Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm enjoying re-watching Blake's 7 so much that I decided to start a discussion about it. Who else wants to join in?
I can't remember most of the episodes because I was about 9 when I watched them, so it's like something new, but it is such a good series. High time for a remake.
Me and my friends used to play Blake's 7 in the playground. I was always Cally. We were all girls so some played male roles.
Avon is such a great character! I love his constant arguing with Blake and I realise now why I liked Avon. Apart from the fact he's a handsome man, he is actually a more attractive character than Blake. All Blake does is shout and get angry. It's very tiring. They should have shown a softer side to him. At least Avon is a bit funny sometimes. And they should have just got another actor to play him when Gareth Thomas left. It was a bit stupid having Blake's 7 without Blake.
Also I'd forgotten about Travis in his head-to-toe black leather costume. Well! And I like his hatred of Blake too, the way he is always trying to kill Blake, but Blake avoids killing him in order to score moral points.
A much better series than I remember, at first I didn't want to watch it because it was one of the last series I watched with my dad before he died. But re-watching it is actually making me happy. I can imagine my dad chuckling at some of the silly scenes.
If anyone wants to discuss this series with me, please do!
I've been going through all four series of B7. I'm currently halfway through series 4, most recently 'Headhunter'. I think the script is clever, which is the main thing for me. Other people will see the design ideas let down in the realisation towards the end.
I've always thought of it as a kind of dystopian Star Trek, so to me the series ending makes a lot of sense: Avon is a remarkable man, but in the situations he's been in has every reason to get paranoid. One of the first things he said was how trust could get you killed.
Coincidentally I met Sally Knyvette who plays Jenna through autism connections (she directed a play about a young autistic woman, sadly not from that character's point of view). Was nice though to hear she's still friends with rest of the surviving cast.
I loved Headhunter, do you think it inspired the Terminator films? Avon even says 'I'll be back' at one point! The unstoppable android is obviously the Terminator and they are trying to escape him.
What made me laugh was, of all the people to deal with the electrical android at the end and put its head back on, they chose the guy covered in metal studs, buckles and zips!! i.e. Avon. No wonder he was electrocuted.
I've reallyyyyyyy changed my mind about Avon since I posted the original post. Yes, he's hot as hell but he's a psychopath. What he did to Vila in Orbit...argghhhh. I never liked him after that, the b4st4rd.
Yes, apparently the cast were all besties, which is nice to know. I think they all played the opposite to their characters, as actors do. I get the idea that in real life, Avon was the nicest guy, it was Vila and Blake who were the naughty ones