Blake's 7
'Blake's 7', created
by Terry Nation, was probably the best British BBC
science fiction TV series after 'Doctor Who'.
Blake (Gareth Thomas) was
a daring choice for a hero, what with being accused of
child molestation - albeit falsely. Other strong
characters in the series included the cool and stroppy
Jenna (Sally
Knyvette), who was far removed from
some of the shrieking Doctor Who assistants, and the
unsmiling, cynical, strident, cocky, but likeable, Avon (Paul Darrow).
The script
for 'Blake's 7' was impressive, which is what you would
expect from Terry Nation, with a fair deal of depth and
philosophising. Other notable points about the series
included the dramatic theme music by Dudley Simpson,
which, though more traditional, was on a par with the
'Doctor Who' and 'Star Trek' themes. The special effects
stand up not too badly, as all special effects by their
very nature will soon look outdated. Okay, you had the
occasional silliness of a man drowning in foam, but it
was a well-crafted series, and up there with the very
best.
One interesting Terry
Nation idea for the series, which never materialised, was
that the Daleks were going to be brought into the show,
but this was deemed too radical at the time - the deadly
pepper pots being the stalwarts of another famous BBC
science fiction series.
Unusually,
Blake only appeared in the first two series, apart from
his dramatic finale. As a prisoner, Blake leads a mutiny
attempt into taking over the prisoner
transport ship, the London.
It fails, but he and his supporters (reluctant supporter,
as far as Avon is concerned) are sent to render harmless
a dangerous, strange, and unidentified, starship. Blake achieves this and more, as he, Avon and
Jenna, escape from the London. Blake now has an advanced
starship to take on his enemies, the Federation, with - a
ship that's named, appropriately, the Liberator.
'Blake's 7' really broke
the mould with the way the series ended. Blake returns,
but he turns out to be not so heroic after all. Like 'The
Prisoner', this was a series which didn't necessarily
give its viewers the ending they wanted.
- Paul
Rance.
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