Blake's 7: Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
m (Robot: Cosmetic changes)
Tag: apiedit
No edit summary
 
(28 intermediate revisions by 15 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{retitle|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
{{retitle|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
{{wikipediainfo}}
{{wikipediainfo}}
'''''Blake's 7''''' was a [[human]] [[television]] show of which the [[First Doctor]] was not fond. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Big Hand for the Doctor]]'') [[Tegan Jovanka]] mentioned the series once, saying that she understood the concept of [[transmat]]s — or in ''Blake's 7'' terms, teleportation — having seen it on the show. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Cold Fusion (novel)|Cold Fusion]]'')
{{you may|Blake's 7 (series)|n1=''Blake's 7'' from a real world perspective|Blake's 7 (terrorist group)|n2=the in-universe terrorist group}}
'''''Blake's 7''''' was a [[human]] [[television]] show of which the [[First Doctor]] was not fond. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|A Big Hand for the Doctor (short story)}}) [[Tegan Jovanka]] mentioned the series once, saying that she understood the concept of [[transmat]]s — or in ''Blake's 7'' terms, [[teleportation]] — having seen it on the show. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Cold Fusion (novel)}})


''Blake's 7'' was the favourite television series of [[Gavin Oliver Scott]]. In [[2600]], [[Bernice Summerfield]] obtained two episodes of the series for him on [[VHS]]. She noted that [[Roj Blake]] seemed to exist both as a fictional character and as a real person, "which can't be right." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Least Important Man]]'') She also had mentioned knowing someone who was in [[Blake's 7 (terrorist group)|Blake's 7]], which she quickly qualified with "the terrorist group, not the TV show." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Death and Diplomacy]]'')
In a [[Parallel universe (TV Action!)|parallel universe]], actors from ''Blake's 7'' were [[hypnosis|hypnotised]] by [[Beep the Meep]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|TV Action! (comic story)}})


== Behind the scenes ==
''Blake's 7'' was the favourite television series of [[Gavin Oliver Scott]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Least Important Man (short story)}}) In [[2600]], [[Bernice Summerfield]] obtained two episodes of the series for him on [[VHS]]. She noted that she knew a distant acquaintance of someone who was in [[Blake's 7 (terrorist group)|Blake's 7]] the [[terrorist]] organisation, not the [[television]] show, which "can't be right". ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Dead Men Diaries (short story)}})
''Blake's 7'' was a {{w|dystopian}} [[science fiction]] series produced by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] at [[BBC Television Centre]] from 1978 to 1981. Since they were produced essentially "next door" to each other, it and ''[[Doctor Who]]'' shared many cast and crew members. Perhaps the most notable connection is that it was created and often written by [[Terry Nation]]. Important shared cast members included [[Paul Darrow]], [[Gareth Thomas]], [[Michael Keating]], [[Jacqueline Pearce]] and [[Colin Baker]]. Nearly every director on the show had also directed ''[[Doctor Who]]'', and its writing staff included ''Doctor Who'' luminaries like [[Robert Holmes]] and [[Chris Boucher]]''.
 
[[David Maloney]] [[producer|produced]] the series and [[Dudley Simpson]] exclusively [[composer|scored]] it. Most of the other departments also had significant connections to ''Doctor Who'', as well. [[Ken Ledsham]] and [[Roger Murray-Leach]] were amongst its [[production designer]]s. [[Costume designer]]s included [[Barbara Kidd]] and [[June Hudson]]. [[Sheelagh Wells]] was a [[make-up designer]], while [[Peter Chapman]] was a major force in the camera department, and [[Brian Clemett]] was the main person providing [[studio lighting]].
 
In other words, ''Blake's 7'' looks and feels very much like ''Doctor Who'' of the late 1970s, almost to the extent that one could believe the two series are set in different parts of the same universe.
 
Consequently, [[British]] fans of the original version of ''Doctor Who'' tend to also like ''Blake's 7''. However, [[North America]]n fans of a similar age may not share this affinity to quite the same relative degree, because ''Blake's 7'' was not widely broadcast there. Worse, ''Blake's 7'' has not, {{as of|2013|11|lc=y}}, received a [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] release.
 
On both sides of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], most fans brought into ''[[Doctor Who]]'' by the [[BBC Wales]] version have no special affinity for ''Blake's 7'', if they even know what it is.
 
=== In-universe crossovers ===
Occasional nods to ''Blake's 7'' have appeared in [[DWU]] fiction, though none of it has been televised. This is mostly down to [[Chris Boucher]], since he had significant runs on both shows.
 
His novel ''[[Corpse Marker (novel)|Corpse Marker]]'', a sequel to [[TV]]: ''[[The Robots of Death]]'', features the psychostrategist [[Carnell]], a character who had first appeared in the ''Blake's 7'' episode ''Weapon''. The novel indicates that he settled on [[Kaldor]] two years after he first went on the run from the Federation, which would have followed his failure in ''Weapon''. The character appeared again in the [[Kaldor City (audio series)|Kaldor City]] series of audio stories. Many fans of the series have postulated that [[Kaston Iago|Iago]], as played by [[Paul Darrow]], the main protagonist in the series, is in fact Kerr Avon going for his own reasons under an assumed name. [[Magic Bullet Productions]] have neither confirmed nor denied this. Most significantly, in [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Metafiction (audio story)|Metafiction]]'', Iago describes his life before he arrived on Kaldor, in doing so he makes many references to plot elements that mirror those experienced by Avon as featured in ''Blake's 7''. If taken a face value, these references could be taken as positive confirmation that Iago is in fact Avon. However the nature of the play, as suggested by its title, implies that all may not be what it seems.
 
==== Proposed crossovers ====
A crossover between the two series was proposed at least twice.
 
The last episode of Season B of ''Blake's 7'' featured an invasion of the galaxy by aliens, called Andromedans, from outside the Galaxy. The aliens were so powerful that the crew of the ''Liberator'' pitched in with the Federation to fight them off. Terry Nation had wanted to feature the [[Dalek]]s as the invading force. However, as Chris Boucher recalls, the idea was strongly rejected by the producer and Boucher himself.
 
[[Tom Baker]] and [[Gareth Thomas]], who played Blake, thought it would be amusing for the Doctor and Blake to meet for a few seconds in a corridor on either ''Doctor Who'' or ''Blake's 7'', but this idea was, again, overruled.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{bigfinish|ranges/v/blake-s-7|Blake's 7}}
{{iwx|Blake's 7|''Blake's 7''|wiki=blakes7|wiki name=the ''Blake's 7'' Wiki}}
{{iwx|Blake's 7|''Blake's 7''|wiki=Blake's 7|wiki name=Blake's 7 Wiki}}


[[Category:Real world television shows with DWU connections]]
[[Category:Television series from the real world]]
[[Category:Television series from the real world]]

Latest revision as of 12:44, 15 March 2024

Blake's 7

Blake's 7 was a human television show of which the First Doctor was not fond. (PROSE: A Big Hand for the Doctor [+]Loading...["A Big Hand for the Doctor (short story)"]) Tegan Jovanka mentioned the series once, saying that she understood the concept of transmats — or in Blake's 7 terms, teleportation — having seen it on the show. (PROSE: Cold Fusion [+]Loading...["Cold Fusion (novel)"])

In a parallel universe, actors from Blake's 7 were hypnotised by Beep the Meep. (COMIC: TV Action! [+]Loading...["TV Action! (comic story)"])

Blake's 7 was the favourite television series of Gavin Oliver Scott. (PROSE: The Least Important Man [+]Loading...["The Least Important Man (short story)"]) In 2600, Bernice Summerfield obtained two episodes of the series for him on VHS. She noted that she knew a distant acquaintance of someone who was in Blake's 7 – the terrorist organisation, not the television show, which "can't be right". (PROSE: The Dead Men Diaries [+]Loading...["The Dead Men Diaries (short story)"])

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]