Return of Blake's 7?

[Interference]

Originally Posted by Kostmayer

About 30 I think - and two of those weren't really him

Also, even if you count Zen - there weren't 7 for most of the series.

I think you're meant to count Liberator and later Scorpio as well to keep the number running to 7.

[Rodders]

Blakes Seven's return to TV could be incredible. After what's just gone with Battlestar Galactica the political intrigue for this would be incredible.

Doubtless some sort of "Reimagining" would be in order.

[Urien]

No. No reimagining; we need a cardboard cut out spaceship attached to a lollypop stick, pushed through a slit in starscape curtains. Make a whoosing sound as you move it from behind the curtain and you have special effects.

Next you need a crew of the most unconvincing wooden actors this side of Altair 7.

Now bring on the suitcases with Christmas tree lights on them, these are your AIs and supercomputers.

Finally you need quarries, lots of quarries.

Voila, Blake's 7 is reborn.

[worldmaker]

Originally Posted by Urien

No. No reimagining; we need a cardboard cut out spaceship attached to a lollypop stick, pushed through a slit in starscape curtains. Make a whoosing sound as you move it from behind the curtain and you have special effects.

Next you need a crew of the most unconvincing wooden actors this side of Altair 7.

Now bring on the suitcases with Christmas tree lights on them, these are your AIs and supercomputers.

Finally you need quarries, lots of quarries.

Voila, Blake's 7 is reborn.

Sounds like a Blue Peter project to me, get out your old cornflakes boxes and stickyback plastic and make your own Blake's 7!

Yes, and The World Famous BBC quarry! Don't trip over that old Dalek.

[Werthead]

I get the impression that this project has stalled. Sky One probably realised how much a top-line space opera was going to cost and might be on the look-out for funding. I'd heard that the Sci Fi Channel USA (sorry, SyFy) was looking at getting involved and things were on hold until then.

I like the idea of doing a remake. Unlike BSG the original show's tone and the direction of its story was fine, but the budget let them down and the series never got to its proper ending (there was supposed to be a fifth season so the 'shocking' finale wasn't really anything of the sort).

I think you're meant to count Liberator and later Scorpio as well to keep the number running to 7.

In Season 1 the count was Blake, Avon, Jenna, Cally, Vila, Gan and Zen to get the Seven. ORAC came aboard at the end of Season 1 so there was actually eight crewmembers for a while (although ORAC didn't do much in a lot of episodes) until Gan was killed in Season 2, which restored balance to the numbering system

In Season 3 the count was Avon, Cally, Vila, Zen, ORAC, Tarrant and Dayna, so again seven of them. Cally was killed in the Season 4 opener and replaced by Soolin, so again seven.

So the idea that there weren't seven of them for most of the run was pretty much a myth. The only time there weren't seven was for the first five episodes out of Season 2. For the other 47 episodes there were seven of them.

[SpaceShip]

Most of the stories in these types of show are very similar. Surely someone has the fantasy brain power to think of something new - even if they use exactly the same Blake's 7 stories with the same types of characters but just call it and them something completely different.

You just can't beat the original and I think they should leave it alone. I loved Avon and he just can't be replaced, let alone any of the others.

I know it now looks naff but my two sons as youngsters in those days couldn't wait for it to come on TV and sat goggle eyed all the way through it.

Perhaps we are just too sophisticated now! Sad!

[Dave]

Originally Posted by SpaceShip

I loved Avon and he just can't be replaced, let alone any of the others.

Actually, I thought cowardly Villa was the most original character, but then you also had gentle giant Gan, and not forgetting Servalan... they were all good characters, which is probably the appeal.

Also, it was your typical Terry Nation dystopian universe - always a good place to live.

To me, it felt like a Traveler RPG story, and unlike anything else on TV at the time. Sci-Fi TV has much improved since then.

[lew82]

Loved Early Blake 7 - had all the VHS vids

[Purdy Bear]

I loved the series and never missed one. I hope it has a good enough budget to give it credit this time.

[The Procrastinator]

Avon, Vila and Servalan are my undying faves. I find it hard to imagine anyone replacing Avon and Servalan in particular. And I must say, having watched it on tv as a teen (adoringly) and then many years later buying the dvd box set of series one (can't afford the others yet) I was pleasantly surprised by how charismatic Blake actually was - I had forgotten.

Having said that I would love to see a modern re-imagining. A bunch of space terrorists/freedom fighters would surely be right up our modern sensibilities...

[Rodders]

Sean Pertwee would make a great Avon.

[J-WO]

Mark whatsisname... he played Brian the artist in Spaced and is in lots of comedy stuff (Including Jam)... anyway, him as Vila.

[Werthead]

My pick for Avon would be Colin Salmon, who's done a brilliant job playing him in the recent audio dramas. James Purefoy would also be superb, but his profile is now quite high and he's moved into making films, so that may be out of the question.

[Rodders]

Who would you have playing Servelan? (Bear in mind that in this day and age Servelan doesn't have to be a woman and Avon doesn't have to be a man.)

[The Procrastinator]

Trying to imagine a male Servalan...brain overloading...