Not only did I watch "Blake's 7", I went to extreme lengths to see it. Here in the States, it was broadcast on our local PBS station. PBS technically means "Public Broadcasting System", but in the 80's, it really stood for "Primarily British Shows". Blake's 7 was carried along with "Are You Being Served" and many other Britcoms. So, I watched "Blake's 7" every week. But then we had a house fire, and ended up living temporarily in a local Holiday Inn. And they didn't have the PBS station on the hotel's TV system. So, every Saturday night at 11:00 PM, I'd go back to our partially burned house as it was being rebuilt and watch "Blake's 7".
R.I.P Paul Darrow. He will be missed so much. Blake's 7 is wonderful with its strengths in strong characters and fantastic scripts. Some may struggle with it today because it is low budget however it never bothered me because you grow to love the characters and the unpredictable plots. Great video Wingy.
I watched the original series when I was a young girl and fell in love with all the characters and the story of their lives. I realise now that I have always been interested in people and what makes them do the things they do, so that is one reason it appealed so much to me. Now, all these years later I still watch it, again and again and it hasn’t diminished. Some things are with you your whole life and it’s very nostalgic for me. Love it all, the theme tune (although I hate what they did with it for season 4), the goodies and the baddies, all the banter and funny lines, the expressions and the powerful acting, particularly from Gareth and Jacqueline, so glad I had the opportunity to experience it.
The show was well written and brilliantly acted so the lack of expense on effects didn’t matter. I went to a convention at Earls Court and saw all the cast, they were all still alive at this point, many autographs and pictures. Even met the main special effects guy, very interesting chat with him.
I saw Blake's 7 back when it was a new programme. I still love the programme to this day. Only one programme from that period is more to my liking than Blake's 7 - and that is DOCTOR WHO - starring the great Tom Baker. But Blake's 7 was brilliant - with a very intense finale in the final episode called 'Blake'. Paul Darrow described that final scene in 'BLAKE' as being like a scene from a film by Sam Peckinpah!
RIP Paul, Jacqueline and Gareth. :( I've been a fan of this show for many years now, and actually went to a Blake's 7 convention in the 80's when I was a kid just after discovering it in reruns.
The problem with the show is that real life issues ultimately determined the course it followed. Garth Thomas; and Sally Knyvette's increasing dissatisfaction that led to their departures. The need to then re-orientate the show. The sudden decision to green-light a 4th season. Gareth Thomas returning on the condition that Blake be decisively written out of the series. It meant that we didn't really get a natural progression towards a clearly planned ending. I assume that no matter what the series would have had a down beat ending, but what we got was more a series of re-adjustments that led to cliff-hanger more or less conclusions.
Watched it on first broadcast when I was 13. It rapidly became a favourite and it still is after nearly 40 years. I don’t care that it looks cheap. It’s the story & emotion that counts and this was one of the best ever. My favourite characters were Cally & Avon. The finale still ranks for me as among the best TV ever.😀
@@zakjaggs9761 Its just so fabulous. And let me point you to the incredible fan vids made by zukalis. She's put so much work into them and they are so funny and moving and accomplished.
This is so strange. I mainly review Doctor Who on my channel, but someone wanted me to do Blake's 7. I reviewed the 1st episode, but didn't really like it that much. I didn't really have anything negative to say about it, it just didn't really seem to stick out for me. The guy told me to give episode 2 a shot, which I did, and I kind of felt the same way. They're telling me things really start to get good in episode 3. I just don't quite get where it's going...
@@carealoo744 Well, if you dont get it, you dont. Those of us who love it absolutely adore it. Its gritty, deep, nuanced....it gets under your skin, specially Avon. Is Avon genuinely a cold and machine~like man? Or is he damaged and hurt? (Rumours of Death will deal with this....but dont jump ahead !) Is Blake a good man....or a fanatic? Does he care about his crew....or does he just use them? He wants to go back for Cally when she's captured...or does he, is it just to convince them he cares....because, after all, he lets Jenna be tortured in "Horizon". He repeatedly lies to them. ...why do they love him? Above all it's the passionate relationship between Blake and Avon that fascinates. Plenty of fanfic assumes it is sexual. But even if it's not, it's so intense, it feels that way. Does Avon hate Blake? Does he love him? Why keep rescuing him? Why does he stay? Watch Cygnus Alpha and ask yourself these questions. Why does Blake lie and say theres "not much" on the planet, when he was just nearly killed ? Why, when Blake calls for teleport, dont Avon and Jenna answer? Is Avon forcibly restraining Jenna? If so, why not keep doing it? I'd love to hear what you think !
@@sasa-ke2024 Thank-You; I want to get it. I'll give episode 3 a shot. .... I mean, if you'd want, you can go into my Blake's 7 Playlist to see me review the first 2 episodes. (I certainly wouldn't mind It ;)
The news of Paul Darrow's passing never reached me until now. He was bloody fantastic in this series. If you ask me, he was the real star, especially when Blake leaves.
I'm 52 and grew up watching Blake's 7, I really got into into cynical dystopian space adventure. Started watching it again after almost four decades. I think the acting and storylines still hold their own, but the effects, space ships, and set really show their age, that said the Liberator still looks cool.
I watched it as a kid. The characters were like my friends at the time when I was bullied at school. I consider myself one of the show's biggest fans, even after all these years
Great show, very underrated. I remember Tom Baker once saying that the only difference between Blakes 7 and Doctor Who was the fact that he never appeared in Blakes 7!
Brilliant show - I nearly burned to death watching it! You see, my parents wanted to watch something else, so I was sent to my best friend's house next door to watch the latest episode ... I was still in my nylon parka coat, and sat next to their electric fire. I think it was the episode where that Japanese guy gets executed by Servalan via keypad ... just as that was happening, I smelled burning ... my coat was on fire! Nobody had noticed .. we were all glued to the screen! :)
Just having another Blake’s 7 marathon now - All 4 series back to back. My other half used to watch it all the time & I was like “why you watching this c**p again”? He said sit down & watch it from the beginning, so I did & I was hooked. Yes....wobbly sets, a few bad actors, but OMG, what scripts = AWESOME !!! Some of the best characterisations & writing ever....putting a certain other Sci-Fi show to shame. And as for the ending....it’s up there with Quantum Leap (& possibly Life on Mars).
Saw Blakes 7 from ep 1 right through to the bitter end, when it was new. Stand out characters such as Avon, Vila and Servalan stole the show and eventually came to dominate it. The first episode or two of each season sets the tone for the season, but it's the final episode of each of the four seasons that are the very best episodes, always massive, always shocking, always game changers. The model shots of Liberator by Matt Irvine were actually pretty impressive but undermined by other FX which looked like cartoon-style photo animation and it was these which appeared in the titles. Despite many ups and downs the writing and acting were generally very strong and it stands as one of the BBC's best science fiction series. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be the 12 part Dalek Master Plan from early Dr Who.
I love Gambit. "Zee Klute", and Krantor and that bizarre mistress of ceremonies, even if the story makes no sense...why didnt the grenade in Travis arm go off? I love how Avon and Vila try to be nonchalant at the end and pretend they've been nowhere when they still have their teleport bracelets on...I think I'll watch it now...
Haven't seen the show in years since it was syndicated on PBS, and its long overdue for a good Region 1 DVD release. But it was, indeed, a good show. I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention Villa (Michael Keating), the only character to appear in every episode. He's a fan favorite, and, being very much an everyman type of figure, strikes a balance between brave yet reckless Blake and cold-hearted yet semi-heroic Avon.
I hate that every season ended in a cliffhanger. If there had been a season 5 it would have started with Blake dead, all the crew waking up in detention and wondering how they came to be still alive, and Avon awaiting trial by the resistance's remaining leadership for murdering Blake.
Give me the Liberator over the Enterprise any day :) Loved that ship, even if it was made out of detergent bottles ;) And wow, didn't the series end with a serious bang (s). I think I was numb for a few days after seeing that finale as kid.
Saw bits of it when it was on tv originally. Bought the boxset last year and finally got to watch it right through. Got to agree with everything you said. Its brilliant.
thanks wingy for reviewing b7 , ive watched it since it was first shown and you will help open it up to a new audience to replace us oldies as we pass on !! lol the batman
I’m watching it now..again since a kid. My god such a splendid entertaining series. Avon is an unforgettable character. So many great lines. So many snarky computer AI....... servilan is such a sexy baddy. The writing is off the charts! So much truth occurring now we are becoming into a federation controlled dystopia. I doubt such a dark series could be made now. I mean this was killing off main characters before game of thrones ! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
awesome video dude every time you talk about blake 7 it makes me want to watch it more and more i have yet to watch it but it is definitely on my list of tv shows i want to watch
You don't need to convince me. I've been watching it since it came on air (once) on PBS in America. But I recorded it on VHS and watched them over and over and over; the entire series at least 20 times. It's not cheap and cheesy.
I was introduced to this show not all that long ago by my dad, and it’s now personally my favourite sci-fi series! I enjoy the darker and more mature tone and I love how the ending was very vague and left itself to the viewers interpretation! I wish there would be a modern remake but that’s seeming less and less likely as the years go by 🥲. Anyways, great video! :)
I watched the first two ep's of season 1 this past weekend. I am 46 years old and for years always heard whispering about it so when I saw that there were episodes on YT I figured this must be my time to watch it. Great writing by the way. It is like a mirror to what out situation is today. Unfortunately so far, I cannot seem to find ep3.
'Blake's 7' is one of my all time fave classic SF shows, right next to the Classic Series of 'Doctor Who and pretty much the entire canon of Gerry Anderson, among others. I have the full set on DVD and it never gets old for me.
Okay, I finished Series 3 yesterday. I got a boxset of the whole show for Christmas and have been watching one episode a day (mostly) since then. Yesterday I watched Terminal. And I genuinely don't know if I want to thank you for recommending this magnificent show or punch you in the face for putting me on the path to watching Terminal.
@@WingyMedia I just finished series 4 maybe ten minutes ago. The good news is I can definitely call Blake's 7 one of my favourite shows ever, and I have you to thank for that almost entirely. The bad news is that the punch in the face I threatened has now been upgraded to a kick in the groin.
Love this show. First saw it when I was in college (at university as the Brits say) on local PBS station (WHYY Philadelphia) and loved it. Love the Liberator and its central computer Zen. Orac is probably the greatest computer in SciFi. Great cast of flawed characters all ably acted; you loved them although some were not likeable. Great villains too, especially Supreme Commander later President Servalan. The sexiest (from a male perspective) villain in all SciFi played so well by the late and ever lovely Jacqueline Pearce. She and Darrow had great chemistry and sexual tension between their characters Avon and Servalan. There are many Doctor Who links between the two beyond actors. It was created by Terry Nation, and produced for three series by David Maloney a prominent Doctor Who director, and Dudley Simpson did the music. Interesting tidbit. Both Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor) and Gareth Thomas (Blake) were friends. From what I hear, [spoiler alert] the two of them wanted the Daleks to be the aliens attempting to invade the Federation, but the spoilsports at the BBC nixed the idea. So there is a picture on the web of the Liberator facing off against the 2005 series image of the Dalek fleet. Could write on and on about the show and the characters (I also liked Cally a lot). One of the many great sins of the BBC is the fact this supreme show is not available in region one DVD.
The Liberator is the most beautiful ship in sci go. She's up there with the Enterprise. Such a great design. I also wished they had done a fifth episode with 'bounty hunter' Blake. Gareth Thomas looked amazing in that final episode... It was like he had lost all his moral principles and had given up on humanity. Would have been great to watch him rediscover his 'crusade' against the Federation. But I love how it ended and the bad guys actually won (as they would in real life). A great show ahead off its time... I watched it back in the day when it was first being aired.
When did you watch it on WHYY? I had both WHYY and NJN growing up and that’s where I discovered Dr. Who. My memory tells me that one of those stations showed B7 in the first half or maybe 80s. But clearly I didn’t pick up on it. My first “what is Blake’s 7” were ads mentioning it in Starlog magazine in the later 80s when I started reading it. That’s when I entered high school. I’m pretty sure it was WHYY (vs NJN) that had B7 on Saturday nights just before sign-off (remember those days of stations going off air at night? No infomercials or meh tc shows!). Well actually there was a show called Star Gazers or Star Hustler or something. I just googled it .. Jack Horkheimer ..now I’m starting to remember! This was 88-89-90. Definitely during 1989 calendar year. All four seasons were shown by the time I graduated. My only regret is that I caught the first or at least early episode and though it was so-so. But then I tried again at the end of season 1 - episode 13: ORAC. Wow!! I was hooked! I even have a B7 logo COVID mask I found on Etsy :-)
@@nickpalance3622 I found it when WHYY TV12 ran it on weeknights during the Autumn in 1986. I was in college and discovered it by accident. And was hooked after a few episodes. I remember the NJN run too, I got my grandparents hooked on it too. Thanks for stirring up memories of Blake's 7 and Doctor Who followed by Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazers.
Been curious about this one. Just the fact that both Paul Darrow and Colin Baker were in it is intriguing and I'm a huge classic Who fan, I like classic a lot more than modern Who and this show has been one I need to see.
B7 is Robin Hood in space. It's written by proper sci-fi authors like Tanith Lee. The effects are cheap but the design is spot on and the performances are very witty.
What was my distant cousins music like in Blakes 7? What your favourite music by the one and only Dudley Simpson? Also R.I.P. Paul Darrow. You were great in "The Silurians (1970)".
Great show. Just finished rewatching it after seeing it as a kid. Despite the low budget production, the plot, acting, dialogue, and character building still carry the show.
There's a rumour that Paul Darrow deliberately camped it up in "Timelash" to get back at Colin Baker for his performance as Bayban the Beserker. I've often wondered if that was true.
Great series when I watched it first time around, bought the Box set 5 years ago and laughed all the way through every scene...think I did the same with Stingray, Thunderbirds, Capt Scarlet, Space 1999, UFO, Star Trek etc.....just going through the Irwin Allen collection at the moment...Time tunnel, Land of the Giants , Lost in Space and Voyage to the bottom of the Sea....at the ripe old age of sixty I'm finding it hard to let go of the past but love a bit of nostalgia.....Babylon 5 Rules!
Blake's 7 is not as well known hear in the U.S. as Doctor Who is, but I've been a huge fan of Doctor Who since I was 4 years old. I got into the repeats of the original series during the 90s. Then I got into the new show when it started. However, until 2013, I had never heard of Blake's 7. But once I seen it, I was hooked. Loved this show, and it definitely was ahead of its time apart from the special effects, but when it came to the characters, plot, and structure of the show, it definitely feels more like a modern show. It truly was The Game of Thrones of its time, but it has a much better finale than Game of Thrones.
Always loved the show. I should really watch it again. What it lacked in visuals (although the Teleport was pretty cool) they made up in some fantastic dialogue. The Liberator is still my number 1 favorite scifi space ship design. Followed at some distance by a Romulan D'deridex Warbird. I was gutted when it was destroyed.
Being British made it’s a kind of space Robin Hood. I loved it in the late 70s and then around 1991 I had the 3 VHS compilation set and I finally bought the complete 4 seasons DVD last year. It’s a great show and the Liberator is cool. Season 4 drags a bit though. All the episodes have a very similar theme. I also missed the Liberator. Paul Darrow and Jacquline Pearse keep it all together as they’re excellent actors with strong personalities. Villa was important to the show in many ways. Even though Stephen Pacey and Josette Simone are good supporting actors they don’t get a lot to do in the last season. There were glimpses of greatness in the last season and it’s a pity it was pulled. I’m on the fence about Glynis Barber, who I think was more eye candy. Classic Blake’s 7 is Stephen Grief, Gareth Thomas, jacquline Pearse and Paul Darrow. Even Brian Croucher was a good Travis but Grief was much more scary. I’d a big crush on Sally Knyvette back in the day! She was hot! The theme was released on 7” single in 1978! Nice pic of liberator on it!
The first three series are pretty great, but I don't like the fourth, apart from the finale. It's a shame a continuation never got made, because Paul Darrow was keen to see what happens next. I heard the Americans were going to reboot it.
The first 6 episodes are pretty duff, but dont forget the writers didnt even know they were going to do it: it was recommissioned on the spot. Liberator had been destroyed, Jacqueline Pearce was sick, so they invented Sleer and then had to find a way to give that role back to JP when she got better ...I was almost giving up on S4 until it suddenly hits its stride and you get Games, Sand, Gold...and what about Orbit...you cannot say that one is duff! "Vila weighs 73 kilos, Avon", my heart stopped...and you realise its nearly over .I think there should have been a fifth series with some proper money thrown at it and a team of writers instead of just one at a time.
Growing up it was my jam when Doctor Who wasn’t on. Sexy ship and sexy theme tune. It’s pretty darn serious more than it is campy (OK, the Federation are pretty campy... and 95% of the costumes), but compare it to the 1980 BBC production of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (also on RUclips)...
Whilst I love the original - in do think a Battlestar Galactica style re-imagining for Blake's 7 should be possible - get the budget for great special effects - get some quality actors - write fantastic scripts - and you should have an award winning show :-)
Series 4 final episode is a cliffhanger, not a finale. Had the show been picked up for a 5th series, the first episode would have likely opened with Avon & the Scorpio crew waking up imprisoned by Blake's rebels, who had been running a loyalty test on the newest recruit (who failed, btw) when they blundered in waving actually-lethal, not-set-to-stun weapons around and really killing people left and right, including their beloved leader, Blake. Oops.
It's low budget, but the show managed to turn that into a strength. It couldn;t rely on fancy special effects. So it had great scripts, stories and actors. The thing was that the heroes were not heroes at all. Some of them were outright criminals, they only stuck together out of necessity. Even Blake was flawed, he is steadily revealed as a fanatic willing to bring down the Federation at any cost. And of course the shows two most brilliant creations: Avon and Servalan. Avon was self-serving and lacking in morals. And Servalan was only supposed ot be an incidental character - the main protagnist was going to be Travis. But Servalan was so interesting, and so brilliantly acted by Jacquline Pearce, that she became oen of th emost important and enduring characters of them all.
I’ve been really interested in watching Blake’s 7 (especially after seeing Red Dwarf because I thought Red Dwarf was going to be dull but I absolutely loved it so I’m hoping that will be the same for Blake’s 7), thanks for the video convincing me even more to get it. Also, what do you think about the news about The Faceless Ones being the next animated release?
Loved all 4 seasons, but for me, season 2 was the best season and season 4 was the weakest. Seasons 1 & 3 were in the middle. Don't know which season I like better. Certain things about season 1 I like better while I like other things in season 3 better.
Yes, but who could replace Darrow and Roberts? Any of them? I rather like the idea of Idris Elba and Tom Hardy but which for which? Both could do Blake or Avon..I think Tom Hardy for Blake and Idris for Avon, who would you pick...
Nah, I love Blakes 7, it was the grown up version of Dr Who. The characters and the plots were far superior, and the whole feel of the series was far more edgy than anything that had gone before. It started out as Robin Hood in space, but became a real struggle between people, even close comrades, and you never knew where it would lead. It was way beyond a few wobbly sets, it threw in real life and real people. I watched it unrecorded and live when it was first aired, and to this day, because of it's realism, I'd say it was my first real childhood trauma.
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Not only did I watch "Blake's 7", I went to extreme lengths to see it. Here in the States, it was broadcast on our local PBS station. PBS technically means "Public Broadcasting System", but in the 80's, it really stood for "Primarily British Shows". Blake's 7 was carried along with "Are You Being Served" and many other Britcoms. So, I watched "Blake's 7" every week. But then we had a house fire, and ended up living temporarily in a local Holiday Inn. And they didn't have the PBS station on the hotel's TV system. So, every Saturday night at 11:00 PM, I'd go back to our partially burned house as it was being rebuilt and watch "Blake's 7".
R.I.P Paul Darrow. He will be missed so much. Blake's 7 is wonderful with its strengths in strong characters and fantastic scripts. Some may struggle with it today because it is low budget however it never bothered me because you grow to love the characters and the unpredictable plots. Great video Wingy.
Alright, fine, I'll go review Episode 3! ;)
Yeah the episodes are each like mini-films in their own right..:)
Always worth a watch ....and in Servalan a superb female villain
I watched the original series when I was a young girl and fell in love with all the characters and the story of their lives. I realise now that I have always been interested in people and what makes them do the things they do, so that is one reason it appealed so much to me. Now, all these years later I still watch it, again and again and it hasn’t diminished. Some things are with you your whole life and it’s very nostalgic for me. Love it all, the theme tune (although I hate what they did with it for season 4), the goodies and the baddies, all the banter and funny lines, the expressions and the powerful acting, particularly from Gareth and Jacqueline, so glad I had the opportunity to experience it.
"Yes of course, law makers, law breakers, let's fight them all, why not?!" RIP Avon...great synopsis Wingy :)
that ending alone is worth watching it
I've always been a fan of this show glad someone else likes it. RIP Paul Darrow. He was in the Silurians and timelash.
The show was well written and brilliantly acted so the lack of expense on effects didn’t matter. I went to a convention at Earls Court and saw all the cast, they were all still alive at this point, many autographs and pictures. Even met the main special effects guy, very interesting chat with him.
Rip Paul Darrow. Great review.
I saw Blake's 7 back when it was a new programme. I still love the programme to this day. Only one programme from that period is more to my liking than Blake's 7 - and that is DOCTOR WHO - starring the great Tom Baker. But Blake's 7 was brilliant - with a very intense finale in the final episode called 'Blake'. Paul Darrow described that final scene in 'BLAKE' as being like a scene from a film by Sam Peckinpah!
RIP Paul, Jacqueline and Gareth. :( I've been a fan of this show for many years now, and actually went to a Blake's 7 convention in the 80's when I was a kid just after discovering it in reruns.
RIP Stephen Greif (the first Travis), died Dec 2022 aged 78, now gone to that Federation in the sky, so you better watch out Blake and Avon..:)
Avon and Vila a fantastic double act without knowing it was a double act
Paul Darrow was a legend R.I.P
The problem with the show is that real life issues ultimately determined the course it followed. Garth Thomas; and Sally Knyvette's increasing dissatisfaction that led to their departures. The need to then re-orientate the show. The sudden decision to green-light a 4th season. Gareth Thomas returning on the condition that Blake be decisively written out of the series. It meant that we didn't really get a natural progression towards a clearly planned ending. I assume that no matter what the series would have had a down beat ending, but what we got was more a series of re-adjustments that led to cliff-hanger more or less conclusions.
Ahh, that ending. Still seared in to my brain 40 years later. Loved B7.
Avon was cool, RIP Paul, gone but will never be forgotten
That final episode is so unexpected and powerful..
Watched it on first broadcast when I was 13. It rapidly became a favourite and it still is after nearly 40 years. I don’t care that it looks cheap. It’s the story & emotion that counts and this was one of the best ever. My favourite characters were Cally & Avon. The finale still ranks for me as among the best TV ever.😀
Started watching 5 days ago finished series 1 it's really good
@Electronically Yours my favourite episode so far has been pressure point when Blake attacks "control"
@@zakjaggs9761 Its just so fabulous. And let me point you to the incredible fan vids made by zukalis. She's put so much work into them and they are so funny and moving and accomplished.
This is so strange. I mainly review Doctor Who on my channel, but someone wanted me to do Blake's 7. I reviewed the 1st episode, but didn't really like it that much. I didn't really have anything negative to say about it, it just didn't really seem to stick out for me.
The guy told me to give episode 2 a shot, which I did, and I kind of felt the same way.
They're telling me things really start to get good in episode 3.
I just don't quite get where it's going...
@@carealoo744 Well, if you dont get it, you dont. Those of us who love it absolutely adore it. Its gritty, deep, nuanced....it gets under your skin, specially Avon.
Is Avon genuinely a cold and machine~like man? Or is he damaged and hurt? (Rumours of Death will deal with this....but dont jump ahead !)
Is Blake a good man....or a fanatic? Does he care about his crew....or does he just use them? He wants to go back for Cally when she's captured...or does he, is it just to convince them he cares....because, after all, he lets Jenna be tortured in "Horizon". He repeatedly lies to them. ...why do they love him?
Above all it's the passionate relationship between Blake and Avon that fascinates. Plenty of fanfic assumes it is sexual. But even if it's not, it's so intense, it feels that way.
Does Avon hate Blake? Does he love him? Why keep rescuing him? Why does he stay?
Watch Cygnus Alpha and ask yourself these questions. Why does Blake lie and say theres "not much" on the planet, when he was just nearly killed ?
Why, when Blake calls for teleport, dont Avon and Jenna answer? Is Avon forcibly restraining Jenna? If so, why not keep doing it?
I'd love to hear what you think !
@@sasa-ke2024 Thank-You; I want to get it.
I'll give episode 3 a shot.
.... I mean, if you'd want, you can go into my Blake's 7 Playlist to see me review the first 2 episodes. (I certainly wouldn't mind It ;)
The news of Paul Darrow's passing never reached me until now. He was bloody fantastic in this series. If you ask me, he was the real star, especially when Blake leaves.
I'm 52 and grew up watching Blake's 7, I really got into into cynical dystopian space adventure. Started watching it again after almost four decades. I think the acting and storylines still hold their own, but the effects, space ships, and set really show their age, that said the Liberator still looks cool.
I’m a charter member of the Kerr Avon school of management and human relations. RIP Paul Darrow.
I watched it as a kid. The characters were like my friends at the time when I was bullied at school. I consider myself one of the show's biggest fans, even after all these years
Great show, very underrated. I remember Tom Baker once saying that the only difference between Blakes 7 and Doctor Who was the fact that he never appeared in Blakes 7!
Without Blake's 7 there'd be no Red Dwarf 😊
Pitch meeting: "It's Jesus and Judas and sexy Satan, in a love triangle. In space."
R.I.P Paul Darrow Farscape was like a modern version of Blake 7 both brilliant shows
Saw on original transmission and have on vhs...big fan❤👍🎩
Brilliant show - I nearly burned to death watching it!
You see, my parents wanted to watch something else, so I was sent to my best friend's house next door to watch the latest episode ...
I was still in my nylon parka coat, and sat next to their electric fire.
I think it was the episode where that Japanese guy gets executed by Servalan via keypad ... just as that was happening, I smelled burning ... my coat was on fire! Nobody had noticed .. we were all glued to the screen! :)
Just having another Blake’s 7 marathon now - All 4 series back to back. My other half used to watch it all the time & I was like “why you watching this c**p again”? He said sit down & watch it from the beginning, so I did & I was hooked. Yes....wobbly sets, a few bad actors, but OMG, what scripts = AWESOME !!! Some of the best characterisations & writing ever....putting a certain other Sci-Fi show to shame.
And as for the ending....it’s up there with Quantum Leap (& possibly Life on Mars).
Saw Blakes 7 from ep 1 right through to the bitter end, when it was new. Stand out characters such as Avon, Vila and Servalan stole the show and eventually came to dominate it. The first episode or two of each season sets the tone for the season, but it's the final episode of each of the four seasons that are the very best episodes, always massive, always shocking, always game changers. The model shots of Liberator by Matt Irvine were actually pretty impressive but undermined by other FX which looked like cartoon-style photo animation and it was these which appeared in the titles. Despite many ups and downs the writing and acting were generally very strong and it stands as one of the BBC's best science fiction series. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be the 12 part Dalek Master Plan from early Dr Who.
I've never really found Blake's 7 camp - I find it more 'gritty' than 'camp'. Apart from 'Gambit', of course...
I love Gambit. "Zee Klute", and Krantor and that bizarre mistress of ceremonies, even if the story makes no sense...why didnt the grenade in Travis arm go off? I love how Avon and Vila try to be nonchalant at the end and pretend they've been nowhere when they still have their teleport bracelets on...I think I'll watch it now...
Loved this old show as a kid - if you can get over the effects, the plots and acting are amazing.
Haven't seen the show in years since it was syndicated on PBS, and its long overdue for a good Region 1 DVD release. But it was, indeed, a good show. I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention Villa (Michael Keating), the only character to appear in every episode. He's a fan favorite, and, being very much an everyman type of figure, strikes a balance between brave yet reckless Blake and cold-hearted yet semi-heroic Avon.
I hate that every season ended in a cliffhanger. If there had been a season 5 it would have started with Blake dead, all the crew waking up in detention and wondering how they came to be still alive, and Avon awaiting trial by the resistance's remaining leadership for murdering Blake.
Give me the Liberator over the Enterprise any day :)
Loved that ship, even if it was made out of detergent bottles ;)
And wow, didn't the series end with a serious bang (s). I think I was numb for a few days after seeing that finale as kid.
I wish I could go on the liberator and escape from this world a bit. Also travel the universe. In my dreams.
The Liberator and Zen are key characters in the series. Orac I loved to even thou Orac was a dick.
Zen saying Battle Computers Online was always a moment of excitement when I was young and watching Blake's 7
Saw bits of it when it was on tv originally. Bought the boxset last year and finally got to watch it right through. Got to agree with everything you said. Its brilliant.
Yes Wingy, YES! I love Blake’s 7 to bits
thanks wingy for reviewing b7 , ive watched it since it was first shown and you will help open it up to a new audience to replace us oldies as we pass on !! lol the batman
Don't forget the Tomb of the Cybermen director, Morris Barry also acting in Blakes 7.
Who did he play?
@@leaderstragg Pathologist Wiler in Killer. Only a bit part, soon dies.
we had some Epic Tv back in the 70s early 80s.....BLAKE 7 was ,superb..not just Sci-fi but brilliant Folk horror also
Yes... Quator Mass, The Triffids, Tripods, Sapphire and Steel...
The great thing about series 1, is its one continuous story.
Hm, with a couple of exceptions.
I’m watching it now..again since a kid. My god such a splendid entertaining series. Avon is an unforgettable character. So many great lines. So many snarky computer AI....... servilan is such a sexy baddy. The writing is off the charts! So much truth occurring now we are becoming into a federation controlled dystopia. I doubt such a dark series could be made now. I mean this was killing off main characters before game of thrones ! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
awesome video dude every time you talk about blake 7 it makes me want to watch it more and more i have yet to watch it but it is definitely on my list of tv shows i want to watch
You don't need to convince me. I've been watching it since it came on air (once) on PBS in America. But I recorded it on VHS and watched them over and over and over; the entire series at least 20 times. It's not cheap and cheesy.
I was introduced to this show not all that long ago by my dad, and it’s now personally my favourite sci-fi series! I enjoy the darker and more mature tone and I love how the ending was very vague and left itself to the viewers interpretation! I wish there would be a modern remake but that’s seeming less and less likely as the years go by 🥲. Anyways, great video! :)
I watched the first two ep's of season 1 this past weekend. I am 46 years old and for years always heard whispering about it so when I saw that there were episodes on YT I figured this must be my time to watch it. Great writing by the way. It is like a mirror to what out situation is today. Unfortunately so far, I cannot seem to find ep3.
'Blake's 7' is one of my all time fave classic SF shows, right next to the Classic Series of 'Doctor Who and pretty much the entire canon of Gerry Anderson, among others.
I have the full set on DVD and it never gets old for me.
Okay, I finished Series 3 yesterday. I got a boxset of the whole show for Christmas and have been watching one episode a day (mostly) since then.
Yesterday I watched Terminal. And I genuinely don't know if I want to thank you for recommending this magnificent show or punch you in the face for putting me on the path to watching Terminal.
Wait until you watch series 4...
@@WingyMedia I just finished series 4 maybe ten minutes ago.
The good news is I can definitely call Blake's 7 one of my favourite shows ever, and I have you to thank for that almost entirely.
The bad news is that the punch in the face I threatened has now been upgraded to a kick in the groin.
@@vdesatch6273 Grim as fuck isn't it?
@@WingyMedia Absolutely, shockingly so. Should've held my tongue when I assumed Terminal was as low as things got for everyone.
Love this show. First saw it when I was in college (at university as the Brits say) on local PBS station (WHYY Philadelphia) and loved it. Love the Liberator and its central computer Zen. Orac is probably the greatest computer in SciFi. Great cast of flawed characters all ably acted; you loved them although some were not likeable. Great villains too, especially Supreme Commander later President Servalan. The sexiest (from a male perspective) villain in all SciFi played so well by the late and ever lovely Jacqueline Pearce. She and Darrow had great chemistry and sexual tension between their characters Avon and Servalan.
There are many Doctor Who links between the two beyond actors. It was created by Terry Nation, and produced for three series by David Maloney a prominent Doctor Who director, and Dudley Simpson did the music. Interesting tidbit. Both Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor) and Gareth Thomas (Blake) were friends. From what I hear, [spoiler alert] the two of them wanted the Daleks to be the aliens attempting to invade the Federation, but the spoilsports at the BBC nixed the idea. So there is a picture on the web of the Liberator facing off against the 2005 series image of the Dalek fleet.
Could write on and on about the show and the characters (I also liked Cally a lot).
One of the many great sins of the BBC is the fact this supreme show is not available in region one DVD.
The Liberator is the most beautiful ship in sci go. She's up there with the Enterprise. Such a great design.
I also wished they had done a fifth episode with 'bounty hunter' Blake. Gareth Thomas looked amazing in that final episode... It was like he had lost all his moral principles and had given up on humanity. Would have been great to watch him rediscover his 'crusade' against the Federation.
But I love how it ended and the bad guys actually won (as they would in real life).
A great show ahead off its time... I watched it back in the day when it was first being aired.
When did you watch it on WHYY? I had both WHYY and NJN growing up and that’s where I discovered Dr. Who.
My memory tells me that one of those stations showed B7 in the first half or maybe 80s. But clearly I didn’t pick up on it. My first “what is Blake’s 7” were ads mentioning it in Starlog magazine in the later 80s when I started reading it. That’s when I entered high school.
I’m pretty sure it was WHYY (vs NJN) that had B7 on Saturday nights just before sign-off (remember those days of stations going off air at night? No infomercials or meh tc shows!). Well actually there was a show called Star Gazers or Star Hustler or something. I just googled it .. Jack Horkheimer ..now I’m starting to remember! This was 88-89-90. Definitely during 1989 calendar year. All four seasons were shown by the time I graduated.
My only regret is that I caught the first or at least early episode and though it was so-so. But then I tried again at the end of season 1 - episode 13: ORAC. Wow!! I was hooked! I even have a B7 logo COVID mask I found on Etsy :-)
@@nickpalance3622 Found it on Channel 12 WHYY in the Autumn of 1986.
@@nickpalance3622 I found it when WHYY TV12 ran it on weeknights during the Autumn in 1986. I was in college and discovered it by accident. And was hooked after a few episodes. I remember the NJN run too, I got my grandparents hooked on it too. Thanks for stirring up memories of Blake's 7 and Doctor Who followed by Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazers.
Been curious about this one. Just the fact that both Paul Darrow and Colin Baker were in it is intriguing and I'm a huge classic Who fan, I like classic a lot more than modern Who and this show has been one I need to see.
Every ep has 2-7 dr who actors. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
B7 is Robin Hood in space. It's written by proper sci-fi authors like Tanith Lee. The effects are cheap but the design is spot on and the performances are very witty.
Blake's seven is brilliant they should bring it back
What was my distant cousins music like in Blakes 7? What your favourite music by the one and only Dudley Simpson? Also R.I.P. Paul Darrow. You were great in "The Silurians (1970)".
Great show. Just finished rewatching it after seeing it as a kid. Despite the low budget production, the plot, acting, dialogue, and character building still carry the show.
There's a rumour that Paul Darrow deliberately camped it up in "Timelash" to get back at Colin Baker for his performance as Bayban the Beserker. I've often wondered if that was true.
Saw it from day one to last episode, started in 78 (that's 1978 for you mileniuls out there
BEST SCI FI SHOW EVER :D :D :D Love you Wingy! :)
so basically a british battlestar galactica
Great series when I watched it first time around, bought the Box set 5 years ago and laughed all the way through every scene...think I did the same with Stingray, Thunderbirds, Capt Scarlet, Space 1999, UFO, Star Trek etc.....just going through the Irwin Allen collection at the moment...Time tunnel, Land of the Giants , Lost in Space and Voyage to the bottom of the Sea....at the ripe old age of sixty I'm finding it hard to let go of the past but love a bit of nostalgia.....Babylon 5 Rules!
Love this show! I really wish I could find this on DVD in the United States. NTSC, preferably, though if it was reasonable on PAL.
Blake's 7 is not as well known hear in the U.S. as Doctor Who is, but I've been a huge fan of Doctor Who since I was 4 years old. I got into the repeats of the original series during the 90s. Then I got into the new show when it started. However, until 2013, I had never heard of Blake's 7. But once I seen it, I was hooked. Loved this show, and it definitely was ahead of its time apart from the special effects, but when it came to the characters, plot, and structure of the show, it definitely feels more like a modern show. It truly was The Game of Thrones of its time, but it has a much better finale than Game of Thrones.
Always loved the show. I should really watch it again. What it lacked in visuals (although the Teleport was pretty cool) they made up in some fantastic dialogue. The Liberator is still my number 1 favorite scifi space ship design. Followed at some distance by a Romulan D'deridex Warbird. I was gutted when it was destroyed.
Watched it in the 80’s. Always thought Servalan was HOT!
Thank you so much. That's a wonderful review
Always planned on watching it
Being British made it’s a kind of space Robin Hood. I loved it in the late 70s and then around 1991 I had the 3 VHS compilation set and I finally bought the complete 4 seasons DVD last year. It’s a great show and the Liberator is cool. Season 4 drags a bit though. All the episodes have a very
similar theme. I also missed the Liberator. Paul Darrow and Jacquline Pearse keep it all together as they’re excellent actors with strong personalities. Villa was important to the show in many ways. Even though Stephen Pacey and Josette Simone are good supporting actors they don’t get a lot to do in the last season. There were glimpses of greatness in the last season and it’s a pity it was pulled. I’m on the fence about Glynis Barber, who I think was more eye candy. Classic Blake’s 7 is Stephen Grief, Gareth Thomas, jacquline Pearse and Paul Darrow. Even Brian Croucher was a good Travis but Grief was much more scary. I’d a big crush on Sally Knyvette back in the day! She was hot! The theme was released on 7” single in 1978! Nice pic of liberator on it!
Great series. I first watched Blake's 7 in 2001.
Confirmed. Battle Computers Online. Avon, Villa, Zen and Orac are my favourite characters.
Love Blake`s 7 & and just started watching it again on Forces TV.
The first three series are pretty great, but I don't like the fourth, apart from the finale. It's a shame a continuation never got made, because Paul Darrow was keen to see what happens next. I heard the Americans were going to reboot it.
The first 6 episodes are pretty duff, but dont forget the writers didnt even know they were going to do it: it was recommissioned on the spot. Liberator had been destroyed, Jacqueline Pearce was sick, so they invented Sleer and then had to find a way to give that role back to JP when she got better ...I was almost giving up on S4 until it suddenly hits its stride and you get Games, Sand, Gold...and what about Orbit...you cannot say that one is duff! "Vila weighs 73 kilos, Avon", my heart stopped...and you realise its nearly over .I think there should have been a fifth series with some proper money thrown at it and a team of writers instead of just one at a time.
l got it All on dvd
Always felt like a Dr Who spin off even without any connection to it weird I know but I always expected Tom Baker's Doctor to pop up sometime!!!
Blake's 7 was sheer class! End of.
Growing up it was my jam when Doctor Who wasn’t on. Sexy ship and sexy theme tune. It’s pretty darn serious more than it is campy (OK, the Federation are pretty campy... and 95% of the costumes), but compare it to the 1980 BBC production of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (also on RUclips)...
Missed this one....I hope you are well. Take care.
I loved Blake's 7 in the 80s, ham acting, dodgy film sets, rough special effects, laughable props and eclectic wardrobe...... What's not to like? 😂😂😂
You forgot to mention Paul Darrow's incredible performance on Doctor Who....
Me and my Dad watched all 4 series a few months ago. Excellent show, although I'm not keen on the ending
Whilst I love the original - in do think a Battlestar Galactica style re-imagining for Blake's 7 should be possible - get the budget for great special effects - get some quality actors - write fantastic scripts - and you should have an award winning show :-)
Series 4 final episode is a cliffhanger, not a finale. Had the show been picked up for a 5th series, the first episode would have likely opened with Avon & the Scorpio crew waking up imprisoned by Blake's rebels, who had been running a loyalty test on the newest recruit (who failed, btw) when they blundered in waving actually-lethal, not-set-to-stun weapons around and really killing people left and right, including their beloved leader, Blake. Oops.
My favourite TV show of all time.
Blake: not great at anything but raising the price without securing sufficient benefit.
It's low budget, but the show managed to turn that into a strength. It couldn;t rely on fancy special effects. So it had great scripts, stories and actors. The thing was that the heroes were not heroes at all. Some of them were outright criminals, they only stuck together out of necessity. Even Blake was flawed, he is steadily revealed as a fanatic willing to bring down the Federation at any cost. And of course the shows two most brilliant creations: Avon and Servalan. Avon was self-serving and lacking in morals. And Servalan was only supposed ot be an incidental character - the main protagnist was going to be Travis. But Servalan was so interesting, and so brilliantly acted by Jacquline Pearce, that she became oen of th emost important and enduring characters of them all.
I’ve been really interested in watching Blake’s 7 (especially after seeing Red Dwarf because I thought Red Dwarf was going to be dull but I absolutely loved it so I’m hoping that will be the same for Blake’s 7), thanks for the video convincing me even more to get it.
Also, what do you think about the news about The Faceless Ones being the next animated release?
Watched it since I was a kid.. had the videos and then the dvds
My favourite sci fi of all time!!
Sounds like what's happening today?
Have you watched Sapphire & Steel? Even better than Blakes 7 or Dr Who imho
Great review
Yeah it's good. I like your comparison with GoT.
Are you going to get series of Blake7 on blu ray collection
Loved all 4 seasons, but for me, season 2 was the best season and season 4 was the weakest. Seasons 1 & 3 were in the middle. Don't know which season I like better. Certain things about season 1 I like better while I like other things in season 3 better.
I saw it when it first came out 2st episode. Amazing! I was 8..
Talk to me wingy think I might need convincing as i tried watching blake 7 before but i just found it jarring 😏
Why did you find it jarring?
Um what?
Always watchable
Evevrytime anyone tells me that they like Firefly I tell them that I liked it better when it was called Blake's 7
Love this show. Wish they had a decent video game at some stage.
Wait …….. What???? Avon is dead :(
That's why this show can't be remade. It wouldn't be B7 without Avon and no one else will ever be Avon.
I know, just a few days ago. So sad. :(
Avon is not dead. He survived the finale. Paul Darrow has however just died. Rest in peace Paul.
overdue for a remake...get fun show!
Rip Avon.
No, it's not EVER due for a remake. It was perfect as is. Can we finally stop that lazy, unintelligent, Hollywood remake mentality.
Yes, but who could replace Darrow and Roberts? Any of them? I rather like the idea of Idris Elba and Tom Hardy but which for which? Both could do Blake or Avon..I think Tom Hardy for Blake and Idris for Avon, who would you pick...
No! It was the actors that made the show. All remakes are crap because you need the original cast too.
Nah, I love Blakes 7, it was the grown up version of Dr Who. The characters and the plots were far superior, and the whole feel of the series was far more edgy than anything that had gone before. It started out as Robin Hood in space, but became a real struggle between people, even close comrades, and you never knew where it would lead.
It was way beyond a few wobbly sets, it threw in real life and real people. I watched it unrecorded and live when it was first aired, and to this day, because of it's realism, I'd say it was my first real childhood trauma.