Blakes 7: The Liberator Chronicles

[Si Hunt]

OMG!

Big Finish Productions is thrilled to announce that it has signed a licence deal with B7 Enterprises to produce original audiobooks and novels based on Terry Nation’s popular science fiction series Blake’s 7.

Blake’s 7: The Liberator Chronicles will be launching in Spring 2012 on CD and download, and will be performed by the original stars of the TV series. Each box set will contain three discs, with each disc comprising a separate adventure performed by two of the show’s stars. There will be two box set releases each year.

The Blake’s 7 original novels will be released in hardback editions, each of approximately 60,000 words. There will be two novels per year – thus ensuring there’s a new Blake’s 7 release every three months!

Jason Haigh-Ellery, executive producer of Big Finish, says: “As a huge fan of Blake’s 7, it is a series that I have always wanted Big Finish to be involved with – and now we have the chance due to a ground breaking agreement with B7 Enterprises. It’s something that Andrew Mark Sewell and I have been discussing for several years and I am so pleased that we have come to an agreement.”

Nicholas Briggs, executive producer adds: “'Blake’s 7 is something our listeners have been asking us to produce for ages, so I'm so pleased that we're finally delivering!'”

Andrew Mark Sewell, managing director of B7 Enterprises says: “We’ve long been an admirer of the audio dramas produced by Big Finish and are delighted that they will be lending their considerable talents to recapturing the spirit of the classic Blake’s 7 series with a series of new novels and audio plays. Even though thirty years has passed since the original television series ended, we’re sure that these new novels and audio stories will recapture the magic of Terry Nation’s original creation and reignite people’s passion for this seminal show.”

The audio series will be produced by David Richardson, while Xanna Eve Chown is books editor.

“I have two loves in science fiction,” says David, “and they are Doctor Who
and Blake’s 7. And now I get to produce both on audio! I couldn’t be happier.”

“The Liberator Chronicles will be a series of exciting, character-driven tales that remain true to the original TV series. We’re aiming for authenticity – recreating the wonder of 1978 all over again!”

Blake’s 7: The Liberator Chronicles launches in February 2012 and is available for pre-order at bigfinish.com.

Blake’s 7: The Novels launch in May 2012 and are available for pre-order at bigfinish.com.

A year-long subscription offer to the Blake's 7 range is also available.

[Lissa]

There have been B7 audio CDs before but they've always tried to reimagine the series or make sequels/prequels, all of which missed the original feel of the show. BF will do this properly. Not sure about the novels but time will tell.

[Si Hunt]

Dissapointing that (a) It's all going to be box sets which does make it more of a commitment and (b) There's only 2 cast members per play, which makes this feel more like a half-arsed Companion Chronicles type endevour than "proper" Blakes 7.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

As ever, depends who's writing them!

[Lissa]

Dissapointing that (a) It's all going to be box sets which does make it more of a commitment and (b) There's only 2 cast members per play, which makes this feel more like a half-arsed Companion Chronicles type endevour than "proper" Blakes 7.

I'd imagine not everyone that was in Blake's 7 wants to go back and do more (not to mention those no longer with us) so the duologue format covers for that and lets them tell stories they otherwise wouldn't be able to do. I think most of the crew have worked for BF before but you wouldn't want to be stuck only being able to make season 4 stories where Dayna is off studying graphology because of actor reluctance.

[Rob McCow]

Without Peter Tuddenham and Peter Jackson, it's probably the best way.

[Si Hunt]

Call me cynical, but I suspect budgetry reasons. If they only have 4 out of 7 cast members, then establish from the out-set that the other 3 are AWOL (you'd only have to do it once, say they are in a different sector or something and set every story in the same gap) and you are sorted.

It's not actually clear whether "each disc contains an adventure performed by two of the shows stars" means the same two in all the plays or a different two each time. If the former, they didn't do that well rounding up many actors and if the latter then why not have all four in each play as above?

I will of course reserve judgement until they come out but I hope these are full plays and they get Jackie Pearce back as Servalan and there are large casts aside from the two main cast members. I don't know, the two cast member thing makes them sound like Big Finish's companion Chronicles where they can only afford two actors in each story.

Si.

[Lissa]

The Companion Chronicles format can work extremely well with the right people and the right script. The two Lost Stories they did in the same style were both very effective too. My only real concern about Blake's 7 is that Paul Darrow and Jackie Pearce are so distinctive and so unusual that I'm not sure they could be replicated by other actors or if they could carry a 'full cast' play themselves.

[SiHart]

OH MY!

I'm getting these!

[SiHart]

First lot look to be set during Season 1:

Three enhanced audiobooks performed by the stars of the classic BBC television series. These stories are set during Series 1; The Turing Test by Simon Guerrier; Solitary by Nigel Fairs; Counterfeit by Peter Anghelides. Release: 28 February 2012

[Si Hunt]

enhanced audiobooks

Don't think I'll bother!

Si.

[SiHart]

Well, we'll see what happens, who's going to be in them, who isn't and all of that. For me, this is probably about as close as we're going to get to Blake's 7 done on audio, and that's enough for me.

I really enjoyed the two BBC releases the other years (the audio book readings, not the Barry Letts plays!) and both Gareth Thomas and Paul darrow did a good job with voicing the other regulars, so it might be OK.

Yeah it's disappointing they're not full audio plays, but apparently the Companion Chronicles are popular and good (I have only heard one so far so can't comment) so there's no reason why these can't be good either.

[Si Hunt]

Maybe they feel they can't do full cast plays without the whole crew? Which is odd, as I mentioned before they could just have a few of them on a mission or something.

Or maybe the "groundbreaking deal" is that B7 Enterprises have demanded so much money that they can only afford to do them with two cast members in each one.

Si.

[SiHart]

That's a possibility! At least, on the plus side, they're not doing any more of the "reimagined" version, which was, on the whole, rubbish.

[Si Hunt]

Let's face it, as long as we get Jaqui and she says "MAXIMUM POWER!", we'll be happy.

Si.

[SiHart]

[Si Hunt]

Is that the cover to the first release Si? And if not... WHY NOT!

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Because Servalan's not in it?

It would be great to have a Blake / Travis reunion. Might Stephen Greif be up for it? I'd love to have a story from Blake's viewpoint and the Federation's.

And they could pick Jan Chappell up from the caravan at the bottom of Louise Jameson's garden (if the rumours are true!).

[Jon Masters]

That's a possibility! At least, on the plus side, they're not doing any more of the "reimagined" version, which was, on the whole, rubbish.

I thought some of the things they did were quite clever (like making Zen a baddie until he's limited) although why they felt a shuttle craft was better than teleport I don't know.

The 'character' pieces they did around them, like Eye of the Machine, weren't as good but were still OK.

It's difficult to see if these new ones mean only 2 performers, or only 2 of the stars plus others - if the former I'm not sure B7 works all that well as a chatty character piece (although I haven't bothered with any of the Compa\nion Chronicles so I'm not probably a good judge).

Sadly the lack of money (mine I mean) will certainly mean that these will end up only be bought on the cheap many years later off e-bay if at all.

[SiHart]

More details in this interview with David Richardson of BF: http://www.suite101.com/content/blak...finish-a378373

[SiHart]

And some more stuff here: http://blakes7.com/production/index....-at-the-start/

[Rob McCow]

Our Blake’s 7 audios – titled ‘The Liberator Chronicles’ – will follow the format of our Companion Chronicles very closely. They’ll be distinct from B7E’s own acclaimed updating of the format, which is a bold and gritty revision for the new millennium with its own cast.

The Chronicles will be two-handers, read by the stars of the TV show. They’ll include narration and dialogue, and be fully-fledged character-driven dramas enhanced with rich audio landscapes and cinematic music scores. And they’ll be set very much during a specific era of the TV series (Box Set 1 takes place between Project Destiny and Breakdown, for example).

What, no 'Scorpio Chronicles'?!?! I feel cheated!

This also suggests that the 'B7E' series will carry on going, which is interesting.

I will probably listen to these, but I'll have my checklist ready!
- Character driven
- Rich audio landscapes
- Cinematic scores

[SiHart]

Michael Keating is the first to return!

Big Finish Productions is delighted to announce that Michael Keating, who played the loveable thief Vila Restal in Blake’s 7, is to reprise the role in the first volume of the upcoming Liberator Chronicles. The series of enhanced audiobooks is being released in a licence deal with B7 Enterprises.

Michael will be starring in Solitary by Nigel Fairs, an unsettling mystery in which Vila wakes up in a cell aboard the Liberator, and tries to piece together his fractured memory.

Why are his friends planning to kill him?

The enigmatic Nyrron holds the answers… but will he tell?

Nigel Fairs is an award-winning playwright who has also written many acclaimed audio scripts for Doctor Who, Jago and Litefoot, The Tomorrow People and Sapphire and Steel.

The Liberator Chronicles are being directed by Lisa Bowerman, script edited by Justin Richards and produced by David Richardson.

[SiHart]

Gareth Thomas and Paul Darrow are confirmed!

[Anthony Williams]

Huzzah!