旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � The BLAKE'S SEVEN "Liberator LogBook" � � "The Way Back" - "Blake" � 읕 1978 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 1981 켸 written by Earl Green "Blake's 7" created by Terry Nation This is a complete episode guide to the British Broadcasting Corportation's science-fiction drama series "Blake's 7," which was broadcast between 1978 and 1981 in England. The creator of "Blake's 7" is Terry Nation, the creator of the infamous Daleks on the BBC's other major SFTV property, "Doctor Who." This show has a surprisingly complex history for a relatively short program. The original star of the show, Gareth Thomas, was intrigued by the earlier scripts, but wanted a way back to his theater career by the end of the first season in 1978. His contract prevented him from doing so, forcing Blake to continue his mission in 1979, although there was no distinguishable deterioration in Thomas' portrayal of Blake. As Thomas said in a Starlog interview, "In the beginning, we were ruthless, vicious killers. I actually killed a man in the first series, I had to break his neck. After that, it got pedantic. 'Oh look, there's a convenient room on this ship full of costumes that happen to fit us!'" Paul Darrow, the man who was Avon, has proven himself to be probably the most enthusiastic supporter of the show and a consummate professional at the same time. Gareth Thomas was a victim of Darrow's acting skill as well as his sense of humor. During the filming of "Time Squad," the actors were being filmed on location in a chalk pit ("as usual for 'Blake's 7'," Thomas noted), and Darrow was delivering his lines just as the slope he was standing on began collapsing slowly, taking him out of frame, yet Darrow kept speaking. And during the filming of the third season's "Terminal," a close camera shot on Gareth Thomas meant that Darrow's presence was not required, yet he stood off camera and cued Thomas - while holding up a teddy bear! Darrow is still working in England, having appeared in a Doctor Who episode ("Timelash," 1985 - his second, the other being "The Silurians" in 1970, before "Blake's 7") among other television projects and working heavily in the theater. Among Darrow's recent stage roles was that of Elvis Presley in "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and the actor appears at "Blake's 7" and other sci-fi/fantasy-oriented conventions. Darrow has also written the story of his character's life in novel format: the hardcover book "Avon: A Terrible Aspect" covers the life of Avon from his birth to the time he joined Blake en route to Cygnus Alpha. Upon reading the book, series creator Terry Nation commented, "It ain't literature, but it is good reading." ("A Terrible Aspect" has recently been reprinted in paperback - if you go looking for it, be forewarned that the spine simply reads "Avon - Paul Darrow." And, with apologies to Paul Darrow, Terry Nation was being pretty charitable in his opinion...don't quit your day job, Paul!) Michael Keating, as Vila, proved to have the most integrity of any character in the entire show - Vila is the ONLY character to appear in all 52 episodes. Blake, of course, disappeared after the second season, and the other contender for most appearances, Avon, was missing in the first episode. Mike Keating is himself quite tall, which makes one realize how well his portrayal of Vila made him seem much smaller as a character. Keating also does the "Blake's 7" con route and was a prime contender for the role of The Doctor in 1986 when Colin Baker lost his stint on "Dr. Who." Both Keating and Darrow have said numerous times that if, in the future, a fifth season of "Blake's 7" is produced, they would return without a moment's hesitation - which is hardly surprising, since their two characters are fan favorites. Jan Chappell, Jacqueline Pearce, Stephen Grief, Brian Croucher, David Jackson and Steven Pacey still act overseas as well, the latter two being known for their singing skills in stage musicals as well (and Pacey recently surfaced again on TV in an episode of "Lovejoy," which is now seen in the States on the Arts & Entertainment Network). Jacqueline Pearce appeared in a 1985 "Dr. Who" installment, the 22nd anniversary special "The Two Doctors." Terry Nation, the man who created "Blake's 7," lives in Los Angeles, where he works for Columbia Pictures. One of Nation's hopes, that "Blake's 7" would make a huge mark a la "Dr. Who" in America, possibly resulting in a continuation of the show with U.S. backing, was never realized, but Nation's other joy is conventions. In 1989, he expressed hopes to begin a touring show that would serve as a "Blake's 7" convention and a drama workshop as well: Nation would host panels dealing with aspects of script writing and story development, while Paul Darrow, Michael Keating and Gareth Thomas - all depending on professional commitments - would conduct acting classes at many levels. This prospect has thus far, sadly, failed to materialize. And now the stories. I cannot recommend highly enough that you seek out this series and immerse yourself in it. Its intricate political plotting predates "Deep Space Nine" and "Babylon 5" by fifteen years, its cliffhangers put those of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to shame by not relying on all-too-simple trap doors built into the plot, and the inevitable reality that some of our heroes can be "offed" without returning is a stunning, one-of-a-kind element of the show. Where the special effects often fumble by being allotted the budgetary leftovers from "Doctor Who," the writing and acting are still unmatched. Watch this show! 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Series "A": 1978 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 01 THE WAY BACK 1/2/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Michael E. Briant Roj Blake is summoned by an old friend to an illegal meeting outside of a city dome on Earth. The meeting is held by a ragtag band of citizens plotting the downfall of the Administration, the arm of the Terran Federation that governs Earth. At that meeting, Blake is told that he has been brainwashed and has been unwittingly drugged ever since five years ago, when he had been the leader of the anti-Administration group and was captured, put up to trial, and forced to confess. Federation guards arrive at the meeting and massacre everyone there except for Blake and a man called Dev Tarrant. Blake slips out and returns to the city under cover of darkness, and, upon entry, is arrested by more guards. Corrupt members of the Administration's "justice" department decide to use mental-implantation techniques to brainwash three children and put false memories in their mind. The next day, Blake meets his attorney for the first time and discovers that his charges deal not with leaving the city or attending the meeting, but with child molestation. At his trial, Blake is hopelessly defeated with no chance for appeal and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life on the Federation penal colony, Cygnus Alpha. In a holding cell, Blake meets Jenna Stannis and Vila Restal and awaits further word from his attorney. When Blake tells his attorney of the meeting and the Federation slaughter, Varon and his wife leave the city themselves to check on it. They are about to return to the city with enough evidence to topple the Administration, but as Blake's ship to Cygnus Alpha departs with him on board, defense attorney Varon, along with his wife and his evidence of the massacre Blake witnesses, are destroyed by Federation troops under special agent Dev Tarrant. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Michael Keating (Vila), Robert Beatty (Bran Foster), Jeremy Wilkin (Tarrant), Michael Halsey (Varon), Pippa Steel (Maja), Gillian Bailey (Ravella), Alan Butler (Richie), Magaret John (Arbiter), Peter Williams (Dr. Havant), Susan Field (Alta Morag), Rodney Figaro (Court), Nigel Lambert (Computer Operator), Garry McDermott (Guard) 02 SPACE FALL 1/9/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Pennant Roberts On the "civil administration ship" London en route to Cygnus Alpha, the prisoners are shown their small accomodations. Subcommander Raiker, the first officer, chastises Blake, propositions Jenna, and basically gives the other prisoners hell. Blake is introduced to some of the other prisoners, including the colossal giant Gan, young Nova - not very experienced, but willing to fight - and Avon, a computer hacker sentenced to Cygnus Alpha after an attempt to bleed the Federation banking cartel dry. Blake, using the others for cover, gets deep into the ship and locates the main computer. During his reconnaissance, the London is buffeted by energy waves from a nearby space battle. Blake sends Avon to sabotage the computer and to open every door on the ship so the prisoners can hijack her. After the ship is in the hands of the prisoners, things start to go wrong. Through a careless mistake on Vila's part, many of the prisoners are recaptured, and Raiker starts executing them. Blake, Jenna and Avon, in the main computer area, surrender to the crew of the London and are put in restraints. The London's sensors return to normal function after being knocked out by the energy waves and indicate a gigantic starship nearby. The London crew send three officers across to the ship to investigate, but they are all killed. Not ready to give up the prize money that would come from salvaging an alien ship, Raiker suggests sending Blake, Avon and Jenna across. They discover that the ship's self-defense mechanism is responsible for the officers' deaths and deactivate it before it kills them as well. Raiker tries to board the ship and manages to graze Blake with a laser gun, but the alien ship disengages from the London, and Raiker is swept out of the airlock into open space and dies. Blake returns to the flight deck and orders a heading for Cygnus Alpha to rescue the rest of the prisoners. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Glyn Owen (Leylan), Leslie Schofield (Raiker), Norman Tipton (Artix), David Hayward (Teague), Brett Forrest (Krell), Tom Kelly (Nova), Michael MacKenzie (Dainer), Bill Weston (Garton) 03 CYGNUS ALPHA 1/16/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer On Cygnus Alpha, a religious cult under Vargas and Kara is preparing for a new batch of recruits: the incoming prisoners on the London. In the meantime, Blake, Jenna and Avon are investigating their new ship, and inadvertently activate the ship's computer, Zen. With Zen online and responding to voice commands, they make their way to Cygnus Alpha. On arrival, they decide to try the teleport system, which puts Blake down in the middle of a group of cult members. Avon figures out how to pull Blake back to the newly-christened Liberator just before Blake becomes a sacrifice. Blake later goes down, armed, and discovers that Vargas has recruited Gan and the others and that the atmosphere of the planet supposedly is toxic and works its way into the bloodstream, and that a dose of a special drug is required once a day for the rest of the victim's life to survive. Blake is captured by Vargas, and, before being tortured, is told that the drug is a placebo, and the disease is a myth - and Vargas wants to comandeer the Liberator. Blake refuses and gets a handful of supporters among the prisoners, including Gan, Vila and Arco, to revolt. Most of the cult is destroyed, along with a good deal of the prisoners. Gan and Vila manage to escape to the ship with Blake - and Vargas follows, armed with Blake's gun. Blake teleports Vargas into open space, killing him, and the Liberator, now almost fully manned, leaves Cygnus Alpha. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Brian Blessed (Vargas), Glyn Owen (Leylan), Norman Tipton (Artix), Pamela Salem (Kara), Robert Russell (Laran), Peter Childs (Arco), David Ryall (Selman), Peter Tuddenham (Zen) 04 TIME SQUAD 1/23/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Pennant Roberts Blake and the crew are en route to Saurian Major, where they plan to destroy a major Federation communications station. On the way, they find a derelict space capsule, which Blake and Jenna teleport into to investigate. Avon, in the meantime, pilots the Liberator to bring the capsule into a docking bay. The capsule appears to be unmanned but actually contains a couple of alien life forms in suspended animation. Blake, Avon and Vila teleport to Saurian Major and encounter Cally, a telepathic Auron and the sole survivor of the Federation's attack on the last freedom fighters there. While Blake and company reach the communications station, Jenna and Gan are attacked by the aliens, who are thawing out. It is discovered that Gan is incapable of killing due to a limiter implant in his brain that prevents murderously violent impulses - leaving Jenna on her own to defend the ship and her huge colleague. Blake, Avon, Vila and Cally manage to set charges in the communications station and Gan, weakened by the contradictory impulses from his wish to help Jenna and his limiter implant, teleports them out just before the charges explode. Blake kills the last alien before it gets to Jenna and then invites Cally to join the crew. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Tony Smart (Alien), Mark McBride (Alien), Frank Henson (Alien) 05 THE WEB 1/30/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Michael E. Briant Cally begins sabotaging the Liberator and attacks Vila. Blake and Avon rush to stop her as the sensors go inoperative and it rapidly becomes apparent that Cally is not in control of her actions. The Liberator enters a huge, spaceborne web that slows the ship down and brings it to a planet inside the web. Blake teleports down and is injured by a tiny creature's spear. A couple of humanoid beings appear, kill the animal, and miraculously heal Blake's wound. It transpires that the animals - ten-function, artificial slaves callled the Decimas - were created by Geela and Novara, who are under the control of Saymon - whose telepathic impulses had been controlling Cally - and the Decimas have now become independent and their creators are attempting to destroy them. They leave Blake no choice: they demand power cells in exchange for the release of the Liberator. But as Avon arrives with the cells, the Decimas attack the control building, killing their creators. Blake and Avon return to the Liberator as the web dissolves and continue their journeys. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Richard Beale (Saymon), Ania Marson (Geela), Miles Fothergill (Novara), Deep Roy, Gilda Cohen, Ismet Hassam, Marcus Powell, Molly Tweedly, Willie Sheara (Decimas) 06 SEEK-LOCATE-DESTROY 2/6/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer The Liberator crew mounts an attack on a Federation base on Centero, their main objective: to procure a decoder for the Federation's top priority military communications channel. They manage to get the unit and set explosive charges, but Cally is attacked and loses her teleport bracelet. The others return to the ship and discover there that she must still be on Centero. They learn through the decoder that Supreme Commander Servalan of the Federation has assigned the notorious Space Commander Travis to the "Blake affair," and that Travis is already on Centero in charge of the investigations. Blake returns to Centero to save Cally, realizing that Travis - his arch enemy from the earlier revolt against the Federation - will stop at nothing to see the Liberator crew dead. Blake uses one of Travis's old strategies to slip into the base, free Cally, and escape. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Stephen Grief (Travis), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Peter Craze (Prell), Peter Miles (Rontane), John Bryans (Bercol), Ian Cullen (Escon), Ian Oliver (Rai), Astley Jones (Eldon) 07 MISSION TO DESTINY 2/13/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Pennant Roberts The Liberator stops to aid a damaged spacecraft whose crew is entirely asleep when Blake, Cally and Avon arrive. The ship's guidance systems and life support system have been sabotaged. When Blake and Avon get the life support system back online, the crew has no idea what has happened. Kendall, the captain of the ship, reveals that he and his people are from the agricultural world Destiny, whose ecosphere has become unviable. The ship was dispatched to get the neutrotope, which would render Destiny fertile again, and with its damage, the ship has no hope of reaching Destiny in any time under five months, and that delay could set the planet's harvest back by another year. Blake makes Kendall an offer: Avon and Cally will stay aboard to help repair the ship's systems, and the neutrotope will reach Destiny in four days via the Liberator. Avon and Cally slowly unravel the mystery of numerous occurring murders on the ship and finally find that a message written by the dying pilot - 54124 - is actually the name of the murderer... Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Barry Jackson (Kendall), Beth Morris (Sara), Stephen Tate (Mandrian), Nigel Humphreys (Sonheim), Kate Coleridge (Levett), Carl Forgione (Grovane), John Leeson (Pasco), Brian Caprion (Rafford), Stuart Fell (Dortmunn) 08 DUEL 2/20/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Douglas Camfield The Liberator is nearing an uncharted planet and is under attack by three well-armed Federation pursuit ships. As the attack depletes Liberator's energy supply, Blake decides to wait for the two ships he predicts aren't Travis's to run out of energy and then tries to ram Travis's ship. But as the Liberator prepares to rip through the pursuit ship's hull, time is frozen by the two guardians on the planet below, who pit Blake and Jenna in hand-to-hand combat to the death against Travis and a vampire-like mutoid from his crew. But as Jenna defeats the mutoid and Blake traps Travis, before the eyes of both ships' crews, Blake relents and the Liberator is released, while Travis returns to his ship in shame. This is the only Blake's 7 episode which was not scored by Australian composer Dudley Simpson; Simpson created the theme for the series and did the music for every episode except this one, which was tracked with stock electronic-sounding music due to Simpson's unavailability. Simpson also provided incidental music for more episodes of Doctor Who than anyone else, along with countless other British series. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Stephen Grief (Travis), Isla Blair (Sinofar), Patsy Smart (Giroc), Carol Royle (Mutoid) 09 PROJECT AVALON 2/27/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Michael E. Briant The Liberator arrives at an icy Federation outpost so Blake can make contact with Avalon, the rebel leader on that planet. But Avalon has been captured by Travis and duplicated with an android who returns to the Liberator after a narrow escape by Blake and his crew, who rescue "Avalon" from a high-security cell block. The android is carrying a tiny sphere with just enough of a lethal virus to kill the entire crew of the Liberator and leave the ship unaffected and, after 24 hours, habitable again. Blake returns with the android and the sphere to get the real Avalon out of danger, leaving Travis with an android that drops the sphere inside the Federation base - and Travis catches the sphere. Servalan is infuriated with Travis's performance and takes charge of the hunt for Blake personally. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Stephen Grief (Travis), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Julia Vidler (Avalon), David Bailie (Chevner), Glynis Barber (Mutoid), John Baker (Scientist), John Rolfe (Terloc), David Sterne (Guard), Mark Holmes (Guard) 10 BREAKDOWN 3/6/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer On the flight deck of the Liberator, Gan suddenly attacks Jenna, and, after nearly killing the entire rest of the crew, it is discovered in a medical scan that Gan's limiter is malfunctioning and sending vicious, murderous impulses to his mind. If Gan doesn't receive treatment in 72 hours, he could die, so Blake has Zen list all the locations where he could receive proper medical attention. Avon points out space station XK-72, a neutral scientific research station that Liberator would have to cross what Zen calls a "forbidden area of space" to reach. Avon overrides Zen and Jenna pilots the ship through that area, finding a black hole-like gravity vortex that the Liberator almost doesn't survive. Once at XK-72, Gan is treated by Dr. Kayn - but not before Kayn alerts the Federation to Blake's presence. Kayn returns to XK-72 and murders station administrator Farren when he reprimands Kayn for getting the Federation involved. A stray plasma bolt from one of the Federation pursuit ships destroys the station as Blake and his friends escape, with Gan and the Liberator intact. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Julian Glover (Kayn), Ian Thompson (Farren), Christian Roberts (Renor) 11 BOUNTY 3/13/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Pennant Roberts Blake and Cally contact Sarkoff, former president of planet Lindor, who has been relegated to a Federation world where, after losing a fixed election on Lindor, he has been kept prisoner under light security. His daughter Tyce is also there with him, disgusted with her father's broken spirit. Blake talks them in returning to Lindor, but on returning on the Liberator, which had broken orbit to investigate a derelict space vessel, Blake and the others find a band of space pirates in control - and Jenna has apparently switched sides to aid Tarvin, the pirates' leader. The crew escapes with Jenna's help, and Tarvin, preparing to kill Sarkoff after Tyce assaults him, is killed by Blake, and the ship returns Lindor's rightful ruler to his planet. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), T.P. McKenna (Sarkoff), Carinthia West (Tyce), Marc Zuber (Tarvin), Mark York (Cheney), Derrick Branche (Amagon Guard) 12 DELIVERANCE 3/20/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Michael E. Briant The Liberator spots a spaceship as it crashes on Cephlon. Avon, Jenna, Gan and Vila teleport down to the planet to search for survivors from two life capsules that eject from the ship at the last moment. They find one dead and the other badly injured. The crew teleports back up with the survivor but do not realize that Jenna has been attacked by natives of the planet. While Blake and Cally try to help Ensor, the shipwreck survivor who says to tell his father that the Federation will pay a hundred million credits for something called Orac, the others return to Cephlon to rescue Jenna. An underground chamber conveniently opens for them as they barely escape from the natives, and there they meet Meegat, a lone civilized woman guarding a rocket loaded with the gene banks of the last civilization on Cephlon who regards Avon as a god. On the Liberator, Ensor takes Cally hostage and demands that the ship be set on a course for Aristo, his father's home world. Jenna is rescued by Avon, Gan and Vila, and they manage to reactivate the launch system and send the future progeny of Cephlon on its way. Ensor dies from sheer exhaustion and Blake and Cally set the ship back to Cephlon to pick up the others. Blake is very much intrigued by Ensor's information: a fortune for something called Orac and a box of power cells for his father's artifical heart. The Liberator is soon back on course for Aristo... Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Stephen Grief (Travis), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Tony Caunter (Ensor), James Lister (Maryatt), Suzan Farmer (Meegat) 13 ORAC 3/27/78 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer Gan, Avon, Vila and Jenna have fallen ill with potentially lethal radiation sickness after spending too much time on the irradiated surface of Cephlon. Their only hope is that the mysterious Ensor that Blake plans to contact on Aristo has a supply of drugs to cure the illness. On the surface, however, Travis and Servalan have arrived early and make their way slowly and clumsily to Ensor's underground installation. Blake and Cally teleport to the surface as well and are accosted by a flying object that gives them precise instructions to reach a hidden lift leading directly to Ensor's laboratory. They find old Ensor dying slowly - he needs the power cells his son was trying to deliver implanted soon. Blake and Cally take Ensor and his invention, Orac, through the tunnels to reach the surface, but a skirmish with Travis slows progress and Ensor dies of shock en route to the surface. Avon and Vila arrive to save Blake and Cally from Travis, and teleport back to the Liberator while Servalan vows to Travis that his career as Space Commander is finished. On the Liberator, Orac is activated and the crew discovers that Orac is actually an incredibly advanced computer capable of making short-term predictions. When asked to do so, Orac projects an image of the Liberator being destroyed in a huge fireball onto the screen... Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Derek Farr (Ensor and Orac), Stephen Grief (Travis), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), James Muir (Phibian), Paul Kidd (Phibian) 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Series "B": 1979 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 14 REDEMPTION 1/9/79 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer The crew of the Liberator have begun extensively checking the ship for any defects that could result in Orac's prediction, but no one can find a cause - except for Avon. In the recording of Orac's prediction, a starfield unique anywhere in the universe is seen behind the Liberator just prior to her predicted destruction, and according to Avon, all the crew has to do is make sure the ship never goes near that point. But before any more can be said, two ships similar to the Liberator in design approach from out of nowhere at unimaginable speed and attack - carefully knocking out specific systems, such as weapons and flight control. When Blake and Avon try overriding the computers, the ship fights back, lashing out with live power and locking Avon in a room where he has just set an explosive charge. Zen even goes offline, and the ship is boarded. Gan is attacked and disappears, while Vila and Cally are the next to go. Blake orders Orac to influence the computers and bring them back online, and the flight deck is suddenly taken over by aliens who pilot the Liberator inside a gigantic, world-sized space station, again similar in design. It becomes clear that the minions of the computer-controlled entity called "The System" were the original builders and owners of the Liberator and want her back. Blake notices, during an interrogation by System custodians, that the System's computers are gradually having difficulty operating, and correctly guesses that Orac is responsible. Avon, while waiting in a prison cell for execution, looks out a porthole and sees the very star configuration that he noticed behind Liberator in Orac's prediction. One by one, the crew escapes and they make their way back to the Liberator. As they escape from the System, a sister ship is launched, and, due to a computer overload caused by Orac, the sister ship and not the Liberator itself is destroyed. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Sheila Ruskin (Alta One), Harriet Philpin (Alta Two), Roy Evans (Slave) 15 SHADOW 1/16/79 written by Chris Boucher directed by Jonathan Wright Miller Blake and the crew decide to enlist the help of the Terra Nostra, a spaceborne equivalent of the Mafia, in their campaign against the Federation. Largo, the representative they meet, is a vicious animal who also distributes the highly addictive drug known as "shadow." After almost getting killed by Largo and his underlings, Blake decides to destroy the Terra Nostra's source of "shadow" and discovers that the President of the Federation in fact runs the underworld as well. In the meantime, an alien entity is using Orac to manifest itself in the real world and it renders Cally unable to help the crew. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Derek Smith (Largo), Karl Howman (Bek), Adrienne Burgess (Hanna), Vernon Dobtcheff (Chairman), Archie Tew (Enforcer) 16 WEAPON 1/23/79 written by Chris Boucher directed by George Spenton-Foster A Federation weapons expert has defected from the Federation and gone into hiding, taking his most ingenious weapon and a slave girl with him into hiding. In the meantime, Servalan and Travis - newly released from a labor camp - are enlisting the aid of Clonemaster Fen in creating a clone of Blake for use in retrieving the weapon. When the real Liberator crew arrives and the weapon is put to work for and on nearly everybody, the last surviving clone of Blake takes the weapon from Servalan and guards it with his life. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake[s]), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Brian Croucher (Travis), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Kathleen Byron (Fen), John Bennett (Coser), Scott Fredericks (Carnell), Candace Glendenning (Rashel), Graham Simpson (Officer) 17 HORIZON 1/30/79 written by Allan Prior directed by Jonathan Wright Miller The Liberator crew is growing tired and must stop off for some form of natural relaxation soon. As they try to find somewhere to meet those specifications, the Liberator passes through a force barrier around the planet Horizon, which is very soon to be annexed by the Federation. On Horizon, a simple native is being manipulated as a puppet governor by a Federation Kommissar into enslaving his people - and Blake and the crew unwittingly walk right into every trap on Horizon and become part of the labor force while Avon is tempted to leave in the Liberator on his own. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), William Squire (Kommissar), Darien Angadi (Ro), Souad Faress (Selma), Brian Miller (Assistant Kommissar), Paul Haley (Chief Guard) 18 PRESSURE POINT 2/6/79 written by Terry Nation directed by George Spenton-Foster Blake decides to mount a raid on Central Control, the heart of the Federation on Earth. He has contacted Kasabi, the rebel leader on Earth, and made arrangements for liasons with her troops, but before the Liberator arrives, Kasabi and her troops are captured and Travis forces her daughter to comply with his plan, which involves leading Blake and Gan into a trap and stealing their teleport bracelets. Avon and Vila soon arrive, and the crew is off again, working its way through a minefield of traps and finally reaching Central Control: an empty room where Travis and his guards wait. Jenna rescues them by holding Servalan hostage with the help of Kasabi's daughter, and the crew flees. Travis lobs a percussion grenade at them while they are all still underground, and the explosion triggers a collapse of the roof which kills Gan while the others escape. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), David Jackson (Gan), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), Jane Sherwin (Kasabi), Yolande Palfrey (Veron), Alan Halley (Arle), Martin Connor (Berg), Sue Bishop (Mutoid) 19 TRIAL 2/13/79 written by Chris Boucher directed by Derek Martinus Overwhelmed with remorse for Gan's death, Blake teleports himself down to an unidentified planet to serve his penance, leaving no clues for the crew to locate him. Meanwhile, Servalan has brought up a charge of mass murder to file against Travis to have him discharged from space service, and she has also seen to it that Travis has no chance of an innocent verdict or an appeal. Blake discovers that his planet is not as uninhabited as Zen has postulated and is forced to find his way back to the ship when the planet turns out to be a living organism - and a hungry one at that. Once back on the Liberator, Blake decides to attack Space Command Headquarters, and the attack is a devastating one with one oversight: the confusion of the attack allows Travis to escape with his own ship, now a renegade himself. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), John Savident (Samor), John Bryans (Bercol), Peter Miles (Rontane), Victoria Fairbrother (Thania), Claire Lewis (Zil), Kevin Lloyd (Par), Graham Sinclair (Lye), Colin Dunn (Guard Commander) 20 KILLER 2/20/79 written by Robert Holmes directed by Vere Lorrimer While Vila and Avon call in a debt from an old acquaintance of Avon to acquire a new Federation decoding crystal, Blake and the others locate an ancient sublight vessel on its way to the same planet. The science department of the Federation base there sends up another ship to salvage the ancient ship and bodies are found inside. But while Avon and Vila discover that Servalan has been alerted to the Liberator's presence, the long-dead remnants of the ancient ship's crew spread a lethal plague that wipes out the entire planet. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Paul Daneman (Bellfriar), Ronald Lacey (Tynus), Colin Farrell (Gambril), Colin Higgins (Tak), Michael Gaunt (Bax), Morris Barry (Wiler) 21 HOSTAGE 2/27/79 written by Allan Prior directed by Vere Lorrimer Travis has taken Blake's cousin and uncle hostage and claims to want to join the rebellion, but when Blake arrives, Travis informs Servalan of the Liberator's presence. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), John Abineri (Ushton), Judy Buxton (Inga), Kevin Stoney (Joban), Andrew Robertson (Space Commander), Judith Porter (Mutoid), James Coyle (Molok) 22 COUNTDOWN 3/6/79 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer A Federation installation on the planet Albian is taken by rebels as Blake arrives, but before dying, the last Federation officer activates a mechanism that will destroy all life on the planet, but leave the Federation bases and other structures intact. Avon and Del Grant teleport to the ice cap to deactivate the bomb, but while there, the only thing Avon can think of is the death of his lover, Anna Grant - and the only thing on Del Grant's mind is why Avon allowed his sister to die. Meanwhile, Blake finds a Federation officer called Provine and interrogates him: Blake wants to know where the real Central Control is located. This week's clues: it's called Star One, and a man known as Docholli knows where it's at. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Tom Chadbon (Grant), Paul Shelley (Provine), James Kerry (Cauder), Lindy Alexander (Ralli), Robert Arnold (Selson), Geoffrey Snell (Tronos), Sidney Kean (Vetnor), Nigel Gregory (Arrian) 23 A VOICE FROM THE PAST 3/13/79 written by Roger Parkes directed by George Spenton-Foster Blake is summoned telepathically to a rebel base where he meets the former Arbiter General of the Federation and rebel leader Shivan, who was rumored killed but appears bandaged head to toe. They are going to take Blake to a meeting of outer world governors to depose Federation rule and install Blake, Shivan and Governor Le Grand as a civilian triumvirate. But Servalan and Travis have known of the scheme all along, and Travis, who has been disguised as Shivan from the outset of the plot, uses the telepathic homing device used on Blake to slow down the crew's escape from the meeting. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), Frieda Knorr (Governor Le Grand), Richard Bebb (Glynd), Martin Read (Nagu) 24 GAMBIT 3/20/79 written by Robert Holmes directed by George Spenton-Foster The Liberator crew tracks Docholli down to a frontier town on a distant planet. Blake, Jenna and Cally teleport down to find him, and they do find him, hiding behind a false identity and drinking heavily in a local bar. Travis is there as well, acting as Docholli's bodyguard. Meanwhile, Avon rounds up Vila and Orac, using the latter to teleport down to the computer controlled casino to break the bank. Krantor, the owner of Freedom City, tries to drug Vila and lull him into a game he can't win, but Avon and Orac save Vila from certain death and leave with every cent in the casino, while Blake saves Travis from a scheme by Servalan to destroy him, the Liberator crew, and Docholli in a single explosion. Docholli tells Blake that Lurgen, a surgeon whom he knew while still in the Federation, knows the location of Star One, and that the location is hidden somewhere on the planet Goth on a person of royal blood... Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), Aubrey Woods (Krantor), Denis Carey (Docholli), Nicolette Roeg (Chenie), Sylvia Coleridge (Croupier), Paul Grist (Cevedic), John Leeson (Toise), Harry Jones (Harry Jones), Michael Halsey (Zee), Deep Roy (Klute) 25 THE KEEPER 3/27/79 written by Allan Prior directed by Derek Martinus Blake, Jenna and Vila visit Goth, leaving Avon and Cally on the ship. Cally detects a ship that is most likely Travis's, so Avon sets off to destroy it, leaving Blake and the others in the lurch when savages attack them on the planet. Jenna is captured and betrothed to Gola, Charl of the Tents of Goth, while Vila becomes the court jester. Blake is almost not rescued from death by Avon on the Liberator's return. He returns and encounters Rod, Gola's brother and a prime contender to be Charl. Gola and his sister, both of royal blood, are checked by Jenna, and neither of them has the secret of Star One's location. After a battle with Gola, Rod is killed, and Vila finds nothing on him. Gola is poisoned by his mystic sister and dies. She tells Blake and the others that the truest royal person on Goth is locked away in the dungeons below: Gola's and Rod's father, the deposed Charl. Blake goes to the dying old man, who passes away just after telling Blake "a fool knows everything and nothing." Blake repeats the phrase to the dead king's grieving jester, triggering a brain implant that gives them the coordinates of Star One. Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), Bruce Purchase (Gola), Freda Jackson (Tara), Shawn Curry (Rod), Cengiz Saner (Fool), Arthur Hewlitt (The Old Man), Ron Tarr (Patrol Leader) 26 STAR ONE 4/3/79 written by Chris Boucher directed by David Maloney The Liberator leaves the Milky Way galaxy in search of Star One. The coordinates lead them to a cold planet orbiting a white dwarf star on the edge of the galaxy, and getting there, the crew realize that they are on the route that anyone desiring to reach the nearest galaxy, Andromeda, would take. Star One turns out to have an underground base manned by conditioned engineers from the Federation who maintain an antimatter satellite minefield designed to keep someone or something out of the Milky Way. Blake and Cally are captured on the surface, but Blake discovers that Travis is expected to arrive and assumes that identity. Cally, in the meantime, plants bombs. Avon watches on the planet as Travis arrives, but Travis escapes when Avon is distracted by a woman who claims that everyone else on Star One is out to kill her. Avon finds that this is indeed true, because everyone but Lurena is in fact an alien in the shape of the engineers they killed. Star One's defense barrier is designed to keep out a possible invasion from the Andromeda Galaxy - and that invasion force arrives on the Liberator's detectors. Jenna uses Orac to warn Servalan of the impending danger while Travis seriously wounds Blake. Avon kills Travis and the rest of the aliens on Star One, but the damage has been done and the zone will be deactivated on schedule, allowing the Andromedans to invade. The nearest Federation vessels are hours away from Star One, and the Liberator, with Avon in command, remains to fight off the invasion... Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Brian Croucher (Travis), Jenny Twigge (Lurena), David Webb (Stot), Gareth Armstrong (Parton), John Bown (Durkim), Paul Toothill (Marcol), Michael Maynard (Leeth) 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Series "C": 1980 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 27 AFTERMATH 1/7/80 written by Terry Nation directed by Vere Lorrimer The Liberator is damaged heavily in the ensuing war and starts away from the main battles. The life support system begins to fail and the crew must abandon ship. Avon is knocked out when debris from a hit near the life capsule launch area collapses on him, and Cally and Vila get him into a capsule. Landing on the planet Serran, Avon is saved from vicious natives by a young woman called Dayna, who takes him to her father's underwater home base. On the way there, they encounter Servalan, who has deposed the High Council, declared herself President, and has topped all this by getting herself marooned. Servalan attempts to seduce Avon, but he resists and uses Orac to signal the Liberator. In an attempt to steal Orac and slip away, Servalan is stopped by Dayna's blind father, who is killed by Servalan. Dayna vows vengeance and she and Avon set out to find Servalan. After "rescuing" Servalan from the restless natives, Avon recovers Orac, and with Dayna he returns to the Liberator when it arrives, while Servalan hides away in the undersea installation. On returning to the ship, Avon and Dayna find a full squad of Federation shock troops in control... Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Josette Simon (Dayna), Cy Grant (Mellanby), Alan Lake (Chel), Sally Harrison (Lauren), Richard Franklin (Trooper), Michael Melia (Trooper), Steven Pacey (Tarrant) 28 POWERPLAY 1/14/80 written by Terry Nation directed by David Maloney Avon and Dayna are interrogated by the Federation officers, who are under the command of Del Tarrant. Avon, using the pseudonym Chevron, fakes an attempt to draw a concealed weapon and is knocked out by Tarrant. Dayna attacks with the same end result, and both are locked into a cabin. As soon as they manage to get out again, Avon contacts Zen and learns that the ship is en route to pick up Vila, who has been marooned on a jungle planet where a primitive faction and a race of advanced humans fight each other for any new arrivals on the planet. After that, Avon and Dayna discover that someone is killing off the Federation troops one by one. Avon sets out to learn who, while Dayna stays behind armed but is captured. Avon discovers that Tarrant is not a Federation Captain, but an outlaw who had been wanting to join Blake and his crew and had to disguise himself as a Federation officer. He and Tarrant overpower the other Federation troops and rescue Dayna, as Vila and Cally, who has also arrived on that planet, are about to be killed. The ship automatically teleports them aboard, and Zen is instructed to respond to Dayna and Tarrant, as they are now members of the crew. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Michael Sheard (Clegg), Doyne Byrd (Harmon), John Hollis (Lom), Michael Crane (Mall), Primi Townsend (Zee), Julia Vidler (Barr), Catherine Chase (Nurse), Helen Blatch (Receptionist) 29 VOLCANO 1/21/80 written by Allan Prior directed by Desmond McCarthy Dayna and Tarrant's first assignment as Liberator crew members is to visit the planet Obsidian and investigate two things: rumors that Blake had fled to that planet after evacuating the Liberator, and the possibility of using Obsidian as a base from which to fight the Federation. But Servalan and her troops arrive to take over the world, and the people of Obsidian reveal the weapon which has kept them safe from the Federation all this time. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Michael Gough (Hower), Malcolm Bullivant (Bershar), Ben Howard (Mori), Alan Bowerman (Battle Fleet Commander), Russell Denton (Milus), Judy Matheson (Mutoid) 30 DAWN OF THE GODS 1/28/80 written by James Follett directed by Desmond McCarthy Orac, curious about an unusual black hole, takes control of the Liberator and swings her too close. The ship is swallowed up by the black hole, and it is discovered that this particular black hole is indeed unusual because it is artificial constructed by an outcast "god" from Cally's home planet of Auron who seeks a powerful ship, brilliant slaves - and Cally. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Sam Dastor (The Caliph), Terry Scully (Groff), Marcus Powell (The Thaarn) 31 THE HARVEST OF KAIROS 2/4/80 written by Ben Steed directed by Gerald Blake Servalan's new right-hand man and tactical advisor takes Tarrant on in a battle of strategy in space and on foot on the deadly planet of Kairos, but Avon's obsessive search for an elusive new weapon hinders the Liberator crew's efficiency - but saves them in the end. In a 1986 interview with TimeScreen magazine, Paul Darrow said that this episode was "the one that made Jan Chappell decide to leave." Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Andrew Burt (Jarvik), Frank Gatliff (Dastor), Anthony Gardner (Shad), Charles Jamieson (Guard), Sam Davies (Carlon), Christopher Douglas (First Leader, Third Leader), Hywel David (Interceptor Captain, Second Leader) 32 THE CITY AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD 2/11/80 written by Chris Boucher directed by Vere Lorrimer Vila is bullied by Tarrant into assisting an unknown party on Keezarn, a remote planet, in exchange for some weapons crystals needed on the Liberator. The unknown party shortchanges Tarrant, sending a bomb instead, which is what Avon anticipated. As he and Cally teleport down to rescue Vila, the thief discovers that he is to be working for a criminal known as "Bayban the butcher" - a man with a reputation for mayhem "second only to Blake" (a comment to which Bayban himself reacts badly). Bayban wants Vila to break into an impossible door, which is what Vila does, taking Bayban's attractive gunhand with him. They discover an infinite-range teleport system that sends them to the planet the real people of Keezarn are destined to reach and there Vila discovers the type of crystals Tarrant needed. On returning to Keezarn, they find that Avon and the others have captured Bayban's forces. Vila has a chance to go off with Kerril or return to the Liberator - and then Bayban himself prepares to destroy the city. This script was written by Chris Boucher especially for Mike Keating when Keating's young daughter, watching an earlier Blake's 7 episode, turned around and told her father he was stupid! It also set the stage for a rematch between Paul Darrow and Colin Baker in the arguably forgettable 1985 Dr. Who episode "Timelash." Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Colin Baker (Bayban), Carol Hawkins (Kerril), John J. Carney (Sherm), Valentine Dyall (Norl) 33 THE CHILDREN OF AURON written by Roger Parkes directed by Andrew Morgan Cally's twin sister, Zelda, sends out a telepathic distress signal when the planet Auron is ravaged by a plague which has, in fact, been unleashed on the pacifist Aurons by Servalan in an attempt to capture the Liberator and its crew. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally, Zelda), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Rio Fanning (Deral), Ric Young (Ginka), Jack McKenzie (Patar), Beth Harris (CA Two), Ronald Leigh-Hunt (CA One), Sarah Atkinson (Franton), Michael Troughton (Pilot Four-Zero) 34 RUMOURS OF DEATH 2/25/80 written by Chris Boucher directed by Fiona Cumming Avon sets out to avenge the death of his lover, Anna Grant. He kidnaps a Federation "prison psychologist" (torturer) whom he believes is responsible for her execution, but information gained from that encounter leads Avon and the crew back to Earth in a raid on Servalan's mansion - which has been taken by a rebel group already - where Avon discovers that Anna was never killed...nor was she, in fact, alive! Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), John Bryans (Shrinker), Peter Clay (Chesku), Lorna Heilbron (Sula, Anna), Donald Douglas (Grenlee), David Haig (Forres), Philip Bloomfield (Balon), David Gillies (Hob) 35 SARCOPHAGUS 3/3/80 written by Tanith Lee directed by Fiona Cumming After visiting a derelict alien "tomb-vessel," Cally is inhabited by the soul of a long-dead creature who begins to take her shape, draining her of her energy, and takes over the ship and, one by one, the crew - except for Avon, the one member of the crew who is determined not to surrender into slavery... Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon, spirit of death), Jan Chappell (Cally, the Alien, spirit of life), Michael Keating (Vila, the fool), Steven Pacey (Tarrant, the defender), Josette Simon (Dayna, the bard), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac) 36 ULTRAWORLD 3/10/80 written by Trevor Hoyle directed by Vere Lorrimer The Liberator is captured by an artificial planet whose inhabitants wish to use the ship as the centerpiece of a sort of galactic museum. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Peter Richards (Ultra), Stephen Jenn (Ultra), Ian Barritt (Ultra), Ronald Govey (Relf) 37 MOLOCH 3/17/80 written by Ben Steed directed by Vere Lorrimer The Liberator crew follows Servalan's star cruiser to a cloaked planet on the edge of known space, where they discover a band of rogue Federation troops who are inviting criminals to join their new world and have designed a computer which decided it was superior and killed its own creator. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), John Hartley (Grose), Mark Sheridan (Lector), Davyd Harries (Doran), Sabina Franklin (Chesil), Debbi Blythe (Poola), Deep Roy (Moloch) 38 DEATH-WATCH 3/24/80 written by Chris Boucher directed by Gerald Blake Tarrant's brother, Deeta Tarrant, first champion of the planet Teal, is killed in a gunfight which decides the fate of two warring worlds who use gladiators instead of conventional weapons to fight their battles. Tarrant challenges the victor, which Avon and Orac discover to be an android placed in combat by Servalan, who hopes the two governments will suspect each other of cheating, resulting in a real war which would allow the Federation to take over both planets. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Steven Pacey (Del Tarrant, Deeta Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Stewart Bevan (Max), Mark Elliot (Vinni), David Sibley (Commentator), Kathy Iddon (Karla) 39 TERMINAL 3/31/80 written by Terry Nation directed by Mary Ridge Avon takes the Liberator on a wild goose chase to pursue a signal he has received from who he believes is probably Blake. He reaches the artificial planet Terminal and teleports down alone, telling the others he will kill anyone who follows, but Tarrant and Cally follow him anyway. He finds an underground complex where he is knocked out, drugged, and is taken to a lab where an image is implanted in his mind that he sees and speaks to an injured Blake who relies on his life support systems. Avon is then taken to Servalan, who soon captures Tarrant and Cally as well. Meanwhile, on the Liberator, due to a careless charge through a cloud of corrosive fluid en route to Terminal, the ship is falling apart: Zen "dies," leaving just enough power to operate the teleport system. Servalan takes hostages, contacts the ship, and has Dayna teleported down. Servalan and her troops are taken aboard by Vila, who then is teleported down himself, saving Orac at the last moment as well. As Avon, Tarrant, Cally, Vila and Dayna watch from the control center inside Terminal, the Liberator leaves orbit with Servalan in control - and explodes in a massive fireball. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Gareth Thomas (Blake), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen), Gillian McCutcheon (Kostos), Heather Wright (Reeval), Richard Clifford (Toron), David Healy (Sphere Voice) 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Series "D": 1981 � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 40 RESCUE 9/28/81 written by Chris Boucher directed by Mary Ridge The survivors of the Liberator on Terminal begin to make horrible discoveries. First, Avon and Dayna discover that the escape craft Servalan left them was booby trapped as a native animal enters it and it explodes. That simultaneously detonates explosions in the control center underground on Terminal. Vila escapes after heroically rescuing Tarrant, but Cally is killed. The space vessel Scorpio arrives, with the enigmatic Dorian in charge. He takes the crew and Orac away from Terminal just as the planet begins to undergo a massive volcanic outbreak, but Avon takes him prisoner and hijacks the ship. Scorpio, however, is automatically set to take Dorian to his home base, where his gunhand and consort Soolin is waiting. It soon transpires that Dorian has been working on a teleportal and has also devised a near-perfect all-weather handgun. He also repairs Orac and reveals that he is over 200 years old. Dorian plans to sacrifice Avon and the others to a creature that renews Dorian when Dorian gives it lives to feed on. Avon kills the creature, thus killing Dorian, and Vila, whose sharp wit amidst a sea of Dorian's fine wine actually saved the crew again, vows to quit drinking. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Geoffrey Burridge (Dorian), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Rob Middleton (The Creature), Jan Chappell (voice of Cally) 41 POWER 10/5/81 written by Ben Steed directed by Mary Ridge The launch silo doors needed to reach Scorpio and leave Dorian's base are locked by some means even Vila doesn't know how to open, and Avon's mission to gather raw materials for a teleport system gets him captured by the Hommiks, the male faction of the planet's people. Vila is visited by Pela, one of the last three surviving Seska, who are the women of Xenon, and he is told that unless the door is opened every 48 hours which will soon come to pass since Dorian is dead, a nuclear compression charge will destroy the base. Tarrant and Dayna find Avon and, with the help of the Seska, free him from the Hommiks. Avon then reveals that he in fact has the teleportal worked out, but Pella, driven by a hunger for power, uses telekinesis to open the door and board Scorpio, taking off. Avon boards using the teleportal and kills her. At this time, the others also come to Scorpio, ready to begin the fight anew, now with Soolin at their side. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Dicken Ashworth (Gunn-Sar), Juliet Hammond Hill (Pella), Jenny Oulton (Niria), Paul Ridley (Cato), Alison Glennie (Kate), Linda Barr (Luxia) 42 TRAITOR 10/12/81 written by Robert Holmes directed by David Sullivan Proudfoot Tarrant and Dayna teleport to Helotrix, which Orac has informed the crew as being the latest Federation acquisition in an unprecedented new period of expansion and conquest. Tarrant and Dayna discover that a new pacification drug, Pylene-50, is being used to control the normally ruthless Helots while the Federation takes over. They also discover that the inventor of the drug, "Commissioner Sleer," is, in fact, Servalan, having miraculously escaped from the destruction of the Liberator. Avon, however, doesn't think highly of that miracle... Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Malcolm Stoddard (Leitz), Christopher Neame (Colonel Quute), Robert Morris (Major Hunda), John Quentin (Practor), Edgar Wreford (Forbus), Nick Brimble (General), David Quilter (The Tracer), Neil Dickson (Avandir), Cyril Appleton (Sgt. Hask), George Lee (Igin) 43 STARDRIVE 10/19/81 written by Jim (James) Follett directed by David Sullivan Proudfoot Scorpio is disabled in an attempt to hide from detector beams behind an asteroid and limps back to Xenon Base. On the way, the ship is approached by three Federation pursuit ships which suddenly explode for no apparently good reason, which is what they investigate back at base. The cause of the ships' destruction is a space-chopper, the orbital equivalent of a Harley- Davidson, with the significant exception that this one moved at time-distort 15 and was well-armed. The repaired Scorpio visits the base of the space-chopper, where Plaxton, once one of the best minds of the Federation, is devising powerful stardrives for an interstellar motorcycle gang. Dayna and Vila manage to distract the gang long enough to get Plaxton and her biggest and best stardrive out of the base safely. Scorpio is approached by a flotilla of Federation ships while Plaxton is in the engine room connecting her drive. Out of time, Avon starts the engine as soon as Plaxton connects the final wire, which allows Scorpio to escape but kills Plaxton. Scorpio apparently used the new stardrive to escape danger in "Animals," the next episode, but afterward it seemed as though the new engine system was nowhere to be found - you'd imagine it would have helped them out of a few scrapes such as...crashing on Gauda Prime? Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Barbara Shelley (Dr. Plaxton), Damien Thomas (Atlan), Peter Sands (Bomber), Leonard Kavanagh (Napier) 44 ANIMALS 10/26/81 written by Allan Prior directed by Mary Ridge Dayna visits a friend of her father's, who she discovers is conducting needlessly painful experiments on some intelligent animals on that planet. Meanwhile, Scorpio is attacked after Dayna teleports, and it barely gets back to Xenon Base. When Avon and the others return to get Dayna, they find Servalan in control of the animals and of Dayna's mind. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), Peter Byrne (Justin), William Lindsay (Captain), Max Harvey (Borr), Kevin Stoney (Ardus), David Boyce (Og) 45 HEADHUNTER 11/2/81 written by Roger Parkes directed by Mary Ridge Tarrant and Vila are sent to pick up a scientist whose cybernetic genius could help the crew of Scorpio fight the Federation, but they slowly begin to uncover the truth - the cybernetic progeny of Muller, a student of Orac's creator, has assumed its creator's identity and is on a murderous rampage to find the only other computer worthy of its attention and join with it: Orac. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), John Westbrook (Muller), Lynda Bellingham (Vena), Douglas Fielding (Technician), Nick Joseph (Android), Lesley Nunnerley (Voice) 46 ASSASSIN 11/9/81 written by Rod Beacham directed by David Sullivan Proudfoot Avon 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. 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) 47 GAMES 11/16/81 written by Bill Lyons directed by Vivienne Cozens The 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. 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) 48 SAND 11/23/81 written by Tanith Lee directed by Vivienne Cozens Avon 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. 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) 49 GOLD 11/30/81 written by Colin Davis directed by Brian Lighthill An 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. Music video fans will recognize Roy Kinnear as the band manager who needs a miracle in the Mike + The Mechanics video "All I Need Is A Miracle," among other roles. 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) 50 ORBIT 12/7/81 written by Robert Holmes directed by Brian Lighthill Avon 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. Michael Keating, as Vila, got a chance to 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. Cast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Glynis Barber (Soolin), Peter Tuddenham (Orac, Slave), John Savident (Egrorian), Larry Noble (Pinder) 51 WARLORD 12/14/81 written by Simon Masters directed by Viktors Ritelis Avon 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. 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) 52 BLAKE 12/21/81 written by Chris Boucher directed by Mary Ridge Scorpio 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... Janet Lees Price, who portrays a member of Blake's team who is killed by Avon, is in fact Paul Darrow's wife! 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) 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 THE STORY CONTINUES...OR DOES IT? 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� There are only 52 episodes of "Blake's 7," but the tradition for a yearly cliffhanger ending left us with a big one - the shootout on Gauda Prime, leaving only Avon standing amidst a circle of armed guards, and then a fade to the end credits under the sound of an exchange of gunfire. Okay, maybe big is an understatement here - would "unsurpassable" do better? Lots of explanations have been presented to try to save the characters and still believably get things back to normal for a possible fifth season. Terry Nation, of course, has smilingly hinted for years that he knows what happens next - and he's not talking. Tony Attwood, author of the "Dr. Who Companions" novel "Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma," wrote a similarly convoluted and grammatical-error-ridden "Blake's 7" follow-up titled "Afterlife," which opens with Avon's interrogation in a Federation prison on Gauda Prime, Vila helping him escape, and their commandeering a freighter with a mysterious woman who may or may not be allied with the Federation, but seems helpful enough. Along the way, Avon and Vila encounter yet another friendly talking computer or two - one portable analysis device named KATT, and a helpful ship's computer whom Vila christens "Blake" simply to make Avon feel guilty; they discover massive plots and conspiracies, they build a teleport almost from scratch (something which the episode "Rescue" established as a highly unlikely feat in a short period of time), meet the miraculously recovered Tarrant (whom Attwood, in his own "Programme Guide," claimed would be an unlikely survivor due to the fact that he was already injured by the crash in Scorpio, and the shots fired by the Federation troops probably didn't help either); they then find Orac's long-lost twin unit Caro, re-locate the artificial world Terminal and begin flying it around like a massive ship, and finally they wind up on a gigantic ship piloted by Avon's long-lost sister. The ship, incidentally, is called "Blake's 7." Why ask why? Just put the following letters together: C-O-N-T-R-I-V-E-D. Many fans seem to agree on that point, at least. I've encountered numerous fan-written tales which include such strange concepts as Avon & company winding up in an alternate universe, the Blake killed by Avon on Gauda Prime actually being the clone-Blake seen in "Weapon," Cally being resurrected (and usually falling in love with Avon shortly afterward), and even the crew rebuilding the Liberator from scratch! Funny they didn't undertake this task as soon as they had spare time on Terminal... Far be it from me to put down the efforts of other writers, but I've got my own theory as to what the finale of "Blake" meant. And like Terry Nation, I'm not talking (I'd actually love to send him my idea just to get a yes-or-no answer - is it the same idea he has in mind?). I am, however, working on the story and will include it with this file in the future. The approach I tend to lean toward is the one that a television producer might consider (tempered, of course, with every fan's desire to explain what in the world it all meant - y'know, I wouldn't advise anybody try this exercise with "The Prisoner"...) - try to keep things down budget-wise (or take the BBC's approach to "Blake's 7" - do EVERYTHING you want, but do so very cheaply). As an example of the kind of style I'd take to begin "series E," look at series C's "Aftermath," one of my personal favorites. It introduces Dayna's character as a function of the story, unlike some instances in Doctor Who in which you can spot the new-companion-to-be in a crowd of guest stars from thirty kilometers away! It also sets up some new conflicts to be resolved, such as the reoganization of the Federation under Servalan, cleaning up after the war with the Andromeda invaders (something which is mentioned even in series D, when someone in "Traitor" comments that Servalan was rumored killed during the war - evidently, her "widespread rule" stopped just outside the hull of her command ship!), and finding the other members of the crew. One point on which I'll admit Tony Attwood was correct is the fact that even though Blake says, in the final episode, that Jenna was killed while running a blockade, it's not necessarily true; I would not choose to bring her back myself, but it's worth pointing out to any would-be fan writers out there that Zen noted in "Aftermath" that Blake and Jenna evacuated Liberator and wound up in two very different places. Blake may have mentioned Jenna's name to see if he got a reaction out of Tarrant. In fact, one of the few really neat ideas I've seen in fan written stories is the concept that Jenna, somehow having heard of Blake's death and who killed him, would go looking for Avon. Anyway, the example of "Aftermath" merely suggests the general flow of the story I'd start out with - establish new characters to replace the ones who don't survive "Blake" (I'll go out on a limb and publicly state, here and now, that I'm letting Soolin and Tarrant die, and I'm not ashamed of it in the least!), set up a couple of new problems to deal with, and generally complicate our heroes' lives further yet! I'll let everyone know when the story's ready. Until then, thanks for reading the file and feel free to make any suggestions you wish! (I am still working on a bit of original Blake fiction which may appear in a future LogBook release - I'll let you know!) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 all text in this file copyright 1992, 1995 Earl Green - all rights reserved