Blake's 7: Difference between revisions

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'''Avon''': [[Lampshade Hanging|What a very depressing thought.]] }}

''Blake's ~~Seven~~'' is an iconic British SF series created by Terry Nation, who had earlier created [[Doctor Who|the Daleks]] and the [[After the End]] drama series ''Survivors''. It ran for four thirteen episode series between 1978 and 1981. The series takes place during the "third century of the new calendar" (fans estimate this as approximately 2700 AD). The series is about the quest of a group of rebels to overthrow the evil and fascistic Federation that controls Earth and most of the known Galaxy. Though it is sometimes referred to as a [[Space Opera]], it tended to the cynical end of the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]], particularly after a certain point. The format had elements of [[Wagon Train to the Stars]]. It was also lower-budget, and looked it.

'''''Blake's 7''''' is an iconic British SF series created by Terry Nation, who had earlier created [[Doctor Who|the Daleks]] and the [[After the End]] drama series ''Survivors''. It ran for four thirteen episode series between 1978 and 1981. The series takes place during the "third century of the new calendar" (fans estimate this as approximately 2700 AD). The series is about the quest of a group of rebels to overthrow the evil and fascistic Federation that controls Earth and most of the known Galaxy. Though it is sometimes referred to as a [[Space Opera]], it tended to the cynical end of the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]], particularly after a certain point. The format had elements of [[Wagon Train to the Stars]]. It was also lower-budget, and looked it.

It is distinctive in that most of its leading characters are of the [[Anti-Hero]] type rather than your usual clean-cut heroes. In fact, Avon, the lead of the latter two seasons, counted as an [[Anti-Villain]]. It's often seen as Nation's attempt to subvert ''[[Star Trek]]'' -- the ''B7'' Federation's logo is the ''Trek'' Federation logo rotated through 90 degrees -- and other subversions of what, at the time, were standard [[Space Opera]] tropes are common.

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If anything, the final series was even darker than before, with almost all the Seven's plans failing and ending with the episode "Blake", perhaps the ultimate [[Downer Ending]] of any series. {{spoiler|Finally finding Blake again, Avon kills him, believing he has betrayed the rebellion (and, more importantly, him) before the rest of the crew are then killed by the Federation with only Avon left standing. Surrounded by Federation troopers, he aims his gun at the camera, smiles and then it cuts to the final credits with gunfire sounds in the background.}}

''Blake's ~~Seven~~'' was clearly a strong influence on ''[[Farscape]]'', ''[[Lexx]]'', and ''[[Firefly]]'', as well as having a minor influence on ''[[Babylon 5]]'' -- J. Michael Straczynski noted that, in writing all of Season 3, he was doing something that hadn't been attempted in SF TV since Terry Nation wrote all of Season 1 of ''Blake's ~~Seven~~''. It had a much stronger influence on the sequel series ''[[Crusade]]'', which became even more obvious when information began to leak about plot developments that would have occurred had the show not been cancelled.

''Blake's 7'' was clearly a strong influence on ''[[Farscape]]'', ''[[Lexx]]'', and ''[[Firefly]]'', as well as having a minor influence on ''[[Babylon 5]]'' -- J. Michael Straczynski noted that, in writing all of Season 3, he was doing something that hadn't been attempted in SF TV since Terry Nation wrote all of Season 1 of ''Blake's 7''. It had a much stronger influence on the sequel series ''[[Crusade]]'', which became even more obvious when information began to leak about plot developments that would have occurred had the show not been cancelled.

In 2007, a new audio version was produced with some interesting twists to the story. It can be listened to at the [[Sci Fi]] UK website. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7364663.stm A couple of scripts have been ordered for a possible TV revival]. [[Development Hell|...Or]] [http://io9.com/5605619/the-federation-wins-again-blakes-7-remake-stalled-out possibly not.]

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* [[Absent Aliens]] - Whilst there are forms of life that do not originate from Earth, the show is ambiguous about whether all sentient forms of life originally came from there.

** Not exactly, we encounter a few ambiguously alien species (including Aurons - aka Cally's people who look exactly like humans) and one unambiguously alien species in the Andromedeans (who look nothing like humans). Then there are whoever is living in the Darkling Zone who hates humanity (whoever set off the "B" plot in the story ''Killer''). "Dawn of the Gods" also features a number of aliens (and, surprisingly for Blake's 7, no reuse of costumes from Doctor Who). And the Ultra. And Zil. And the Host. And a whole bunch of others explicitly stated to be aliens.

** Not exactly, we encounter a few ambiguously alien species (including Aurons - aka Cally's people who look exactly like humans) and one unambiguously alien species in the Andromedeans (who look nothing like humans). Then there are whoever is living in the Darkling Zone who hates humanity (whoever set off the "B" plot in the story ''Killer''). "Dawn of the Gods" also features a number of aliens (and, surprisingly for ''Blake's 7'', no reuse of costumes from Doctor Who). And the Ultra. And Zil. And the Host. And a whole bunch of others explicitly stated to be aliens.

{{quote|'''Vila''': Everyone came from Earth originally. That's a well-known fact.

'''Soolin''': It's a well-known opinion, actually.

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** ( {{spoiler|Assuming Blake is telling the truth, and not just throwing out the name to see how Tarrant reacts}})

* [[Butt Monkey]] - if Vila isn't, nobody is.

* [[Canon Welding]] - Chris Boucher's spin-off works have suggested that the show takes place in the same time period and spatial area as his popular ''[[Doctor Who]]'' story "The Robots Of Death". It could have happened earlier and with a much higher profile, as Tom Baker and some of the actors from ''Blake's'' wanted to do a crossover story, and Terry Nation originally wanted {{spoiler|the alien invasion at the end of S2 to be the Daleks from ''[[Doctor Who]]''}}.

* [[Canon Welding]] - Chris Boucher's spin-off works have suggested that the show takes place in the same time period and spatial area as his popular ''[[Doctor Who]]'' story "[[Doctor Who/Recap/S14/E05 The Robots of Death|The Robots of Death]]". It could have happened earlier and with a much higher profile, as [[Tom Baker]] and some of the actors from ''Blake's'' wanted to do a crossover story, and Terry Nation originally wanted {{spoiler|the alien invasion at the end of S2 to be the Daleks from ''[[Doctor Who]]''}}.

** [[What Could Have Been|Which would have been]] ''awesome''.

** [[What Could Have Been|Which would have been ''awesome''.]]

* [[The Caper]]

* [[Chronic Hero Syndrome]] - Blake has a bad case; the cast's general exhaustion and frustration from mid-Season Two onward is a testament to it.

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