Blake's 7 to return!

[Grasshopper]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7364663.stm

I'm fairly excited about this, although there's a little voice in the back of my head warning me it could potentially suck badly. However, the remake of Battlestar Galactica actually ended up being vastly superior to the original, so who knows.

If they do proceed with the new series, I hope they don't tamper with the original format too much, apart from updating the special effects of course.

Most people remember Blake's 7 for its terrible special effects, which were bad even by late 70s standards. But in other respects the series was way ahead of its time. The writing was mostly excellent, and the characters were far more interesting (and ambiguous) than the bland corporate/military types you see on shows like Star Trek.

[patrickl]

Yeah that was a great series. Hope they can make something worthy of the original.

[ratzz]

I loved Blake's 7 and always looked forward to it on Saturday tea time.

Didn't everyone die at the end though? Or am I thinking of something else?

Logan's Run was another cool Saturday tea-time series.

[grantspain]

there was some terrible acting and the special effects were bloody awful but the story lines were good
i always remember  that avon bloke with the funny voice

[danny_galaga]

Didn't everyone die at the end though? Or am I thinking of something else?

shhhhh. im on the second last episode now  ive got the whole series and am almost finished.

i think some people described it as a dark version of star trek and im inclined to agree. its darkness makes it more compelling.

[ark_ader]

I had a crush on that butch military commander Servalan.  I thought she was hot!

Blake's 7 in todays drama would be worse than in the early series.  The special effects wasn't the issue with the series, it was the  acting that killed it for me.

I say leave it alone and let us have our memories, than having to see one series of the new show and then having it cancelled, thus ruining the experience.

I think I will dedicate a future project to orac! 

[patrickl]

I think I will dedicate a future project to orac! 

I called two of my companies webservers Orac 

[danny_galaga]

I had a crush on that butch military commander Servalan.  I thought she was hot!

yeah, i remember feeling guilty because only women with long blonde hair were supposed to be sexy! level42 pointed out how jiggly jenna was to me recently. i hadnt noticed as a kid, but its quite obvious now (",)

[Dartful Dodger]

It was a great series, but the new Doctor Who makes me a little wary of a Blake's 7 remake.

In the original a bunch of prisoners, (real prisoners not just people who were unjustly arrested) find a powerful ship that's really alive.   they exploit that ship for power and money while running from the evil empire. That ship dies but luckily they find another ship that's just as powerful.  Then an evil race attacks the empire and humanity, so the prisoners join forces with the evil empire to fight off this new race and I think it ends with the leader of the prisoners turning against the rest of the prisoners to steal the ship.

Do they start off where that left off or are they going to recreate the whole thing?

Since it’s the BBC I can only image it’s going to be political prisoners fighting against a Bush like emperor.

[Level42]

Blake 7 rules ! Bad acting ? I guess the language barrier was a bit higher for me back then.

I bought the first season on DVD (the Dutch release is very cheap, but the easter eggs don't work !) and I loved every second of re-watching it.

Jenna was my favorite by far.....

[danny_galaga]

hehe. and jenna features prominently in the first series 

the acting was very good. i dont know what grantspain is talking about! special effects are another matter entirely.

just watched another episode last night. it guest starred bobbie brown and rick james. no, not THAT bobby brown. but yes, THAT rick james!! (that was some bad acting i must admit)

[clok]

One of my favorites too, and um.. they didnt all die, but maybe they did? they left an ending so you could decide yourself (IMHO). Orac has been done a few times, here is the best one (again, imho)  http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2003/09/16/orac3_part1/1.

Im all for the remake, if it sucks, so waht, the original is still out there 

[danny_galaga]

i watched the last episode the other night. did they all die?

spoiler (if you can spoil it for a 27 year old show):

yes, they do! avon shoots blake, then its all on for young and old. all gone. since jenna dissappeared in series two, she could be a possible survivor.

[patrickl]

They can always make a prequel, claim that it was just a dream, redo the same time frame or ignore it alltogether

[shmokes]

I've never even heard of Blake's 7.  Was in on in the U.S.?  I was born in 1978, so obviously it was a bit before my time, but like I say, it's not just that I never watched in . . . this is the first time I've even heard it referenced in my entire life.

[danny_galaga]

yeah, it seems like it didnt get as big a screening as dr who. of course being only four series might have something to do with it.

i think in the context of its time, it was a show that a lot of us here would have loved if we were adults. i was around ten when it was on so the fact that it was sci fi intrigued me, but i dont think i ever saw one complete episode because it was on later at night.  so to watch the whole lot now as an adult was very interesting.

there was one episode where Avon quickly decides he has to kill Villa to survive (he is very quick on the 'either we all die, or YOU die' rational). he isnt happy about it, but he sets about the task straight away. Villa cottons on and of course has to hide. That was brilliant acting in my opinion, Avons resolve and Villas fear.

Of course the special effects sometimes makes you laugh, which wasnt the producers intention.

[patrickl]

Maybe the series was considered too "dark" by stations in the US?

[Level42]

Maybe the series was considered too "dark" by stations in the US?

And yet this is the key to the greatness of the series. It's a bunch of people brought together by fait. The only thing they have in common that they are criminals (except Blake himself maybe) and that they are fleeing from a life-time sentence on an obscure planet. All the characters are so different. And that makes a strong team. (In real-life too )
Avon was the most intriguing character IMHO and very well played by Paul Darrow IMHO.

Of course the special effects are sometimes funny and clumsy, especially by today's standards. The BBC didn't have budges like the Hollywood series. But this also brings a bit of room for your fantasy to work

Shmokes, try to get the first series on DVD and see if you like it. Don't expect Star Wars or Star Trek, but a more down to earth, dark, "realistic" approach.

[danny_galaga]

definitely very dark by standards of the day. Blake gets fitted up on child molestation charges for instance. thats pretty hard core for sci fi (or anything) on tv back then...