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Post by elkawho on Aug 20, 2018 23:58:30 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. It took so many risks. It's title character being convicted of child molestation. A female pilot. A main character who is neither good nor bad, but way too 3 dimensional and nuanced for either of those labels. I mean, Avon actually punches a woman in the face! There are so many instances that I have seen already that make this show stand out. Terry Nation really was a genius. I mean, he liked things extremely grim, but boy was he good. I think many later shows were influenced by this one. And one of them that keeps popping up in my head is Firefly, of course without the western influences. But the outlaws trying to evade the evil central authority. Sure there's much about the shows that are different, but I keep coming back to that one. Any one else agree with me? How did this not make a splash over here in the US? Why is this not THE cult 1970's show that everyone talks about? So now I have to get back to my Blake binging. After I get done with the series I think I will end up giving BF even more of my money! Thank you charlesuirdhein for getting me started with these.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 21, 2018 0:26:21 GMT
Nice expression of views there.
Me, I think it was actually in response to Tin Dog Podcast going to cover Classic B7 that I tracked down and watched the TV show... that PLUS that knowledge that BF was already going to do more with the title.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2018 1:08:26 GMT
I found the Liberator crew, oddly enough, through school; a small coterie of teachers were enrapt by it. In hindsight, I think the revival of Doctor Who had brought a lot of them back to it. I was watching Farscape at the time -- a band of unlikely outlaws on the run from a totalitarian regime -- and they dropped it right in my lap without knowing. I learnt a lot about the show through one of my philosophy teachers. She was enough of a fan that she and her partner had teleport bracelets rather than engagement rings. I have a strong suspicion that the post-Gauda Prime fanzine tucked into the back of one of the classrooms was hers as well.
Everything a kid looking for another show with a serrated edge could have wanted. Grim in just the right places with characters you still nevertheless found yourself caring about, no matter how dark things got. It's always the show I come back to when I'm thinking about compelling... heroes? Protagonists, and the opposition they're up against. Amazing to think that Servalan was originally intended as just this one-off character given how much impact her presence would have on the show.
Its influence is absolutely everywhere in modern science fiction -- Firefly, Farscape, Doctor Who, Persons of Interest, Babylon 5 (JMS was a huge B7 fan)... For a lot of sci-fi writers I've met in person, it's to science fiction what Tolkien is to fantasy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2018 6:08:04 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. It took so many risks. It's title character being convicted of child molestation. A female pilot. A main character who is neither good nor bad, but way too 3 dimensional and nuanced for either of those labels. I mean, Avon actually punches a woman in the face! There are so many instances that I have seen already that make this show stand out. Terry Nation really was a genius. I mean, he liked things extremely grim, but boy was he good. I think many later shows were influenced by this one. And one of them that keeps popping up in my head is Firefly, of course without the western influences. But the outlaws trying to evade the evil central authority. Sure there's much about the shows that are different, but I keep coming back to that one. Any one else agree with me? How did this not make a splash over here in the US? Why is this not THE cult 1970's show that everyone talks about? So now I have to get back to my Blake binging. After I get done with the series I think I will end up giving BF even more of my money! Thank you charlesuirdhein for getting me started with these. I grew up with it and followed it from day 1. Definitely this show influenced Farscape. It had great actors in the roles and the finale to end finales. and its nice now for it to continue on audio
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Post by omega on Aug 21, 2018 9:11:19 GMT
I'm giving a shout out to the Spacefall podcast, which looks at each episode and how it contributes to the characters and the B7verse. They've just put out the episode for Breakdown from Series 1.
It's a show that wasn't afraid to take risks and tackle themes like drugs. Regardless of how good or bad the effects were (looking at you Brian the spider) the performances were never less than amazing, especially where actors like Paul Darrow, Gareth Thomas, Jacqueline Pearce and Michael Keating are concerned. Every season brings something new to the table.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 21, 2018 9:36:43 GMT
I was rather disappointed when the Down & Safe Podcast stalled out a the end of Series 2. Now I might have had some reservations about that 'cast, in that it seemed a bit overly vulgar at times, but really it was a good show and if they ever pick up and run with the show again, I will be there as a listener.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2018 10:16:39 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. It took so many risks. It's title character being convicted of child molestation. A female pilot. A main character who is neither good nor bad, but way too 3 dimensional and nuanced for either of those labels. I mean, Avon actually punches a woman in the face! There are so many instances that I have seen already that make this show stand out. Terry Nation really was a genius. I mean, he liked things extremely grim, but boy was he good. I think many later shows were influenced by this one. And one of them that keeps popping up in my head is Firefly, of course without the western influences. But the outlaws trying to evade the evil central authority. Sure there's much about the shows that are different, but I keep coming back to that one. Any one else agree with me? How did this not make a splash over here in the US? Why is this not THE cult 1970's show that everyone talks about? So now I have to get back to my Blake binging. After I get done with the series I think I will end up giving BF even more of my money! Thank you charlesuirdhein for getting me started with these. I love it when BF unearths hidden gems for people. Exactly the same thing happened for me regarding Dark Shadows. How could I have lived without it for so long?
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Post by omega on Aug 21, 2018 10:25:56 GMT
On the Breakdown episode of the Spacefall podcast they talk about how that's the episode where the show gave up on Gan. I've got an idea that could have given David Jackson a more prominent role.
So he's got the limiter in his head that blocks violent impulses, which are installed in psychopaths. What if Gan does like the T-800 in Judgement Day and learns to fight without casualties? One thread that could come of this is a sadistic side developing or being exposed, since he'd be getting adept in torture. He'd be a ticking time bomb or a potential liability for the crew of the Liberator. How would Avon handle the situation? Would he use it to his advantage or try terminate the threat? Blake's known to be short sighted when it comes to the Federation, I can see him using Gan's skills to extract information, rationalising it as they're not being killed, it's all right. It could lead to the crew staging an intervention and play a part in them losing trust in Blake.
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Post by number13 on Aug 21, 2018 10:26:36 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. Agree with every word Elka, B7 is brilliant and its influence spreads far and wide through other later series. 'Babylon 5' especially pulled off one trick that had me shouting 'NO' at the TV in the 90s just as I had done years before when B7 did it - but I can't tell you what it was, obviously!
As to why it isn't THE cult show from the 70s, well, in the UK it became 'fashionable' in later years to sneer at the studs-and-leather space fashions and big hair and maybe some of the later story arcs were less clear-cut than some would have liked?? And there is often a 'coldness' to characters and storylines quite unlike the 'end with a joke on the bridge' approach usual in ST.
I like this bleakness: they are fighting a powerful totalitarian state, happy episode endings shouldn't be expected and the ambiguity of character and outcomes add to the bleak realism and are part of the strength of the show for fans, definitely including me. (And the future can dress how it likes!)
Enjoy Terry Nation's second classic creation (I'm quite envious of someone watching it for the first time! ) and keep an eye on the writer credits in later series because as a 'Doctor Who' fan you will spot other familiar and excellent names, one of whom wrote my favourite, most edge-of-seat episode of all but I won't even say which that is!
I'm going to stop typing now because the self-restraint required to say anything useful without even the ghost of a spoiler or putting forward my own preferences for characters/stories is too much!
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Aug 21, 2018 10:38:58 GMT
Enjoy: I love the first season because it feels like a novel and it opens up an amazing universe of adventures filled with complex characters and situations. I love the other three seasons for variations on that reason.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Aug 21, 2018 10:52:48 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. there is often a 'coldness' to characters and storylines quite unlike the 'end with a joke on the bridge' approach usual in ST.
The one episode were they really try this in a major way is Children of Auron and it is one of the most cringeworthy moments in the whole of B7
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Post by omega on Aug 21, 2018 11:08:42 GMT
there is often a 'coldness' to characters and storylines quite unlike the 'end with a joke on the bridge' approach usual in ST.
The one episode were they really try this in a major way is Children of Auron and it is one of the most cringeworthy moments in the whole of B7 Breakdown is another one. All three of the guest cast, one of whom is a neurological expert, gets killed after an episode where Gan has terrorised everybody (had his hands around two other crew members at various points) and it ends with an "everybody laughs" moment. Arguably a possible dark mood killer is the rearrangement for the credits in series D, which is notably more upbeat considering how dark that season could get. It even happens at the end of Blake, which is the darkest ending in the whole show.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2018 11:35:07 GMT
[...] As to why it isn't THE cult show from the 70s, well, in the UK it became 'fashionable' in later years to sneer at the studs-and-leather space fashions and big hair and maybe some of the later story arcs were less clear-cut than some would have liked?? And there is often a 'coldness' to characters and storylines quite unlike the 'end with a joke on the bridge' approach usual in ST. But the ambiguity of character and outcomes add to the bleak realism and are part of the strength of the show for fans, definitely including me. (And the future can dress how it likes!) Enjoy Terry Nation's second classic creation (I'm quite envious of someone watching it for the first time! ) and keep an eye on the writer credits in later series because as a 'Doctor Who' fan you will spot other familiar and excellent names, one of whom wrote my favourite, most edge-of-seat episode of all but I won't even say which that is! I'm going to stop typing now because the self-restraint required to say anything useful without even the ghost of a spoiler or putting forward my own preferences for characters/stories is too much! Future fantasy fashion ain't got nothing on what contemporary real fashion could put out (and frequently did). The punk chic was part of the appeal for me personally. I like futures that look well-worn and the show accomplished that in spades. It reminds me a bit of Bodie and Doyle skulking about late-seventies inner London in The Professionals. You get the impression these places have seen some seriously hard times. The thing I always found with the series is that it's got a sense of humour, but true to its setting, it leans very heavily into the gallows. Being as vague as possible, there's blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment from a later episode where a Federation trooper gets thrown out into the corridor and blown away by his commanding officer. Avon's response is a curt: "Nice shot." I'm sealing my lips too now. It's a rollercoaster of a ride. You're in for a real treat, elka.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
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Post by lidar2 on Aug 21, 2018 12:27:25 GMT
Ok folks, I had never heard of Blake's 7 until I discovered BF. The range was always from that show I never saw and knew nothing about. As the years have gone by I figured that I would get to it eventually. Eventually is now, and God is it good!! I'm 8 episodes into the first season, and I can't believe how before it's time it was. 'Babylon 5' especially pulled off one trick that had me shouting 'NO' at the TV in the 90s just as I had done years before when B7 did it - but I can't tell you what it was, obviously!
which bit was that? can you put in spoiler tags
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Post by Ela on Aug 21, 2018 13:59:14 GMT
I was rather disappointed when the Down & Safe Podcast stalled out a the end of Series 2. Now I might have had some reservations about that 'cast, in that it seemed a bit overly vulgar at times, but really it was a good show and if they ever pick up and run with the show again, I will be there as a listener. Agreed. I really enjoyed listening to that podcast.
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Post by Ela on Aug 21, 2018 14:04:58 GMT
Also, our own TinDogPodcast had some nice “Summer of Blake’s 7” episodes for two summers in a row. 2016 and 2017, if I recall correctly.
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Post by barnabaslives on Aug 21, 2018 15:07:11 GMT
As to why it isn't THE cult show from the 70s, well, in the UK it became 'fashionable' in later years to sneer at the studs-and-leather space fashions and big hair and maybe some of the later story arcs were less clear-cut than some would have liked?? And there is often a 'coldness' to characters and storylines quite unlike the 'end with a joke on the bridge' approach usual in ST. I like this bleakness: they are fighting a powerful totalitarian state, happy episode endings shouldn't be expected and the ambiguity of character and outcomes add to the bleak realism and are part of the strength of the show for fans, definitely including me. (And the future can dress how it likes!) I agree, dress sense is hardly a fair criticism - I think most if not all sci-fi must be utterly apocalyptic when it comes to predicting future fashion anyway? ("We'll all wear shiny pants and noodle strainers on our heads...") I think I could see budgetary constraints having some impact on people's opinions of the show, although that's really not a fair criticism either, since like several other favorite shows of mine (Dark Shadows, Doctor Who) I thought the show was commendably resourceful and always gave me the sense that whatever needed to happen could happen even if it didn't turn out looking like it cost a million dollars. I agree it's a great strength of the show to be realistically bleak - or at least most of the way up to a point, because I think the greatest strength of Blake's 7 is to me the strength of the characterization and the performances, and these characters really grew on me quickly. Most of the crew made such an impression on me that I ended up thinking they were much less expendable than the show might think they were at any minute. Back in the 70s I got quite miffed if I thought I'd seen the last of any of them. I think I eventually lost interest in the show over that, although it's another testament to B7's quality that I probably made it through most of the series before that happened, in spite of my growing dissatisfaction with departing cast. I'd have stuck with it to the very end if I'd appreciated Paul Darrow more back then, chalk that up to the folly of youth I guess? - thankfully it's quite obvious now just how immensely talented he is, and how integral to the series. Picture this, Darrow is running about with a plexiglass box haphazardly stuffed with Christmas tree lights and telling everyone it's a supercomputer, and somehow I'm buying every second of it! :-) Now THAT is an actor!! - and by the time a special effects budged deficit just serves as a backdrop for the brilliance of the cast like that, it's pretty much a show that do no wrong in my book. Big Finish B7 really is a perfect fit for the way I relate to the show, since their thing is generally bringing back cast rather than dispatching them, and the only other complaint I ever developed about the series was that for some unknown reason, as a teen I was adamant that Gan should have been spelled with two "n"s like "McGann" (go figure). Must be a fantastic series indeed if that's what I can come up with for criticisms. I'm really glad you're enjoying the series, Elka. If I'd known you were missing out, I'd have highly recommended it. It's great, is the wealth of excellent stories Big Finish has added to it. Best thing I ever bought myself for Christmas from Big Finish has to be my first B7 purchase (and the six or seven more B7 purchases that seemed to follow in rapid succession...) :-)
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Post by elkawho on Aug 21, 2018 15:57:25 GMT
I actually think they do pretty well with the costuming. Jenna and Cally wear clothes that are certainly feminine but at the same time utilitarian. They are not in skimpy miniskirts, or low cut, cleavage showing tops. What is especially nice is that they wear shoes that they can actually work in!
And now I know why everyone loves Paul Darrow. I think all the cast members are terrific, however he is really exceptional in this. He gives such a nuanced performance. He tries, and even wants to be selfish, but there's always something that makes that impossible for him.
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Post by elkawho on Aug 21, 2018 15:58:20 GMT
The one episode were they really try this in a major way is Children of Auron and it is one of the most cringeworthy moments in the whole of B7 Breakdown is another one. All three of the guest cast, one of whom is a neurological expert, gets killed after an episode where Gan has terrorised everybody (had his hands around two other crew members at various points) and it ends with an "everybody laughs" moment. Arguably a possible dark mood killer is the rearrangement for the credits in series D, which is notably more upbeat considering how dark that season could get. It even happens at the end of Blake, which is the darkest ending in the whole show. I just finished Breakdown. Yeah, that ending laugh is really awkward given what just happened.
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Post by glutamodo on Aug 21, 2018 17:22:46 GMT
And now I know why everyone loves Paul Darrow. I think all the cast members are terrific, however he is really exceptional in this. He gives such a nuanced performance. He tries, and even wants to be selfish, but there's always something that makes that impossible for him. I know, if anything, this series was more about Avon than Blake. Maybe it's because I have a love of snark, and Darrow delvers this in spades.
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