Blake's 7

Ranked #18,011 in Entertainment, #218,586 overall | Donates to A Day of Hope

BBC Sci Fi Classic, 1978-81, Created by Terry Nation

This is a wonderful show in the style of "Dr  Who", that  inspired other sci fi favorites like "Babylon 5". I saw the show for the first time in 1988 on PBS, and I've been a huge fan ever since.

The story revolves around a futuristic Earth, which is held in bondage by the totalitarian Terran Federation. Blake, a political dissident and freedom fighter, organized a failed coup against the Federation. After being betrayed, captured and put on public trial for mass murder, he was "rehabilitated" (read "brainwashed") by the Federation and used as a poster child for Federation propaganda.

When the series opens, Blake is considered a model citizen of the Federation, and remembers nothing of his past exploits as a rebel. When he is contacted by some of his former followers who reawaken his memories, both of his politics and punishement by the Federation, he purposes to renew his efforts to fight, and is once again arrested and put on trial.  He is sentenced to a life on a penal colony called Cygnus Alpha, never again to return to Earth.

While on the prison ship, he meets up with a team of other inmates, some true criminals, others being punished for their beliefs like Blake himself. The team then begins an adventure that takes them throughout space, as they become guerillas against the Federation and its allies.

The original team includes:  
  • A natural leader (Blake).
  • A brilliant computer expert (Avon).
  • A talented, though cowardly, thief (Vila).
  • A telepathic resistence fighter (Cally).
  • A skilled pilot (Jenna).
  • And a man of tremendous strength (Gan).
  • The seventh member of the crew is the master computer of their alien starship (Zen of the Liberator)  - a ship far superior to anything available to the Federation's Supreme
  •  Commander (Servalan) and the officer she assigns to destroy the rebels (Travis).
Later replacements for members of the band include
  • A surly machine which can assimilate enough facts to predict the future (Orac).
  • A weapons expert (Dayna).
  • A former Federation pilot (Tarrant).
  • And the fastest gunslinger in the known worlds (Soolin).

The BBC televised fifty-two episodes of Blake's 7, thirteen each for the spring seasons of 1978, 1979, 1980, and the autumn of 1981. Each set of stories reveals changes in the team, in the enemy, and in the relationships among them.

Blake's 7 Series 3 - Acceptable in the 80's?

A montage of anti-PC hijinx from Blake's 7. It was the 80's after all! ~BadMsM
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Blake's 7 on Amazon

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Blake's 7: A Compilation Of Avon's Insults And Jibes

My favorite B7 character is Kerr Avon, played by Paul Darrow. Avon was the ultimate kind of anti-hero. You never knew which side he'd be on, if only to foil Blake's optimism and utopian vision. Actor Paul Darrow played this charming scoundrel to sexy perfection. ~BadMsM
Blake's 7 - A compilation of Avon's insults and jibes
by Dezaxa | video info

322 ratings | 81,832 views
curated content from YouTube

Blake's 7 - 'Magic' Music Video

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Blake's 7 On Google

Blake's 7: The Merchandise Guide REVIEW
You might think that you'd struggle to wring a pamphlet out of the subject of Blake's 7 merchandise, never mind a whole book. You'd have a point. Unlike its brick-thick, Doctor Who-focused forebear, Howe's Transcendental Toybox, B7:TMG is a slim ...
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10 TV Episodes that Changed Television
Blake's 7 looks even more dated than 1970s Doctor Who, thanks to bargain-basement special effects among other things. But it influenced your favorite adventure shows of the 1990s and 2000s, thanks to its morally gray, flawed characters and dark ...
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Blake's 7 - HOLLYWOOD STYLE

Fan-made B7 movie trailer- if only! ~BadMsM
'BLAKE'S 7' HOLLYWOOD STYLE
by SciFiAssasin | video info

144 ratings | 20,560 views
curated content from YouTube

Are you a fan of B7?

  • Didge May 4, 2012 @ 8:34 pm | delete
    I really enjoyed your lenses
  • biged50 Jun 26, 2010 @ 4:14 pm | delete
    i just wanted to say i love all of the episodes of blake 7 just wish blake and jenna could have stayed and played on all of the episodes but i guess they has there reasons they didnt. i work nights and i slap my blake 7 disk in and kick back and enjoy watching them i know the episodes by hart but never get tired of watching them.....do they have any new episodes of blake 7 out yet ?????
  • riverpoem Mar 10, 2010 @ 4:13 am | delete
    Like it very much
  • StarManiacs1 Jul 29, 2009 @ 4:50 pm | delete
    I love the show, Avon played by Paul Darrow was just the best anti hero ever. Despite the dated sets the storys have a strong and relevant undertone to present day.
  • harryfielder Sep 4, 2008 @ 9:11 am | delete
    I was lucky to work on many of the shows at the BBC TV Contre London. See IMDB.

    Aitch,
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badmsm

Bette Miles-Holleman is a retail merchandiser, customer service analyst, model and stylist with over 25 years experience in the fashion... more »

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