I've always thought, back in the day, should there have been an American version of Blake's 7, that Sigourney Weaver, circa 'Ghostbusters', 'Aliens', would have made a great Servalan.
Blake's 7 - First Time Watching on BritBox
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
Mid-Late season 4,
the one with Dayna's former teacher (and that's a being polite about it).
Yeah a slightly worrying episode really (wasn't it supposed to be written for Cally?)
Not wanting to spoil anything for our first-time viewer - according to the 'Making of' book, the first four episodes of Season D were written with Cally in mind, with Dayna in Soolin's role.
The US had an official VHS release, no DVD thoughQonundrum said:The US never had any proper release.
, it aired in the states on certain PBS stations (IPTV for me).I imported the region B DVD's back in '06 though you need a pal to ntsc player as well as region unlock capabilities.
I adore Blake's 7 I love that it's available somewhere streaming officially it's very much the prototype for the sci-fi show with morally ambiguous characters and shades of grey, story arcs, changes in cast, the ship itself.
I could accept a remake or even better a sequel set a generation later.
Yes, I remember watching a few episodes on PBS as a child growing up in CA. Thnx JD for the tip, I was reminded of this series earlier this year while rewatching an episode of classic Who which featured my favorite Blake actor, Paul Darrow. Seeing him made me interested in rewatching the series, now I can.The US had an official VHS release, no DVD though
I imported the region B DVD's back in '06 though you need a pal to ntsc player as well as region unlock capabilities.
I adore Blake's 7 I love that it's available somewhere streaming officially it's very much the prototype for the sci-fi show with morally ambiguous characters and shades of grey, story arcs, changes in cast, the ship itself.
I could accept a remake or even better a sequel set a generation later.
I guested on a Blake's 7 podcast a few years ago, discussing my fave episode of series D, "Gold" (link).
I'm just gonna say what I always say when this show comes up, and it's not a spoiler.
Avon's 5 > Blake's 7
Avon's 5 > Blake's 7
YouTube is how I finally watched the entire series. I remember seeing an odd episode here or there on PBS when I was a kid. But I was a Trek snob and thought it a ripoff at the time. Now I see the genius of Terry Nation's creation.
But if you can watch it on BritBox, the transfer is much better than the VHS copies of copies you can find on the Tubes.
Season four episode five, generally regarded as the worst of the 52. A poor script made worse by a rewrite to cope with a regular deciding late on not to do any of season 4.
They could have at least hired a slightly younger actor to play Justin which might have mitigated the icky factor (or was casting already sorted before you know who decided not to come back?)
Don't know. But in a series that suggests right from the start that brainwashed memories will eventually resurface, even if only in attitudes, the way basic aversion therapy can change love into hate and back again seems... iffy.
I mean, even now, and then, we know it doesn't work for smoking and other supposedly anti-social attitudes on which it's been tried.
Doctor Who was serial A, B,C... and eventually AA, AAA, 4A, etc, so it was probably BBC standard. But no-one keeps track of the Onedin Line!Blake's 7 it the only UK show I can recalled using letters instead of numbers for seasons but there could be others.
Lets put it down as "obscure British for Season 4"
Then your memory is wrong.
By all accounts, the reaction in the U.K at the time would very much indicate was it wasn't.
"Blake" has been described as the show that ruined Christmas given when it aired in the U.K
And apparently Jacqueline Peace was pissed that Servelan wasn't there at the end but she was contracted for a certain number of eps and they'd been used up.
And apparently Jacqueline Peace was pissed that Servelan wasn't there at the end but she was contracted for a certain number of eps and they'd been used up.
- Jenna and Cally both start strong, then the writers quickly forget about them. The show had a a real problem keeping female characters interesting, other than...
- I love Servalan but as the show goes on she veers more and more towards panto
- Villa is my fave character
- I like Travis Mk.1 more than Mk.2, mostly because of the acting choices.
- I prefer the show when Blake was on it, because I thought Avon was more interesting when he had Blake to bounce off of, and then the writers got too hung up on making Avon an expert in everything.
- "Seek Locate Destroy" is great.
- Missed Zen once the Liberator got creamed
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That's not the story that's told in the behind the scenes book that I have.
The authors interviewed the three principal people involved - Jacqueline Pearce, who played Servalan, Vere Lorrimer, the producer, and Chris Boucher, the script editor.
Jacqueline says she was contracted for nine episodes, but only appeared in 7-8.
Vere says that he was convinced by Chris Boucher not to have her in the episode.
Chris Boucher says he couldn't find a way to work her into the script.
However, both Vere and Chris agree that having her appear at the end, after such a dramatic moment, coming in saying words to the effect of 'I've got you now'; would undercut the scene.
They compared it to the Sheriff of Nottingham riding in after the soldiers had killed Robin Hood and his Merry Men and shrugging his shoulders.
Either way, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.
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