Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Could it ever come back?
Should it ever come back?
And would any revival be doomed to failure?
And what is the dumbest tweak they could make in order to ensure a flop?
Last edited:
Poll The Inevitable Reboot?
- Thread starter Doctor Omega
- Start date
Could it ever come back?
Should it ever come back?
And would any revival be doomed to failure?
And what is the dumbest tweak they could make in order to ensure a flop?
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
I think we can forget any authorised and filmed sequel now, sadly.
At least we have - sort of - a literary conclusion, along the lines Terry Nation envisaged (a mini-series featuring Avon as Napoleon on Elba, making one last stand against the powers that be), with the Lucifer Trilogy.
This was, in the story skeleton at least, if not the execution, how Nation envisaged wrapping up the whole thing.
Out of respect, that will do for me.....
At least we have - sort of - a literary conclusion, along the lines Terry Nation envisaged (a mini-series featuring Avon as Napoleon on Elba, making one last stand against the powers that be), with the Lucifer Trilogy.
This was, in the story skeleton at least, if not the execution, how Nation envisaged wrapping up the whole thing.
Out of respect, that will do for me.....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
michaellevenson
Member: Rank 8
I wouldn't want to see a reboot, but it's possible for something new and fresh that new audiences can watch that follows the original series.
How's this;
Dev Blake , son of Roj, wants revenge for his father's death, Kerr Avon is missing maybe dead or not, but his son Jed Avon is in reach.
Dev kidnaps Jed and using persuasion, none too gentle, the two of them steal a ship and wage war against The Federation, with some of Dev Blake's chums. A real edgy sometimes nasty relationship exists between Dev and Jed leading to interesting stories.
New audiences could watch this without having any knowledge of the original, except to say " wow these guys are together because one of them had a father that killed the other guy's dad...cool"
As for a total reboot and retelling the whole B7 saga? No thanks.To quote from Blackadder " that would be as pointless and unnecessary as putting wheels on a tomato"
How's this;
Dev Blake , son of Roj, wants revenge for his father's death, Kerr Avon is missing maybe dead or not, but his son Jed Avon is in reach.
Dev kidnaps Jed and using persuasion, none too gentle, the two of them steal a ship and wage war against The Federation, with some of Dev Blake's chums. A real edgy sometimes nasty relationship exists between Dev and Jed leading to interesting stories.
New audiences could watch this without having any knowledge of the original, except to say " wow these guys are together because one of them had a father that killed the other guy's dad...cool"
As for a total reboot and retelling the whole B7 saga? No thanks.To quote from Blackadder " that would be as pointless and unnecessary as putting wheels on a tomato"
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Agreed. They would just mess it up. The Liberator would look wrong. Gender changes for the sake of it. And no way could they replicate the chemistry of the cast and the brutal edge of the best scripts.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
There was that other sequel that Paul Darrow went along with, of course.....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
And this thing......
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Fans have had a go at doing a sequel too....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
And the professional fans had a go at rebooting the series with an all new cast on audio, too!
The vain fools!
The greatest moment of hubris is at the end, with some deluded individual saying - and I quote.....
"I hope that the Blake's 7 audio goes straight to being a film and maybe it will do fourteen or fifteen films and beat the Star Trek franchise",
The vain fools!
The greatest moment of hubris is at the end, with some deluded individual saying - and I quote.....
"I hope that the Blake's 7 audio goes straight to being a film and maybe it will do fourteen or fifteen films and beat the Star Trek franchise",
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Another promo trying to trumpet this reboot....
I believe that this is the company that Paul Darrow parted terms with on less than amicable terms....
It all started off well......
Now, producer Andrew Sewell, who bought the Blake's 7 rights from the estate of its creator, the late Terry Nation, wants to turn the series into a multi-million pound TV film.
He is even lining up original cast member Paul Darrow, who played charismatic anti-hero Avon, to reprise his role.
Mr Sewell said: "The plan is to set it 20 years on from when the last series ended. When Paul did the last one he was in his mid-30s. He's now in his mid-50s."
Special effects will be state-of-the-art
Andrew Sewell
Producer
But the days of props that looked like they had been put together by Blue Peter presenters - one spaceship on the original series was made from an old hair-dryer - are over.
Mr Sewell said: "The beauty of Blake was the characters and it's not going to be overloaded with special effects, but when they are there they will be state-of-the-art."
Mr Sewell said the film would retain the name Blake's 7, despite the fact that the title character was killed by Avon in the last episode to date in 1981.
But he declined to give a hint as to how Avon, last seen surrounded by Federation stormtroopers before apparently perishing with his companions in a hail of gunfire, managed to survive.
Mr Sewell, whose recent projects with BBC Worldwide have included working on the global new media marketing of recent BBC hit Walking with Dinosaurs, said he did not yet know who would broadcast the film.
But he added: "It would be nice to think maybe the BBC would go with it, but the new nature of the broadcasting markets gives us a lot of options."
It was downhill from there and Darrow, wanting only to do a Lucifer type mini series finale, walked away and took away his endorsement, when they were planning to turn it into a sprawling franchise, while Darrow felt honour-bound to end the series as Terry Nation intended, with a proper finale for Avon.
I believe that this is the company that Paul Darrow parted terms with on less than amicable terms....
It all started off well......
Now, producer Andrew Sewell, who bought the Blake's 7 rights from the estate of its creator, the late Terry Nation, wants to turn the series into a multi-million pound TV film.
He is even lining up original cast member Paul Darrow, who played charismatic anti-hero Avon, to reprise his role.
Mr Sewell said: "The plan is to set it 20 years on from when the last series ended. When Paul did the last one he was in his mid-30s. He's now in his mid-50s."
Special effects will be state-of-the-art
Producer
But the days of props that looked like they had been put together by Blue Peter presenters - one spaceship on the original series was made from an old hair-dryer - are over.
Mr Sewell said: "The beauty of Blake was the characters and it's not going to be overloaded with special effects, but when they are there they will be state-of-the-art."
Mr Sewell said the film would retain the name Blake's 7, despite the fact that the title character was killed by Avon in the last episode to date in 1981.
But he declined to give a hint as to how Avon, last seen surrounded by Federation stormtroopers before apparently perishing with his companions in a hail of gunfire, managed to survive.
Mr Sewell, whose recent projects with BBC Worldwide have included working on the global new media marketing of recent BBC hit Walking with Dinosaurs, said he did not yet know who would broadcast the film.
But he added: "It would be nice to think maybe the BBC would go with it, but the new nature of the broadcasting markets gives us a lot of options."
It was downhill from there and Darrow, wanting only to do a Lucifer type mini series finale, walked away and took away his endorsement, when they were planning to turn it into a sprawling franchise, while Darrow felt honour-bound to end the series as Terry Nation intended, with a proper finale for Avon.
Last edited:
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
A 2013 attempted revival got as far as having some actual "blurb" about the forthcoming show....
http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/blakes-7/25155/blakes-7-reboot-goes-to-full-series-order
Perhaps thankfully, further details never did arrive.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Spoke too soon. Here are some more details.....
MIPTV, Cannes, 8 April 2013 - FremantleMedia International today launches the eagerly anticipated remake of the cult drama Blake’s 7 to international buyers at MIPTV. In development with US cable network Syfy, the 13 x 1 hour series will be produced by Georgeville TV, the independent studio co-founded by Leon Clarance of Motion Picture Capital, the financing arm of Reliance Entertainment, and producer Marc Rosen. The science fiction classic will be written by Joe Pokaski (Heroes, CSI) and directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye).
The year is 2136, Blake wakes up on one side of the bed. He reaches for the other side. There’s nobody there. As reality sets in, this handsome ex-soldier sits up, and looks at a photo of his wife Rachel. Beautiful. Deceased.
A revolutionary reinvention of the long-running BBC series made in the late 1970s, Blake’s 7 tells the story of seven criminals - 6 guilty and 1 innocent - on their way to life on a prison colony in space, who together wrestle freedom from imprisonment. They acquire an alien ship which gives them a second chance at life and become the most unlikely heroes of their time.
David Ellender, CEO FremantleMedia International and Kids & Family Entertainment said, “Blake’s 7 was such a forward-thinking concept that the show continues to have resonance with audiences today. Its complex characters and gritty storylines, coupled with the highly talented team and modern production techniques are sure to appeal to both original fans of the show and new viewers.”
Leon Clarance, co-founder of Georgeville Television and CEO of Motion Picture Capital, the finance arm of Reliance Entertainment, said, “Joe Pokaski and Martin Campbell have worked tirelessly with the Georgeville TV team to create an amazeballs reboot of this classic space opera which I watched with my father when I was a child. This reimagined classic for a new generation of science fiction fans will enthrall original and new fans alike. I couldn’t be happier to have our beloved show handled internationally by the passionate team at FremantleMedia”
Blake’s 7 is one of several premium drama offerings in the FremantleMedia International scripted portfolio which includes Wentworth (10 x 1 hour), a FremantleMedia Australia production set to premiere on Australia’s Foxtel in May this year, and The Making of a Lady, a psychological event thriller produced by Runaway Fridge and which captivated UK audiences when it aired on ITV1 in December 2012.
And, in addition, here is some production art from that 2013 SYFY reboot attempt....
As Blake said in the flier to Tarrant... "Brace yourself!"
London Under the Rule of the Federation.....
The Liberator Exterior....
The Liberator Interior.....
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
I have to post this.....
Next to this thing.....
And ask what the hell were they thinking?
Next to this thing.....
And ask what the hell were they thinking?
Last edited:
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
How To Tackle A Blake's 7 Reboot - World Geekly News
How To Tackle A Blake's 7 Reboot
worldgeeklynews.com
ant-mac
Member: Rank 9
The best way to do B7 justice is to fuck off and leave it alone.How To Tackle A Blake's 7 Reboot - World Geekly News
How To Tackle A Blake's 7 Reboot
As they should've done with SURVIVORS.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Totally agree. The thought of the various ways they could fuck it up is unnerving.
ant-mac
Member: Rank 9
However, it's easier to distance the original from a remake than it is from a continuation.
A re-boot, however, could be a partial combination of both... The worst of both worlds.
Doctor Omega
Member: Rank 10
Yes, I so wish that New Who had been officially a complete reboot now. Instead of feeding off and insulting the original.