|
|
Post by mark687 on Feb 11, 2022 10:18:35 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Feb 11, 2022 10:19:17 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on Feb 11, 2022 13:55:50 GMT
Good for Big Finish for doing the seemingly impossible, and keeping the B7 fires burning when some of the bigger names are no longer with us. I really want to hear more from Avalon; she seems the closest character to Blake without being Blake - but I'm certainly happy to hear more from Jenna and Cally. Trevor Baxendale too. He has a real feel for B7. The character of Shrinker sounds very promising especially. This'll be a pre-order then, as soon as my bank balance has recovered from the rise in my monthly electric bill payments.
Oh and is the Dorian character in the central story the same one from Rescue? Sadly the original, excellent actor is no longer with us, but I'd be very pleased for a return for Dorian, just as long as he brings that lonely Sea Devil with him.
|
|
|
|
Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Mar 4, 2022 11:51:02 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Apr 27, 2022 20:31:09 GMT
Delayed till May.  |
|
|
|
Post by mark687 on Apr 29, 2022 23:19:33 GMT
Trailer Online
Regards
mark687
|
|
|
|
Post by Alastair on Apr 30, 2022 15:26:58 GMT
Big Finish have such a tricky task with this series right now. I have enormous respect for what they’ve pulled off so far, and I fully accept there are commercial, practical and creative considerations I’m not privy to.
That said: the announcement of this set made me a little uneasy about the current direction. Bringing back so many one-off villains at once makes the universe feel progressively smaller at a time it’s begging for more expansion a la Avalon (a fantastic series I can’t wait to hear more of).
The last trio of Worlds releases did walk the line very well — and the writers are great! — so I’ll be curious to see the reactions on this one. I just can’t shake the feeling I’d be more excited if the hook were simply “Jenna and Cally having fun adventures as a duo”.
|
|
|
|
Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on May 12, 2022 8:26:48 GMT
Out now
 |
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on May 12, 2022 9:38:17 GMT
Out now
Great news - but I've only just cracked open the War Doctor set! |
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on May 12, 2022 13:42:34 GMT
Just to say - there's a bonus music suite to download with this if you fancy it.
|
|
lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,647 
|
Post by lidar2 on May 24, 2022 14:46:38 GMT
Hurry up please BF and send out the physical CDs so I can listen to this
|
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on May 28, 2022 11:48:39 GMT
01 - The Amagon Queen.
Trevor Baxendale rarely lets you down, especially when it comes to Blake's 7, and this wittily titled tale is no exception. My favourite strand of this story is that featuring the character of Fion, and a backstory for the Mutoids, which is so good, I'm surprised it hasn't been done before - in fact, I still think it could be explored further. Rather like Terry Nation's other hybrid creations, The Robomen, there's much morbid mileage to be had. My only issue with this, and it's an unfortunate one, is that the characters of Jenna and Cally aren't that interesting when on their own. They're likeable enough (for alleged terrorists!) and very capable, but they lack the acerbic wit of Avon or Tarrant, or the deceptively shallow Vila, or even the silly pomposity of Orac. As such, the old phrase 'the villains get the best lines' is probably true.
A good start to this latest B7 spin-off - another range that doesn't seem to be talked about enough. The latest variation on the theme is a nice one, but I can't help but wish they'd stuck with the same version for all the B7 spin-offs.
|
|
|
|
Post by IndieMacUser on May 28, 2022 14:06:36 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on Jun 2, 2022 13:48:00 GMT
2. The Deal with Dorian by Mark B Oliver.
Rescue remains a favourite televised Blake's 7 story for me, one of the highlights of the excellent Series 4. It's true to say that Matthew Gravelle is an excellent recast for the late Geoffrey Burridge, who was so good as Dorian; both actors command a certain swagger, arrogance, charm and vampiric dangerousness and these qualities are put to good use in this story. Basically an intriguing runaround set in the unscrupulous world of smuggling, Jenna and Cally are given lots to do, much more than they did on television, and it's always good to hear Alistair Lock's excellent Zen and Orac. On the evidence of this, I'd like to see more returns for Dorian should this range continue, and more exploration of his darker side. He has the capacity to be so much more than just another tool of the federation - in fact, since events in Star One, he could be the nearest thing to a returning maverick villain since dear old Travis.
|
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on Jun 15, 2022 19:49:14 GMT
3. Everyone Talks to Shrinker by Andrew Smith.
This rounds off a solid Blake's 7 spin-off set. I stand by my earlier feelings that Cally and Jenna suffer a little as characters without their often more interesting crew-mates. Having said that - and I don't enjoy being negative about this series - Andrew Smith gives them both an enjoyably ruthless streak here. Even the normally placid Cally takes delight in some aspects of the story, whilst expressing justified horror in the face of others. Jenna, though, and her relationship with the excellent Shrinker, is terrifically brutal - she demonstrated some of this in the anniversary story The Way Ahead, specifically her tremendous physical fight with Travis, and it's taken to another level with this. Good use is made of the Mutoids here, and there are some terrific conversations between Jenna and Shrinker about the way thery both go about things.
If there are any more spin-offs (and I hope there are), I have two requests - more of this Stannis nastiness, and also, could we stick with just one version of the theme music? The version used here is nice and moody but lacks punch, so much so that the climactic scene fizzles out when it could have benefitted from a good strong theme tune kicking in.
I didn't love these stories, but I liked them enough that I look forward to hearing them again. The three returning villains are great fun and I'm glad BF revisited them.
|
|
lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,647
|
Post by lidar2 on Aug 15, 2022 10:01:24 GMT
Now that the CDs are out, I finally listened to this one. Really good, enjoyed all 3 stories. Good solid Blakes 7. No real criticismas to make. Blakes 7 at BF is in very safe hangs with Peter Anghelides, I feel he has a better understanding of the series than its 2 previous stewards, John Ainsworth and Cavan Scott - not that either of those 2 were bad, Anghelides just seems to "get" it a bit more. Anghelides has not done that much for BF before, whenever I have listened to any of his stuff before I am always thinking, "Why don't BF get him to write more?", so I am pleased that now he is.
Re the theme music, these episodes in this latest box set are more like missing adventures for the Liberator crew than Worlds of B7, so the TV theme is conspicuous by its absence.
|
|
lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,647
|
Post by lidar2 on Aug 15, 2022 10:05:49 GMT
01 - The Amagon Queen.
Trevor Baxendale rarely lets you down, especially when it comes to Blake's 7, and this wittily titled tale is no exception. My favourite strand of this story is that featuring the character of Fion, and a backstory for the Mutoids, which is so good, I'm surprised it hasn't been done before - in fact, I still think it could be explored further. Rather like Terry Nation's other hybrid creations, The Robomen, there's much morbid mileage to be had. My only issue with this, and it's an unfortunate one, is that the characters of Jenna and Cally aren't that interesting when on their own. They're likeable enough (for alleged terrorists!) and very capable, but they lack the acerbic wit of Avon or Tarrant, or the deceptively shallow Vila, or even the silly pomposity of Orac. As such, the old phrase 'the villains get the best lines' is probably true.
A good start to this latest B7 spin-off - another range that doesn't seem to be talked about enough. The latest variation on the theme is a nice one, but I can't help but wish they'd stuck with the same version for all the B7 spin-offs.
I think there is more mileage to be had in giving a more prominent role to these 2 characters who were underused on TV, but it needs to be balanced out by more Vila/Tarrant/Dayna as well (assuming actors available, etc). The Jenna and Cally show will become tiresome after a while - I think there is still a bit more road for them to travel before we reach that point, but we will reach it. |
|
|
|
Post by bonehead on Aug 15, 2022 11:23:44 GMT
01 - The Amagon Queen.
Trevor Baxendale rarely lets you down, especially when it comes to Blake's 7, and this wittily titled tale is no exception. My favourite strand of this story is that featuring the character of Fion, and a backstory for the Mutoids, which is so good, I'm surprised it hasn't been done before - in fact, I still think it could be explored further. Rather like Terry Nation's other hybrid creations, The Robomen, there's much morbid mileage to be had. My only issue with this, and it's an unfortunate one, is that the characters of Jenna and Cally aren't that interesting when on their own. They're likeable enough (for alleged terrorists!) and very capable, but they lack the acerbic wit of Avon or Tarrant, or the deceptively shallow Vila, or even the silly pomposity of Orac. As such, the old phrase 'the villains get the best lines' is probably true.
A good start to this latest B7 spin-off - another range that doesn't seem to be talked about enough. The latest variation on the theme is a nice one, but I can't help but wish they'd stuck with the same version for all the B7 spin-offs.
I think there is more mileage to be had in giving a more prominent role to these 2 characters who were underused on TV, but it needs to be balanced out by more Vila/Tarrant/Dayna as well (assuming actors available, etc). The Jenna and Cally show will become tiresome after a while - I think there is still a bit more road for them to travel before we reach that point, but we will reach it. The continuing adventures of Cally and Jenna would be fine if it was mixed with releases featuring other characters. There are plenty to choose from, and as the Avalon sets proved, good things can be done with lesser known characters. |
|
