How odd. Sky One has greenlit two scripts for a new series of Blake's 7. Didn't see that coming – at least, not on Sky One.
What do you all think of that, then? Good idea? Bad idea? Don't care since it's Sky One? Don't care since it's Blake's 7? Don't care because they never could make up their mind about that apostrophe or not?
Subscribe to the daily news by RSS or email, or follow me on Twitter for breaking updates
April 24, 2008 | Reply
I'm trying to remember anything commissioned by Sky One that turned out to be any good.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Ooh yes. But can I love anyone as much as I loved Avon (Paul Darrow) aged 13???
Bring it on.
Didn't Sky One do The Hogfather? That was brilliant. Well, I thought so anyway.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
"Ooh yes. But can I love anyone as much as I loved Avon (Paul Darrow) aged 13???"
He was brilliant, wasn't he?
Sky One did do Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, which was rather good; they also co-funded the first two seasons of the new Battlestar Galactica, although that probably doesn't count.
As with all things in this indie age, it's the choice of production company and the budget that's probably going to be the biggest factor.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Ooh yes. But can I love anyone as much as I loved Avon (Paul Darrow) aged 13???
Woo and indeed hoo: brings back happy memories of me and my mother happily relishing Avon whilst dad (unsurprisingly) enjoyed Servalan ...
I'd like to welcome it back whole heartedly but as i dont have Sky it feels a little difficult.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Yes I have that problem too, Lisa. But I can have the excuse (as if needed) of buying the DVD for my offspring. As I have four that should keep me going through a whole series I should think...
I have very very fond memories of Blake's Seven/family evening watching and my dad being dead keen on Avon too. In fact we all loved his cynicism and decided in the end that Blake was a bit of a wuss.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Like Eccleston in the Prisoner remake from Sky One, I'll believe this when I see it.
Though I believe that Michael Keating is reprising his role as Vila for another of those not terribly good B7 audios that started coming out last year.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Blake was rubbish, although I did like the hints towards the end of series two that he'd become a bit fanatical and would kill of civilians if necessary. Personally, I can't think of a better time for a decent sci-fi show that would take an edgy look at the issues around terrorism. What's that? BSG already done that. I'll take a look.
And more convinced by this news than the Sky Prisoner news (although that is being filmed still, allegedly), since it's not a co-prod so doesn't rely on AMC, for example.
April 24, 2008 | Reply
Avon for the win. I don't care who commissioned it, I want more backwards-flying-ship action! ^_^
April 24, 2008 | Reply
And just looking at that picture again, Avon is just the only stylish one!
Rob, yes I remember Blake suddenly turning a bit nasty. As a kid that really bothered me as he was the hero but as a grown up I think you're right, they could do some nice edgy stuff.
Didn't everyone die at the end as well?
April 24, 2008 | Reply
"Didn't everyone die at the end as well?"
Ooh. Complicated question. Probably, but you don't see Avon get shot, there was at least one Blake clone out there, etc.
April 25, 2008 | Reply
Well, plenty of them got shot. But from a production point of view, only Blake's death was intended to be unambiguous, just in case there was a chance of another series.
April 25, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, old Gareth was dead against coming back which is why Blake's the only one who bleeds when he's shot. However, fans have pointed out to him that there's a clone of him made by the Clonemasters (?) during the second series so he could come back that way.
As for who would have returned, that was pretty much down to contract negotiations: if they didn't want to come back or they asked for too much money, they would have been mortally wounded; otherwise, they would have survived. Except the series didn't get renewed, of course.
April 25, 2008 | Reply
Ah yes, Rob, now I remember. Avon was smiling at the end wasn't he. The only thing I wasn't so keen on in Blake's 7 were the women (apart form Cally), who didn't seem up to much to me. But then Dr Who's companions of the same era were a bit of a letdown. I envy my daughters who have far better role models then I did!
April 25, 2008 | Reply
They were mostly rubbish, the Blake's 7 women (which is why the actresses kept quitting), with the exception of Soolin, I thought (she was the beginning of my FB obsession): the fastest gun in the west(ern spiral arm of the galaxy) and a nice line in sardonic humour.