Blake's 7 (S1 1-7)

[thisbluespirit]

velvetfascism told me to go watch Blake's 7 and after some experimentation with VHS copies found in charity shops (some which were more cut up than you would believe), I gave in and used my b'day money to buy S1 & 2 on DVD.

I have to say I am loving it so far. The abridged versions felt like a string of Terry Nation cliches, but the full length episodes have much more going on. I suppose that shouldn't be a shock. Being a long-term DW fan, I can't help trying to guess which bits are Terry Nation and which bits might have been added by script editor Chris Boucher. (I've more or less given up that game now, although I do recognise a TN cliche when I see one. And: "You're so scared your brains have curdled!" has to be CB, surely.)

I mean, the only real flaw is special effects and I've moved from DW S15 to this. There's nothing to make me so much as blink. :lol: Well, except for my amusement that Blake will insist on taking his cool box everywhere. It does make some episodes look as though they intend one of those inappropriate picnics (the ones where it's raining and you're lost and someone's forgotten the sandwiches, but you're still going to have the picnic and enjoy it, or else). And a couple silly bits (but literally only 2) one being Blake's inability to count his crew (I'm sorry: how long does it take to spot one of your five crewmates is missing?) and his being so laid back he doesn't think to open boxes containing important items. But to be honest, this only adds to the enjoyment.

And I'm astounded at what was left out of the abridged tape. You'd think the first meeting between Blake, Vila and Jenna would have been worth keeping in, wouldn't you? Well, now that explains how everyone else seemed to know everyone's names, except that Blake had to be introduced to Avon. (Who, btw, is possibly more snarky than any other TV character I've ever seen. It's very entertaining.)

And I know I may have been reading DWM too many years not to have heard some things about B7 (including possibly how it ended), but that does not mean I actually know and I do not, do not want to be spoilered. Spoiler me and I shall have to come after you and virtually kill you. In fan fic.

(Mind you, last time I offered to kill fellow members of a forum in sort of fan fic, they all lined up and gave me methods of dying, so maybe that doesn't work as a threat?)

And, oddly, despite my wish to avoid spoilers, I already want fan fic. I never really want fan fic, not like that. That comes as a sort of side-effect of writing. B7 I am already wanting some. And I can't safely, not for ages. *Sigh* Being a DW fan is so much easier!

Put more briefly, I'm afraid I love it already. Hopefully that won't change. And I'm hoping despite the things I think I know, I won't get my heart totally broken along the way.


There, that's the end of my reviews. You can see I temporarily abandoned the Key to Time. I really can't watch two 1978 BBC sf shows at once.

Comments

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I need to watch some Blake's 7 too; I've seen some episodes, quite some time ago, but it's one of those things you hear of all of the time, and I feel I should be more familiar with it. That, and the original version of Survivors, which is another Terry Nation product I have heard a lot about.

I've been watching some of the Key to Time myself, recently. Ribos Operation (which is my second favourite of that season after Androids of Tara), continues to hold up well, and I do, God help me, quite like The Pirate Planet, in spite of everything (apart from the ending, which, quite honestly, is a bit rubbish and doesn't make a whole lot of sense). "By the left frontal lobe of the Sky Demon!" I've just finished watching the first episode of Stones of Blood, and, well, Romana, you may be falling down a quarry/cliff face, but screaming like that does not become you! XD

[thisbluespirit]

It's Terry Nation tidied up by Chris Boucher, so TN cliches and CB snark (and even a Leela-ish character) all over the place. :-D I'm certainly enjoying it so far.

Plus, it has DW actors/directors (S2 has 'written by Terry Nation, Robert Holmes, Chris Boucher... on the back. Hmm.) and John Leeson just turned up in the last episode I watched. Taking a break from being K9 in KtoT, I presume. Nyder made a brief appearance, obviously having survived Genesis after all - oh, sorry, I mean Peter Miles playing a pretty similar character and that guy from Revenge of the Cybermen was still betraying people.

Key to Time is great. Androids is my favourite, too, followed by The Ribos OPeration and the Stones of Blood, but I like all of it. It has Romana I in - she never fails to be fabulous! Well, aside from when falling off the cliff face, but it is DW.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to check this out - you cannot have too much Nyder, or indeed Nyder-clones. Playing spot-the-actor is one of my favourite parts of watching old Doctor Who; some of them seem to just keep coming back over and over again (Philip Madoc out of The War Games was in quite a few Whos, wasn't he, most famously Brain of Morbius. He was also, incredibly, the U-boat captain in that episode of Dad's Army that always comes up on best comedy shows ever type programmes)...

I suppose falling down cliffs/spraining ankles etc. is an occupational hazard if you're one of the Doctor's companions, but you're more likely to sprain your ankle if you go wandering around the countryside in shoes like that! :-D

[thisbluespirit]

Heh. Oh, you'll get pleasure out of B7 for that alone then. (Just watched another episode and I can now add Julian Glover to the tally). And it was produced by David Maloney. :-) (And for TN cliches, we've already had plenty of radiation-related things, planets devastated by a great war, deadly viruses, fungoid attacks, mutoids, flesh-eating plant-life, android doubles, the traitor who's a pretty girl (!),and barring actual Daleks, I'm not sure what's left and I've not even finished S1. :lol: With snarkiness a la Robots of Death in between times. (Another has-to-be CB line is Blake's response to Avon when he claims Blake's 'stupidity [is] beyond his ability to comprehend': "Now you're just being modest!")

What more can a DW fan ask for? Heh. I swear even some of the sets are familiar. (Corridors retrieved from Face of Evil, an administrator in Ep 1 seems to have Poul's sofa from Robots...)

And our heroes carry a cool box everywhere.

[thisbluespirit]

...And now they're all dying of radiation sickness and there are nasty squiggly things in the only tunnel through to the impenetrable base.

Hah. Just watched an episode written,/i> by CB. It felt so odd. Where are the cliches? There's, like, ideas in this one!!! What is the world coming to? (I cannot wait to see what Robert Holmes does with this lot.) :lol:

Erm. Sorry. Bouncy new fandom... (The rocks are very bouncy, so is the scenery.) ;-D

[thisbluespirit]

Indeed.

Heh. I can't imagine how they'd do a remake, because surely it would have to kind of be a different story altogether?

I'm in the middle of rewatching Duel. My mushed up tapes - the first one had 4 eps on, the second actually only had two (Missing out The Web and Mission to Destiny altogether), so they're a little less pared down, although there are still bits missing even so!

Argh. Angst? *hides and wimpers*

:lol:

[thisbluespirit]

I meant to say, yes, it is an intriguing relationship. I am still not through S1, so I can't comment too much, but Avon impresses more and more as I go along. :-)

(Not sure about best character ever created. I mean after the Doctor, I'd have to say Ruth Evershed. :lol: Even snarkiness can't compete with Ruthiness. And Ruth/Harryness and all that. Maybe by the time I'm on S2, I'll join you.)

[ravenskyewalker.livejournal.com]

Yay, I loved B7! I first saw it in 1985 and was passionate for a few years.

In the words of Terry Nation in a TV interview: because they had little budget, the effects often consisted of shaking the scenery, so they focused on characterization. Yes, Avon is extremely snarky, and it's rather glorious.

Unfortunately, Paul Darrow (Avon's actor) became a complete pain in the ass -- I shouldn't even get into how he went crazy on a certain group of fans (the adult fanfic writers) and his adoring hangers-on in fandom persecuted them accordingly. It's an old (1989 or so), nasty story, and it proves that fandom always wants an enemy and a good witch-hunt.

I saw Darrow at a convention in 1995, and he only reinforced my bad opinion of him when he grabbed Sophie Aldred and kissed her against her will. It really wasn't cute, sorry...

that does not mean I actually know and I do not, do not want to be spoilered. Spoiler me and I shall have to come after you and virtually kill you. In fan fic.

Heh. Got it. Several years ago, I accidentally spoiled someone for the end (in a general sense, not specifically), because I thought that it couldn't possibly be a secret this many years later. Alas, it is. I was so embarrassed; she was one of the last people I wanted to offend. *cringe*

And, oddly, despite my wish to avoid spoilers, I already want fan fic. I never really want fan fic, not like that. That comes as a sort of side-effect of writing. B7 I am already wanting some.

I know the feeling. Back in the days of print fanzines, there were some really good B7 zines. I've really not sought out B7 fic online, though, so can't rec any for you. :-(

I'm hoping despite the things I think I know, I won't get my heart totally broken along the way.

You might, but it will probably be worth the roller-coaster ride. Enjoy!

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you - me not want spoilers!

And let's hope that the actor's got over it now. (!) But I know what you mean. I love Red Dwarf but getting to see Craig Charles was a complete let down & he was very badly behaved & unfunny. :-/ (Luckily the rest of that cast seem okay.)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I tried out Blake's 7 ages ago, but I didn't get interested in it. I've always wondered if I should give it another try, though.

In the meantime, I'm having your fanfic-spoiler problem with Merlin. It's just started to get shown here in the U.S. and I would love to read some fanfic, but I haven't been able to find any that's spoiler-free. In fact, just looking for spoiler-free fic has already given me one spoiler. Frustrating.

[thisbluespirit]

Yep. I know how you feel. I just tentatively tried the same thing and it's so not a good idea!

Merlin... Heh. :-D Should I give in and watch it when it comes back?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I was surprised by how much I liked Merlin. I started watching it out of curiosity, partly because of the small DW connection (the teenager from "Midnight" plays Merlin) and partly because it's being shown on one of our major television networks, which is very unusual for a British show. Doctor Who and Torchwood are both shown on more "fringe" channels here, with much smaller average audiences, and a lot of people don't even have access to those channels. But everyone with a TV has access to the channel Merlin is getting shown on.

I don't know enough about your tastes to predict if you'll like it or not, but I can tell you that it's a very character-driven show, with interesting character relationships and fantastic acting. It hooked me pretty much from the start.

I just tentatively tried the same thing and it's so not a good idea!

I know! In fact, it's made me wonder if there's a need for a spoiler-free rec comm for Doctor Who.

[paranoidangel]

I'm confused that you found videos that were cut, because I saw most of the series on video, DVDs being a new thing at the time, and they definitely weren't cut at all because I've seen some of it on DVD since and it's the same as I remember.

Once you've finished series 1 you could go to the Library at Judith's site and tell it you only want s1 stories and tick the boxes for the characters you've met so far.

[thisbluespirit]

That's because they presumably released these abridged versions (I don't know how many - I got two tapes - The Beginning with eps1-4 and Duel) and then released proper uncut versions (I found two tapes like this, no.6 and no.11). So you bought the proper versions; I found the mashed up one for 50p in a charity shop! I imagine it's like DW - they started with slightly abridged versions for them, too, I think.

And thanks for the link - I may go take a look once I'm through S1 & 2 (I have both!!). :-)

[paranoidangel]

Ah, I think I've see The Beginning & Duel - that makes sense now. I borrowed all the tapes off a friend, so I don't own the odd random ones I saw cheap. I must get round to buying the DVDs and the rest of the CDs of the audio remake too.