"I am not expendable, I'm not stupid, and I'm not going."

[thisbluespirit]

What's to say about Avon? Blake's 7 is amazing and Avon and Paul Darrow are just such a huge part of that, which is obvious after even a peek at the fandom. Or any of a number of books that have shamelessly borrowed a certain snarky computer genius anti-hero. (Somewhere there's a webpage dedicated to Book Characters Who Are In Fact Avon). So, I've got some clips, but honestly, he's such a huge part of the show - just go watch Blake's 7 and you'll understand.

Some fellow Classic Who fans told me to do it 10 years ago and I eventually if a little grudgingly agreed and what followed was one of the best rides of my life. And I say that as someone who - barring Classic Who - did not go round watching old Brit TV back then. (I blame B7 for teaching me that old TV could be awesome, so.) I've no regrets whatsoever, not even Ben Steed. It's the only show to ever have caused me to stand up and applaud when it finished and that after it also made me fall off the sofa because I was laughing so hard (the SFX are quite, ahem, something) on top of breaking my heart at least three or four times. And I've seen several of my flist go the same way since with pretty much the same reaction. That's Blake's 7 for you. And Avon.

The show remains complex and painfully relevant, its characters are vivid and compelling and amazingly, terribly, wonderfully dressed (often in costumes specially made down the local sex shop), it's simultaneously a big messy SF Shakespearean tragedy, crack, and Robin Hood in space meets 1984 and has giant ants, my favourite villain ever, Colin Baker with a big gun, Orac, and JARVIK (a MANLY man; it's only fair to warn you). It is all the things. And Avon.

It's written in the DNA of almost every SFF show made after it for a reason. (Firefly, Farscape, and Babylon 5 being the most obvious. Firefly and B5 even quote it directly, B5 at least twice, including the Avon quote in this post header.)

So, go and watch it. And unless you tend to prefer to know what's coming, if you can keep unspoiled, even better. As I said, it's quite the ride. Even if S1 is a bit slow.

Unspoilery:

Blake's 7 - Series One - Avon - Do I Have a Choice? (Fanvid, inc. audio)

Clips:
Avon & Jenna in Episode 3 "Cygnus Alpha", debating whether or not to take the money and run or stay with Blake.
Avon Alone - Avon in S2; he doesn't need anybody else to survive. Except Orac.


Contains some spoilers:

Blake's 7 Hollywood Style (whole show fan trailer)

Blake's 7: Eliminate Blake fanvid, but also serves as good trailer.


Spoilery as hell (hell being the operative word):

Last Man Standing (Avon fanvid)
All Fall Down (Avon fanvid)

So, yes, just watch it. Episode 1 "The Way Back" is here for those in R1 who are tragically and wrongfully deprived of a DVD release by the Terry Nation Estate. ;-p



(Here at the end of this post let me pause to also remember with much pleasure Paul Darrow's amazing microphone chewing in the Kaldor City audios, a B7/DW crossover masterpiece of, er, whatever it is they are. They would not have been the same crack without that for a minute. <3)


So, yes. Thanks for all the snark and all the rest, and so long, Mr Darrow. RIP.

Comments

[oracne]

RIP.

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, or perhaps not RIP, but happy chewing of whatever is now to hand, wherever he might or might not be. <3

[moon_custafer]

Colin Baker with a big gun

Colin Baker in leather with a big gun, thank you very much.

[executrix]

Colin Baker in leather with a big gun AND STUDDED GAUNTLETS WHICH AVON THEN APPROPRIATED AND WORE IN SEVERAL EPISODES.

(I thought of that when, in Homicide Life on the Street, a friendly local dominatrix gave Tim her leather jacket, which he wore for a whole season.)

[moon_custafer]

CONTINUITY, DAMMIT

[executrix]

I always wondered how they made the Danish Dentist fit Tarrant--as Daphne said about Osgood's mother's wedding gown, the two of them just weren't the same shape.

[thisbluespirit]

AT LEAST HE WAS WEARING ACTUAL CLOTHES AND NOT JUST A MOUSTACHE. ;-p

[ravenskyewalker]

I like to think that Colin Baker gnawing on the scenery in that B7 episode is why Paul Darrow then chewed it all up in DW's "Timelash" when Colin was the Doctor. (Unless he just couldn't help being that way everywhere.)

[moon_custafer]

Bit of both, I’d imagine.

[thisbluespirit]

Well, that was always Paul Darrow's excuse anyway!

[thisbluespirit]

Well, I did mention that bit about a lot of the outfits being made down the local sex shop, let's be fair.

[jaxomsride2]

Oh Damn!
The curse of growing older is reading the obits of all our heroes that we watched so avidly in our youth!

FARE WELL Avon wherever you are.

[thisbluespirit]

<3

[liadt]

:-(

Being an old TV fan is rough. But Heaven's Shakespeare company is rather fine.

[thisbluespirit]

Well, it does have Shakespeare himself already!

[mab_browne]

As I said to my daughter, there goes another slice of my adolescence. Thanks for the lovely and thorough reminiscence post.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, no problems. <3

[mab_browne]

And we are both using SallyMn icons to commemorate him.

[thisbluespirit]

Well, who else? :-D

[earthspirits]

Hands down, Avon was my very favorite character on the series. Years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Paul Darrow in person at a SF convention. He was charming, kind, humorous, and thoughtful. He'll definitely be missed.

Love your Avon icon! : D

[thisbluespirit]

<3

And the icon is by sallymn who makes many beautiful B7 icons!

[lferion]

Thank you for this post. I got to meet him a couple of times, and he was very gracious and kind.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thanks. And, yes, people who have met him in person all seem to have good memories of the experience!

[dimity_blue]

*hugs*

~(Somewhere there's a webpage dedicated to Book Characters Who Are In Fact Avon)~

Well, it's one way to immortality. <3

[thisbluespirit]

*hugs back*

And, yes, I think Avon will live on for quite a while yet, in multiple incarnations. <3