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Blake's 7 Season 4

Assassin

Blake's 7Avon and the others discover that they are being hunted by a top notch killer whose services have been paid for by Servalan. Avon and Tarrant fight the odds and sometimes each other to survive, but in the end, it turns out that Avon, underestimating the opposite sex, has been fooled by Servalan and a brilliant female killer – and it is Soolin who saves him.

written by Rod Beacham
directed by David Sullivan Proudfoot
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Caroline Holdaway (Piri), John Wyman (Cancer), Richard Hurndall (Nebrox), Peter Attad (Benos), Betty Marsden (Verlis), Adam Blackwood (Tok), Mark Barratt (Servalan’s Captain)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Games

Blake's 7The crew of Scorpio set out to plunder an infinite energy source, only to find that Servalan has her mind set on the same prize and a series of games designed to stop any potential thieves from every gaining the energy source requires the skills of Soolin, Tarrant and Vila to pass – and on Avon’s turn, it is learned that the entire thing is a hoax.

written by Bill Lyons
directed by Vivienne Cozens
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Stratford Johns (Belkov), Rosalind Bailey (Gambit), David Neal (Gerren), Michael Gaunt (Computer), James Harvey (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Sand

Blake's 7Avon decides to investigate something Servalan is investigating – a mysterious new source of energy on a distant planet. The sand-covered world is not what Tarrant and Dayna expect, nor is it expected that the sand itself is a vampire that feeds on all the unnecessary human males that arrive there, leaving any females and the strongest male as human breeding stock for future nourishment. And Tarrant becomes trapped there with Servalan.

written by Tanith Lee
directed by Vivienne Cozens
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Stephen Yardley (Reeve), Daniel Hill (Chasgow), Jonathan David (Keller), Peter Craze (Servalan’s Assistant), Michael Gaunt (Computer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Gold

Blake's 7An old acquaintance of Avon joins forces with the Scorpio crew to pull off an interstellar heist from a luxury ship whose undercover cargo is transmuted gold. They then go to have the gold re-transmuted for a bargain with Keiller’s employer – who turns out to be Servalan…and she has already made sure of her own wealth in the end.

written by Colin Davis
directed by Brian Lighthill
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Roy Kinnear (Keiller), Anthony Brown (Doctor), Dinah May (Woman Passenger), Norman Hartley (Pilot)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Orbit

Blake's 7Avon and Vila visit the planet Malodar to strike a deal with the megalomaniac scientist Egrorian for a new weapon he has devised that could ensure total power over the Federation. But only a slip of the tongue by Egrorian’s grotesque lab assistant warns Avon of impending danger: Servalan is behind Egrorian in an attempt to kill Avon. And he’s ready to sacrifice Vila to save himself.

written by Robert Holmes
directed by Brian Lighthill
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Blake's 7Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), John Savident (Egrorian), Larry Noble (Pinder)

Notes: Michael Keating, as Vila, shed tears as Avon was searching for him to kill him, but higher powers at the BBC prevented the scenes from making it to the final episode, making it appear is if Vila is sweating in hiding – apparently the tears were far more disturbing than the idea that Avon was ready to throw Vila off the ship!

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Warlord

Blake's 7Avon calls a summit meeting of the most powerful non-Federation-aligned worlds’ leaders to devise a plan to combat the Pylene-50 pacification drug, but his most powerful ally, Zukan, turns out to be an underground informant for Servalan and plants explosives in Xenon Base. The base explodes while Avon and Soolin are en route to rendezvous with a source of vital raw material. Zukan later discovers that his own daughter has stayed behind on Xenon to remain with Tarrant, and Avon manages to save his crew just in time, but Zukan’s daughter dies while reactivating the Xenon Base life support systems.

written by Simon Masters
directed by Viktors Ritelis
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Roy Boyd (Zukan), Bobbie Brown (Zeeona), Dean Harris (Finn), Simon Merrick (Boorva), Rick James (Chalsa), Charles Augins (Lod), Brian Spink (Mida)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Blake's 7 Season 4

Blake

Blake's 7Scorpio takes off as timers detonate bombs that destroy Xenon Base or any evidence that the crew had been there – the crew is on the run again. But Avon reveals that he has found the man they need to lead the rest of the rebel forces in the galaxy in a final triumphant battle with the Federation; he has found the real Roj Blake. The ship travels to Gauda Prime, where Scorpio is attacked and loses control. Tarrant crash lands the ship while the others begin trudging toward what they hope is the home of a new revolution, and Tarrant is “salvaged” by a bounty hunter – Blake. After bluffing through a conversation to find out if Tarrant is Federation or not, Blake draws a gun on him and Tarrant lashes back and escapes. Avon and the others arrive just as personnel on the base attack Tarrant, and Blake emerges. Believing Tarrant’s report that Blake has joined the Federation instead of Blake’s protests to the contrary and offers of an alliance, Avon kills Blake and one of Blake’s new recruits reveals herself to be a true Federation officer and shoots Dayna down. Vila knocks the officer out and is seen to fall as a squad of Federation troops enter the base. Soolin and Tarrant are the next to fall, leaving Avon to stand over the dead body of Blake, alone to face a Federation squad…

written by Chris Boucher
directed by Mary Ridge
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Gareth Thomas (Blake), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Sasha Mitchell (Arlen), David Collings (Deva), Janet Lees Price (Klyn)

Notes: Janet Lees Price, who portrays a member of Blake’s team who is killed by Avon, is in fact Paul Darrow’s wife!

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Audio Dramas Blake's 7

The Mark Of Kane

Blake's 7: The Mark Of KaneBusted out of the ranks of the Federation Space Command after his trial, Travis is on the run and out for revenge – on all of humanity, if necessary. He makes contact with an alien force from beyond Earth’s galaxy and offers to join them in an attempt to enter and conquer Federation space. To make that possible, however, Travis must track down a neurosurgeon named Docholli, the only man who is said to know where the Federation’s top secret central control is. During his attempts to track down Docholli, Travis runs afoul of a pair of bounty hunters out to collect the Federation’s price on his head. Only one of them, Kane, survives the ensuing firefight, and he promises to get his revenge on Travis, no matter how long it takes. Some years later, Kane joins another bounty hunter, who he doesn’t realize is former freedom fighter Roj Blake, on the lawless planet of Gauda Prime. Blake is looking for Lafayette, a pirate whose attack on an arms shipment resulted in the death of former Liberator crew member Jenna Stannis. Kane, however, is still hoping to catch up with Travis. And when he learns who Blake is, and that Blake got to Travis before he did, Kane will leave an indelible mark of his own.

written by Alan Stevens & David Tulley
directed by Alistair Lock
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Brian Croucher (Travis), Tracy Russell (Valisha / Blossom), Terry Molloy (Kane), Christina Balit (Mutoid Pilot), Bruce McGilligan (Alien), Steven Allen (Stenner), Alistair Lock (Customer), Pete Wallbank (Royce), Alan Stevens (Morik), Peter Halliday (Barkeeper), Daniel Bowers (Tando), Peter Miles (Lafayette)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Audio Dramas Blake's 7

The Logic Of Empire

Blake's 7: The Logic Of EmpireSeven years after the massacre of his crewmates and the death of Blake on Gauda Prime, Kerr Avon comes out of seclusion to hear a proposition from an anti-Federation rebel named Lydon on a distant, unnamed world. Lydon has contacted Elise, Avon’s sometime-lover, to try to get Avon involved in an attempt to raid a shipment of Federation gold. Avon is skeptical of how Lydon hopes to help the resistance movement with what is essentially an interplanetary train robbery, and upon hearing Lydon’s plan he’s even more incredulous. But Avon still has an ace up his sleeve – he consults Orac to help him devise a more cohesive plan of action. Before any of those plans can be put into practice, Federation troops converge on Avon, Elise and the others, mounting a strike so precise that they must be getting information from Elise, her strong-arm cohort Kelso, or Lydon. Again, Avon comes to believe that the person he wanted to trust most has betrayed him, and he kills Elise. But this time, his actions and even his contingency plans have been anticipated by Federation psychostrategists, and Avon is captured and brought to Servalan, who has reclaimed her seat of power. But as part of her strategy to remain in power, Servalan has decided she needs enemies to keep the Federation distracted, and she intends for Avon to keep the resistance movement alive…even if it means that the man Avon is now will cease to exist.

written by Alan Stevens & David Tulley
directed by Alistair Lock
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Gareth Thomas (Blake), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Tracy Russell (Elise), Ian Reddington (Lydon), Trevor Cooper (Kelso), Peter Tuddenham (Orac / Slave / Zen), Alistair Lock (Major Brecht), David Tulley (Section Leader), Alan Stevens (Squad Leader #1), Bruce McGilligan (Squad Leader #2), Pete Wallbank (Trooper), Sharon Eckman (P.A. System), Patricia Merrick (Kerrine), Jim Smith (Ric)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

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BBC Radio

The Sevenfold Crown

Blake's 7: The Radio AdventuresAn unusually vivid nightmare gives Avon a horrifying preview of Servalan’s latest scheme. Using a jewel of alien origin, she can inflict her will upon others in a very limited fashion. A sudden escape from a Federation interceptor leaves Scorpio’s newly-installed stardrive drained. Since the stardrive’s advanced power cells can only be procured from a Federation installation, Avon decides to strike Servalan’s current hiding place, the planet Feron, where she is researching the origins and potential power of her new weapon. Avon and Vila eavesdrop in hiding as a scientist reveals the crystal’s secrets (and then condemns himself to a premature death by admitting that he knows that Servalan isn’t “Commissioner Sleer”). From that moment, the race is on to find a jeweled diadem whose telekinetic and telepathic properties would give its wearer more than enough power to topple the Federation. But when Avon learns that an even more powerful crown, of which the diadem is only a part, could give him the ability to rule the entire galaxy… why stop with just the Federation?

Order this CDwritten by Barry Letts
directed by Brian Lighthill
music by Jeff Mearns

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Angela Bruce (Dayna), Paula Wilcox (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac / Slave), Pip Donaghy (King Gheblakon), Janet Dale (Jelka), Christian Rodska (Dr. Kapple), Simon Carter, Kim Durham, Cornelius Garrett, Susan Jeffrey, Katherine Mount, Graham Padden (Vledka), Rob Swinton

Original BBC Radio 4 broadcast: January 19, 1998

Timeline: this story takes place between the fourth season episodes Stardrive and Animals.

Categories
BBC Radio

The Syndeton Experiment

Blake's 7: The Syndeton ExperimentAvon hatches a risky plan to take over the planet Syndexia, the last remaining source of the hyperdrive fuel substance called Syndeton. But the already delicate plot is unraveled when Vila gets drunk in a bar on another planet and mentions Syndexia as the crew’s next destination. Vila is only barely rescued by the others as a Federation squadron moves in. Thanks to Vila’s carelessness, Servalan is alerted to Avon’s next destination, yet he presses on. Avon’s concern with Syndexia is not just with the coup to be gained by taking over the supply of Syndeton, either – in so doing, he intends to overthrow Madame Gaskia, Syndexia’s ruler, who once betrayed Avon to the Federation long before he joined Blake. Servalan is interested not only in the power to be harvested from Syndeton, but from its potential as a mind-controlling substance as well, an ability she tests by taking over Tarrant. Before long, the chase is on to find Dr. Rossum, a missing Federation scientist whose research into Syndeton could unlock its dangerous mind-control abilities. Scorpio’s crew finds Rossum first, but at the last minute, Avon insists on conceding this battle to Servalan – and the spoils could be control over every life form in the galaxy.

Order this CDwritten by Barry Letts
directed by Brian Lighthill
music by Jeff Mearns

Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Angela Bruce (Dayna), Paula Wilcox (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac / Slave), Judy Cornwell (Gaskia), Peter Jeffrey (Doctor Rossum), Graham Padden (Vledka)

Original BBC Radio 4 broadcast: December 17, 1998

Timeline: this story takes place between The Sevenfold Crown and the fourth season episode Animals.

Categories
Audio Dramas Blake's 7 New Series - Main

Rebel

Blake's 7: RebelIn the distant future, the tyrannical Federation decides to do away with its most persistent opponent: freedom fighter Roj Blake. Blake is sentenced to exile on the prison colony planet Cygnus Alpha after a conveniently quick trial convicts him on false charges that he molested several children. Aboard the prison ship London en route to Cygnus Alpha, Blake meets fellow prisoners Jenna Stannis, a hard-bitten smuggler, and cynical computer expert Kerr Avon. When they’re enlisted as skilled cannon fodder for a mission to salvage an enormous alien spacecraft, the three prisoners take the opportunity to make an escape attempt. The Federation officer overseeing the prisoners, Mezen, is trapped aboard the alien ship with them. Blake decides to recruit more crew memebrs from the remaining prisoners ferried to Cygnus Alpha by the London, but he finds them under a different iron fist there, as prisoners already living there have set up their own strict society, ruling by the fear of God. Only two of the prisoners, master thief Vila Restal and convicted killer Oleg Gan, opt to join Blake’s crew. Across the galaxy, in the seat of power on Earth, Space Commander Travis – who hunted Blake before his capture by the Federation – warns the newly-promoted Supreme Commander Servalan that Blake is more of a threat than the Federation’s strategists think he is.

Order this story on CDwritten by Ben Aaronovitch
directed by Andrew Mark Sewell
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Derek Riddell (Roj Blake), Colin Salmon (Kerr Avon), Carrie Dobro (Jenna Stannis), Dean Harris (Vila Restal), Owen Aaronovitch (Oleg Gan), India Fisher (Lora Mezin), Daniela Nardini (Servalan), Craig Kelly (Travis), Michael Praed (Soris), Tim Plester (Clinician Havant), Sarah Matravers (Revella), Jonathan Rhodes (Prosecutor), Dominic Cotter (Reporter), Robert Lock (Captain of the London), Daniel J. Geduld (Trooper Tanzig), Barbara Joslyn (Sheeva / Computer voices), Frances Barber (Judge Helga Ramotswe), James Gaddas (Sub-Commander Raiker), Nick Brimble (Borchu)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Audio Dramas Blake's 7 New Series - Main

Traitor

Blake's 7: TraitorNow with Vila and Gan aboard the ship, Blake turns his attention once more to gaining control of his new transport – which means he has to trust Avon, who may or may not be trying to gain control of the alien ship for himself. As Gan and Vila explore the depths of the ship, no doubt seeking treasures worthy of plundering, they stumble upon one of the control core areas for the ship’s computer, and Gan is ensnared in the ship’s organic machinery. The ship, which is seeking candidates for a replacement crew, scans Gan’s mind to learn the identities of Blake, Jenna and the others, but still finds only sketchy information and sets itself on a course to collide with a star. Avon tries to reason with the computer, while Mezin takes advantage of the chaos to try to signal a Federation ship for help, an act of desperation which instantly loses her crewmates’ trust. The alien ship blows the Federation scout away – but not before forcibly extracting information on Blake and the others from the scout ship’s database. Even as the ship’s sentient computer repeatedly demands that Blake and his fellow fugitives must submit themselves to an initiation procedure, Avon warns that they may be dealing with an unstable mind at the heart of the ship. Jenna suggests an old smuggling haven of hers for a temporary hideout, but when they arrive, they discover that the Federation has razed the planet’s entire civlization to the ground. Blake decides to drop Mezin off there, but when she sees what has been done by the government to whom she has pledged her loyalty, the Federation officer starts to come around. Christened the Liberator, Blake’s alien ship decides that it needs to refuel – and the supply depot at a heavily populated Federation colony becomes its first target, despite the crew’s wishes. The resulting “attack” now puts the ship and its crew somewhat higher on the priority list for Supreme Commander Servalan and Travis.

Order this story on CDwritten by Marc Platt
directed by Andrew Mark Sewell
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Derek Riddell (Roj Blake), Colin Salmon (Kerr Avon), Carrie Dobro (Jenna Stannis), Dean Harris (Vila Restal), Owen Aaronovitch (Oleg Gan), India Fisher (Lora Mezin), Daniela Nardini (Servalan), Craig Kelly (Travis), Rula Lenska (Dr. Ruth Ashaya), Jake Maskall (Lt. Jorge Garcia), Alistair Lock (Derelict Ship voices), Jonathan Redwin (Cassim Rafat), Kevin Jon Davies (Councillor Adrius Singh), William Johnston (Police Scout), Barbara Joslyn (Control), Jonathan Rhodes (Prosecutor), Andy Thomas (Refinery)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Audio Dramas Blake's 7 New Series - Main

Liberator

Blake's 7: LiberatorIn the wake of the Liberator’s attack on a Federation fuel refinery, and with no idea who is aboard other than Mezin, Travis is given more authority by Servalan to find the ship and protect Federation interests. But Travis’ idea of containing the threat is very different from that of his superior: Servalan wants the Liberator captured so she can use it as her personal flagship, ruling the Federation with an iron first. Travis simply wants the ship and its crew destroyed – a more effective way of dealing with the threat, and one that won’t involve the loss of men and equipment that a boarding party and a running firefight with an unknown crew armed with unknown weaponry would entail. But in Travis’ next attack on the alien ship, Liberator’s true commander is revealed – and by default, his mission can be nothing less than toppling the Federation. Aboard the Liberator, Blake has problems of his own as Avon and Vila put a plan in motion to mutiny against him, angry that they’ve effectively been branded for life as members of Blake’s revolt. Jenna quashes the mutiny just in time, and Avon and Vila are given the opportunity to leave Liberator with no questions asked…though now that their names are linked with Blake and his ship, they know there’s nowhere to run. Travis mounts a surprise attack with devastating results, but both he and Blake are surprised when new ships join the battle – alien ships, just like the Liberator. And they’ve come to recover their lost property.

Order this story on CDwritten by James Swallow
directed by Andrew Mark Sewell
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Derek Riddell (Roj Blake), Colin Salmon (Kerr Avon), Carrie Dobro (Jenna Stannis), Dean Harris (Vila Restal), Owen Aaronovitch (Oleg Gan), India Fisher (Lora Mezin), Daniela Nardini (Servalan), Craig Kelly (Travis), Doug Bradley (Nico Ballantine), Jake Maskall (Lt. Jorge Garcia), Alistair Lock (Zen), Daniel J. Geduld (Councillor Adrius Singh), Evangelo Kioussis (Lt. Rix), Barbara Joslyn (Security Monitor voice), Robert Maloney (Operator)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Audio Dramas Blake's 7 New Series - Early Years

When Vila Met Gan

Blake's 7: When Vila Met GanYears before the joined the Liberator, Vila and Gan weren’t even friends – though they did become uneasy allies when Gan, a hired hand for the wealthy owner of a secretive business venture, recognized that Vila’s lockpicking skills could help him (albeit indirectly) win the affections of the girl of Gan’s dreams. Gan and Vila set out to pull off a daring heist that could make them both rich – but it involves stealing from Gan’s own employer. Two things happen that Vila and Gan weren’t counting on: Gan’s employer turns out to have top-secret Federation military ties, and a taste for lethal automatic defense systems to match. The other wild card is the rioting that begins when the results of the vote for the President of the Federation are overturned to keep a man called Roj Blake from winning the popular vote. With chaos looming in the background, Vila and Gan have found either the best possible cover to pull off their caper, or the increased police presence will make it much easier for them to be caught and shot on sight…

Order this story on CDwritten by Ben Aaronovitch
directed by Andrew Mark Sewell
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Michael Keating (Vila Restal), Owen Aaronovitch (Oleg Gan), Alistair Lock (Zen)

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green