Brand new Blakes 7

[Paul Monk]

Blakes 7 is coming back! Not as the dodgy TV movie proposed years ago but on audio.
The series is going to be a re-imagining of the original series, starring a new cast. Ben Aaronovitch and Marc Platt are writers on the series.

Details can be found here

http://www.b7media.com/06december_ne...kerelease.html

[Si Hunt]

This is very curious. I'm highly dubious about recasting Servalan and Avon - would Jackie Pearce really be that hard to get back? And whither Michael Keating, he'd do it. Hmmm. They sound sort of good, but "Blake" is one of those things that was defined by the cast and the era. Like "The Avengers", if you're going to change the cast and do more, why not just call it something else? Or at least make them new characters?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

To be honest, I'd rather have something new.

This is just madness! How can you recast Avon? And really - Aaronovitch and Platt? This sounds like somebody's fantasy.

I have chosen to poo-poo the whole thing.

[Paul Monk]

I'm inclined to agree with Si. Whilst I may give this a go Blakes 7 was much more about the cast and the characters they created, rather than the actual series storylines.

Plus

BLAKE’S 7 will be produced as a series of all new 36 x 5-minute audio dramas based on the original cult series broadcast on the BBC in the 1970’s.

How is that going to work? Are they going to have a cliffhanger to each episode? Thats only 3 hours in total. Exactly how are they going to retell the story of Blakes 7 in that time.

[SiHart]

How very bizarre. Very, very bizarre.

I agree with Paul and Si- these characters are so linked with the actirs who played them on TV that I can't quite see anyone else in the roles. Certainly not as Servalan. It seems an odd decision to me, and I'm not quite sure what these are being made for as 5 minute episodes seem a bit, well, pointless don't they? Are they going on the radio, and if so why haven't they said where they're going to be broadcast?

They'll be interesting to hear, but I don't feel very excited by them.

Will India Fisher be playing Cally or Jenna? Will she get fed up operating the teleport?

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

Its says that they'll be broadcast doesn't it, but doesn't give any clues as to where and when.

[Paul Monk]

Just had a dig around on that site and they're going to be broadcast as podcasts in the spring.

[Si Hunt]

Ben Aaronovitch, Marc Platt

This probably means that half of it will never appear when the writer has a mental breakdown, and what's left will be impossible to understand anyway.

The broadcast platform is currently under negotiation.

This is suspicious as well.

Si.

[SiHart]

Well it has been recorded so I suppose Ben did get his scripts in.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Actually I like the idea of a story told in 5 minute downloadable chunks. It's possibly a format we could explore for the future, perhaps if we decide to make any more plays after "Echoes", "Soap" and The Third One. Instead of unveiling it on CD, the story could be revealed in 20 five minute episodes, downloadable each day off a website! That's just a wild, unfounded, undiscussed idea, by the way. But imagine the thrill of being able to discuss each episode every day, it would be like "hearing" it with the rest of PS!

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Cool idea Si.

Back to B7. Doesn't Aaronovitch sound smug in that interview.

[Si Hunt]

I can't find an interview.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Click home on that website link and you'll find a link there.
Its not that interesting though.

[Si Hunt]

Thanks Paul. They're actually redoing the original stories arn't they? What's the point? Why not just tell new ones?

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I think Aaronovitch sees himself as Ron Moore, the guy that re-imagined Battlestar Galactica or Russell T Davies

[SiHart]

I do like your new look Paul...

Ermm, anyway, yes. A Re-imagining... well it might be ok. It really depends what they take from the TV series doesn't it? I've been finding as I write my Vervoid column (plug, plug) that there's often some good ideas that either aren't used as well as they could be, or there's some missed oppotunities. In this way revisiting some of the stories originally told might be exciting and different. It really depends on which ones they're going to do and how they approach them. There is, after all, a great deal of potential in the show.

What I'd like to see is more of the background stuff that's only hinted at. I love the idea of Blake being a legend and that legend being used by the ordinary people in the Federation to give them hope. There's a wonderful moment in Project: Avalon for example where Servalan reveals there have been several assassination attempts directed at her... wouldn't it be great to explore that, see that happen and then use that as a reason why Servalan suddenly gets very heavily involved in the Blake affair at the start of the second season...

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Blake had an affair? I always assumed he was pretty devoted to Gan...

Si.

[Paul Monk]

Gan was a charcter who's background was only hinted at and never fully explored

[Phillip Culley]

I'm not convinced here - I can't help but think things have gone tits-up for B7E and they've been forced into doing this just to have something to show for getting the license.

It seems a huge fall from grace to go for them to go from a TV movie to a podcast (which would really need some significant onscreen promotion, and I can't see any evidence of this from the press release).

It would have worked had the done something not dissimilar to what they did with Doctor Who where they had a series on TV, and then had this podcast thing available on the website as well. I'd like it to succeed, but from this I'm not optimistic.

[Paul Monk]

You've got a point Phillip. I only heard about it because I get the Horizon newsletter.

[Paul Clement]

What was wrong with getting the original actors to reprise their roles? As it's an audio, it won't matter that they are all pushing towards the geriatric department by now.

[Rob McCow]

I dunno, Darrow's a bit lispy these days and I'm sure the others are suffering from ageing vocal chords too.

Come to think of it, Jacqueline Pearce sounded a lot like Madge from Neighbours on The Fearmonger

[SiHart]

A lot of Blakes 7 fans are up in arms about the recating and won't listen to it simply because Paul Darrow isn't playing Avon in it. Good for them!

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

Well I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

[SiHart]

The guy playing the new Blake is the acotr who played Sir Robert in Tooth and Claw! I should have realised!

Si xx