Blakes 7

[brian]

British Si Fi show from the late 70s - early 80s. It was one of if not the first shows to have a story ark. It had fleshed out characters, the bad guys where not all bad and the good guys where not all good. MJS has talked about it a few times when he talks about why he came up with the idea of B5. The show is also a very big influance on Firefly.

Today it might not look so good. The special FX are very poor (they had ú50 per episode) and some of the acting was a bit dodgy at times. But it's well worth a look.

[Belbo]

Well now .....

Graham Nelson's classic review essay on DVD Times a few years ago captured the spirit of the show pretty well

Blake's 7 - Series 3

Despite the title it gives a neat summary of seasons 1, 2 and 4 as well.

Highly entertaining, perhaps even more so if you're already familiar with the show ....

[Joe Nazzaro]

Thanks so much for the link; IÆll have to send it on to my wife back in London, who will no doubt be amused by the reference to her as a æmakeup supremo.Æ At any rate, I think that DVD review explains and illuminates the charm of BlakeÆs 7 better than just about anyone else I can think of- and having co-written a book about B7, IÆve read far too much bad analysis of the show over the years.

Just to add to Graham NelsonÆs speculation in the article about some of the DVD extras, itÆs my understanding that because of the legal wrangling between the BBC and the folks who purported to own part of the æinteractive rights,Æ the four-part making-of special was dropped, even though it had already been done by Kevin Davies. I remember seeing some of part one and thought it was quite well done; I know Kevin was heartbroken when it was removed. But I suspect the aforementioned legal wrangling is in large part the reason for problems with the DVD release.

While B7 is certainly an influence on B5 (certainly according to JMS, who has gone on record about that more than once), itÆs also very much a product of its time. Nowadays, I find it a bit difficult to watch, not only because it now looks so dated, but also because so many people connected with the show, many of whom were long-time friends have died over the last several years, including producers David Maloney and Vere Lorrimer (who also directed many episodes), actors David Jackson and Peter Tuddenham and director Mary Ridge, who directed the final episode.

While there has been talk in recent months about a revival of the series, IÆll believe it when I see it.