^In other words, this is now, that is Zen.
Blake's 7 on Blu-ray!
- Thread starter Turbo
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It is interesting about Vila, I'm not sure if that reversal of the norm was supposed to signify something or just a quirk of the naming conventions. Even Servalan calls him Vila rather than Restal! The ladies either use their given name (Jenna, Dayna) or else we don't know, although both Cally and Soolin feel like given names. Servalan must be her surname.
I don't think Nation is a terrible writer, I do think he's at times a messy writer, and committing to writing all 13 episodes of Series A didn't help. Boucher is the show's best writer though, and given he was script editor who knows how many other decent episodes are good because of the polish he gave them?
Reminds me, I really must start reading my Series B production diary!
The politics of the Federation are interesting. Even in Trial Servalan is trying to navigate a course between the politicians and the military, it isn't until Star One that
she can stage a coup and put the military in complete control.
Probably, but there are cultures on Earth where people generally go by only one name, like Indonesia, so it's possible that there could be such cultures in B7's future. Travis, though, probably has a given name we never learned.
I wonder where the name "Servalan" came from. I'd guess it's derived from serval, the name of a wild cat species native to sub-Saharan Africa. I think there's a resemblance.
As for Cally, as far as we're shown, none of the Auronar use family names, and in "Children of Auron" we find out what may be the reason why. "Soolin" sounds like a Chinese name, unless it's just a respelling of "Sue Lynn."
No, not terrible, but his scripts often had glaring failures of logic and common sense, depending on unacknowledged plot holes or on characters carrying the Idiot Ball. As you say, the workload of having to write the entire season may have kept him from noticing those flaws.
maybe they came to the conclusion that Restal didn't work as character name and the Vila was better.
As to Cally could the Auranar didn't have the surnames because they're clones and didn't have families as such. Though we did have Frampton who was the daughter of the man who developed the cloning technique but don't know if twas a surname or given name
I figure it's because he's a more comical, informal character than the other men.
Well, in the case of Gareth Thomas (Blake) and Stephen Greif (Travis), they were both graduates of the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts). Gareth was a senior when Stephen was an incoming freshman, and Gareth was one of Stephen's instructors.
Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette and Jan Chappell also had theatre backgrounds. Sally was studying for her Master of Arts degree when she was cast as Jenna.
The only three with any long-term on-screen experience were Paul Darrow, David Jackson, and Jacqueline Pierce. Jacqueline had two Hammer horror films under her belt.
So, they all probably tended to be a bit 'theatrical' in their performances in front of the camera because that was what they were used to doing.
Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette and Jan Chappell also had theatre backgrounds. Sally was studying for her Master of Arts degree when she was cast as Jenna.
The only three with any long-term on-screen experience were Paul Darrow, David Jackson, and Jacqueline Pierce. Jacqueline had two Hammer horror films under her belt.
So, they all probably tended to be a bit 'theatrical' in their performances in front of the camera because that was what they were used to doing.
Why do you still keep those, and why is having the FX of Blake's 7 upgraded with CGI a problem? In order to be able to be shown on HD and 4K TV sets/4K DVD's and Blu-Ray discs, the FX will have to be upgraded like the FX of Star Trek: TOS was. Honestly, if it will get a whole new generation to watch the show, I have no problem with that (and am glad that this is happening, especially for such a beloved series.)
Yes, and part of why Thomas left the show was because he had an offer to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. And Josette Simon would go on post-B7 to be the RSC's first black member and work with them for several decades. Jacqueline Pearce played Mariana in the BBC Television Shakespeare's production of Measure for Measure in 1979. (And Dudley Simpson scored several of the series's installments, including the Henry VI/Richard III tetralogy and Titus Andronicus.)
Vila was basically a Shakespearean fool, a parallel made explicit in "The Keeper." Michael Keating reportedly based his portrayal on the fool Feste from Twelfth Night.
My point is that the theatrical feel was standard for BBC productions in general at the time. It wasn't just the actors, it was the whole approach to directing, production, sets, camera work, etc.
I just wanted to say that they did a great job with the new FX. They are not very intrusive and maintain a very 70s atmosphere. There are some clips on YouTube. And anyway before starting an episode you can decide to watch it with the new or old FX.
Watched the third episode! A few scattered notes:
Even though my notes would seem to suggest otherwise, I enjoyed it! Unfortunately, for my tastes, it is glacially slow compared to contemporary productions. I admit to having been distracted more than once. It is more similar in pace to a play than to a TV series as we know it today. Let's be clear, I'm not saying it's bad for this or anything else, simply that it is different from what I'm used to.
Another thing I appreciate about it, compared to, say, a Star Trek series, is that, frankly, no one is very intelligent. It's a breath of fresh air compared to the super-competent characters we're used to. Sure, some are smart or streetwise. The computer genius seems very competent at his job. I imagine Blake is brave and inspiring as a good leader. But no one seems to me to shine through in pure intelligence.
Coming soon, episode four!
Edit: at one point they say they have to use the teleporter because they can't land the spaceship. I'm not clear on this point: is the Liberator incapable of landing? Or do they not know how to do it? Or are they simply afraid of attracting attention? I have to say that sometimes the writing leaves something to be desired.
- In this episode we meet ZEN, who behaves like any stereotypical computer in a 70's sci-fi movie. Maybe it should take some lessons from Alexa. Also, it is sooooo cryptic.
- The Liberator looks like it's fast! Really fast! Which in the context of this universe I have no idea what that means. Does it have a higher delta v than all the other ships? Does it have a more efficient FTL? Who knows! By the looks of it they have the same science advisors as 1999 (which is to say: no one).
- They find a room that is probably a teleporter. Maybe it works with humans. And maybe they know how to use it. Blake immediately offers himself as a human guinea pig. I literally had to pause the playback to wonder if we should assume that Blake has suicidal instincts or if the author in real life, every time he sees buttons or levers, he enjoys pushing them randomly to see what happens.
- Our heroes go exploring the Liberator. Jenna finds a wardrobe where she takes a lovely blouse that bizarrely seems to follow the fashion of the 70s on Earth. There must have been a revival. The computer expert finds a pile of I suppose jewelry (in HD they just look like the leftovers of props from some play) that he claims is worth more than all the riches of the Federation. The statement left me a little perplexed. If they have this immeasurable value for which there is not even a monetary counterpart, how exactly does he plan to convert them into money? He goes into a pawn shop and asks in exchange "Please, all the riches of the Federation, thank you. Let's give you a 10% discount, I'm in a hurry". Maybe the economy of the future works differently.
- The planet is dominated by religious fanatics, whose leader ALWAYS YELLS. EVERY. SINGLE. WORD. Doesn't he ever get tired? Doesn't his throat ever get dry? The same male/female ratio as on the spaceship is confirmed on this planet too, that is, one hot babe among dozens and dozens of extras. Which raises some interesting questions, which evidently the author of the episode didn't ask himself.
- To teleport, you have to wear bracelets made of Aquatar, which seems to have the same consistency as talcum powder, given how easily the villain crumbles them. Perhaps the incredible and superior civilization that created the spaceship should have thought of making these bracelets a little more robust.
- No one doubts the "alien disease" story for a moment. For a moment I thought the prisoners believed it because they had been fed some drugs, but no, Blake immediately believes it unconditionally too. The bad guy eventually had to literally spell out that it was just a ploy to ensure the loyalty of the new arrivals.
- Our heroes are saved because the villain dutifully backtracks to the transporter platform, from which he is projected into deep space. The end. Thanks villain!
Even though my notes would seem to suggest otherwise, I enjoyed it! Unfortunately, for my tastes, it is glacially slow compared to contemporary productions. I admit to having been distracted more than once. It is more similar in pace to a play than to a TV series as we know it today. Let's be clear, I'm not saying it's bad for this or anything else, simply that it is different from what I'm used to.
Another thing I appreciate about it, compared to, say, a Star Trek series, is that, frankly, no one is very intelligent. It's a breath of fresh air compared to the super-competent characters we're used to. Sure, some are smart or streetwise. The computer genius seems very competent at his job. I imagine Blake is brave and inspiring as a good leader. But no one seems to me to shine through in pure intelligence.
Coming soon, episode four!
Edit: at one point they say they have to use the teleporter because they can't land the spaceship. I'm not clear on this point: is the Liberator incapable of landing? Or do they not know how to do it? Or are they simply afraid of attracting attention? I have to say that sometimes the writing leaves something to be desired.
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I just wanted to say that it's not just an FX issue. It's just a pacing that many of the "new generation" would find boring. It's interesting how Star Trek TOS, which is almost 10 years earlier, manages to have an almost modern pacing by comparison.
It's not a huge problem, I've just seen some upgrades that have been a bit suboptimal. In particular some classic Who where the effects have looked very out of place. But as it turns out the effects work here is great, very respectful and rather than "how would B7 look if it was made now" it's more a case of "How would B7 have looked then if they'd had a way bigger budget"
Why do I still keep the VHS tapes? Basically I put them in the loft and forgot about them. I have considered stripping out and framing some of the covers (depending what state they're in)
Yes, to make a comparison they seem like the effects of an episode of 1999 (which I consider the non plus ultra as far as FX of English science fiction television of the mid 70s is concerned)
Sally did her degree after leaving Blakes 7. Amusingly when she returned to TV in Emmerdale Farm she spent three years married to Frazer Hines (i.e. Jamie from Dr Who!)
The fabulous wealth on board the Liberator gets conveniently forgotten then remembered again then forgotten again as the series goes on. It would have been interesting if they'd suggested Blake gave it all away to poor downtrodden freedom fighters, but it's still being referenced in Series C!
The pacing works just fine for me for the most part, though there are some episodes where they spend half the episode just getting to a location then have to rush the meat of the story, but then I am old!
Please stop referring to Kerr Avon as "The Computer Expert"
he has a name, and if you do end up watching the entire series he's in 51/52 episodes! (Beaten only by Michael Keating who's in every one)
Sorry, I'm a monster!Please stop referring to Kerr Avon as "The Computer Expert"
Zen isn't quite your typical computer, since he doesn't always obey orders or give the information he's asked for -- though that tendency subsides over time. And his behavior, or at least his manner, strikes me as a cross between a prim English butler and a Zen mystic.
In theory, it's got a far higher hyperspace velocity than any Federation ship (due to the gibberish technobabble Avon and Blake spout about "negative hyperspace" and "the antimatter interface" when they figure it out), but in practice, ships move at the speed of plot and Federation characters frequently get to destinations as fast as or faster than the Liberator.
Well, it stands to reason that the Liberator's builders wouldn't have installed a "tellyport" room (as Gareth Thomas pronounces it) if it hadn't been a proven technology to them.
(And since the tellyport bracelets were made of "aquatar," the builders must have been the Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers! Oh, sorry, that was Aquitar. Rangers, tellyport to the Command Center immediately!)
I liked her first outfit better (and a couple of her later ones).
You misheard. Avon's actual line is, "Do you know how much is in there? Millions. Millions. And this is just a sample. There must be almost as much wealth in that single room as there is in the entire Federation banking system." So the individual jewels he's holding could certainly be traded just like any other precious gems. But the total quantity of them in the offscreen vault is immensely greater.
Of course not, he's Brian Blessed. This role is actually less shouty than usual for him.
You'll probably have a similar observation when we get to "Star One."
Also, why would someone tellyported into space blow up instead of just floating there? Plus it's convenient how Jenna asked Avon earlier about that exact hypothetical situation so the audience would know what had happened.
Honestly, the series never convinced me of that.
What Blake meant in that context was that they couldn't risk landing the super-precious ship where the bad guys might be able to steal it from them, and probably partly that they weren't sure they knew how to land it. From the shape and size of the Liberator, it doesn't seem like it would be capable of planetary landings, but that might not have been settled yet when the script was written.
Anyway, it's the very first time they used it. And it doesn't seem to have many safety systems since it allowed a living being to be transported into deep space. Or for all they knew the system needed more than 4 minutes to "recharge". Or another thousand maybes that maybe would have suggested that it was better to do a test with an inanimate object. I know that teleportation works because the script says so, however as a viewer I was perplexed by the ease with which they decided to use it.
For a moment I thought it landed using its wingtips as landing gear, like in old 50's sci-fi movies, but now that I have observed the shape of the ship better that's not possible.
Noted!
Uh, you are right. However, if their economy works anything like ours, it would be literally impossible to convert that treasure into its face value. Maybe only a small part.
It's a special setting: "Make it explode on arrival"
It's the red switch identical to the other dozens of red switches on the console.
It will have to wait a bit, I saw that it is the last episode of series 2...
I wonder how much of it is a more or less conscious choice by the authors... I mean, on Earth it seemed to me that there was a credible male/female ratio among the extras. Maybe they thought that space was a thing exclusively for men or very, very, very tough women?
Yes, but presumably the builders of the Liberator had had the technology for a long time and knew it was reliable, or else why build a teleporter into one of their starships? So it was entirely reasonable for Blake to conclude that it was safe, even if the episode didn't offer that particular bit of common sense (because, as I've noted, common sense is not always in ample supply in Terry Nation's scripts).
Safety systems only work if you know enough to use them. Modern cars are reasonably safe, if you buckle up, turn your lights on at night, and follow traffic laws. If you don't, they're still dangerous.
Given that only people wearing teleport bracelets can be teleported, I'm not sure what inanimate object they could've used, other than one of the bracelets themselves. And that wouldn't have told them whether it was safe for human use.
Yes, obviously. Nobody proposed trying to convert the entire contents of the treasure vault all at once. That would make no sense. But they have that huge reservoir of wealth that they can dip into a little at a time as needed, exactly how anyone else with a huge stash of wealth in their private vault would handle it. Anyone they need to bribe or buy off, they can do so. Any goods or equipment they need to buy from a frontier planet, they can easily pay for. And they'll still have plenty left over.
Really, it kind of bugs me that Nation started out with these underdogs fighting an all-powerful tyranny, but then made it easy on them by giving them ridiculous advantages -- the fastest and most advanced ship in the known galaxy, a teleport system nobody else has, a bottomless reservoir of funds they can draw on. It kind of takes away their underdog status.
Not space, just certain settings like a prison population. It depends on the writers and directors, and some episodes fall more into conventional gender attitudes than others, but there will be multiple women in important positions over the course of the series, one in particular whom you'll meet in episode 6.
The other weird thing about Cygnus Alpha of course is that Brian Blessed seems to have initially teleported up to a second teleport pad!
They do have a great ship, the teleport and fabulous wealth (which they never use) but they are just one ship and they aren't invulnerable. The Federation have near infinite resources. Throw enough Pursuit Ships at them and they can be blocked in/taken down. The force wall won't last forever in a prolonged battle.
The series' attitude towards its female characters is almost schizophrenic at times. There are some fantastic roles for women here, but some of those initially great roles get diluted horribly (though in once case it does wind up being built back up again).
Having watched the opening trilogy again recently I really do think it's a shame that Jenna was sidetracked. That initial trio of characters (Blake, Avon, Jenna) is the dynamic to build the show around. The believer, the cynic, and the cynic who wants to believe. Once it's mainly Blake/Avon you lose a bit of the nuance that Jenna brings to the mix.
They do have a great ship, the teleport and fabulous wealth (which they never use) but they are just one ship and they aren't invulnerable. The Federation have near infinite resources. Throw enough Pursuit Ships at them and they can be blocked in/taken down. The force wall won't last forever in a prolonged battle.
The series' attitude towards its female characters is almost schizophrenic at times. There are some fantastic roles for women here, but some of those initially great roles get diluted horribly (though in once case it does wind up being built back up again).
Having watched the opening trilogy again recently I really do think it's a shame that Jenna was sidetracked. That initial trio of characters (Blake, Avon, Jenna) is the dynamic to build the show around. The believer, the cynic, and the cynic who wants to believe. Once it's mainly Blake/Avon you lose a bit of the nuance that Jenna brings to the mix.
