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Blake's 7 was one of those shows from back in the day where either you liked
it or you didn't, there was very little inbetween. Terry Nation who created
the Daleks on cult favourite Dr. Who, was the brain behind Blake's and for
those familiar with the good doctor, you will note that whilst their own
beasts, you can't help but be reminded of the other whilst viewing one of the
shows.
We're in a bleak future in this series and the government is an oppressive
machine that downtrods it's citizenry and exiles those who rebel or speak
against it. Our hero of the series Roj Blake is captured and brainwashed after
staging a resistance and scheduled to be exiled. Gathering some mates around
him he of course escapes and makes his way to the underground resistance
movement. That is where this series really finds it's legs and makes for an
enjoyable view.
One of the things that you will have to get used to is that like Dr. Who, this
takes itself pretty serious and there are moments that I just had to laugh at
the pomposity of it all. The sets are a bit on the lame side and hastily put
together and it all feels a bit fake. This doesn't matter too much nor does it
get in the way. The season is a great 5 disc boxed set and looks great in it's
presentation.
Episodes: The Way Back, Space Fall, Cygnus Alpha, Time Squad, The Web,
Seek-Locate-Destroy, Mission To Destiny, Duel, Project Avalon, Breakdown,
Bounty, Deliverance and Orac.
One thing that I liked especially
about this tale was that it had a dirty feel to it. This wasn't like Star Wars
or Star Trek where all heroes were heroes and the bad guys essentially wore
black (except for Stormtroopers who wore white....). Blake's 7 characters
could twist and turn with the wind and allegiances be thrown out the window if
there was something that was more appealing than loyalty to a friend. It was a
new concept at a time where Star Wars wasn't so far out the gate that punters
would be drawing comparisons. Mix that in with a Pommy sense of humour and you
are onto a winner.
My final words on this is that
it's definitely worth
getting and watching, also I do hope that Roadshow release all the other
seasons in the series. Great Stuff!
Looking good, this show
is presented in 4:3 which is understandable as it was filmed for TV many moons
ago. Picture is nice and clear and overall pleasing to look at.
Audio is clear and concise,
however won't have you jumping all over the place. It was originally recorded
in mono but was updated to Dolby Digital. Subtitles are in English but
although brilliantly accurate are not the easiest to read..
Packed for the fans, I
especially enjoyed the 3 audio commentaries that were placed on the disc as
they are full of insightful and informative chat. There is also a trailer for
series 2 which I cannot wait to check out. You will also find yourself
chuckling at the blooper reel!
Out-Takes
Blue Peter Feature (7:53)
Trailer for Series 2 (2:34) I
Character Introductions
Episode Synopses A few paragraphs about each episode
Commentary tracks on 3 episodes
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