I've been hearing about Blake's 7 for ages, and I've been wanting to check it out, but until now I have never been able to find it anywhere in the US, streaming or on DVD/Blu-Ray. I have BritBox through Amazon Channels, and a couple weeks ago they added the entire series, so I'm finally watching it. I watched the first episode this morning, and I liked it a lot. It was a nice introduction to this world, and Blake seems like he is going to be an interesting character. I'm curious to see if we're going to learn more about his history before his mind was wiped. I was really shocked they actually killed off the lawyer and his wife/girlfriend, I had been expecting them to end up 2 of "Blake's 7". The special effects were a little cheesy, but everything else about it was good enough to make up for that. Definitely looking forward to watching more, and getting to meet the restm or at least some more of the titular 7 in the next episode.
Keep with it - that show's worth every minute. Yes, the effects are cheesy, goes both with the era and with the very limited budget.
See if you can pace yourself and finish with S4E13 on December 21st. That marks 40 years since the series concluded.
I'm probably going to take a break at the end of the first season, with most shows I just do one season at a time.
Just started a rewatch of this myself (just watched episode 2 yesterday) though I had seen it back when it first aired here. Season one I don't remember at all, though parts of later seasons I do.
This was extremely popular in the early 2000s on this board when I first joined. I've never gotten around to watching any of it. Might be about time.
I have no recollection at of watching the first couple of seasons but remember seeing 3 & 4 though dad did once comment I had seen them. Having no recollection I didn't realise that a certain blonde star pilot was how dad came up with the name for our German Shepard.
I found Blake's 7 in my late teens---my local station started showing it after Doctor Who on Saturday afternoon, back in the late 80s. Hoy cow. As cheap and cheesy as the set and effects were, the characters and their motivations were so fascinating that I quickly became obsessed with it. Kerr Avon is one of my all-time favorite characters--his character arc is fascinating. The way the right dialogue found the right actor just elevated the show to a whole other level. So, yes, the costumes, the props, the so-called "special effects" are pretty laughable but the characters and the dialogue are what matter to me. I envy you--you have a lot of very interesting plot developments coming. Enjoy!
And his put-downs and one-liners are hard to beat including my favorite "that's the sort of natural stupidity no amount of training could hope to match"
Took me a few tries to get into Blake's 7, but once it clicked, it really clicked. For those who find the TV series isn't enough, there are a few books, which are a mixed bag (avoid at all costs those written by Paul Darrow; you'd think he'd never seen the show, much less been in it). But the audio adventures from Big Finish are well worth checking out. The BBC audios... meh. The B7 Media audios... started as an interesting reboot, then went into a strange run of early years stories that were a mix of the reboot and the original. But definitely try the Big Finish Blake's 7 audios.
As a sci-fi review mag once put it, you had to admire the audacity of the BBC to try to create a galaxy-spanning space opera with "a few fat actors and the reject props from Dr. Who" but my God it paid off. Jacqueline Pearce as Servalan alone is worth the cheese, and amazing to think the character was only intended as a one-off appearance. I wish we'd had more to the ship-tease between Avon and Cally. It would have made his slide into insanity in Series D even more understandable.
If you didn’t live in an area blessed with PBS stations that carried it this series has always been hard to find in the US. I find it amazing there was never a physical release with all the odd stuff that came out. I resorted to going on the high seas some years ago but it’s good there’s some way to see it legit now even if it’s on something a bit oddball like Britbox.
Watched episode 2 today. I think I can see why people seem to love Avon so much. It was also a nice introduction to the Liberator. That poor guy who was in the wall when it filled with the sealant, that couldn't have been a pleasant way to go. I was surprised they killed off the one crew member, the Raker or Riker or whatever his name was, they put so much focus on him I thought they were setting him up to a recurring enemy for Blake and co. So when does Servalan come in? I've heard quite a bit about her.
Been ages since I've seen this. Sfx budget... Well it was pocket change.. Dr who of the time was rolling in dough comparatively. Need to research it sometime.
Blakes 7. I love Who and Trek, adore many modern shows, but when all's said and done B7 was always my favourite show, and always will be my favourite show. Vila, Avon and Servalan are three of my favourite characters of all time too. Being an old man I still remember watching it when it first aired (often after Ask the Family) and I still remember them showing the Liberator on Pebble Mill! One of these days I really must do a re-watch in order. I likely haven't done that since I bought the show on VHS in the early 90s.
B7 was screened at ungodly o'clock on the ABC here back in the day. I can't remember how I discovered it, but I quickly became hooked and stayed that way. Paid ludicrous amounts for the DVD releases years later and was stoked to discover it was every bit as good as I'd remembered. Yes, the "effects" are ludicrous (although considering when / where it was made I don't know what else people actually expect) but the characters, the writing and the dialogue render the effects irrelevant. Servalan is one of the greatest villains in any genre or format; Jacqueline Pearce ruled. B7 (later joined by B5 and Farscape, and with classic Who close behind) was, is and will probably always be my favourite ever SF series. Good to see someone discovering this masterpiece for the first time.
It all used to be on Youtube. Harder to find now. This here version of the pilot has the new cgi opening credits from over a decade ago.