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Posted (edited)
There was a re-run of the episodes start to finish, must of been about 20 years ago, about 5am on a Sunday morning, yep I watched them. I was just old enough to remember the originals. Edited by Davit2005
Posted
I remember watching all these first time round and loving each episode. Have to say, much like 70s Dr Who, the sets and special affects haven't aged well...
Posted
I remember watching all these first time round and loving each episode. Have to say, much like 70s Dr Who, the sets and special affects haven't aged well...

 

Nor the acting (I may burn for this!). They all seem to be trained as 'classical' actors and each one will clearly orate their lines and there is a very discernible pause between the next character speaking.

Avon is exempt this criticism because he rocks and is supposed to be a fruit loop!

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Posted (edited)

Link 1: Alternate Galaxies: Blake’s 7 [The Doctor Who Show]

 

Rob and Dave occasionally take a look at great TV series and movies they enjoy, broadly from the genres of sci-fi and fantasy.

 

They call these episodes, Alternate Galaxies.In this episode, Rob cedes his seat to Richard, who has a far greater knowledge of today’s topic… Blake’s 7.

 

Today, January 2, 2018, marks 40 years since the transmission of the first Blake’s 7 episode – The Way Back...

 

Right-click to download this episode, or play directly from the website.

 

:thumb:

 

Edit: Link 2: Blake's 7 40th anniversary rare photos retrospective - Radio Times

 

The adventures of a band of freedom-fighters battling a corrupt Earth Federation and stumbling upon an ultramodern alien starship, the Liberator, Blake’s 7 was the brainchild of Terry Nation. He was already fêted for creating Doctor Who’s Daleks in the 1960s and another BBC1 sci-fi-ish hit of the 1970s, Survivors.

 

Despite a restrictive budget and starting within a week of the original UK cinema release of Star Wars, Blake’s 7 was rarely short of ambition and quickly became a hit, averaging 9.22m viewers for its first series. In 1978, producer David Maloney told Radio Times: “We’ve got something Star Wars doesn’t have – time to develop our plot, characters and action. They’ve got two hours we’ve got 12.”...

Edited by 6Foot2
Add link to Radio Times retrospective. :)
Posted

I missed it first time round as it was on the night I went to Guides. No VCR in those days :D My sister was hooked on it though.

 

This anniversary makes me feel old!

Posted

2nd of January also marks the first appearance of The Master in Doctor Who (Terror of the Autons) [1971]

 

Link: Terror of the Autons [Wikipedia]

 

Doctor Who Terror of the Autons.JPG

 

Terrance Dicks had a hand in here too:

 

...For the new season, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks wanted to add new characters. They thought about how the Brigadier was like Dr. Watson to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes, and decided to devise a new character, the Master, to emulate Moriarty. The Master was meant to specifically contrast with Pertwee's Doctor; the Doctor was authoritative while the Master was charming, though he used that for an evil purpose. Terror of the Autons also introduced Katy Manning as Jo Grant (as a replacement for departed companion Liz Shaw), and Richard Franklin as Captain Mike Yates...
Posted
We used to run round the primary school with KitKat wrappers (the slim two finger ones) round our wrists pretending they were the Blake’s 7 teleporter devices. I’m sure you all did it, it was cool way back then. Oh. Just me then....
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Posted

Fantastic...

 

Vila - I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Orac - It is unlikely. I would predict there are far greater mistakes waiting to be made by someone with your obvious talent for it.

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Posted
Avon is one my all time favourite characters.

 

This is long overdue a reboot (providing a thoughtful, considered approach is taken).

 

 

 

Oh yes - I'd go with a good quality reboot. I did like what they did to Battlestar - made for good television if you ask me.

Posted
No, mine since 2008 - but lets face it, the liberator is classic isnt it? I had the little model as a kid - Ah well, those were the days... In any re-boot they mustn't change the ship!
Posted
No, mine since 2008 - but lets face it, the liberator is classic isnt it? I had the little model as a kid - Ah well, those were the days... In any re-boot they mustn't change the ship!

Also no changes to Zen, nor Orac.

 

:)

Posted
No, mine since 2008 - but lets face it, the liberator is classic isnt it? I had the little model as a kid - Ah well, those were the days... In any re-boot they mustn't change the ship!

 

Or if they do it must be with the same care they showed the Galactica in the reboot.

 

It certainly must not look like this horrific concept from an earlier planned reboot!!

Posted (edited)
Unfortunately we lost Peter Tuddenham a decade ago, so we'd have to find a suitably-voiced replacement.

 

Gareth Thomas died during April 2016. In another thread @LeMarchand had some thoughts about who could take roles in an updated version:

 

...Soolin: Jennifer Lawrence.

Travis: Clive Owen.Tarrant: Kit Harrington.

Dayna: Tessa Thompson.

Jennna: Ali Larter or maybe Alice Eve.

Gan: Adam (WWE Superstar "Edge") Copeland...

 

Improvements/additions:

 

Dayna: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Gan: Kristian Nairn

Travis Mk1: Clive OwenTravis

Mk2: Only Danny Bleedin' Dyer

Cally: Rosamund Pike (look at the trailer for Entebbe)

Zen: Ian McKellan

Orac: Richard Ayoade

Edited by 6Foot2
Correct a typo. :(
Posted

Oh.. You know - perhaps they better leave it alone.. But then again I did love the new Battlestar!

 

Hows this.

 

Maintain the ships - classic design but with a decent amount of money spent on the sets. - as ICTDirect_Dave points out.

Maintain the computers - With a suitable voice replacement

 

Now I know the actors came in for some stick, but for me Avon and Vila are key. I'm not too attached to the others (sad to say). I loved that this was a programme which would kill off the cast!

 

As for the stories, I think Terry Nation was great at this - some real classics from him on this series - so for goodness sake lets keep lots of those..

 

Perhaps I'm too carried away - there's just no kids here to break anything!

Posted

I loved the fact that they had the bravery to have a character that was totally cynical rather than have a cast of heroes with a positive attitude

 

and Orac was awesome - also brave to have a computer with a character

Posted
Gareth Thomas dies during April 2016. In another thread @LeMarchand had some thoughts about who could take roles in an updated version:

 

Funny...

 

 

Orac: Richard Ayoade

 

 

Just epic. Thanks so much for that picture in my head.

Posted
I loved the fact that they had the bravery to have a character that was totally cynical rather than have a cast of heroes with a positive attitude

 

and Orac was awesome - also brave to have a computer with a character

 

 

 

You know for my sins I bought my old Dad a Google Home Mini for Christmas this year. As his eyes are failing he can ask it questions, oddly he seems to stick to asking it if it's going to rain. BUT, finally getting back to Blakes 7 - wouldn't it be fantastic if it sounded like Orac? Zen or Slave would be fine - but Orac would be truly a piece of work. Seriously, I'd put on on my desk in a flash.

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