The Blakes 7 Thread.

[Andra Jai]

The dvds could really use a new release

The packaging to being with was crap and no matter how much you try to look after them are easily damaged or pick up wear.

Extras are not great the odd episode commentary and some out takes but no full on documentary or modern cast interviews.

Finally I think the whole set could use some decent remastering and damage restoration to get the best possible transfers.

Considering the following the series has it must be long overdue for a definitive release.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by sam tyler

The dvds could really use a new release

The packaging to being with was crap and no matter how much you try to look after them are easily damaged or pick up wear.

Extras are not great the odd episode commentary and some out takes but no full on documentary or modern cast interviews.

Finally I think the whole set could use some decent remastering and damage restoration to get the best possible transfers.

Considering the following the series has it must be long overdue for a definitive release.

It would be good if the Doctor Who restoration team got their hands on them.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Episode 10

Breakdown

By Terry Nation

Gan's limiter is malfunctioning, he begins attacking crew members, once he is sedated it becomes apparent he will die if the limiter is not fixed and soon.

The crew decide to take him to the neutral space laboratory XK-72, a medical centre in space.

However their course to the lab takes the Liberator through some hazardous areas of space and Zen refuses to fly the ship through them meaning Jenna, the crews only pilot will have to take on the task. She fly's them through a perilous vortex using manual controls to the space station where a warm welcome is by no means assured.

.......................

Finally Gan gets to be the star of an episode rather than just being muscle for hire or standing in the back of scenes. Its just a shame it involves him beating up the rest of the crew then lying down for the remainder of the story.

The opening thirty minutes is a tense Liberator based scenario as the crew air their grievances with one another and show that although they fight together and watch each others backs they aren't all the best of friends.

Julian Glover makes a welcome appearance in the second half of the episode as a mercurial surgeon who turns out to be a partial psychopath and in the end a traitor who deserves his explosive fate.

Following two cracking episodes in Duel and Project Avalon it would have been expected that Breakdown would have been a lesser story but thanks to a tight script and some excellent performances all round it ends up a tense gripping piece of drama.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Episode 11

Bounty

By Terry Nation

Blake and Jenna teleport down to an ancient mansion guarded by the Federation looking for Sarkoff, former president of the planet Lindor. Blake wants to persuade him to return to Lindor and re-unite his people before the Federation sends in a "peace keeping force".

Meanwhile the Liberator has been taken over by Amagon pirates who plan to sell it and the rest of the captured crew to the Federation for a huge profit.

Sarkoff and his daughter Tyce agree to return to Lindor so Blake and Jenna plot a daring escape out of the clutches of the Federation garrison guarding Sarkoff. Unfortunately things don't go to plan as the four of them are also captured by the Amagon pirates as they board the Liberator.

...............................

Quite a strange anacronistic episode opening depicting Federation guards patrolling the woods surrounding a medieval fortress, with vintage roadsters trundling along country roads. The story is quite action packed with combat scenes aplenty.

Veteran actor TP Mckenna stars as Sarkoff and his daughter Tyce is played by the lovely Carinthia West, both add extra flourishes to the story.

The story starts to flag a little during the second half and the introduction of the space pirates, all of whom look like they were extras in Lawrence of Arabia, however it never becomes boring but can't compete with the opening half hour.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Episode 12

Deliverance

By Terry Nation

A small space craft loses control over the planet Cephlon, the two man crew escape from the craft in life pods and crash land on the surface. The Liberator detects the pods and the crew mount a rescue mission. Unfortunately one of the men is dead. The other, Ensor, is badly injured.

On returning to the Liberator they find out Jenna is still on the surface of Cephlon so the crew mount another mission to find her and bring her back.

Meanwhile they find out Ensor is carrying power cells that his father, on the planet Aristo, needs to stay alive, as well as a message from the Federation - They are willing to pay one hundred million credits for something called Orac.

.....................

Aside from the main story arc of discovering the wherabouts of Orac, Deliverance has some great comedy moments on the planet Cephlon where the beautiful Meegat waits for Deliverance and assumes Avon is the lord she has been waiting for.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Vila suggests as Meegat kneels at Avon's feet.
"Probably." quips Avon in his deadpan way.

Paul Darrow and Susan Farmer are excellent in this story as Avon and Meegat, with Darrow clearly having fun in his newly acquired status of lordship.

Tony Caunter guest stars in this episode as Ensor, Caunter is probably best known to todays viewers for playing Roy Evans in Eastenders for nine years.
Yet another strong episode with three stories playing out in the fifty minute running time - Helping the injured Ensor, rescuing Jenna from the tribe of savages and the launching and deliverance of Meegat's rocket ship.

[VicDakin]

The PQ seems pretty good from these grabs Dems,I take it looks ok for its age?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The quality is fine really. Some scenes, indoor mainly look better than the outdoor shots, but thats due to different film stocks used.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Episode 13

Orac

By Terry Nation

Picking up where the previous episode finished, Blake promises the dying Ensor that he will go to Aristo with the power cells to save his father's life. The crew are also curious, especially Avon about Orac, what it is, and why the Federation are willing to pay such a huge amount for it.

Jenna, Gan , Avon and Vila become sick with radiation sickness which they picked up whilst on the surface of Cephlon and they hope Ensor's fathe rwill have the drugs they need as they are quite common.

Unbeknown to Blake, Servalan and Travis are also enroute to Aristo, determined to find Ensor and steal Orac for the Federation without paying.

The race is on, who will get to Orac first Servalan or Blake?

..........................

The story that finally introduces Orac, the super computer in a fishtank. Orac proves his worth to the crew by taking over the ships computer Zen and showing a premonition of the Liberator sometime in the future blowing up. Together with its grumpy voice and attitude one feels it will be a lovely bundle of joy in the second series. For this episode only Orac is voiced by Derek Farr who played his creator Ensor in the story. For the rest of the series he would be voiced by Peter Tuddenham who also voices Zen.

The planet Aristo is painted as a dark inhospitable world due to some excellent on location photography with its caves full of ghastly creatures, one of which attacks Servalan, but is best left largely unseen as are many of the monsters / creatures in the show.

Its a shame that Orac isn't the greatest episode in the first series given its build up, and the really strong episodes the precede it. It is merely ok until the final ten minutes and the beach showdown between Blake and Travis.

Stephen Grief who played the aforementioned Travis was laid low by a snapped achilles tendon and all the studio bound shots of him are purely of his feet and legs and played by another actor with Grief dubbing the scenes afterwards.

[mr 420]

Fantastic stuff Demi! This is turning into one of my favourite threads on the site.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by mr 420

Fantastic stuff Demi! This is turning into one of my favourite threads on the site.

Thank you for the kind words mr 420 much appreciated.