science fiction television
Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
programme produced by the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
between 1978 and 1981. It was created by
Terry Nation
Terence Joseph Nation (8 August 19309 March 1997) was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist. Especially known for his work in British television science fiction, he created the Daleks and Davros for ''Doctor Who'', as well as the series '' Surviv ...
, who also wrote the first series, produced by David Maloney (series 1–3) and Vere Lorrimer (series 4), and the script editor throughout its run was Chris Boucher, who wrote nine of its episodes. The main character for the first two series was
Roj Blake
This is a list of characters from ''Blake's 7'', a media franchise created by Terry Nation.
Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series ''Blake's 7'', played by Paul Darrow (who was recre ...
, played by Gareth Thomas.
''Blake's 7'' was broadcast in 25 other countries. It had a low budget but featured many tropes of
space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
s, galactic empires and aliens. Critical responses have been varied; some reviewers praised the programme for its
dystopia
A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
n themes, strong characterisation, ambiguous morality and pessimistic tone, as well as displaying an "enormous sense of fun", but others have criticised its production values and dialogue, and accused it of lacking originality. It retains a sizeable and enthusiastic fan base, and was described in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s 40-year retrospective as "a bold show that wasn't afraid to break formulas".
A limited range of ''Blake's 7'' merchandise was issued, and books, magazines and annuals published. The BBC released music and sound effects from the series, and several companies made ''Blake's 7'' toys and models. Four video compilations were released between 1985 and 1990, and the entire programme was released in
videocassette
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasset ...
format beginning in 1991 and re-released during 1997, and as four DVD boxed sets between 2003 and 2006. The BBC produced two audio dramas during 1998 and 1999, featuring original cast members, that were broadcast by
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
. Although proposals for live-action and animated remakes have not been realised, ''Blake's 7'' has been revived with two series of audio dramas, a comedic short film, and a series of fan-made audio plays involving the original cast.
Overview
Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were made, and first broadcast in the United Kingdom between January 1978 and December 1981 by BBC1. They are set in the third century of the second calendar (this is mentioned in associated publicity material, not in the series) and at least 700 years in the future. ''Blake's 7''s narrative concerns the exploits of political dissident Roj Blake, who leads a small group of rebels against the forces of the
totalitarian
Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...
Terran Federation that rules the Earth and many colonised planets. The Federation uses
mass surveillance
Mass surveillance is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population in order to monitor that group of citizens. The surveillance is often carried out by Local government, local and federal governments or intell ...
,
brainwashing
Brainwashing is the controversial idea that the human mind can be altered or controlled against a person's will by manipulative psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject's ability to think critically or independently ...
, and drug pacification to control its citizens. Blake is arrested, tried on false charges, and deported to a remote
penal colony
A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer ...
. '' En route'', he and fellow prisoners Jenna Stannis, Vila Restal, and Kerr Avon break free and escape on a technologically advanced alien spacecraft, which its central computer 'Zen' informs them is named ''Liberator''. ''Liberator''s speed and weaponry are superior to Federation craft, and it also has a
teleportation
Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...
system that enables transport to the surface of planets. Blake and his crew begin a campaign to damage the Federation, but are pursued by Space Commander Travis—a Federation soldier—and Servalan, the Supreme Commander and later Federation President.
The composition of the titular "seven" changes throughout the series. The initial group—Blake, Vila, Gan, Jenna, Avon, and Cally—included Zen as the seventh member. At the end of the first series, they capture a supercomputer named Orac. Gan is killed during the second series, after which Blake and Jenna disappear and are replaced by new characters Dayna and Tarrant. At the start of the fourth series, Cally dies and is replaced by Soolin. After the destruction of ''Liberator'', the computer Zen is replaced by a new computer, Slave, on board their new commandeered ship ''Scorpio''.
While Blake is an idealistic freedom fighter, his associates are petty crooks, smugglers and killers. Avon is a technological genius who, while apparently motivated by self-preservation and wealth, consistently acts to help others. When Blake is separated from his crew, Avon becomes commander. At first, Avon believes the Federation has been destroyed; he becomes tired of killing, and seeks rest. However, by the middle of the third series, Avon realises that the Federation is expanding again, faster than originally realised, and he resumes the fight.
The BBC had originally planned to conclude ''Blake's 7'' at the end of its third series, but a further series was commissioned unexpectedly following the broadcast of its final episode.
As a result, some changes to the programme's format were inevitable, both in front of and behind the camera. These included the appointment of a new producer and the introduction of a new spacecraft, ''Scorpio'', and new characters, Soolin and Slave.
''Blake's 7'' was watched by approximately 10 million people in the UK and was broadcast in 25 other countries.
Characters
Regular characters
*
Roj Blake
This is a list of characters from ''Blake's 7'', a media franchise created by Terry Nation.
Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series ''Blake's 7'', played by Paul Darrow (who was recre ...
, played by Gareth Thomas (leader of the crew in series 1–2, guest appearances in series 3–4). Blake is a long-term political dissident who uses the ''Liberator'' to wage war on the Federation. He is passionately opposed to the Federation's injustice and corruption, and he is prepared to accept loss of life in pursuit of its destruction. He thinks nothing of placing himself in danger to protect his crew or advance his cause. Although Blake is respected by many of his crew members, Avon accuses him of fanaticism and recklessness.
* Kerr Avon, played by Paul Darrow (series 1–4, leader of the crew in series 3–4). Avon is an electronics and computer expert who once attempted to steal 5 million credits from the Federation banking system. He distrusts emotion, and he attempts to pursue a code based on logic and reason. This frequently causes conflict with Blake. He becomes a reluctant rebel and, at times, he seems motivated by financial gain and shows his readiness to put companions in danger in order to protect himself. He has an ambiguous and sometimes playful relationship with Servalan. Avon appears in 51 of the series' 52 episodes, being absent only in the first episode, "The Way Back".
* Vila Restal, played by Michael Keating (series 1–4). Vila is a skilled thief, lock-picker and conjurer and is usually reluctant to risk his life. His behaviour is often cowardly and, although other crew members regard him as tiresome, he has a high IQ. He has weaknesses for alcohol and women, and apparently talks to himself at times. Vila is the only character to appear in every episode of the series.
* Jenna Stannis, played by Sally Knyvette (series 1–2). Jenna is a former space smuggler and skilled pilot who becomes adept at piloting ''Liberator''. She has a great deal of affection for Blake, and she is loyal to him once he gains her trust. In earlier episodes, Jenna often maintains her opinions stubbornly.
* Cally, played by Jan Chappell (series 1–3). Cally is an alien guerrilla fighter from the planet Auron. She is a
telepath
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
, like all of her people, who can transmit thoughts silently to others. She later develops mind-reading, telekinesis and precognition abilities, but she is also uniquely vulnerable to telepathic control by alien forces. Cally develops as the moral conscience of the group, especially for later episodes of series 2 and throughout series 3.
* Dayna Mellanby, played by Josette Simon (series 3–4). The daughter of former dissident Hal Mellanby, Dayna is an expert in weapons technology. She is adept at designing mechanized weapons but also appreciates the nobility of what she describes as more 'primitive' combat. Brave and loyal, but at times reckless and naïve, she often successfully challenges men who are supposedly accomplished fighters. Her vendetta against Servalan (who murdered her father) motivates her to endorse Avon's fighting of the Federation.
* Del Tarrant, played by Steven Pacey (series 3–4). Tarrant is an expert pilot who trained with the Federation before beginning illegal activities. He is ruthless and charming, and he often challenges Avon's leadership. He also takes advantage of the cowardice of Vila, whom he bullies into performing his instructions.
* Olag Gan, played by David Jackson (series 1–2). Having killed the Federation guard who murdered his girlfriend, Gan has been implanted with an electronic "limiter" device which prevents him from ever killing again. However, he is courageous, strong, and dedicated to Blake's cause.
* Soolin, played by Glynis Barber (series 4). Soolin is an expert
gunfighter
Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
whose parents were murdered when she was a child on her home planet of Gauda Prime. She joins the group after she is betrayed by her partner Dorian. No-one can match her speed at drawing a gun. Soolin's logical and cynical attitude proves an asset to her colleagues. On several occasions, her quick thinking and prescient actions save the crew from perishing, overpowering the assassin Cancer and surviving the Betafarl Conspiracy. Barber had also previously played the role of a Mutoid in series 1 (episode 9: "Project Avalon").
* Orac, voiced by Derek Farr (first appearance) and Peter Tuddenham (series 2–4). Orac is a super-computer capable of reading any other computer's data and built by an inventor named Ensor. It uses a component called a Tariel cell—a universal computer component—and can access information stored on any computer that uses one. It can also control other computers. Orac dislikes work that it considers unnecessary, enjoys gathering information and has delusions of grandeur.
*
Zen
Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...
, voiced by Peter Tuddenham (series 1–3). The main computer aboard ''Liberator'', Zen controls the craft's secondary systems, including the battle and guidance computers. It is susceptible to interference from outside influences, such as Orac. It is considered a character in its own right. It is rendered nonfunctional after ''Liberator'' is damaged by corrosive fluid particles, and is destroyed with the ship.
*
Slave
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
, voiced by Peter Tuddenham (series 4). Introduced during the fourth series, Slave was built and programmed by Dorian and is the master computer of Dorian's ship, ''Scorpio''. It has a cringing personality, frequently apologetic and obsequious, and addresses Avon as 'master' and others as 'sir' or 'madam'.
Other recurring characters
* Supreme Commander
Servalan
This is a list of characters from ''Blake's 7'', a media franchise created by Terry Nation.
Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series ''Blake's 7'', played by Paul Darrow (who was recreat ...
/Commissioner Sleer, played by Jacqueline Pearce. Servalan began her service career as a cadet, and eventually becomes Supreme Commander of the Terran Federation. Her desire for power began at the age of eighteen when her lover abandoned her. Shortly before the Intergalactic War, Servalan conducted a military coup and installed herself as president. She is later overthrown herself and presumed killed, but survives and adopts the pseudonym of Commissioner Sleer. She conducts a campaign of drug-induced pacification in order to regain territory for the Federation and her own position of power. Servalan is determined to pursue the crew of the ''Liberator'' and win control of the ship and Orac for herself.
* Space Commander Travis, played by Stephen Greif (first series) and Brian Croucher (second series). Travis is a dedicated and ruthless Federation officer, with the rank of Space Commander. His left eye and arm were destroyed by Blake, and replaced with an eye patch and a prosthetic arm fitted with a concealed weapon. Travis is known for treating his troops well and leading them personally, but also for his ruthlessness and contempt for human life. After his trial and conviction for killing civilians, Travis becomes increasingly obsessed with killing Blake.
Sources and themes
Series creator Terry Nation pitched ''Blake's 7'' to the BBC as "'' The Dirty Dozen'' in space", a reference to the 1967
Robert Aldrich
Robert Burgess Aldrich (August 9, 1918 – December 5, 1983) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. An iconoclastic and maverick '' auteur'' working in many genres during the Golden Age of Hollywood, he directed main ...
movie in which a disparate group of convicts are sent on a suicide mission during World War II.
This influence shows in that some of Blake's devotees are escaped convicts (Avon, Vila, Gan and Jenna). ''Blake's 7'' also draws much of its inspiration from the legend of
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
.
Blake's devotees are not a band of "
Merry Men
The Merry Men are the group of Outlaw (stock character), outlaws who follow Robin Hood in English literature and folklore. The members of the group appear both collectively and individually in the earliest ballads about Robin Hood and remain ...
". His diverse crew includes a corrupt computer genius (Avon), a smuggler (Jenna), a thief (Vila), a murderer (Gan), a telepathic guerrilla soldier (Cally), the Liberator's computer (Zen) and another computer (Orac). Later additions were: a naïve weapons expert (Dayna), a mercenary (Tarrant), a gunslinger (Soolin) and the Scorpio's computer (Slave). While Blake intends to use ''Liberator'' to strike against the Federation, the others are often reluctant soldiers—especially Avon. Blake and Avon's clashes over the command represent a conflict between idealism and cynicism, emotion and rationality, and dreams and practicality.
Similar conflicts occur between other characters; the courage of Blake and Avon compared with Vila's cowardice, or Avon and Jenna's scepticism of Blake's ideals compared with Gan's unswerving loyalty, Blake's mass murdering methods compared with Avon's targeted and less destructive methods.
Script editor Chris Boucher, whose influence on the series increased as it progressed, was inspired by Latin American revolutionaries, especially
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; 8 August 1879 – 10 April 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the insp ...
, in exploring Blake and his devotees' motives and the consequences of their actions.
This is most evident in the episode "Star One", in which Blake must confront the reality that in achieving his goal of overthrowing the Federation, he will cause chaos and death for many innocent citizens. When Avon gains control of ''Liberator'', after Blake's disappearance after the events of "Star One", he uses it to pursue his own agenda, such as avenging his lost love Anna Grant. Later, Avon realises that he cannot escape the Federation's reach and that he must, like Blake, resist them. In this respect, by the end of the fourth series Avon has replaced Blake.
Classic films, such as the Western ''
The Magnificent Seven
''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...
'', were an important influence upon ''Blake's 7''. Chris Boucher incorporated lines from Westerns into the scripts, much to the delight of Paul Darrow, an enthusiast of the genre. The final episode, "Blake", was inspired by '' The Wild Bunch'' and ''
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, k ...
''. ''Blake's 7'' also drew inspiration from the classic British
dystopia
A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
n novels ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four
''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...
'' by
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...
, ''
Brave New World
''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hier ...
'' by
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction novel, non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems.
Born into the ...
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
. This is most evident in the nature of the Federation, whose methods of dealing with Blake in the first episode, "The Way Back", including brainwashing and
show trial
A show trial is a public trial in which the guilt (law), guilt or innocence of the defendant has already been determined. The purpose of holding a show trial is to present both accusation and verdict to the public, serving as an example and a d ...
s. These are reminiscent of the way in which the
USSR
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
dealt with its dissidents.
Explorations of totalitarianism in the series are not confined to the Federation—totalitarian control through religion ("Cygnus Alpha"),
genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinians, Augustinian ...
("The Web") and technology ("Redemption") are also portrayed.
Such authoritarian dystopias are common in Terry Nation's work, including his ''Doctor Who'' story '' Genesis of the Daleks'' (1975).
Loyalty and trust are important themes of the series.
Avon is presented with several opportunities to abandon Blake. Many of Blake's schemes require co-operation and expertise from others. Characters are often betrayed by family and friends, especially Avon, whose former lover Anna Grant is eventually revealed to be a Federation agent. The theme of loyalty and trust reaches its maximum during Blake and Avon's final encounter in the last episode ("Blake"); Blake, by now very paranoid, has been masquerading as a bounty hunter collaborating with the Federation as a front for his activities in recruiting and testing potential allies in the struggle and this causes Avon and the others to suspect him when Tarrant accuses Blake of betraying them; an ironic miscommunication between Avon and Blake precipitates the disastrous events that conclude the episode.
If Blake and his crew represent Robin Hood and his Merry Men, then the Federation forces, personified by the obsessive, psychopathic Space Commander Travis and his superior, the beautiful but ruthless Supreme Commander Servalan, represent Guy of Gisbourne and the Sheriff of Nottingham.
A common theme of Nation's science fiction is the depiction of
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...
societies, as in several of his ''Doctor Who'' serials, for example ''
The Daleks
''The Daleks'' (also known as ''The Mutants'' and ''The Dead Planet'' is the second serial in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC TV in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to ...
'' (1963–64), '' Death to the Daleks'' (1974), '' Genesis of the Daleks'' (1975) and '' The Android Invasion'' (1975) and in his series '' Survivors'' (1975–77). Post-apocalyptic societies feature in several ''Blake's 7'' episodes including "Duel", "Deliverance", "City at the Edge of the World" and "Terminal". Although not explicitly stated, some publicity material for the series refers to the Federation as having developed after a
nuclear holocaust
A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a Futures studies, theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radi ...
on Earth. Noting the series's distinctive aesthetic, an academic concluded: "At its best, Blake's 7 had a peculiar intensity all its own".
Plot summary
The series is set in a future age of interstellar travel and concerns the exploits of a group of outlaws. Gareth Thomas played the eponymous character Roj Blake, a political dissident who is arrested, tried and convicted on false charges, and then deported from
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
to a prison planet. En route, he and two fellow prisoners, treated as expendable, are sent to board and investigate an abandoned alien spacecraft found drifting in space. They get the ship working, commandeer it, rescue two more prisoners, and are later joined by an alien guerrilla with telepathic abilities. In their attempts to stay ahead of their enemies and inspire others to rebel, they encounter a great variety of cultures on different planets, and are forced to confront human and alien threats. Blake's group suffer losses and casualties, and recruit newer members to join them. They perform a campaign against the totalitarian Terran Federation until an intergalactic war occurs with aliens from the Andromeda galaxy. Blake disappears and Kerr Avon then leads the group. When their spacecraft is destroyed and another group member is killed, the survivors commandeer another craft (which they enhance with superior technology), and a secret base on a distant planet from which they continue their campaign. In the final episode, Avon finds Blake and, suspecting him of betraying the group, kills him. The group is then shot by Federation guards, who surround Avon in the final scene as shots are heard over the end credits.
Series One
Roj Blake, a worker of high social status classified as "alpha-grade", lives in a domed city. Similar domes house most of the Earth's population. Blake is approached by a group of political dissidents who take him outside the city to meet their leader, Bran Foster. According to Foster, Blake was once the leader of an influential group of political activists opposed to the Federation's Earth Administration. Blake was arrested, brainwashed and coerced into making a confession denouncing the rebellion. His memory of those years was then blocked. Foster wants Blake to rejoin the dissidents. Suddenly, the meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Federation security forces, who shoot and kill the crowd of rebels. Blake, the only survivor, returns to the city, where he begins to remember his past. He is arrested, tried on false charges of child molestation and sentenced to deportation to the prison planet Cygnus Alpha.
Whilst awaiting deportation from Planet Earth, Blake meets thief Vila Restal and smuggler Jenna Stannis. On board the prison ship ''London'', Blake meets convicted murderer Olag Gan and computer engineer and embezzler Kerr Avon. The ''London'' encounters a battle between two alien space fleets and the ''London''s crew plot a course to avoid the combat zone and continue their voyage. They encounter a strange alien craft, board it and attempt to salvage it but are thwarted by the alien ship's defence mechanism. The commander of the ''London'' sends the expendable Blake, Avon, and Jenna across to the ship. Blake defeats the defence system when it tries to use memories he recently discovered were false. With Jenna as pilot, the three convicts escape in the alien craft.
Blake and his crew follow the ''London'' to Cygnus Alpha in their captured ship, which they have named ''Liberator''. They retrieve Vila and Gan, while Blake leaves the other prisoners. Blake wants to use ''Liberator'' and its new crew to attack the Federation with the others, especially Avon, as reluctant followers. Blake's first target is a communications station on the planet Saurian Major. Blake infiltrates the station and is assisted by Cally, a telepathic guerrilla soldier from the planet Auron. Blake invites Cally to join the crew. With this new arrival, and including ''Liberator''s computer, Zen, ''Liberator'' has a crew of seven.
As Blake's attacks against the Federation become bolder, he has less success. Political pressure grows on the Administration with planetary commanders threatening to leave the Federation because of its inability to protect them from Blake's attacks. Rumours abound about Blake's heroism and other rebel groups use his name for their actions. Supreme Commander Servalan appoints Space Commander Travis, who has a vendetta against Blake, to eliminate Blake and capture ''Liberator''. Servalan often co-opts Travis for her personal projects and uses Blake as a cover for her own activities. When Travis repeatedly fails to eliminate Blake, Servalan does not assign the task to another officer and does not use more resources to eliminate him.
Blake meets a man named Ensor and discovers a plot by Servalan and Travis to seize a powerful computer named Orac, which is capable of communicating with any computer that uses a component called a Tariel Cell. Blake's crew suffers from radiation sickness but capture the device before Servalan arrives. Blake offers to perform the operation to save Ensor's life aboard the ''Liberator'' but Ensor dies when the power cells for his artificial heart are depleted before they are able to reach ''Liberator''. Aboard the ship, Orac predicts the craft's destruction in the near future.
Series Two
The ''Liberator'' is recaptured by the people that built it and Orac's prophecy is fulfilled when it destroys an identical space vehicle. Blake wants to attack the heart of the Federation and he targets the main computer control facility on Earth. Avon agrees to help on the condition that Blake gives him ''Liberator'' when the Federation has been destroyed. Blake, Avon, Vila and Gan reach the control facility and find an empty room. Travis reveals that the computer facility was secretly relocated years before and the old location was left as a decoy. Blake and his crew escape but Travis throws a grenade in the confined area and Gan is killed by falling rubble.
After Gan's death, Blake considers the future of the rebellion, and Travis is convicted of war crimes by a Federation
court martial
A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...
at Space Command Headquarters aboard a space station. Blake decides to restore his group's reputation and attacks the space station but Travis escapes and continues his vendetta against Blake. Blake seeks the new location of the computer control facility. He learns that it is named ''Star One''. When ''Star One'' begins to malfunction, Servalan also becomes desperate to find its location. The facility's failure causes many problems in the Federation. ''Star One'' controls a large defensive barrier that has prevented extra-galactic incursions. Blake discovers ''Star One''s location and finds that, with help from Travis, aliens from the
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. It was originally named the Andromeda Nebula and is cataloged as Messier 31, M31, and NGC 224. Andromeda has a Galaxy#Isophotal diameter, D25 isop ...
have infiltrated it. Vila discovers a fleet of alien spacecraft beyond the barrier. Travis partially disables the barrier. Blake and his crew overcome the aliens at ''Star One'' and kill Travis but the gap in the barrier allows the aliens to invade. Jenna calls for help from the Federation, where Servalan has conducted a military coup, imposed
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
and declared herself President. Servalan dispatches the Federation's battle fleets to repel the invaders, who begin to breach the barrier. With Blake badly wounded, ''Liberator'' by Avon's direction, alone until Servalan's battle fleets arrive, fights against the aliens.
Series Three
''Liberator'' is severely damaged during the battle with the Andromedans, forcing the crew to abandon ship whilst Zen carries out repairs. The Federation defeats the alien invaders but the cost considerably reduces its influence in the galaxy. Blake and Jenna go missing and Avon becomes the new leader. Two new additions, weapons expert Dayna Mellanby and mercenary Del Tarrant, join the crew. Avon is less inclined than Blake to attack the Federation but Servalan realises that if she captures ''Liberator'', the Federation will quickly restore its former power.
Servalan attempts to create clones of herself, but is thwarted when the embryos are destroyed. Avon decides to find the Federation agent who killed Anna Grant, his former lover. The group interrupts an attempt to eliminate Servalan and Avon discovers that Anna is alive and was previously a Federation agent named Bartolemew. Anna tries to shoot Avon in the back but Avon kills her and frees Servalan. Servalan lures Avon into a trap using a faked message from Blake. Servalan finally captures ''Liberator'' and maroons the crew on an artificial planet named Terminal but does not know that ''Liberator'' has been irreparably damaged after flying through a cloud of corrosive fluid particles. As Servalan leaves Terminal, the ship explodes and Servalan is apparently killed as she attempts to escape by teleporting away.
Series Four
Booby traps, set by Servalan in her underground complex on Terminal, explode and Cally is killed. Avon, Tarrant, Vila and Dayna escape with Orac and are rescued by Dorian, a salvage operator. Dorian takes the crew in his spacecraft, ''Scorpio'', to his base on the planet Xenon, where they meet his partner, Soolin. Dorian plans to drain the crew's life-force and take Orac but is foiled by Vila. Avon completes a new teleport system for ''Scorpio'' using the technology left behind by Dorian. Soolin joins the crew and they commandeer ''Scorpio'' and occupy the Xenon base. Avon gains control of Slave, ''Scorpio''s main computer.
The crew acquires an experimental new stardrive that vastly increases ''Scorpio''s speed, making it even faster than ''Liberator''. The ''Scorpio'' crew become concerned about the speed at which the Federation is reclaiming its former territory and discover that Servalan survived the destruction of ''Liberator''. Deposed as President of the Federation, she is using the pseudonym Commissioner Sleer and is enacting a pacification programme using a drug named Pylene-50. The ''Scorpio'' crew gain the formula for an antidote to Pylene-50 but this cannot reverse the drug's effects. Avon finds a way to synthesise the antidote and the crew attempt to create an alliance between independent worlds to resist the Federation and get the resources and manpower to mass-produce the Pylene-50 antidote. One of the alliance members, Zukan, betrays the alliance to Servalan and detonates explosives on Xenon base, which is damaged and the ''Scorpio'' crew are forced to abandon it.
Avon tells the rest of the group that Orac has traced Blake to Gauda Prime, an agricultural planet. Blake is masquerading as a
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
; his latest quarry is Arlen, whom he hopes to recruit for his rebellion. ''Scorpio'' approaches Gauda Prime and is attacked. The crew, except Tarrant, use the teleport to abandon the damaged craft. Slave is damaged, Tarrant remains aboard to pilot ''Scorpio'' and is injured during a crash landing. Blake arrives, rescues and takes Tarrant to his base and purportedly captures Tarrant as bounty. Tarrant thinks that Blake has betrayed the group, and Blake lets Tarrant escape. Tarrant is nearly killed by Blake's colleagues when Avon and his crew save him, giving credence to Tarrant's accusation that Blake has betrayed them to the Federation. Becoming very suspicious of Blake, Avon kills him. Arlen reveals that she is a Federation officer and Federation guards arrive. Tarrant, Soolin, Vila, and Dayna are shot by Federation troops, who slowly surround Avon with their weapons pointed at him. Avon steps over Blake's body, raises his gun and smiles. Shots are heard over the end credits.
Production history
Terry Nation had the idea for ''Blake's 7'' in a moment of inspiration during a pitch meeting with Ronnie Marsh, a BBC drama executive. Marsh was intrigued and immediately commissioned a pilot script. When he had seen the draft, Marsh approved ''Blake's 7'' for full development.Pixley, Andrew (1995). ''Blake's 7 Summer Special''. David Maloney, an experienced BBC director, was assigned to produce the series and Chris Boucher was engaged as script editor. Nation was commissioned to write the thirteen episodes. Boucher's task was to expand and develop Nation's first drafts into workable scripts, but this became increasingly difficult as Nation started running out of ideas. Meanwhile, Maloney was struggling with the low budget available given the need for action and special effects. Despite these challenges ''Blake's 7'' was very popular, with some episodes exceeding ten million viewers. A second series was quickly commissioned.
The BBC engaged new writers for the subsequent series. It was decided that one of the regular characters should die, to demonstrate that Blake and his crew were not invincible. Gan, played by David Jackson, was chosen because Gan had been under-used and was the least popular character. Although ratings declined compared to the first series, the BBC commissioned a third. When Gareth Thomas and Sally Knyvette decided not to return, new characters were required so that the story could continue without its titular character. Suggestions for a replacement actor for Blake were rejected and Avon became more prominent in the story. New characters Del Tarrant, portrayed by Steven Pacey, and Dayna Mellanby, portrayed by Josette Simon, were introduced.
''Blake's 7'' was not expected to be recommissioned after the third series and there was surprise when during 1980 a further series was announced as the third series ended.
Bill Cotton
Sir William Frederick Cotton (23 April 1928 – 11 August 2008) was a British television producer and executive, and the son of dance band leader Billy Cotton. The television and radio presenter Fearne Cotton is related to him, as he was her ...
, BBC Head of Television, had watched ''Terminal'' and enjoyed it greatly. He telephoned the presentation department and ordered them to make the announcement. David Maloney was unavailable to work on a fourth series, and Vere Lorrimer became the producer. He introduced new characters, a new spacecraft – ''Scorpio'' – and its computer Slave. Jan Chappell (who played Cally) decided that she did not want to return, and was replaced by Glynis Barber as Soolin.
Gareth Thomas made a final appearance as Blake and insisted that his character be killed in a definitive manner. Although the fourth series performed satisfactorily in the ratings, ''Blake's 7'' was not renewed again and the final episode had an ambiguous finale. Except for Blake, whose death was contractual, the characters were shown being attacked in such a way that their survival would have been possible had a fifth series been commissioned. The final episode, titled "Blake", was broadcast on 21 December 1981.
Although Blake's 7 never crossed over with ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' during its initial run, Gareth Thomas was open to the idea as he was close friends with ''Doctor Who'' star
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...
, and the two wanted to be 'briefly crossing paths' with one another before going their separate ways. Ultimately, the idea was scrapped.
Filming locations
Interior spaceship sets and other indoor scenes were recorded on videotape in London at
BBC Television Centre
Television Centre (TVC), formerly known as BBC Television Centre, is a building complex in White City, London, White City, West London, which was the headquarters of BBC Television from 1960 to 2013, when BBC Television moved to Broadcasting H ...
,
Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Although primarily residential in character, its ...
. Some interiors were filmed at Ealing Film Studios. For indoor complexes, such as bases or command centre bunkers, filming often took place in local
power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
s and
water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary machine that converts kinetic energy and potential energy of water into mechanical work.
Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now, t ...
stations. Location shooting was also extensive with shooting occurring mostly in southern England. Notable location shots include episode eleven of the first series, "Bounty", where the production was filmed at Quex Park in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
. The Waterloo Tower in Quex Park was ex-president Sarkoff's residence in exile.
The series also used Betchworth Quarry as the surface of an alien planet and Wookey Hole Caves as the site of an alien mine. Additional location shooting took place at Black Park, the
New Forest
The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...
, the
South Bank
The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England.
The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...
,
Camden Town
Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London.
Laid out as a residential distri ...
theme music
Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
was written by Australian composer
Dudley Simpson
Dudley George Simpson (4 October 1922 – 4 November 2017) was an Australian composer and conductor. He was the Principal Conductor of the Royal Opera House orchestra for three years and worked as a composer on British television. He worked on ...
, who had composed music for ''Doctor Who'' for more than ten years. The same recording of Simpson's theme was used for the beginning titles of all four series of the programme. For the fourth series, a new recording was made for the closing credits that used an easy listening-style arrangement. Simpson also provided the incidental music for all of the episodes except for the Series One episode "Duel" and the Series Two episode "Gambit". "Duel" was directed by Douglas Camfield, who had a grudge against Simpson and refused to work with him, and so the episode contained library music. Elizabeth Parker provided the music and sound effects for "Gambit". ''Blake's 7'' made considerable use of audio effects that are described in the credits as "special sound". Many electronically generated sound effects were used, ranging from foley-style effects for props including handguns, teleport sounds, spacecraft engines, flight console buttons and background atmospheres. The special sounds for ''Blake's 7'' were provided by the
BBC Radiophonic Workshop
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce Incidental music, incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering ...
composers
Richard Yeoman-Clark
Richard Yeoman-Clark was a British composer and sound engineer who worked at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from 1970 to 1978.
Richard joined BBC Radio direct from St Albans School as a Technical Operator at Broadcasting House, moving to the Ex ...
and Elizabeth Parker.
Critical reception
''Blake's 7'' received both positive and negative reviews. The review by Stanley Reynolds in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' of the fourth episode, "Time Squad", stated: " ... nice to hear the youngsters holding their breath in anticipation of a little terror". Reynolds elaborated, "Television science fiction has got too self-consciously jokey lately. It is also nice to have each episode complete within itself, while still carrying on the saga of Blake's struggle against the 1984-ish Federation. But is that dark-haired telepathic alien girl, the latest addition to Blake's outer-space merry men, going to spell love trouble for blonde Jenna? Maid Marian never had that trouble in Sherwood Forest."
In January 1998 Robert Hanks of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' compared the series' ethos to that of ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''. He wrote: "If you wanted to sum up the relative position of Britain and America in this century — the ebbing away of the pink areas of the map, the fading of national self-confidence as Uncle Sam proceeded to colonise the globe with fizzy drinks and Hollywood — you could do it like this: they had ''Star Trek'', we had ''Blake's 7'' ... No 'boldly going' here: instead, we got the boot stamping on a human face which George Orwell offered as a vision of humanity's future in ''Nineteen Eighty-Four''". Hanks concluded that "''Blake's 7'' has acquired a credibility and popularity Terry Nation can never have expected ... I think it's to do with the sheer crappiness of the series and the crappiness it attributes to the universe: it is science-fiction for the disillusioned and ironic — and that is what makes it so very British".
Gavin Collinson of the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's website
Screenonline
Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...
wrote "The premise of ''Blake's 7'' held nothing remotely original. The outlaw group resisting a powerful and corrupt regime is an idea familiar from Robin Hood and beyond." He added "''Blake's 7''s triumph lay in its vivid characters, its tight, pacey plots and its satisfying realism...For arguably the first time since the 1950s Quatermass serials, the BBC had created a popular sci-fi/fantasy show along adult lines". His review concludes "Ultimately, the one force the rebels could not overcome proved to be the BBC's long-standing apathy towards science fiction. However, the bloody finale, in which Avon murders Blake, exemplified the programme's strengths — fearless narratives, credible but surprising character development and an enormous sense of fun." In 2015, Tim Stanley of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' described the series as "oft-derided" and "gloriously low budget" but "a genuine classic". He added: "this was superior drama performed by consummate professionals who made it believable by being 100 per cent committed to the material. ''Blake's 7''s sets and dresses were bright and gaudy but it was dark, dark melodrama." Stanley concluded: "''Blake's 7'' can be read as a document of the Callaghan/ Carter years with their piles of rubbish in the streets. Then along came Thatcher/ Reagan and sci-fi turned hopeful again. Cue ''Star Wars'' and its childish universe of
Wookiees and
Ewok
The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the ''Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in com ...
s. Moral clarity returned. The budgets ballooned. But, for my money, it was nowhere near as interesting."
The Australian broadcaster and critic
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Nigel Kneale, whose work included ''
The Quatermass Experiment
''The Quatermass Experiment'' is a British science fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television during the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells th ...
'' and other science fiction, was also critical. He described "the very few bits I've seen" as "paralytically awful", saying that "the dialogue/characterisation seemed to consist of a kind of childish squabbling".
Legacy
''Blake's 7'' deviates from the good-versus-evil
dualism
Dualism most commonly refers to:
* Mind–body dualism, a philosophical view which holds that mental phenomena are, at least in certain respects, not physical phenomena, or that the mind and the body are distinct and separable from one another
* P ...
in ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''; ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''s 'feel-good' future; and the episodic structure of ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''. ''Blake's 7'' also influenced '' Hyperdrive'' and '' Aeon Flux''. It has also been alleged to have influenced ''
Farscape
''Farscape'' is an Australian-American Science fiction on television, science fiction television series conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Hallmark Entertainment, originally for the Nine Network. It prem ...
'' and ''
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
'', albeit
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon ( ; born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and composer. He is best known as the creator of several television series: the supernatural drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ...
denied that it had been a conscious influence on the latter.
Television playwright Dennis Potter's final work '' Cold Lazarus'' was inspired by the show.
''Blake's 7'' remains fairly well regarded. A poll of United States science-fiction writers, fans and critics for John Javna's 1987 book ''The Best of Science Fiction'' placed the series 25th in popularity, despite then only having recently begun to be broadcast in the US.
A similar poll in Britain conducted for ''
SFX magazine
''SFX'' is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy. Its name is a reference to the abbreviated form of "special effects".
Description
''SFX'' magazine is published every four weeks by Future plc and was founded in 19 ...
'' during 1999 put ''Blake's 7'' at 16th place, with the magazine commenting that "twenty years on, TV SF is still mapping the paths first explored by Terry Nation's baby".
During 2005 ''SFX'' surveyed readers' top 50 British telefantasy shows of all time, and ''Blake's 7'' was placed at number four behind ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...
'', ''
Red Dwarf
A red dwarf is the smallest kind of star on the main sequence. Red dwarfs are by far the most common type of fusing star in the Milky Way, at least in the neighborhood of the Sun. However, due to their low luminosity, individual red dwarfs are ...
'' and ''Doctor Who''.
A similar poll conducted by ''
TV Zone
''TV Zone'' was a British magazine that was published every four weeks by Visual Imagination that covered cult television. Initially, it mostly covered science fiction, but branched out to cover other drama and comedy series.
History
''TV Zone ...
'' magazine during 2003 for the top 100 cult television programmes scored ''Blake's 7'' 11th.
Dutch musician
Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Arjen Anthony Lucassen (born 3 April 1960) is a Dutch singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer, best known for his long-running progressive metal/ rock opera project Ayreon. Lucassen started his career in 1980 as t ...
was inspired by ''Blake's 7'' in naming his side-project
Star One
Star One was an Indian pay television channel based in Mumbai and owned by Star TV, with worldwide distribution handled by Fox International Channels. Launched on 1 November 2004, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky in November 2006.
Sta ...
.
In 2004 a 15-minute comedy short entitled "Blake's Junction 7" debuted at several film festivals around the world. It was directed by Ben Gregor, written by Tim Plester, and featured
Mackenzie Crook
Mackenzie Crook (born Paul James Crook, 29 September 1971) is an English actor, director, comedian and writer best known for his roles in television and film. He gained widespread recognition for portraying Gareth Keenan in the British sitcom '' ...
,
Martin Freeman
Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Freeman's most ...
,
Johnny Vegas
Michael Joseph Pennington (born 5 September 1970), better known as Johnny Vegas, is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He is known for his thick Lancashire accent, husky voice, angry comedic rants, and use of surreal humour.
Ve ...
,
Mark Heap
Mark Heap (born 13 May 1957) is a British actor and comedian. Television credits include '' Ghost Train'' (1991), '' Smith & Jones'' (1997–1998), '' Brass Eye'' (1997–2001), '' Kiss Me Kate'' (1998), '' The Zig and Zag Show'' (1998), '' Ho ...
and Peter Tuddenham. This parody depicted the characters taking a break at the
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town and civil parish in the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The Office for National Statistics records Newport Pagnell as part of the Milton Keynes urban area.
The town is separated from the rest of the u ...
motorway service area. During 2006 the BBC produced a 30-minute documentary ''The Cult of... Blake's 7'' that was first broadcast on 12 December on
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002
, as part of a ''Science Fiction Britannia'' series.
Planned revival
The revival of ''Blake's 7'' has been mooted for some years. Terry Nation raised the possibility on a number of occasions and proposed that a new series would be set some years after the existing one. Avon, living in exile like
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
on
Elba
Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...
, would be persuaded by a new group of rebels to resume the fight against the Federation.
Radio and audio
During 1998 ''Blake's 7'' was broadcast again by the BBC by radio. ''The Sevenfold Crown'' was broadcast by
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
on 17 January 1998 as part of its ''Playhouse'' strand. The play was produced by Brian Lighthill and written by
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts (26 March 1925 – 9 October 2009) was an English actor, television director, writer and producer, best known for being the producer of ''Doctor Who'' from 1969 to 1974.
Born in Leicester, he worked as an actor in theatre, ...
. Paul Darrow, Michael Keating, Steven Pacey, Peter Tuddenham and Jacqueline Pearce reprised their television roles, but Josette Simon and Glynis Barber were replaced by Angela Bruce as Dayna and Paula Wilcox as Soolin. The story was set during the fourth series between the episodes ''Stardrive'' and ''Animals''. This was followed by ''The Syndeton Experiment'', which featured the same cast, producer and writer and was broadcast as ''The Saturday Play'' on 10 April 1999 by BBC Radio 4.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
Audiobooks released a CD of readings of Trevor Hoyle's novelisations of episodes ''The Way Back'' read by Gareth Thomas and ''Cygnus Alpha'' read by Paul Darrow.
On 11 December 2006, B7 Productions announced that it had recorded a series of 36 five-minute ''Blake's 7'' audio adventures, written by
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the series of novels '' Rivers of London''. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who ...
James Swallow
James Swallow is a British author. A BAFTA nominee and a ''New York Times'', '' Sunday Times'' and Amazon #1 best-seller, he is the author of several original books and tie-in novels, as well as short fiction, numerous audio dramas and video ...
Colin Salmon
Colin Roy Salmon (born 6 December 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Charles Robinson in three James Bond films and James "One" Shade in the ''Resident Evil'' film series. He has had roles on many television series such as ''D ...
Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (born 29 September 1963) is an Australian conservative politician who represented the division of Hughes as a Liberal Party (and later United Australia Party) MP from 2010 until his defeat at the 2022 federal election.
Kelly in ...
Michael Praed
Michael Praed ( ; born 1 April 1960), birth name Michael David Prince, is a British actor and narrator, best remembered for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series '' Robin of Sherwood'', which attained cult status worldw ...
,
Doug Bradley
Douglas William Bradley (born 7 September 1954) is an English actor best known for his role as the Cenobite leader Pinhead in the ''Hellraiser'' film series.
Early life
Douglas William Bradley was born in Liverpool on 7 September 1954. He ...
and India Fisher. The new series was broadcast by BBC Radio 7 and repeated during mid-2010 as three one-hour episodes: ''Rebel'' (written by Ben Aaronovitch), ''Traitor'' (Marc Platt) and ''Liberator'' (James Swallow). B7 Productions also produced series of 30-minute prequel audio episodes named ''Blake's 7: The Early Years'', which explored the earlier histories of the central characters.
During 2011
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
, under licence from B7 Productions, announced that it would be producing a series of audio dramas named ''Blake's 7: The Liberator Chronicles'', which would be " ... a series of exciting, character-driven tales that remain true to the original TV series. We're aiming for authenticity—recreating the wonder of 1978 all over again!" The company also said it would publish a series of ''Blake's 7'' novels at a rate of two per year. During January 2013 Big Finish released an initial full-cast audio production, Warship. This was followed during January 2014 with a series of six full-cast single-disc original stories, with a second series starting in November 2014.
Several individuals and companies have produced unofficial material based upon Blake's 7. Alan Stevens, later of Magic Bullet Productions, produced three unofficial audio cassettes between 1991 and 1998: ''Travis: The Final Act'', ''The Mark of Kane'' and ''The Logic of Empire''. Stevens also produced a series of audio dramas named '' Kaldor City'', created by Chris Boucher, which link the ''Blake's 7'' universe into Boucher's ''Doctor Who'' serial '' The Robots of Death'' through the character Carnell ( Scott Fredericks), whom Boucher created for the ''Blake's 7'' episode "Weapon".
Television
During April 2000 producer Andrew Mark Sewell announced that he had bought the rights to ''Blake's 7'' from the estate of Terry Nation, and was planning to produce a
TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...
set 20 years after the finale of the original series. During July 2003, Sewell announced that he, Paul Darrow and Simon Moorhead had formed a consortium called 'B7 Enterprises' that had acquired the rights and was planning a television
miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
budgeted at between five and six million U.S. dollars. Darrow would play Avon and the series was to be televised during early 2005, depending on " ... many factors, not least financing". Paul Darrow subsequently left the project during December 2003, citing "artistic differences".
B7 Enterprises announced on 31 October 2005 that it had appointed Drew Kaza as non-executive chairman, and that it was working on two ''Blake's 7'' projects. ''Blake's 7: Legacy'' was to be a two-part, three-hour mini-series, which would be written by
Ben Aaronovitch
Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the series of novels '' Rivers of London''. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who ...
and D. Dominic Devine. ''Blake's 7: The Animated Adventures'' was to be a 26-part children's animated adventure series written by Aaronovitch,
Andrew Cartmel
Andrew J. Cartmel (born 6 April 1958) is a British script editor, author and journalist. He was the script editor of ''Doctor Who'' during the Sylvester McCoy era of the show between 1987 and 1989. He has also worked as a script editor on other t ...
James Swallow
James Swallow is a British author. A BAFTA nominee and a ''New York Times'', '' Sunday Times'' and Amazon #1 best-seller, he is the author of several original books and tie-in novels, as well as short fiction, numerous audio dramas and video ...
.
In an interview with ''Doctor Who Magazine'', writer and producer
Matthew Graham
Matthew Graham is a British television writer, and the co-creator of the BBC/Kudos (production company), Kudos Film and Television science fiction series ''Life on Mars (UK TV series), Life on Mars'', which debuted in 2006 on BBC One and has re ...
said that he had been involved in discussions to revive ''Blake's 7''. Graham's concept was that a group of young rebels would rescue Avon, who had been kept cryogenically frozen by Servalan, and then roam the galaxy in a new ship named ''Liberator''.
On 24 April 2008, television station Sky1 announced that it had commissioned two 60-minute scripts for a potential series, working alongside B7 Productions. On 4 August 2010, the station said it had decided not to commission the series. B7 Productions said the decision was " ... obviously disappointing", but that the development process has resulted in the " ... dynamic reinvention of this branded series". It said it was confident it would find another partner to develop a new version of ''Blake's 7'' for television.
During July 2012, '' Deadline'' reported that a remake for US television networks was being developed by the independent studio Georgeville Television. The Syfy network announced on 22 August that Joe Pokaski would develop the script and
Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director and producer. He is best known for his works in the Action film, action and thriller film genres, including the James Bond in film, James Bond films ''GoldenE ...
would direct the new remake.
On 9 April 2013, the BBC reported that a new series of ''Blake's 7'' would be broadcast by SyFy. Other media reported that a full-series order of thirteen episodes had been placed. Again, however, no new series materialised.
Merchandise
Terry Nation had done well financially from commercial exploitation of the ''Doctor Who'' Daleks, and recognised the potential for merchandise related to ''Blake's 7''. Nation and his agent Roger Hancock discussed this with Ray Williams of BBC Merchandising in December 1976. By May 1977, twenty-seven items of merchandise had been proposed for release by companies including
Palitoy
Palitoy was a British toy company. It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence. Its products included Action Man, Action Girl, Action Force, Tiny Tears, Pippa (doll), Pippa, Tressy, Mainli ...
,
Letraset
Letraset was a company known mainly for manufacturing sheets of typefaces and other artwork elements using the dry-transfer lettering method. Letraset was acquired by the Colart group and became part of its subsidiary Winsor & Newton.
C ...
and
Airfix
Airfix is a British brand and former manufacturing company which produced Injection moulding, injection-moulded plastic model, plastic scale model kits. In the UK, the name 'Airfix' has become practically synonymous with plastic models of this typ ...
. However, only a small quantity of these was ever made available.
A small number of toys and models were produced. During 1978, Corgi Toys produced a die-cast model of ''Liberator'' with a transparent rear globe. This was re-released the following year in silver with a model space shuttle, and in blue on its own. Also during 1979, Blue Box Toys produced three space vehicle toys that featured the series logo; however, these had never appeared in the television programme. Comet Miniatures produced a injection-moulded model kit of ''Liberator'' in 1989, which contained many parts. They also produced a two-inch, white metallic ''Liberator'' model, and a three-inch Federation trooper figure. A ''Scorpio'' clip gun, and ''Liberator'' and ''Scorpio'' teleport bracelets, were also produced.
The children's programme ''
Blue Peter
''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC ...
'' offered a cheaper home-made alternative to fans who wanted merchandise. In its 23 February 1978 show, presenter
Lesley Judd
Lesley Judd (born 20 December 1946) is a British former television presenter and dancer, best known as a long-serving host of the BBC children's programme '' Blue Peter'' (1972–1979).
Background
Born in London, the daughter of Leslie T. Judd a ...
demonstrated how to create a replica ''Liberator'' teleport bracelet from common household objects. This was followed on 6 June 1983, when presenter Janet Ellis demonstrated a similar method of making a replica ''Scorpio'' bracelet.
Music
The sheet music of the ''Blake's 7'' theme was published by Chappell & Co. Ltd during 1978 with a photograph of ''Liberator'' on the front cover. A stereo re-recording of Dudley Simpson's theme music, in a markedly different arrangement to the original, was also released as a single, with ''The Federation March'' (a piece of incidental music from the episode ''Redemption'') on the B-side. The ''Blake's 7'' theme was also released on an album ''BBC Space Themes'', and ''Liberator'' was featured on the album sleeve. Another version of the theme, "Blake's 7 Disco", was recorded by Federation and released during 1979 on Beeb Records with a B-side unconnected with the series. Many of the sound effects from the series were released during 1981 as an album, '' BBC Sound Effects No. 26: Sci-Fi Sound Effects'', and re-released later on CD as ''Essential Science Fiction Sound Effects Vol. 1''.
Books and magazines
''Blake's 7'' books were produced by various authors and publishers. The first was entitled ''Blake's 7'', written by Trevor Hoyle and Terry Nation, and published during 1978 (novelising the first-series episodes ''The Way Back'', ''Space Fall'', ''Cygnus Alpha'' and ''Time Squad''). Its US title was ''Blake's 7 – Their First Adventure''. Hoyle wrote two more books of the series: ''Blake's 7: Project Avalon'' (1979, novelising the episodes ''Seek–Locate–Destroy'', ''Duel'', ''Project Avalon'', ''Deliverance'' and ''Orac'' from the first series) and ''Blake's 7: Scorpio Attack'' (1981, novelising the episodes ''Rescue'', ''Traitor'' and ''Stardrive'' from the fourth series). Publications continued to be issued after the series had ended. Tony Attwood's ''Blake's 7: The Programme Guide'', published by Target during 1982, is a factual overview of the series with a detailed episode guide, an encyclopedia, and interviews with the cast and writers. It was re-issued by Virgin Books during 1994. Attwood also wrote an original novel named ''Afterlife'', which is set after the final episode and was published by Target during 1984. Another original novel, '' Avon: A Terrible Aspect'' by Paul Darrow, told the story of Avon's early years before he met Blake, and was published during 1989.World Distributors produced ''Blake's 7 Annuals'' for 1979, 1980 and 1981. These featured stories, games, artwork and articles about space. During October 1981
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint (trade name), imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint United States of America, US-produced stories for the United Kingdom, British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British cr ...
began publishing the monthly ''Blake's 7'' magazine, which included a comic strip by Ian Kennedy as well as text stories, features and photographs. Twenty-five issues including two 'specials' were published, until the magazine closed during August 1983. Marvel produced two 'special' magazines during 1994 and 1995, with much of the content written by television historian Andrew Pixley and about how the series was made. Seven issues of ''Blake's 7 Poster Magazine'' were published between December 1994 and May 1995.
Several books offering insight and background information to ''Blake's 7'' were produced, including ''Blake's 7: The Complete Guide'' by Adrian Rigelsford (Boxtree, 1995), ''Blake's 7: The Inside Story'' by Joe Nazzaro and Sheelagh Wells (Virgin, 1997), ''A History and Critical Analysis of Blake's 7'' by John Kenneth Muir (McFarland and Company, 1999), and ''Liberation. The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Blake's 7'' by Alan Stevens and Fiona Moore (Telos, 2003).
Home video releases
During 1985 BBC Video issued four compilation videocassettes containing highlights from the first three series edited into 2 hour features. The first released was ''The Beginning'', containing excerpts from ''The Way Back'', ''Spacefall'', ''Cygnus Alpha'' and ''Time Squad''. ''Duel'' was released in 1986 with highlights of ''Seek–Locate–Destroy'', ''Duel'' and ''Project Avalon''. During the same year ''Orac'' was released, containing excerpts from ''Deliverance'', ''Orac'' and ''Redemption''. The first three tapes were available in both
VHS
VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s.
Ma ...
and
Betamax
Betamax (also known as Beta, and stylized as the Greek letter Beta, β in its logo) is a discontinued consumer analog Videotape, video cassette recording format developed by Sony. It was one of the main competitors in the videotape format war ag ...
format. The final tape, ''The Aftermath,'' was released in Australia during 1986, with extracts from ''Aftermath'', ''Powerplay'' and ''Sarcophagus''. During 1990 all four tapes were re-released in the UK on VHS.
From 1991, BBC Video released ''Blake's 7'' in episodic order on 26 VHS cassettes with two episodes per tape. Canadian company BFS also released these in North America. During 1997, Fabulous Films company re-released these tapes in different packaging. The BBC and Fabulous Films planned to issue the series as four
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
box sets, but this was disrupted by conflicts with rights-holders B7 Enterprises. These issues were resolved and one series per year was released on region 2 DVD between 2003 and 2006. During 2007
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
sold a four-series box set, but a casualty of the difficulties with Blake's 7 Enterprises was ''The Making of Blake's 7'', a four-part documentary directed by Kevin Davies, intended originally as an extra feature with each DVD release. B7 Enterprises said it " ... did not feel he documentaryprovided a proper tribute or fresh retrospective of the show". The discs contained extra features including bloopers, out-takes, alternative scenes, voiceover commentaries, interviews and behind the scenes footage.
On 22 August 2024, the BBC announced it would be releasing ''Blake's 7: The Collection – Series 1'', a Blu-ray box set containing the entire first series newly remastered for the release. The set contains bonus features previously seen on the DVD release of the show alongside brand new bonus material, such as optional updated special effects on all 13 episodes, a feature-length documentary detailing the making of the first series, rare convention footage and the previous unreleased ''The Making of Blake's 7 documentary'' originally meant for the DVD release. The box set was released on 11 November 2024.
Gaming
A retro
point-and-click adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an Interactive storytelling, interactive story, driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus ...
was developed in 2017 for the Oric platform, paying homage to the ''Blake's 7'' TV series, and is available as a free download.
Streaming
On Thursday 10 September 2020, ''Blake's 7'' was released on the UK streaming service
BritBox
BritBox is a British Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Video on demand#Subscription models, video on demand Streaming television, streaming service founded by BBC Studios and ITV plc, ITV which operates in eight countries across Australi ...
. BritBox UK was discontinued following ITV's buy-out of the BBC's stake in the service during 2022. As of April 2025, all four series of ''Blake's 7'' are available on the
ITVX
ITVX is a British Over-the-top media services, over-the-top and ad-supported Streaming television, streaming service operated by ITV plc. The service offers original content from the broadcaster, livestreams of the ITV television channels, Free ...