tbh, I take a break sometimes. It's a pretty grim storyline actually isn't it. With people being brainwashed, tortured etc. But it's all the Federation's fault! There's also not much 'relationship' stuff, I bet a modern version would show more of their relationships e.g.

Blake/Jenna, Blake/Avon, Avon/Cally, Avon/Vila etc.

Meliana

Yes, you said Forces TV? I've not heard of that channel, do you have to pay for that one? It's a pity there isn't more on BBC iPlayer, really. I don't have a copy of Blakes 7 It's been so long since I last watched it.

Yes I think more relationships would be seen in a modern version.

Terry Nation is more famous for Daleks, but he should be remembered for this show too.

CarrieAnn

Yes, I think Forces TV is a new channel, it's on Freeview no. 96 so no payment required. It seems to be for the army etc because they are always having news about the army, but in between news they show old UK sci fi shows and things.

It's a bit funny because Blake's 7 was a BBC show with no adverts, so they have shoved in some advert breaks which can make the show a bit disjointed but it's okay.

I'd like to see more about their relationships because I think having so many writers made the characters a bit too changeable e.g. writer A thought Avon would behave one way, writer B thought he would behave another way and the characters end up contradicting themselves.

I've been imagining what series 5 would have been like. I think the characters could have just been stunned, not killed, and they all wake up in a Federation prison and have to escape.

Meliana

Fantastic, thanks for letting me know. I'll check out that channel, then.

Yes, that is the trouble when these shows get shown on different channels!

I always assumed they survived, but it was awful not knowing.

CarrieAnn

Yes, Forces TV is at series 3 now but I'm sure at some point they will start from the beginning again. I didn't see series 1 episodes 1 and 2, I don't think I ever have, so hopefully I'll catch up with them some time.

I suppose at least we can think of our own stories about what happened to them after the end. I reckon they got out of the prison and got together again in another ship.

They need to remake this show in the 21st century. Having a computer expert like Avon would fit perfectly in the modern age. It was a bit pointless in the 1970s.

Meliana

It shows how it was ahead of its time. I have to say the BBC was always good at showing decent sci-fi.

Does it hold up well in light of modern computer technology, or does it seem dated, now?

CarrieAnn

Yes, no one could have predicted that these strange things called 'computers' would take over our lives, could they.

Oh it seems dated now but as I said, there was no way to predict the explosion of technology since the 1970s. I had no idea what computers were when I first watched this show but then again I was only about 9

Maybe if they rebooted it, Avon would be an android or something. Like a kind of Hot Data from Star Trek?

Meliana

Yes, I often think back to those days as I use my tablet with a touch screen! Amazing technology, really.

You can usually date sci-fi by the technology shown. These days the future seems to represented by holograms, it's no longer futuristic to talk to someone face to face on a screen!

CarrieAnn

Oh yes I've seen about the holograms. Like the Mark Zuckerberg idea of the meta universe or whatever it is. Where everyone meets in virtual reality.

Why can't people just meet face to face like they used to in the past? Surely much more normal...