PHWOORGH! Avon still looks good in leather.... (Blake's 7)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Blake's 7
Date:	06/05/02 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic Sci- Fi

Disadvantages: More low budget than Star Trek

.....or, alternatively titled; my A to Z of Blake's 7; another one of my favourite Sci-fi series.

~~~A is for Avon:

My favourite anti-hero! Dressed in black leather and constantly to be found with a sardonic smile on his face, Avon was my fantasy when I was a girl!

~~~B is for Blake:

The hero of the piece! Convicted of a crime that he didn't commit, Blake is sent on a prison ship. It is here that he meets up with Avon, Jenna, Gan and Vila, and the series begins!

~~~C is for Cally:

Cally is a telepath from the planet Auron. She often gets the crew into trouble because her mind is taken over by hostile alien forces. Cally is unfortunately killed is an explosion....I was quite upset at the time, because it isn't often that main characters are killed off (and I'd only just got over Gan dying!)


~~~D is for Death:

A lot of this happens in Blake's 7...and not just to the baddies!

~~~E is for Ensor:

This genius created Orac and for that he is worthy of a place in my A to Z....also, I was struggling for an E.

~~~F is for The Federation:

The ruling force in the galaxy! It is the Federation who are constantly searching and fighting with Blake and his band. As an organisation it is corrupt and deeply evil....a big contrast to Blake's inherent goodness and selflessness.

~~~G is for Gan:

Gan is a gentle giant who has incredible strength. He has a device called a limiter implanted in his head to stop him killing anything. It was a real shame when Gan was killed off, but his character was never really given anything interesting or taxing to do, so I can understand it now; I was heartbroken as a child!

~~~H is for Humanoids:

It always amazes me that the majority of alien races have a humanoid form. Strange how most of them speak perfect "newsreader's" English too. Blake's 7 was q
uite good for introducing some interesting aliens, but a lot of humans in quarries (a la Dr Who) crept in also!

~~~I is for Intelligent Life:

Blake and his band come across many different forms of intelligent and not so intelligent life on their travels through Space. They could rival Star Trek for the amount of "First Contacts" they make!

~~~J is for Jenna:

The reason most dads let their kids watch Blake's 7; they had to supervise the young viewers, so they just HAD to watch blond, beautiful Jenna! She spoiled it for me when she went on to play Joe Sugden's wife in Emmerdale.

~~~K is for Killing:

Think guns, think battles and you think of Blake's 7. I lost count of the number of deaths that occurred each episode. Mary Whitehouse probably thought it was awful, but I'm sure it didn't do me any harm!

~~~L is for The Liberator:

A futuristic, hi-tech space ship, that the characters find floating "dead" in space. Designed by "The System", the Liberator was found by the crew of the penal ship London drifting in space after an apparent battle with an unknown enemy. The Liberator can outrun and outgun most Federation ships, giving the crew a big advantage. This advantage is lost when the ship is destroyed.

~~~M is for Mutoids:

Former human beings, mutoids have been modified by the Federation as a reliable, and more importantly expendable, alternative to employing normal soldiers. The mutoids are Vampire-like killing machines that do not tire and can kill on command - NICE!

~~~N is for No Surrender!:

A bit of a tenuous link this one I'm afraid. Blake vowed never to surrender his principles and always maintained his innocence of the crimes he was accused of. The characters also never surrender to the evil leaders of the Federation.

~~~O is for Orac:

A super computer, unfortunately rese
mbling a see-through plastic box! Looked a bit ropey, was often a bit dinted, but had a brilliant brain. Orac, who had inherited the ego of his creator, was often responsible for getting the crew into danger, but he was more often the one who saved them!

~~~P is for Plastic Cups:

No, I haven't lost it completely. If you watch the series you will see what I mean?.the future is a time when technology is advanced beyond our wildest dreams, but drinks still come in white plastic cups. The only concession to the future is that they have a piece of silver tape around the rim!

~~~Q is for Quarries:

It wouldn't be a British Sci-fi series if it hadn't been filmed in a quarry! Need I say more?!

~~~R is for Resistance:

Blake was "set up" by the Federation because he was associated with the Resistance on Earth. Anyone known to be a part of the Resistance is either killed or mysteriously disappears. Blake was a well known figure, so he had to be discredited and removed.

~~~S is for Servalan:

A strong and ruthless female commander, Servalan is one of Blake's biggest enemies. She became a bit of a gay icon; renowned for her amazing dress sense. Who else could command an elite fighting force wearing a white evening gown and a pair of stilettos?

~~~T is for Travis:

Blake's nemesis! Travis will not rest until he has killed Blake; his single-mindedness often outweighs his sense of danger. Travis would rather die trying to kill Blake than leave his enemy alive.

~~~U is for UK Gold:

The place to be on a Saturday and Sunday morning; the only channel to catch Blake's 7 on UK TV at the moment.

~~~V is for Vila:

Another of my favourite original cast member; Vila is a likeable rogue. He has a talent for lock picking and is an excellent thief. Vila actually has quite a sharp mind and a wicked sense of humour, but he hides
his intelligence well behind his fear!

~~~W is for Weapons:

The BBC Special Effects Department had a field day creating all manner of guns and big boomy things! They also made great merchandise too; I had a great Blake's 7 gun that fired ping pong balls....childhood memories and black eyes were wonderful things?!

~~~X is for:

....oh, well I couldn?t actually think of anything beginning with "X"! So X is for the X-rated (?) scenes between Avon and Servalan. Nothing really happened apart from some kisses and innuendo, but as a child it was pretty steamy stuff for me!

~~~Y is for Youth:

This is what Blake's 7 is for me; a reminder of my youth! Saturday tea-time, sitting in front of the television, watching Blake's 7; a wonderful bit of escapism and a great Sci-fi show!

~~~Z is for Zen:

Zen, the ship's super-computer, is the seventh member of the crew. He (I always think of him as real) controlled the Liberator and helped the crew make sense of the technology that they came up against. When the Liberator was destroyed, Zen was lost too...a real shame and a very hard to replace character.

So, there you have it; a simple and VERY basic run-down on a classic programme. I hope that you now know a little bit about this wonderful series and that it may help you understand it a little more. Check it out and enjoy!

For further information lots of fan sites are available. Some of these are listed below:


http://www.blakes7.com/

http://www.blakes-7.co.uk/

http://www.horizon.org.uk/

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