Blake's 7 - 1x01 - The Way Back
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Blake's 7. Full Episodes and Seasons in playlists on YouTube - http://bit.ly/Blakes7Movies Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for broadcast on BBC1. Four 13-episode series of Blake's 7 were broadcast between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also created the Daleks for Doctor Who. The script editor was Chris Boucher. The series was inspired by a range of fictional media including Passage to Marseilles, The Dirty Dozen, Robin Hood, Brave New World, Star Trek, classic Westerns and real-world political conflicts in South America and Israel. The series is set in a future age of interstellar travel and follows the exploits of a group of renegades and convicted criminals. Gareth Thomas played the eponymous character Roj Blake, a political dissident who is arrested, tried and convicted on false charges, and then deported from Earth to a prison planet. He and two fellow prisoners, treated as expendable, are sent to board and investigate an abandoned alien spacecraft. They get the ship working, commandeer it, rescue two more prisoners, and are joined by an alien guerrilla with telepathic abilities. In their attempts to stay ahead of their enemies and inspire others to rebel, they encounter a wide variety of cultures on different planets, and are forced to confront human and alien threats. The group conducts a campaign against the totalitarian Terran Federation until an intergalactic war occurs. Blake disappears and Kerr Avon then leads the group. When their spacecraft is destroyed and one group member dies, they commandeer an inferior craft and a base on a distant planet, from which they continue their campaign. In the final episode Avon finds Blake and, suspecting him of betraying the group, kills him. The group is then shot by Federation guards, who surround Avon in the final scene. Blake's 7 was popular from its first broadcast, watched by approximately 10 million people in the UK and shown in 25 other countries. Although many tropes of space opera are present, such as spaceships, robots, galactic empires and aliens, its budget was inadequate for its interstellar narrative. It remains well regarded for its strong characterisation, ambiguous morality and pessimistic tone. Critical responses to the programme have been polarised; reviewers praised its dystopian themes and "enormous sense of fun", and broadcaster Clive James described it as "classically awful". A limited range of Blake's 7 merchandise was issued. Books, magazines and annuals were published. The BBC released music and sound effects from the series, and several companies made Blake's 7 toys and models. Four video compilations were released between 1985 and 1990, and the entire series was released on videocassette starting in 1991 and re-released in 1997. It was subsequently released as four DVD boxed sets between 2003 and 2006. The BBC produced two audio dramas in 1998 and 1999 that feature some original cast members, and were broadcast on Radio 4. Although proposals for live-action and animated remakes have not been realised, Blake's 7 has been revived with two series of official audio dramas, a comedic short film, a series of fan-made audio plays, and a proposed series of official novels.
Comments
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ok
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I always thought it was a load of old crap. in fact pathetic. even worse than Dr who if that is possible.
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I loved this series when I first saw it.
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Man.. back when Doctor Who (the original, with Tom Baker, no less!) was being shown locally on late night TV, Blakes 7 was the most in demand other british Scifi series, but they couldn't afford to air it, so we never got to see it. Better late than never.. Thanks!
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Even the early Dr Who series had better sets and effects . . . and writing and direction.
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Great show when life was simplier
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Is this legal or does it have the possibility of being taken down? I want proper 80s feel but I'm too busy right now to watch the whole thing.
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brilliant..!
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thanks for the upload, havent seen this since the first release, much nostalgia; thanks
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No Tv Stations BBC One Or BBC 2 Or BBC Four Or Itv 4 Or Gold Or Drama What Is On Free View And Sky Do No Repeat This Dam Good Space Drama Blake's 7 On Their Stations Here In Uk It Is A Shame It Would Be So Nice If BBC Re Show Or BBC Four Re Show This Good Space Drama Blake's 7 Now That Would Be Good '
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Did the US and Swedish governments watch this and say, "THIS is how we're going to foil that meddling JULIAN ASSANGE!!!!"
Because that's the first thing I thought when I heard about his alleged sex crimes. -
Old B7 magazine for sale - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLAKES-7-MAGAZINE-FROM-1983-/152252685238?hash=item2372f79bb6:g:9n0AAOSwmLlX5Yc6
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got a chance to watch this again, thanks.
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I loved this show, it was great, but I do wish they would remake it with integrity but also with better visuals. I think to the creators, the special effects and sets were just vehicles for the storytelling, which was great, but to me, 50% of sci-fi is the art and visuals itself. Like Blade Runner, or the French sci-fi movie Gandahar. Never underestimate the artists and musicians. Ralph McQuarrie and John Williams together were 95% of what was good about Star Wars.
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Terry Nation was a great writer. His work on both Doctor Who & Blake's 7 helped create two sci-fi classics.
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goeie tip ouwe :-) robbie :-)
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"Suppressants" Fascinating. Sci-fi writers have been trying to tell us what's going on for a long time, haven't they?
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Intelligent Sci Fi like this would be lost on modern audiences. Shot on a budget at the time I remember spotting a half cut-out of a plastic hair-dryer stuck on the bridge panel on the Liberator. Never mind it was the story and characters that mattered. First SCI FI show with a weekly story arc rather than episodic. Pretty sure there would be no Deep Space 9, Babylon 5 or Firefly if it weren't for this. Did find the character of Blake to be rather bland though, Avon was a far more interesting individual.
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As much as this show is perfect the way it is and I loved every minute of it. It would be kind of cool if the BBC made a remake. But they would have to do it as faithfully to the original, to terry nation's original scripts and notes as possible. But this time keep it going longer, longer, longer. And the casting would be key. Avon would be hard to replace with anyone else.
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I think I was about ten the first time I saw this episode. I'm 38, and I still find it riveting.
48m 35sLenght
709Rating