Blake's 7: The Complete Collection (Exclusive To Amazon.co.uk) [DVD]

 

 

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Of all the tv shows i've ever seen, Blake's 7 absolutely undoubtedly would be in my top 3. So why haven't so many people even heard of it? And how come alot of people who did see bits of it originally think today in hindsight that it was just rubbish?

Well Blake's 7 has a sad reputation of being a "geeky sci-fi" and full of wobbly cardboard sets which look ridiculous. I've so far found that the people that think this have never actually seen it themselves or only caught glimpses of it 30 years ago. The fact is, is that Blake's 7 isn't really a sci-fi; if you say sci-fi is what star trek or babylon is. Blake's 7 deals with morality, friendship, betrayal, love, vengeance, pride, death, regret and all of the biggest, greatest themes you could imagine. It is primarily about people.

I had heard frequently the claim aboout Blake's 7 being full of poor production values and terrible sets, much like some people attribute to certain Doctor Who episodes (featuring the same corridor over and over). But i was wildly suprised by the reality of the matter! The sets in Blake's 7 are huge, complicated, and extremely interesting; because the series features so much planet or spaceship hopping it is essential each location is entirely unique in the series - which is extremely refreshing.

However it must be noted that, like Doctor Who, Blake's 7 DOES feature alot of disused quarries; but these tend to become less frequent as the series get's deeper.

Blake's 7 logo is a sort of reverses startrek one, and this is incredibly true to the series. Whereas Star Trek is episodic, fairly light, good vs evil- Blake's 7 is the reverse.

It's one long story with very little time missing between each individual espisode. It's a seriously dark series, full of metaphor, anguish, character arcs, continuity, hidden pasts, multi dimensional characters,noone is ever completely good, and the possibility of it actually happening some day.

The situation of the series is that some time in the future, Earth is run by the Federation - a totally authoritve totalitarian government; who also control most of the galaxy - employing any and all methods necessary to keep it that way.It starts with Blake, an idealistic man who once long ago tried to lead a rebellion is (probably) framed with numerous child amolestation charges, and sentenced to a prison planet; he and a few escape the ship and from that point on they spend the rest of the series promoting their cause, finding new people to join them, running from the federation and simultaneosly attempting to destroy it.

However it soon becomes apparent that every crew member has their own motives...

Among people who have seen and loved Blake's 7 it is loved for it's incredibly well written dialogue, extremely well acted, brilliant on-going characterisation and interesting storylines. I personally hate the sci-fi genre, i often find it pretentious, dull and shallow; but Blake's 7 will always stand among my favourite television shows with the likes of I Claudius and Twin Peaks, it's unlike anything you'll have ever seen; the only disappointment i had with it was that theres only 52 episodes, but the ending (widely considered the greatest finale to a television series ever) more than makes up for the lack of more episodes!

A definite MUST BUY! 10/10

(as for the dvd itself, the special features sadly aren't particularly extensive, however their is an interesting interview with Paul Darrow, and i'm not sure what the previous reviewer was talking about, the picture quality has definately been improved and i would even say it was faultless)

(Also i apologise for the rambling and cryptic nature of this review! I just loved it so much; and yet at the same time don't want to spoil any of the story for you; trust me if you haven't seen it before, it's worth buying for that alone!)

Dated, quirky, mono and mostly 4:3 Aspect ratio - yet still a superb series. Not flashy and in your face but intelligently scripted with thoughtful story lines. Deeper and more serious ethical dilemas are explored than Star Trek or other popular television of its time. The imperfect crew develop believeable characters through superb dialogue and acting. Its every bit as good as I remembered and then some. Its television that demands your concentration if you are to truly appreciate its qualities. The four series box set offers remastered/restored DVD quality, but remember its based on nearly thirty year old original video/TV stock!! Expectations should not anticipate modern standards.

Blakes 7 is a remarkable science fiction series. It contains 52 hour-long episodes split up into four series of thirteen episodes that chart the life and times of a group of renegades against a corrupt Federation. This adventure has been written by a number of individuals, started off by Terry Nation but also with major contributions from others like Chris Boucher and Tanith Lee. What sets it apart from other SCI-FI is the brilliance of the script writing. This is not a serial with good special effects, reasonable acting but predictable, unimaginative stories. The actors themselves fit perfectly into the serial. The handsome Avon, ruthless and eventually the leader of the group is a fine character. Blake an idealist who leads the early series is a complex character and central to Blakes 7. The character of Vila adds to the comedy side, this lovely nervous criminal can find his way past any obstacle. Then there's Gan a giant man useful for banging heads together. The men are equally complimented by the beautiful ladies that populate this serial. Jenna is a space pilot and smuggler. Cally an alien who is not really a criminal type. These subtle characters are skilfully interwoven in the original stories. The seventh member is presumably Zen the on board computer of the starship Liberator. Set in the far future computers have personalities and can be unpleasant or sarcastic. The future shown by this serial is perhaps realistic: that of two tiers of advanced technological races and primitives. It is a recurring theme, this mix of high technology and cavemen. Blakes 7 is a serial which while some adherence to realism is present, sometimes this is sacrificed for the show. The serial does not quite manage Tolstoy's way of rendering an exciting story while still making it absolutely believable. There are a few occasions when you can almost categorically say the events would not occur the way they do. This is Blakes 7, if you can't accept these then this is not the serial for you. The universe of Blakes 7 is characterised by many features. There is no warp drive in this serial, ships fly through space at `Standard by n' speeds. The crew have access to a rare technology called a `teleport' that enables them to magically jump from one point to another. Weapons generally make a noise with little visible in the form of a trace although laser weapons do exist in the world of Blakes 7 they are only shown in later series when the special effects and budget become more plentiful. The stories in this serial are very varied. They are mostly what we would call today acts of terrorism. Blowing up a Federation complex. Stealing equipment, destroying the ever present starship fleet that is pursuing them. They are the likeable `baddies'. Blakes 7 is a mirror of SCI-FI like Star Trek and much of its intrigue is how the group will slip through the net this time. The head of the Federation is the beautiful and ruthless Servalan who is in charge of the mighty forces unable to capture Blake and his crew. Another great character is Space Commander Travis. This dangerous man adds another twist to the sophisticated character interaction that is a hallmark of the serial. Blakes 7 is not a serial for those who want computer graphics/modelling and large scale space battles. It more than makes up for this with the brilliant acting, fine scripts and lifelike characterization. As the serial evolves there are many changes. Nothing is static. Blake initially leads, the leadership is then assumed by Avon after a space war and he continues until the end. Two new characters are introduced in S3 called Dayna and Tarrant. Dayna is a gunfighter and Tarrant a pilot. These characters along with Soolin in the last series develop quite slowly adding a fine backdrop for the writers to utilize. Soolin is another beautiful gunfighter. The women in Blakes 7 add an elegance to proceedings which might be lacking in an all-male line-up. In Blakes 7 combat only forms a small part and is well done. Spaceship combat is also done to good effect and is one more plus to add to the other strengths of the serial. One aspect that comes across prominently is the aggression of almost anyone the band come into contact with. They never seem to run into a friendly freighter or someone offering assistance. The universe is a cold place with few exceptions. Contrasting this when Blake was in charge he did sometimes offer assistance usually objected to by Avon. This serial also encompasses a few SCI-FI horror episodes with sinister alien races or a robot chasing the crew around a labyrinth. There are so many elements that a few words don't do justice to such a work. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate what has been achieved. I just want to travel to the stars behind Servalans desk.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest sci-fi drama lives on!
"Blake's 7" will never be remembered for its sweeping cinematography, cutting-edge production values or sophisticated special effects, so what makes the show great? Read more

Published 9 months ago by jmj

5.0 out of 5 stars Brave, bizarre, occasionally awful, dated, hugely influential, and a lot of fun
Blake's 7 is possibly *the* maddest TV show you can buy, at least until the extremely weird "Luna" appears. Read more

Published on 22 Oct 2007 by ItsNotMe

3.0 out of 5 stars This Set Has Failed To Use The Advantages Of The DVD Format.
Blake's 7 is a very entertaining sci-fi programme but is destined to remain forever in the shadow of Doctor Who, in the final analysis Doctor Who was a huge success and Blake's 7... Read more

Published on 20 Mar 2007 by Scott

5.0 out of 5 stars The old ones are the best ones!
Blakes 7 has to be the best BBC sci-fi drama since the creation of Doctor Who in 1963, the reason for this? Terry Nation! The man with the brains behind both series. Read more

Published on 22 Feb 2007 by S. Hart

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining though possibly slightly dated!
Possessing as I did, a handful of the videos for series 1-3, it seemed reasonable to get this set, especially as I didn't think I could remember any of series 4. Read more

Published on 15 Jan 2007 by Greg

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