Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, blakes 7, doctor who, farscape, gareth thomas, Jacqueline Pearce, paul darrow, terry nation

Blake's 7: BBC Sets UK-Only Series 1 Blu-Ray Debut for November

Blake’s 7: The Collection: Series 1 collects the first season of BBC's legendary cult space opera series on Blu-ray (at last) on Nov. 10th.

Maximum power, indeed! Blake's 7 fans can rejoin the rebellion (too bad it's not for real) as the legendary BBC sci-fi series comes to Blu-ray with a six-disc box set of the first series. Created by Terry Nation, who also created the Daleks on Doctor Who, the late 1970s space opera was the little Science Fiction series that could. The Federation was the evil empire in this series, and the heroes were a bunch of escaped convicts who couldn't stand each other and would sell each other out in a heartbeat, led by idealistic rebel Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas), who had to watch his back against his own crew members, especially his amoral second-in-command Avon (Paul Darrow, who achieved Science Fiction immortality with the role).

"Blake's 7": The Darkest Space Opera Series Ever Made

Blake's 7 took a harsher view of the universe than Doctor Who, Star Trek, or Star Wars ever did. It also had a more adult feel than Star Wars. The heroes often tried to screw over each other, and everywhere they went, people kept trying to screw them over. Death was always a betrayal away. It also made the late, great Jacqueline Pearce, who played the series Big Bad Servalan, a sex symbol and fashion icon for the dresses and gowns she wore in the crazy 1970s extravaganza.  Servalan and Avon also developed serious sexual chemistry as the series progressed. Cult Science Fiction series Farscape has been influenced by Blake's 7, only with more kink subtext and muppets.

"Framed for crimes he did not commit, freedom fighter Blake (Gareth Thomas) escapes a prison ship and enlists a crew of rogue heroes to fight back against the tyrannical Federation. With Avon, Vila, Jenna, Cally, and Gan, Blake boards the fantastical spacecraft, the Liberator, and begins his quest to free the galaxy."

All 13 episodes have been newly remastered from the best available sources, including the original film where available. These stories have never looked or sounded so good on home media. Plus, fans can experience their favourite show like never before, with brand new optional updated effects on every episode, exclusive to this Blu-ray set.

Blake's 7 The Collection: Series 1 is also jam-packed with hours of new and exclusive material, including:

• IN CONVERSATION: Matthew Sweet conducts two new interviews with Sally Knyvette (who played Jenna Stannis) and director Michael E. Briant.
• LIBERATION: A brand-new feature-length documentary looking back at the making of the first series
• ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY: The previously unreleased Making Of Blake's 7, featuring extensive interviews with cast and crew.
• STEPHEN GREIF TRIBUTE: A look at the life and career of the first incarnation of Travis.
• RARE CONVENTION FOOTAGE: Previously unreleased panels with the cast and crew.
• HD PHOTO GALLERIES: With previously unseen images
• PDF WRITTEN ARCHIVE: Production paperwork, scripts, studio floor plans, and much more – available for the first time
• ARCHIVE TREATS from the BBC archives.
• Plus, all previously released DVD bonus features, including episode commentaries and featurettes.

Blake's 7 The Collection: Series 1 will be released on Blu-ray on November 11, 2024, in the UK only. Hopefully, a US release will follow.

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