Yet another attempt to reboot Blake 7 is underway

[JD]

At this year's Gallifrey One convention, I had the chance to ask Jason Haigh-Ellery about the Blake's 7 reboot. He's involved with the new series. There isn't much he could say in these early days but he did say that his main role was interacting with the Nation Estate.

He also confirmed that it is a reboot rather than a continuation. That's not really surprising but nice to confirm.

I'm not too surprised, I have a feeling there isn't a huge fanbase that would be looking a continuation, at least outside of England, so a reboot is probably way to draw in more audience. For a continuation to work it seems to me like you really need a big continuing audience who is going have held interest in the story since the original ended, and I don't know if Blake's 7 has that.

 

[Christopher]

I'm not too surprised, I have a feeling there isn't a huge fanbase that would be looking a continuation, at least outside of England, so a reboot is probably way to draw in more audience. For a continuation to work it seems to me like you really need a big continuing audience who is going have held interest in the story since the original ended, and I don't know if Blake's 7 has that.

A continuation was never really on the table, given how decisively the series ended (although it was ambiguous enough to allow a potential fifth season) and given that half the main cast members are dead and the other half are in their late 60s or 70s. I'd think any continuation in the same universe would have to be basically a "next generation" series focusing on new characters. So it was always pretty much self-evident that it would be a reboot. I'm kind of surprised the question even had to be asked.

 

[JD]

Oh, OK, I didn't know that. I knew the cast was getting older, but I have no idea how the original show ended.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Oh, OK, I didn't know that. I knew the cast was getting older, but I have no idea how the original show ended.

Its series finale is one of the notorious ever. However, if you ever intend to watch the series, then try to do so without being spoiled.

...in which case, you may want avoid this thread.

 

[Captaindemotion]

IIRC someone once tried to reboot it with the hook that in their reboot Avon would be like Napoleon on Elba, but with the death of Paul Darrow that’s a non-starter (I always did like that pitch though).

 

[Skipper]

I recently barely finished the first season and felt guilty for not appreciating such a beloved cult. But I admit that the underlying idea is excellent and lends itself very well to a reboot.

 

[Christopher]

I recently barely finished the first season and felt guilty for not appreciating such a beloved cult. But I admit that the underlying idea is excellent and lends itself very well to a reboot.

Honestly, I feel it was kind of a mess, not nearly as good as it could have been. The main appeal was the cast and character interplay. Also, it stood out for trying something darker and more serious than was typical of SFTV of its era, but SFTV has matured so much since then that I can't blame a newcomer for thinking it doesn't offer anything special.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

That reminds me, Svengoolie ran the Hammer horror movie, "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" last weekend and David Jackson had a small role as a hospital orderly in it.

 

[Christopher]

David Jackson had a small role as a hospital orderly in it.

Hard to imagine David Jackson having a small role...

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I thought about making that joke because he towered over the rest of the cast.

 

[Starkers]

I recently watched Edge of Darkness for the first time (I know, I know) and was pleasantly surprised when Jackson turned up.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I think that was the first time I had seen Jackson outside of his role on Blake's 7.
It's funny, I've just realized, I've seen Gareth, Paul, Michael, Stephen, Jacqueline, Brian and now David, outside of their roles on Blake's 7; but I've never seen Sally, Jan, Steven, Josette or Glynis in another role.
I know Glynis appeared in a series called Dempsy and Makepeace, but it never aired in the Seattle area.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Much to my delight, Steven Pacey has popped up in a bunch of big modern dramas, including House of the Dragon, The Diplomat, and  MobLand, always playing assholes.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Much to my delight, Steven Pacey has popped up in a bunch of big modern dramas, including House of the Dragon, The Diplomat, and  MobLand, always playing assholes.

Yeah, I always felt he was too young to be playing a seasoned veteran on Blake's 7; but that was more due to the character being changed from as originally written.
It's nice to know he’s grown into the role.

 

[Christopher]

It's funny, I've just realized, I've seen Gareth, Paul, Michael, Stephen, Jacqueline, Brian and now David, outside of their roles on Blake's 7; but I've never seen Sally, Jan, Steven, Josette or Glynis in another role.

I've seen Josette Simon in a number of things; she was Mnemosyne in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie, Eithne in two season 1 episodes of The Witcher, and Chief Superintendent Clark in the last three episodes of Broadchurch with David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker. However, I didn't recognize her in any of them, probably because I saw them before I rewatched B7. (No, on second thought, I may have known it was her in Broadchurch, but I'm not sure.)

I saw Steven Pacey in a Poirot episode not long ago, and Glynis Barber in a Marple episode. Barber also had a recurring role in seven episodes of The CW's The Outpost, though again, I didn't realize at the time that it was she.

 

[Starkers]

I think that was the first time I had seen Jackson outside of his role on Blake's 7.
It's funny, I've just realized, I've seen Gareth, Paul, Michael, Stephen, Jacqueline, Brian and now David, outside of their roles on Blake's 7; but I've never seen Sally, Jan, Steven, Josette or Glynis in another role.
I know Glynis appeared in a series called Dempsy and Makepeace, but it never aired in the Seattle area.

Sally was in a UK soap called Emerdale Farm where amusingly she was married to Frazer Hines!

Most recently saw Josette in a Silent Witness and she's also in the last Bridget Jones film.

 

[Nerys Myk]

To be correct she didn't kill dad, one of her underlings killed dad

She has people for that.

 

[Marc]

Its series finale is one of the notorious ever. However, if you ever intend to watch the series, then try to do so without being spoiled.

...in which case, you may want avoid this thread.

You mean the show that ruined Christmas 1981 in the UK?

I was okay - Australia was a bit behind - we got in mid January

A few years back when toying with how I'd reboot the show I considered a Blake who had been tortured and brainwashed so many times that even he wasn't entirely sure the charges were entirely false...

There was an audio done many years ago (the name escapes me) where Blake was a brain washed individual who was actually a federation puppet for when they needed a distraction.

Spoiler

and when Blake was killed, they simply brainwashed Avon into thinking he was Blake and set him on his merry way

 

[Starkers]

You mean the show that ruined Christmas 1981 in the UK?

I was okay - Australia was a bit behind - we got in mid January


There was an audio done many years ago (the name escapes me) where Blake was a brain washed individual who was actually a federation puppet for when they needed a distraction.

Spoiler

and when Blake was killed, they simply brainwashed Avon into thinking he was Blake and set him on his merry way

I had a similar idea, oh many years ago, that the Federation would routinely create a 'Blake' as having an enemy helped unify various factions within the Federation. I guess it's that kinda Matrix/Nu BSG 'This has happened before and will happen again' idea.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

While I'm not concerned about who will play the roles of Blake and Avon, I am concerned about the power dynamic and if the producers will be able to replicate the antagonistic attitude/grudging respect they had towards each other.