Blake's 7 on Blu-ray!

[David cgc]

don't recognise some of the ships, the but the Liberator model is quite impressive.

There's one non-Liberator model in particular I'm eager to see on Blu-Ray for peripherally-related reasons. There's a shuttlecraft in the episode "Orbit" that was built by future-CG-pioneer Ron Thornton, and he used it as a basis for the common Earth shuttle on Babylon 5. The Blake's 7 version is much more detailed than the 1992-era CG shuttle, so I've been saving pictures of it whenever I can with the intention of making a "remastered" model of the B5 version, incorporating those details.

I'm tempted to look up what the other ships in the album are, but I've been spoiled enough on Blake's 7, I don't need to go deliberately trying to find future plot details.

 

[Christopher]

There's one non-Liberator model in particular I'm eager to see on Blu-Ray for peripherally-related reasons. There's a shuttlecraft in the episode "Orbit" that was built by future-CG-pioneer Ron Thornton, and he used it as a basis for the common Earth shuttle on Babylon 5. The Blake's 7 version is much more detailed than the 1992-era CG shuttle, so I've been saving pictures of it whenever I can with the intention of making a "remastered" model of the B5 version, incorporating those details.

Interesting. Thornton also built the Scorpio, of course.

 

[Marc]

There's a shuttlecraft in the episode "Orbit" that was built by future-CG-pioneer Ron

never noticed from what's on screen in Orbit but the front of the model looks like some-one lifted it from the 1970s version of the Battlestar design.

 

[David cgc]

never noticed from what's on screen in Orbit but the front of the model looks like some-one lifted it from the 1970s version of the Battlestar design.

I just realized there's a Cylon Raider windscreen on the large block at the top aft.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

There's one non-Liberator model in particular I'm eager to see on Blu-Ray for peripherally-related reasons. There's a shuttlecraft in the episode "Orbit" that was built by future-CG-pioneer Ron Thornton, and he used it as a basis for the common Earth shuttle on Babylon 5. The Blake's 7 version is much more detailed than the 1992-era CG shuttle, so I've been saving pictures of it whenever I can with the intention of making a "remastered" model of the B5 version, incorporating those details.

I'm tempted to look up what the other ships in the album are, but I've been spoiled enough on Blake's 7, I don't need to go deliberately trying to find future plot details.

Yeah, I mentioned it previously upthread that Thornton worked on designing the Scorpio model before eventually moving to B5.

I think one of the models on the shelf looks like a submarine from a Gerry Anderson production, and the dragon looks like it might be something from a Ray Harryhausen movie.

 

[Marc]

I think one of the models on the shelf looks like a submarine from a Gerry Anderson production,

Yes it's the Stingray from the series of the same name.

 

[Starkers]

Just been watching part 2 of the B7 documentary on the series 2 boxset. There's some interesting interviews about the nuclear powerplant filming and you can see why some of the actors got worried.

Jan Chappell said she was still nursing her son at the time. They talk about there being lots of black and yellow 'Danger Radiation" signs everywhere. At the end of every day they had to shower and be given the once over with a Geiger counter! On one day this began crackling while it was being used on Sally Knyvette. A technician told her it was just background radiation but she had to have another shower.

There's also the anecdote given by Michael Keating, which I have heard before, about how when a pyrotechnic went off lots of men in white coats appeared from everywhere and someone said words to the effect of "I hope that was one of yours because if not we're fucked."

I don't care how safe it is, if someone swept a Geiger counter over me and it started crackling I'd find it difficult not to be unnerved by that!

Anyway, the Series 2(B!) boxset is as sumptuous as the first. The extras alone made it worthwhile. There's a 45 minute tribute to David Jackson that's lovely. There's also an 80 minute tribute to Jacqui Pearce which I haven't watched yet. I have the feeling it's going to be very sad in places.

 

[Christopher]

I don't care how safe it is, if someone swept a Geiger counter over me and it started crackling I'd find it difficult not to be unnerved by that!

Some amount of background radiation is always present, so a Geiger counter will make some amount of noise whenever it's turned on. You get more radiation exposure from eating bananas or living in a brick building than from living near a nuclear plant. Here's a comparison chart: https://xkcd.com/radiation/

Judging from the chart, if the maximum permitted annual dose for workers at that British plant were the same as in the US, and if the actors were there for maybe 2-3 days, their exposure would've been, at most, comparable to one mammogram. Although I doubt it was anywhere near that much, since they were just filming in corridors and such, mainly.

Like I said, people have an irrational fear of radiation because it's unfamiliar, while they have far too little fear of statistically far more dangerous things like traffic accidents, gun violence, or infectious diseases.

 

[Starkers]

Those stupid actors working in the -checks notes- late 1970s, if only they'd gone onto the internet they'd have realized they were perfectly safe...

 

[Christopher]

Those stupid actors working in the -checks notes- late 1970s, if only they'd gone onto the internet they'd have realized they were perfectly safe...

Or they could've asked the staff at the plant, and they probably did, but didn't trust in their knowledge. Or at least didn't realize that the guy saying "I hope that was one of yours" was probably joking.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

The thing is, at the time of filming, the UK was just 18 months/2 years removed from the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant explosion caused when saltwater got into the radioactive waste containment facility.
Three Mile Island also happened at around the same time.
I'm sure that was on the minds of the cast and crew when filming.

 

[Christopher]

The thing is, at the time of filming, the UK was just 18 months/2 years removed from the Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant explosion caused when saltwater got into the radioactive waste containment facility.
Three Mile Island also happened at around the same time.
I'm sure that was on the minds of the cast and crew when filming.

The Dounreay thing sounds pretty bad, though it seems to have been the result of poor waste storage methods. I looked into it when I reviewed the episode for my Patreon, and I could find no indication that the plant where they filmed had had any significant accidents other than a 2007 fire that released no radiation.

And yes, I'm old enough to remember the widespread panic over Three Mile Island, but the total number of cancer cases and fatalities that resulted from the "horrible disaster" was precisely zero. I don't need an explanation for why people were afraid. I know why they were afraid. But I know that those fears were not valid, and that's the only thing that actually matters.

 

[Starkers]

Three Mile Island might have had zero casualties but the UK had Windscale back in 1957 and that certainly had casualties, potentially up to several hundred cancer deaths and still, I believe, one of the worst nuclear disasters on record. Most of the B7 cast would have been kids or teenagers at the time

And saying that someone's fears weren't valid and so that's all that matters is an odd thing to say. If a man walks into a bank and sticks a gun in a bank teller's face he will cause that individual to feel fear. If it's later ascertained that the gun is a fake that makes no difference, it won't change how the bank teller felt at the time, and certainly from the perspective of English law won't make a difference when it comes to sentencing, it will still count as armed robbery because of the victim's perception.

It's easy for us to say with hindsight that of course things were really safe, but this was a different time, there was limited information out there and it was the height of the cold war, so people were scared. That we might understand any risk was minimal in 2025 has no bearing on how they felt in 1978.

 

[Starkers]

So, the Jacqueline Pearce tribute is 80 minutes long, it's utterly fascinating but also kinda heartbreaking

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I know bits and pieces of her story. It's sad the struggles she had to go through in life.

 

[Skipper]

I'm asking those who have read my "notes" on the first season of "Blake 7" for their opinion: should I buy the second?

I bought the first season because of the show's cult status. I knew full well that it was almost 50 years old and obviously couldn't judge it with modern eyes.

But I didn't think it would be such a struggle to finish watching it all. I liked 2-3 episodes, almost enjoyed 3-4, and had a hell of a struggle watching the rest in full.

I know I have to grade it on a curve, I know I can't compare it to modern shows, I know it was a refined sci-fi masterpiece for its time. But the problem is, I'm watching it now, not 50 years ago. And the "current" me has been spoiled by decades of excellent television sci-fi. I can't magically erase everything to appreciate the series as it should.

I kept telling myself, "Look how innovative this was for its time." But watching something like this feels more like academic research, not something you do for fun.

What I liked

a) the underlying idea
b) some of the banter between the characters
c) the quality of the acting. It's clear that many of the actors are classically trained.

What I HATED:

a) Bad Science: I know in the 70s there was this idea that doing something scientifically correct was to the detriment of telling a good story or something, but jeez, it seemed like it was the author's mission to be as unscientifically rambling as possible.

b) padding. If padding were an Olympic sport, they'd be champions here. There were episodes with almost 40 minutes of padding, and the actual story unfolded in the final 10 minutes. I had to restrain myself from fast-forwarding I don't know how many times.

There were a couple of times I dreaded watching another episode. I only did it because I'd spent money. And I also felt vaguely guilty for not appreciating such a beloved classic. Looking back at the notes, I realized it took me almost a year to finish the series.

It also happened that I was watching "Andor" at the same time, which in some ways tackles similar themes. Obviously, the comparison was unforgiving.

Many of you said, "No, the first series was still finding its feet, but it's going to get a lot better after that!"

So, should I give B7 another chance and venture into the second season, or program, or B, or whatever?

 

[Christopher]

So, should I give B7 another chance and venture into the second season, or program, or B, or whatever?

Well, here's how I summarized Series B in my Patreon rewatch (with slight editing for spoilers):

"In some ways, Series B is an improvement on Series A. Getting a variety of writer voices is to its benefit, and Chris Boucher was definitely a better writer than Terry Nation; his scripts have better dialogue and character work and fewer glaring plot and logic holes. But the season is also very uneven. After a mediocre opening that’s mainly just an excuse to resolve the Series A cliffhanger and the Liberator’s origins, it... reaches a game-changing peak 5 episodes in with “Pressure Point,” which... establishes the quest... that drives the rest of the season. Then we get “Trial,” which is both a thoughtful pause for the main cast and a game-changing climax for Travis. But the back half of the season is somewhat meandering, with no clear sense of what to do with Travis next, and the arc stumbles badly in the final leg before finally more or less recovering.

"...The high point of the season, indeed the series so far, was undoubtedly “Trial,” a terrific character drama. “Weapon,” “Pressure Point,” and “Voice from the Past” were all excellent, and “Countdown” and “Star One” were reasonably solid entries in the series arc. “Horizon” and “Killer” are well-meaning but seriously flawed. “Redemption” and “Hostage” are passable but underwhelming. “Shadow” is clumsy and heavy-handed. But the one-two punch of “Gambit” and “The Keeper” is easily the nadir of the season, a swerve into campy silliness."

Also, Jenna, Cally, and Gan are marginalized, and Blake and Avon are written in ways that are arguably out of character compared to Series A. So it's up to you, of course, but it sounds like you might not find the season worth your while. If nothing else, I'd recommend the pivotal duology of "Pressure Point" and "Trial."

 

[bdub76]

I'm asking those who have read my "notes" on the first season of "Blake 7" for their opinion: should I buy the second?

I bought the first season because of the show's cult status. I knew full well that it was almost 50 years old and obviously couldn't judge it with modern eyes.

But I didn't think it would be such a struggle to finish watching it all. I liked 2-3 episodes, almost enjoyed 3-4, and had a hell of a struggle watching the rest in full.

I know I have to grade it on a curve, I know I can't compare it to modern shows, I know it was a refined sci-fi masterpiece for its time. But the problem is, I'm watching it now, not 50 years ago. And the "current" me has been spoiled by decades of excellent television sci-fi. I can't magically erase everything to appreciate the series as it should.

I kept telling myself, "Look how innovative this was for its time." But watching something like this feels more like academic research, not something you do for fun.

What I liked

a) the underlying idea
b) some of the banter between the characters
c) the quality of the acting. It's clear that many of the actors are classically trained.

What I HATED:

a) Bad Science: I know in the 70s there was this idea that doing something scientifically correct was to the detriment of telling a good story or something, but jeez, it seemed like it was the author's mission to be as unscientifically rambling as possible.

b) padding. If padding were an Olympic sport, they'd be champions here. There were episodes with almost 40 minutes of padding, and the actual story unfolded in the final 10 minutes. I had to restrain myself from fast-forwarding I don't know how many times.

There were a couple of times I dreaded watching another episode. I only did it because I'd spent money. And I also felt vaguely guilty for not appreciating such a beloved classic. Looking back at the notes, I realized it took me almost a year to finish the series.

It also happened that I was watching "Andor" at the same time, which in some ways tackles similar themes. Obviously, the comparison was unforgiving.

Many of you said, "No, the first series was still finding its feet, but it's going to get a lot better after that!"

So, should I give B7 another chance and venture into the second season, or program, or B, or whatever?

I'd give it a chance, but I wouldn't pay full price for it. Wait for it to go on sale. I do the same with the Doctor Who blu-rays. I wait for them to drop below $30.

AppleTV has been providing some really good science fiction lately, so I know what you mean.

 

[Skipper]

AppleTV has been providing some really good science fiction lately, so I know what you mean.

Yeah, I was watching Silo on Apple TV and asked myself "Why I should watch B7 after this?!?"

 

[bdub76]

Yeah, I was watching Silo on Apple TV and asked myself "Why I should watch B7 after this?!?"

I can say the same thing about the Expanse. Why watch any Star Trek after the Expanse?

Sometimes it's nostalgia.