Brilliant. I grew up on a diet of Blake's 7, it sparked so much love for the sci-fi genre. The strength of the show was the characters, and their interaction with each other. The tension, pithy dialogue and competing philosophies really made you care about them, or dislike them, which is good TV/film drama. Avon of course, remains a favorite.
I really cannot see Blake.s Seven without Servalan as the arch-enemy and principal villain she is the best female arch-enemy and arch-villain ever in sci-fi
Rest in Peace Jacqueline Pearce - the greatest villainess ever. A truly brilliant and amazing lady who played the best ‘enemy’ and the best female role in Science Fiction ever.
Brilliant. But it was Robin Hood crossed with The Dirty Dozen in space. And of course they fit classic tropes. That's the best kind of writing: the power of classic tropes but made new .... More, more, please !
that line about tedious scruples, that line alone makes it fabulous. When you look at the sugary morality plays of America, and then this dark bleak shining gem, you've got to ask where it went
Reboot with Series 5. Avon, Vila, Dayna, Orac and Diiva surviving. Orac has been secretly building Liberator II with Jenna, who was always still alive of course. Once crew and ship are assembled, they pick up that hot rebellious mutoid Kiira, who takes over from where Cally left off, then they jet off forever chasing the quiet life, being chased by Arlen and Servalan.
I'm currently writing a continuation of the series myself so here's a brief low down on chapter one....... Avon is surrounded by Federation Troopers accepting his fate when one of his assailants removes their mask revealing a very familiar face......Jenna Stanis. Without warning a number of the Troopers turn their aim from Avon and gun down a large number of their fellow Troopers. Once the dust has settled Jenna reunites with her former shipmate. Vila now convinced the danger has passed picks himself up from the floor having faked being shot when he noticed the Troopers approach. Dayna is dead as she had been shot with a live weapon. Soolin and Tarrant it transpires have been shot by Jenny's crew posing as Troopers with their weapons on stun however in the heat of the moment Tarrant was accidently hit in the head and is in a bad way. Jenna introduces her crew and announces that she has possession of the Federation flagship, a culmination of years of planning and building (The next chapters reveal how she came to gain it!) Vila suddenly notices that someone is missing, Arlen who took her chance to escape during the mayhem. Outside of the building she observes a Federation Imperial Cruiser coming in to land and finds out it's occupant is the former Servalan, Sleer
I think its more interesting to imagine what if Avon and Jenna had run off together leaving Blake on Cygnus. Blake soon builds a following, discovering the drug/sickness trick, he gets into a power struggle with Vargas and, as always, doesn't kill him.when he's vanquished him...he puts all the focus of the population towards escape and they seize the next Federation ship....it is the London again, with none other than Captain Leylan and Raiker, miraculously rescued. Unwisely, they do not maroon them on Cygnus as it now genuinely has a plague. Every survivor, not many, gets on board..Vila and Gan and Arco....there are not many prisoners either because Blake had forced Vargas to relay a message saying only bring prisoners immune to Terran Ague. Now they hunt Liberator. I need that ship! But where did they go? We could own our own planet....
@@sasa-ke2024 I like it, but Jenna was fiercely loyal to Blake and I doubt would not have run off with Avon. She's got the morals of Han Solo, no angel but no devil either.
You need to advertise this more. This absolutely fantastically well structured and edited explanation of the show really deserves a million views. Naturally you make the show look better than it ever really did with the cutting, but you have constructed a fantastic, and I mean fantastic, introduction to a show I've known and loved for many years. I've been in the business in various capacities including producer and director for 40 years, since my late teens, and I'm also the Managing Editor of the oldest and most prestigious Motion Picture journal in the United States, founded in 1909, films in review, and my review of your beautifully efficient and extremely exciting introduction to the show is, very very very well done! Outstanding!
@@dark_yuroiConsidering most of the original actors are no longer with us (and those who are still with us are now at retirement age), it could be a challenge... in live action, at least. It could work as an animated series, maybe.
Yes... along with some COWBOY BEEBOP. But hey, I'll forgive anything when it's that good. ;) I believe that model-making legend BILL PEARSON (Alien, OUTLAND, MOON) built the LIBERATOR model as his first job out of college; BBC didn't pay him squat, but it got him in the door. An iconic design!
Hey, thanks for this! Blake's 7 is one of the best sci-fi sagas out there! I look forward to seeing more of your videos! You just earned a new subscriber! :)
An excellent summing up of an excellent series. If you ever do a re-edit, though, mention Orac, as he's the seventh of Blake's crew (Blake himself isn't one of Blake's seven!). I would show anyone who is curious about the series this video.
Thank you, Will. I wouldn't agree on putting Orac in this trailer as his physical identity is presented as something of a mystery for the bulk of the last two episodes, and I think could be considered a spoiler. He's in the series two one, but I kept him excluded as a named crew member for various reasons, probably wrongly.
B7 was Generally Darker Themed than Star Trek so it had a later showing time on TV which may also have also brought more curiosity to the series which may have got more adults to watch it
It played on TV and I never saw the first few episodes until recent years. Villa was on a planet and warned that the plants were carnivorous AND some had an intelligence rating. He said, "oh good - I'd hate to be eaten by something stupid." And Avon just gave him this look and I laughed my butt off, knowing how Avon always ragged on him.
Excellent work! The only thing I'd have done was identify Tarrant, Dayna, and Soolin-- and indeed shown more of those two ladies. Orac and Slave should have gotten a mention as well. But you've filled me with nostalgia and I thank you for it! What a gorgeous woman Jacqueline Pearce was and is.
+MaskedMan66 I didn't 't want to tell the whole story, just enough to lure people in. If attention is drawn to certain characters then new viewers might start figuring out that there's more than seven, etc. etc. Thanks for commenting!
I see your point about it being hard to sell this to your kids. I consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to plant the scifi/fantasy/weird-stuff bug into my daughter, and we watch lots of cool stuff together. Mostly new, but I manage to squeeze in the odd classic. She's a BIG dr Who fan - the modern incarnation, of course - but she appreciates the entire history of the series. However, she can't actually make it through the original episodes. She wanted to like it, she tried it, but it just doesn't work for her generation. The same applies to Blake. I recently rewatched the entire series after decades, and actually got to see the final series for the first time, and had to do it without her. I kept trying to entice her by talking up the relations between Vila and Avon, and Blake and Avon, and, well, all things Avon, really. I'm not going to convince her to watch Blake's 7, I'm afraid. But I will show her this well made rough guide of yours, which is right up her speed level, and say: that's what you'll be missing. And I think she will get the point. Well done! Incidentally, one of the saddest things I can remember is watching an infomercial show some years ago, where Paul Darrow was selling these little electric scooters for the elderly. I hadn't seen him since he played Avon, and this was how I saw him after many decades. Avon. Selling scootmobiles. Jimi Hendrix and James Dean got it right after all.
Very Good video indeed. Star Trek is unique, and so is Blakes-7. What I loved about B7 was the fact they were all fugitives trying to bring down a corrupt Federation. At the time, Mrs Thatcher was PM in the late 70s right through the 80s with her Tory party turning the UK into a hell hole. Many noticed the comparison between Mrs Thatcher and the character Servelan, ( a sort of intergalactic Iron Lady.) I even read that Blakes-7 was ended by the BBC because the crew of freedom fighters could never be allowed to beat the system. Of course they say now it was due to of many other reason's. But I do remember it being said. Bonkers times. Brilliant series. 😉👍👍👍
You know I think that big finish should ditch Terminal and from Death Watch just go with their own continuity, and given what happened at the End of Crossfire I think they could get away with that, and hell I don't think any of the fans would seriously object
Me too. Like now, maybe. And when you do, what is your default episode ? Mine: Rumours of Death. Or maybe Gambit...I really feel Avon and Vila should have had their own show....
So have you now.found out? If you're interested theres a great piece of fanfiction called After the Fall by Harriet Bazley that covers the missing time
For those with fond memories of *Blake's 7* I *highly* recommend watching the *Story of Avon and Blake* video: ruclips.net/video/atuNdPgM8eY/видео.html
Britbox will be releasing it online in a couple of days. Initially, I struggled with the first few episodes as I found them quite slow, but loved it once it was up and running. I just rewatched the beginning with a friend, who was born many years after Blake's 7 was on air, and he really enjoyed it, sitting through five episodes in one go.
Hi Dale. Interesting notion. I can't speak for other Blake's 7 fans but part of the appeal for me was the fact that this was a British Sci-Fi series and therefore looked exactly like the quarry it was filmed in. It was done cheaply, however I think the storyline and some very fine actors made up for the lack of expensive sets and so forth.
@@MrGlewRUclipsChangedMyHandle you are right. Because of the lack of budget, it was character driven. Big budget Netflix? It would be the yawnfest of Avengers. Still, with great actors, could work. Tom Hardy for Blake. Idris Elba for Gan and make it clear hes a killer. Claire Foy for Jenna and that new Australian that plays Diana for Cally...Lupita Nyong'o for Servalan...Servalan MUST be beautiful and sleek...
No Orac either apart from the sound fx at the end... great edit though, and an amazing tv show. And a clip of Blake as the bounty hunter (when they finally found him) would have been great too. This show still gives me chills. Glad to see you still keeping it alive, thanks.
Brilliant. I grew up on a diet of Blake's 7, it sparked so much love for the sci-fi genre. The strength of the show was the characters, and their interaction with each other. The tension, pithy dialogue and competing philosophies really made you care about them, or dislike them, which is good TV/film drama. Avon of course, remains a favorite.
And ofcourse main characters really did die in the show (unlike say Star Trek). I always give the show kudos for that.
I always say Servalan is the best female arch-enemy ever and she is unique
I really cannot see Blake.s Seven without Servalan as the arch-enemy and principal villain she is the best female arch-enemy and arch-villain ever in sci-fi
MS. Pierce, Such a Stunning Looking Woman❤🎉🦋🐣💝🎇🦉🐥🎈🔮🎁📣💊
Rest in Peace Jacqueline Pearce - the greatest villainess ever. A truly brilliant and amazing lady who played the best ‘enemy’ and the best female role in Science Fiction ever.
I have to agree with that.
A classic seemingly forgotten in many parts today. But worthy of revisiting.
Brilliant.
But it was Robin Hood crossed with The Dirty Dozen in space.
And of course they fit classic tropes. That's the best kind of writing: the power of classic tropes but made new ....
More, more, please !
This has got to be the BEST trailer for Blakes 7 I've seen. Everything about it is Perfect! ( it's still the best show in Earth Sector)
Ha, know the feeling, but remember, no one's Orac! It's still #1 in my books :)
that line about tedious scruples, that line alone makes it fabulous. When you look at the sugary morality plays of America, and then this dark bleak shining gem, you've got to ask where it went
Reboot with Series 5. Avon, Vila, Dayna, Orac and Diiva surviving. Orac has been secretly building Liberator II with Jenna, who was always still alive of course. Once crew and ship are assembled, they pick up that hot rebellious mutoid Kiira, who takes over from where Cally left off, then they jet off forever chasing the quiet life, being chased by Arlen and Servalan.
Now THAT is an interesting idea for how things could have went!
LoL!
I'm currently writing a continuation of the series myself so here's a brief low down on chapter one.......
Avon is surrounded by Federation Troopers accepting his fate when one of his assailants removes their mask revealing a very familiar face......Jenna Stanis.
Without warning a number of the Troopers turn their aim from Avon and gun down a large number of their fellow Troopers.
Once the dust has settled Jenna reunites with her former shipmate.
Vila now convinced the danger has passed picks himself up from the floor having faked being shot when he noticed the Troopers approach.
Dayna is dead as she had been shot with a live weapon.
Soolin and Tarrant it transpires have been shot by Jenny's crew posing as Troopers with their weapons on stun however in the heat of the moment Tarrant was accidently hit in the head and is in a bad way.
Jenna introduces her crew and announces that she has possession of the Federation flagship, a culmination of years of planning and building (The next chapters reveal how she came to gain it!)
Vila suddenly notices that someone is missing, Arlen who took her chance to escape during the mayhem.
Outside of the building she observes a Federation Imperial Cruiser coming in to land and finds out it's occupant is the former Servalan, Sleer
I think its more interesting to imagine what if Avon and Jenna had run off together leaving Blake on Cygnus.
Blake soon builds a following, discovering the drug/sickness trick, he gets into a power struggle with Vargas and, as always, doesn't kill him.when he's vanquished him...he puts all the focus of the population towards escape and they seize the next Federation ship....it is the London again, with none other than Captain Leylan and Raiker, miraculously rescued. Unwisely, they do not maroon them on Cygnus as it now genuinely has a plague.
Every survivor, not many, gets on board..Vila and Gan and Arco....there are not many prisoners either because Blake had forced Vargas to relay a message saying only bring prisoners immune to Terran Ague.
Now they hunt Liberator. I need that ship!
But where did they go? We could own our own planet....
@@sasa-ke2024 I like it, but Jenna was fiercely loyal to Blake and I doubt would not have run off with Avon. She's got the morals of Han Solo, no angel but no devil either.
You need to advertise this more. This absolutely fantastically well structured and edited explanation of the show really deserves a million views. Naturally you make the show look better than it ever really did with the cutting, but you have constructed a fantastic, and I mean fantastic, introduction to a show I've known and loved for many years. I've been in the business in various capacities including producer and director for 40 years, since my late teens, and I'm also the Managing Editor of the oldest and most prestigious Motion Picture journal in the United States, founded in 1909, films in review, and my review of your beautifully efficient and extremely exciting introduction to the show is, very very very well done! Outstanding!
Thank you, David.
@@charliefordfrancis My pleasure. For real.
I hope Blake's 7 returns to screens one day soon
@@dark_yuroiConsidering most of the original actors are no longer with us (and those who are still with us are now at retirement age), it could be a challenge... in live action, at least. It could work as an animated series, maybe.
@OnafetsEnovap, the show could be rebooted for new actors to play the roles
This was the coolest thing I've watched in ages!
Agreed!! & the sad part is we can only 'like' it once
This show so deserves a reboot
And a Region 1 DVD!
Blake's 7 was a far better concept than Star Trek.
"MAXIMUM POWER!!!"
RIP Jacqueline xx
Actually... FARSCAPE lifted more from BLAKE'S 7 than any other show; not that I'm complaining, mind you. I loved both.
I thought that of Firefly myself.
Yes... along with some COWBOY BEEBOP. But hey, I'll forgive anything when it's that good. ;)
I believe that model-making legend BILL PEARSON (Alien, OUTLAND, MOON) built the LIBERATOR model as his first job out of college; BBC didn't pay him squat, but it got him in the door. An iconic design!
Man I used to watch this after doctor who back in the day. This was a GREAT show.!
Blake's 7 had worse special effects, flimsy sets and much less budget.
But it did have, better stories, intelligent scriptwriters and decent actors.
Than what?
@@flaggerify Star Trek TOS. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed TOS but the scripts, stories and actors were better in Blakes 7.
@@steveross8364 That's highly debatable.
@@flaggerify Of course :) Wouldn't do if we all thought the same.
excellent work!!! I'm always greatful for a rough analogy...loved the way u made the Liberator more dynamic it's maneuverability :)
Absolutely fanatstic....from a very old fan!!
Hey, thanks for this! Blake's 7 is one of the best sci-fi sagas out there! I look forward to seeing more of your videos! You just earned a new subscriber! :)
It is! And thank you.
"MAXIMUM POWER" Fantastic!
Excellent introduction to Blakes 7.
Thank you!
Great video, congratulations, love your addition of the Liberator on the Space Command Centre attack run.
I thought Star Trek was America's answer to Doctor Who?
R.I.P Servalan / Jacqueline
Blake vs his arch-enemy Servalan was superb in billions of ways
Elton Laleham Avon and Servalan was even better.
Liberator better looking than the Enterprise
You guyzzz!
Thank you!
An excellent summing up of an excellent series. If you ever do a re-edit, though, mention Orac, as he's the seventh of Blake's crew (Blake himself isn't one of Blake's seven!). I would show anyone who is curious about the series this video.
Thank you, Will. I wouldn't agree on putting Orac in this trailer as his physical identity is presented as something of a mystery for the bulk of the last two episodes, and I think could be considered a spoiler.
He's in the series two one, but I kept him excluded as a named crew member for various reasons, probably wrongly.
B7 was Generally Darker Themed than Star Trek so it had a later showing time on TV which may also have also brought more curiosity to the series which may have got more adults to watch it
B7 was definitely darker. There was a repeat run of Trek on BBC1 in early 1981, in the Blake's 7 slot, no less.
I used o have a little white metal Liberator which fired matchtsicks,
I had a tiny little Matchbox model. I always remember the weird female aliens who built the Liberator & tried to claim it back
Star Trek ...the Mirror Universe.
It played on TV and I never saw the first few episodes until recent years. Villa was on a planet and warned that the plants were carnivorous AND some had an intelligence rating. He said, "oh good - I'd hate to be eaten by something stupid." And Avon just gave him this look and I laughed my butt off, knowing how Avon always ragged on him.
Excellent work! The only thing I'd have done was identify Tarrant, Dayna, and Soolin-- and indeed shown more of those two ladies. Orac and Slave should have gotten a mention as well.
But you've filled me with nostalgia and I thank you for it! What a gorgeous woman Jacqueline Pearce was and is.
+MaskedMan66
I didn't 't want to tell the whole story, just enough to lure people in. If attention is drawn to certain characters then new viewers might start figuring out that there's more than seven, etc. etc.
Thanks for commenting!
SciFiAssasin Shall I delete my comment?
+MaskedMan66 och it's fine. Cheers though
SciFiAssasin And to you!
I see your point about it being hard to sell this to your kids. I consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to plant the scifi/fantasy/weird-stuff bug into my daughter, and we watch lots of cool stuff together. Mostly new, but I manage to squeeze in the odd classic. She's a BIG dr Who fan - the modern incarnation, of course - but she appreciates the entire history of the series.
However, she can't actually make it through the original episodes. She wanted to like it, she tried it, but it just doesn't work for her generation. The same applies to Blake. I recently rewatched the entire series after decades, and actually got to see the final series for the first time, and had to do it without her. I kept trying to entice her by talking up the relations between Vila and Avon, and Blake and Avon, and, well, all things Avon, really. I'm not going to convince her to watch Blake's 7, I'm afraid. But I will show her this well made rough guide of yours, which is right up her speed level, and say: that's what you'll be missing. And I think she will get the point. Well done!
Incidentally, one of the saddest things I can remember is watching an infomercial show some years ago, where Paul Darrow was selling these little electric scooters for the elderly. I hadn't seen him since he played Avon, and this was how I saw him after many decades. Avon. Selling scootmobiles. Jimi Hendrix and James Dean got it right after all.
Very Good video indeed. Star Trek is unique, and so is Blakes-7. What I loved about B7 was the fact they were all fugitives trying to bring down a corrupt Federation. At the time, Mrs Thatcher was PM in the late 70s right through the 80s with her Tory party turning the UK into a hell hole. Many noticed the comparison between Mrs Thatcher and the character Servelan, ( a sort of intergalactic Iron Lady.) I even read that Blakes-7 was ended by the BBC because the crew of freedom fighters could never be allowed to beat the system. Of course they say now it was due to of many other reason's. But I do remember it being said. Bonkers times. Brilliant series. 😉👍👍👍
Shut up about politics
@@johnhorse5551But it was!...Ok then... I'll shut it!
😂
You know I think that big finish should ditch Terminal and from Death Watch just go with their own continuity, and given what happened at the End of Crossfire I think they could get away with that, and hell I don't think any of the fans would seriously object
I wouldn't object, cos I don't listen to them.
Very well done!
2:50 Great timing, with the spaceship and the scream :D
I thought that "The BBC's Answer To Star Trek" was "Red Dwarf"?
Super cool! Great edit. How many times can I re-watch this series? Many
Me too. Like now, maybe. And when you do, what is your default episode ? Mine: Rumours of Death. Or maybe Gambit...I really feel Avon and Vila should have had their own show....
"...and sarcasm" got a laugh from me
It really was entertaining.
What happened to Blake and Jenna? They just disappeared after season 2. Hopefully all will become clear before the end of season 4.
So have you now.found out?
If you're interested theres a great piece of fanfiction called After the Fall by Harriet Bazley that covers the missing time
For those with fond memories of *Blake's 7* I *highly* recommend watching the *Story of Avon and Blake* video: ruclips.net/video/atuNdPgM8eY/видео.html
Thank you. Can't believe I did that ten years ago, It shows though.
This was just great! :)
Thank you!
That was great 😍❤
Dank je wel!
Seriously considering to buy the whole set. Is it that good??
Britbox will be releasing it online in a couple of days.
Initially, I struggled with the first few episodes as I found them quite slow, but loved it once it was up and running.
I just rewatched the beginning with a friend, who was born many years after Blake's 7 was on air, and he really enjoyed it, sitting through five episodes in one go.
It's the best.
Yes
It was nothing like Star Trek and certainly took no inspiration from it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have you sobered up yet?
Brilliant
Thanks
Ant p
That was awesome!
Blake is an adealist
YES!!!!
This is a show totally ripe for a big budget high quality netflix reboot.
Hi Dale. Interesting notion. I can't speak for other Blake's 7 fans but part of the appeal for me was the fact that this was a British Sci-Fi series and therefore looked exactly like the quarry it was filmed in. It was done cheaply, however I think the storyline and some very fine actors made up for the lack of expensive sets and so forth.
@@MrGlewRUclipsChangedMyHandle you are right. Because of the lack of budget, it was character driven. Big budget Netflix? It would be the yawnfest of Avengers.
Still, with great actors, could work. Tom Hardy for Blake. Idris Elba for Gan and make it clear hes a killer. Claire Foy for Jenna and that new Australian that plays Diana for Cally...Lupita Nyong'o for Servalan...Servalan MUST be beautiful and sleek...
But, no mention of Slave....?
No, it's really meant as a jumping-off point for the uninitiated. I intentionally have very little about characters from series 3 and 4.
No Orac either apart from the sound fx at the end... great edit though, and an amazing tv show. And a clip of Blake as the bounty hunter (when they finally found him) would have been great too.
This show still gives me chills. Glad to see you still keeping it alive, thanks.
oh, a humble servant like me doesn't deserve such attention, master.
Great.
seriously?!!
Hi, Colin.