"Blakes 7" (1978) TV series 1978-1981

Creator:

Terry Nation

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

2 January 1978 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In the third century of the second calendar, a corrupt galactic federation, with Earth at its center...

Plot Keywords:

Cult TV | Spacecraft | Digit In Title | Wobbly Sets | Futuristic

Cast

Michael Keating	...	Vila Restal (52 episodes, 1978-1981)
Paul Darrow	...	Kerr Avon (51 episodes, 1978-1981)
Peter Tuddenham	...	Orac / ... (49 episodes, 1978-1981)
Jan Chappell	...	Cally / ... (37 episodes, 1978-1981)
Gareth Thomas	...	Roj Blake / ... (29 episodes, 1978-1981)
Jacqueline Pearce	...	Servalan / ... (29 episodes, 1978-1981)
Sally Knyvette	...	Jenna Stannis (26 episodes, 1978-1979)
Steven Pacey	...	Del Tarrant / ... (26 episodes, 1980-1981)
Josette Simon	...	Dayna Mellanby (26 episodes, 1980-1981)

Runtime:

50 min (52 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Bamburgh, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The series was originally to have ended with the climax to the third season. However, the BBC One Controller of that time, Bill Cotton, was so impressed by the quality of the series that he had the continuity announcer declare that Blake's 7 would return for a new series the following year, which caused some surprise amongst the cast and crew. Chief of the problems this caused was that producer David Maloney had become producer on "The Day of the Triffids" (1981), meaning that a new producer was needed for the show. After Terence Dudley turned the job down due to his intending to retire, Vere Lorrimer was made producer.

Quotes:

Orac: The idiosyncratic syntax of riddles interests me. They seem to depend for their effect on solecisms and grammatical discrepancies.
Vila Restal: [totally confused] Eh?
Orac: Do you have another riddle for me to analyze?
Vila Restal: You'd only spoil it.
Orac: I thought you liked riddles.
Vila Restal: I do when I'm allowed to tell them properly. All you're interested in is the idiotic tintax or something.
Orac: That's very clever.
Vila Restal: What is?
Orac: For idiosyncratic syntax you substituted idiotic tintax. Yes, very good.
Vila Restal: [brightening] Is it?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Battlespace (2006) (V)

Stylish substance over insubstantial style

In 1978, America had "Battlestar Galactica" and Dirk Benedict. England had "Blake's 7" and Paul Darrow. England had the better deal.

Sure, "Blake's 7" had a shoddy budget and clunkier sets than "Doctor Who", but the show had more interesting characters. You could not find a more diverse bunch of criminals, freedom fighters, and guns-for-hire - and these were the heroes (or anti-heroes)of the show. Almost every week they fought Servalan, Travis, and the evil Galactic Federation (boo,hiss!) while sometimes barely getting along with each other. The show flagged a bit in the last season, but it had the best series finale of all time in my opinion.