WEBVTT NOTE This transcript was created on 2026-06-07 at 21:56:28 1 00:00:03.660 --> 00:00:06.360 Maximal power. 2 00:00:08.820 --> 00:00:18.480 Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Maximum Power, the only podcast that sends the excessive amount of 2 people to Ealing Studios to disarm a bomb that will kill millions. 3 00:00:18.539 --> 00:00:23.100 One person to hold the flatback and another to get their hand in there. 4 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:24.300 Space Major Colin. 5 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:26.519 I'm space dentist Lambert. 6 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:30.300 I'm Space Major Pete of the Federation Space Assault Force. 7 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:33.179 And I'm space Latin teacher, Nathan. 8 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:38.280 So we're all gathered here today to talk about Countdown by Terry Nation. 9 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:44.939 So my 1st question is, what do we think about the battle scene at the start over to you, Peter? 10 00:00:45.000 --> 00:01:01.500 Well, I think it's great that, you know, Hollywood nowadays is prepared to show its roots, and in all those awards that the Hurt Locker won, as they were going up to collect them at time and time again, they congratulated Blake 7, for inspiring basically the whole thing, because this is the episode that sets it all off. 11 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:03.600 It's a good battle. 12 00:01:03.659 --> 00:01:11.819 It's a good, there's a lot of people and there's shooting and there's guns and there's smoke, but all in the corridor, so we know that we're still in the same cinematic universe. 13 00:01:11.939 --> 00:01:15.359 Yeah, it definitely starts off with a lot of bang. 14 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:22.500 I think it's pretty good that they're on film at Elstree because then you just know it's going to be cut together a little bit better. 15 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.500 And this is Auntie Via Lorimar, who's doing this episode. 16 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:28.079 And so he knows what he's doing. 17 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:32.219 Like, sometimes he lets the side down, but usually he's pretty reliable. 18 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:41.280 And what I noticed as well about that battle is that whenever it cuts away, the sound design is really good, it really makes you believe that there's kind of a wider insurrection happening. 19 00:01:41.579 --> 00:01:44.819 We are in the Elizabeth Parker era now. 20 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:49.319 So there's new sound effects, new sort of sound design and stuff like that. 21 00:01:49.379 --> 00:01:56.760 I'm not, I think she's there for the rest of the run, but, um, yeah, they've changed sound designers for this or special sound. 22 00:01:56.819 --> 00:01:57.659 Interesting. 23 00:01:57.719 --> 00:01:58.560 That's right. 24 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:01.019 And then like Paul Darrow, she does timelash for Doctor Who. 25 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:03.000 He came with the pair. 26 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:17.400 I did notice that there were one or 2 sort of slightly enthusiastic but amateurish moments of kind of, you know, BBC actors trying to sort of fight one another. 27 00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:30.120 And there's one delightful moment, I think, where there's a federation guard and a, you know, insurrectionist and they're sort of firing at one another and then they just sort of fall over randomly for no readily apparent reason. 28 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:47.159 There's a great bit of choreography a bit later on in the episode where I think it's Major Provine pulls a gun on some insurrectionists and they overpower him and just sort of punch him enthusiastically, which I thought was pretty delightful. 29 00:02:47.219 --> 00:03:00.539 But it is actually pretty incredible for a Terry Nation script to start in the middle to just throw us right in medias rays like that. 30 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:03.300 And I wonder whether it's is it Boucher? 31 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:10.319 Has Boucher Sagittari, actually, we can lose all this shit at the beginning of the episode, love, and just start in the middle of the fight. 32 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:11.939 Could be, couldn't it? 33 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:12.180 Yeah. 34 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:18.900 I think it does feel very well edited, but the voice of this episode is very terry nation to me. 35 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:20.639 It's right in his wheelhouse. 36 00:03:20.699 --> 00:03:27.719 And so I think Chris is probably chopping out the boring bits and cutting to the action, but that's what Terry needs. 37 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:28.979 He needs a good script editor. 38 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:30.180 And, you know, I'm right here for this. 39 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.340 This is very terry nation and I love it. 40 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.979 It's the kind of straightforward action thriller that he does very well and plot wise. 41 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:46.139 Feels like a bit of a throwback to series A. I can see it fitting right into that run, but it has that more enjoyable series B aesthetic. 42 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:47.400 So I think you're right, Nathan. 43 00:03:47.460 --> 00:03:55.139 I think it's just a well oiled machine now, and Terry's got more time to write this script, and Chris has more time to kind of edit them and bring them up to spec. 44 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:09.659 And as soon as we get out of the battle scene, We immediately get a control centre, a chain of command, all of it starts to fall into full-on terrination mode. 45 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:13.919 So what do we think about the Albion invasion force? 46 00:04:13.979 --> 00:04:17.339 Are they the poshest invasion force of all time? 47 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:24.779 There's a moment where Provine pretends to be one of them and he does the sort of right, mate. 48 00:04:24.899 --> 00:04:30.240 You know, like a sort of, you know, like, just like, they're going to spot you immediately, darling. 49 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:32.339 No one's going to be fooled by that. 50 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.899 It's another centrist insurrection, isn't it, Tony? 51 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:39.120 We got right back at the start. 52 00:04:39.180 --> 00:04:47.699 Everybody's just on their way back from Waitrose and they've really had enough of it. nonsense about their planet being occupied for whatever reason it has been occupied. 53 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:49.139 It's just evil, I think. 54 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:57.060 There isn't a reason why this planet's particularly been, a particular federation importance, is there it's just, they're just under that goddamn jackboot. 55 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.759 Yeah, space reasons. 56 00:04:59.819 --> 00:05:01.680 But it is a very important planet. 57 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:07.259 Well and truly sort of apart from the people who are there who are completely dispensable. 58 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:10.259 You can tell that it's a very posh planet though. 59 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:15.180 Did anyone else notice that in the main control room, there's a space chandelier hanging from the ceiling? 60 00:05:17.220 --> 00:05:27.720 Speaking of space things, we do get, is this the most use of space something in any episode, and can you, can you name all of them? 61 00:05:27.779 --> 00:05:30.240 Oh, well, you know what we need right now? 62 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:33.779 We need a little countdown clock going to see how many space is. 63 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:37.920 We should get to solve this conundrum of how much, buddy. 64 00:05:37.980 --> 00:05:40.740 Yeah, because there's a space heaters are the best ones. 65 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:43.019 Because at 1st they're just, the 1st they're just heaters. 66 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.879 Even because there's some heaters and then later he goes, there should be those space heaters. 67 00:05:47.939 --> 00:05:51.720 There's a cafe in Sydney missing those from its alfresco dining. 68 00:05:52.620 --> 00:06:00.779 We did have space hours and obviously space major Provine of the Federation space assault force. 69 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:02.279 That's double creating. 70 00:06:02.339 --> 00:06:03.360 Okay, that's it. 71 00:06:03.420 --> 00:06:07.860 That's like Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in terms of one-upmanship of your spaces. 72 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:12.839 She insisted of having the word queen in her title twice so that she can outrank her own daughter. 73 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:14.639 I think the same thing applies in space. 74 00:06:14.699 --> 00:06:16.560 What is a space hour? 75 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:18.779 Is it a distance or time? 76 00:06:18.899 --> 00:06:21.480 No, the amount of time you spend in space. 77 00:06:21.540 --> 00:06:24.720 So it's one hour, but it's spent in space. 78 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:28.079 I see the best kind of hours. 79 00:06:28.139 --> 00:06:30.600 It's the inverse of your earth hour. 80 00:06:31.379 --> 00:06:37.439 Yeah, they could simply have said ours, I think, probably. and we would have got it. 81 00:06:37.860 --> 00:06:40.560 It would have seemed less spacy. 82 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:41.939 So there's that. 83 00:06:41.939 --> 00:06:42.660 Perfunctory. 84 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:57.120 It's one of the things that Farscape takes from Blake 7, which is they rename loads of words like arms, isn't it arms for hours or all units of time are renamed in a similar way? 85 00:06:57.180 --> 00:06:58.980 Well, like garlic rells. 86 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:00.959 Oh, oh, yarons. 87 00:07:01.019 --> 00:07:03.720 Remember Yarons in original Battlestar Galactica? 88 00:07:03.779 --> 00:07:04.379 Yes. 89 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:09.120 That was years. 90 00:07:12.420 --> 00:07:15.360 So that setup on the planet is really great. 91 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:20.459 Did you notice it takes almost 7 minutes for the liberator and the crew to put in an appearance? 92 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:21.660 I think that's a record. 93 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:22.800 Wow. 94 00:07:22.860 --> 00:07:24.779 That really flew. 95 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:29.459 I think it's really properly good, even though we don't really care about these people. 96 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.819 And one of them has really alarming sort of eyebrows. 97 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.360 It's absorbing like we, sorry, Kyle. 98 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:39.779 I Greening from our host there. 99 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:41.220 Somewhat sensitive. 100 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.800 There is a tiny resemblance. 101 00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:46.019 It's right in my notes. 102 00:07:50.100 --> 00:08:00.839 I think it's reassuring, though, that despite being script edited by Chris Boucher, Terry Nation still retains the... 103 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:07.980 Well, there's Ben Steed, but the casual sexism award, at least so far, this season. 104 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:12.959 So poor old Rally, who gets sent off to, like, is she sent off to make the tea? 105 00:08:13.019 --> 00:08:18.480 Certainly that character who's called Corder, now that I think about it. 106 00:08:18.540 --> 00:08:26.639 Cord sends her off to kind of do a whole bunch of things, but it just sounds like it's kind of, you know, get the tea in love. do a bit of peril. 107 00:08:26.699 --> 00:08:28.920 She kind of sorts things at a desk, yeah. 108 00:08:29.819 --> 00:08:32.279 I think her last name is Tarrant. 109 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:33.179 Rally Tarrant. 110 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.659 Well, we lack a Tarrant and there really should be one. 111 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:49.320 Well, there's that bit before that happens where they're, I think, talking about Provine and where he might be and all this kind of stuff and he's behind the door, kind of listening, going, oh, okay, that's a good idea. 112 00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:54.840 Maybe I'll disguise myself as a Federation officer, because they don't know who quite I am yet. 113 00:08:54.899 --> 00:09:00.240 And so he kind of gets the idea what to do next by hiding behind a cardboard door. 114 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:05.279 But my other question about Space Major Provine is, is he a Romulan? 115 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.980 It's the haircut, isn't it? 116 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:18.299 I'm sure there was someone called Provine in Next Generation, who also had a similar kind of Vulcan or Romula haircut. 117 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:20.460 Yeah, I just thought you meant the haircut. 118 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:22.200 I didn't realise the name actually turns out. 119 00:09:23.340 --> 00:09:26.220 Well, it's like a lot of Blake 7, isn't it? 120 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:29.820 The episode rises and falls on the quality of the guest stars and he's a good one. 121 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:30.779 I like him. 122 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:32.879 He's amazingly good. 123 00:09:32.940 --> 00:09:41.519 Yeah, cold and calculating. very believable So he's obviously persuasion. in Fall to Doomsday. 124 00:09:41.580 --> 00:10:03.059 He was also in a thing called Paradise Postponed, which I remember watching as a teenager, which was like a John Mortimer thing about kind of the rise of Thatcherism, and it had like David Thrill Falls, this sort of young man who was a working class, but was kind of lured into the conservative party. 125 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:08.159 And Shelley played Fred Simcox or something who was a sort of country doctor. 126 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:12.000 And I remember even then, you know, like he was the lead character. 127 00:10:12.059 --> 00:10:18.419 He's good enough to kind of helm a reasonably kind of decent TV show. 128 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:20.879 And I think he's amazingly great. 129 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:22.860 He's great. 130 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:26.399 Nathan, you actually gave me the book of Paradise postponed for my 21st birthday. 131 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:27.419 I don't know if you remember that. 132 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:31.980 It also helps that Paul Shelley. 133 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:43.440 I think he scores on the Blake 7 scale of hotness, which, as we've discussed, ranges from Agorian to Nova, and I think he's certainly more of a Carnel or Adorian than an Arco or an Org. Which ended which? 134 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.899 And of course, we've got Tom Chadbon. 135 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:49.919 Dugan. 136 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:50.460 Fame. 137 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:52.500 I was going to say, Nerdine. 138 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:53.460 Who's Dugger? 139 00:10:53.580 --> 00:10:56.100 Oh, yeah, it was in City of Death too. 140 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.080 Mainly trial of a time lord, obviously. 141 00:10:58.139 --> 00:11:02.039 Do you want a little link here before we talk about Tom Chadbon? 142 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:08.279 because the guy who plays Provine was actually up for the role of Murdine, which Tom Chadbon Goss in Doctor Who's Mysterious Planet. 143 00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:08.639 There we go. 144 00:11:09.899 --> 00:11:12.840 He's great, isn't he, Tom Chadborn? 145 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:17.340 I mean, he's really strong in the action and he has proper agency, the character. 146 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:22.679 There are the rumours that they were potentially getting rid of Blake and replacing him with him. 147 00:11:22.740 --> 00:11:24.179 Well known. 148 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:25.799 That would have been... on the internet. 149 00:11:25.860 --> 00:11:27.899 I have totally been on board for that. 150 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.320 Well, it's on a Wiki, Wiki, but it's fan written Wiki page. 151 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:33.360 So, you know, I think this is probably definitely true. 152 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:35.820 Or it could just be fan speculation. 153 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:49.139 But there's something in that, I think, if they thought that when, I can imagine, even if it's just speculation, I can see where they could think, if by this point they probably knew Gareth Thomas wasn't doing a 3rd season or a sea season. 154 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:55.379 They might have been toying with what we're going to do to give Avon someone to argue with on the Liberator. 155 00:11:55.500 --> 00:11:58.620 And this could have been a sort of backdoor pilot for introducing him. 156 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:01.860 But maybe that's just fan speculation that's become a rumour. 157 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:02.580 She seems to mean? 158 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.259 It would have been amazing though. 159 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:09.240 Can you imagine how fantastic rumours of death would have been with Del Grant in it as well? 160 00:12:09.299 --> 00:12:10.080 Yeah. 161 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:11.639 And he's called Dell, of course. 162 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:17.639 It's another crucial thing if you want to be a new character coming into series, the 3rd series of late seven. 163 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:19.799 Yeah, like Dana Dell Mellenby. 164 00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:45.299 So what do you think about that storyline of the two of them and what is ultimately revealed, thankfully at the end, with a line of dialogue that Anna was Grant's sister? 165 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:49.679 What do we think about that as motivation behind the characters and does it kind of work? 166 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:52.379 I think surprisingly, yes. 167 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.080 I think it actually works really quite well. 168 00:12:55.139 --> 00:13:00.419 And, you know, we know Blake's backstory. 169 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:04.679 And we sort of had an idea of Avon, didn't we? 170 00:13:04.740 --> 00:13:14.940 We knew that he'd kind of defrauded the Federation Central computer and stuff and that he's the best computer person in the world apart from or the 2nd best apart from the person who caught him or whatever. 171 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:30.299 But there's a kind of, there's a sort of realism about the way his backstory gets fleshed out here, you know, they're having to buy fake visas, having the price suddenly inflated. 172 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:36.840 All of that sort of stuff actually rings true in a way that Blake 7 often doesn't. 173 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:48.120 It doesn't feel like an exposition dump, because there's something happening between the 2 characters and there's action happening at the same time. 174 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:52.139 And it's not all just given in one go either. 175 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:55.440 I think it's very, very well done, I think. 176 00:13:55.500 --> 00:13:57.720 They just sell it completely, don't they? 177 00:13:57.779 --> 00:13:58.019 Yeah. 178 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.919 It doesn't feel conjured up out of nowhere because we need a bit of aggression at this point. 179 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:11.039 I get the impression that those 2 actors have properly rehearsed this and this is a scene of drama that they have really acted their way through and really got into. 180 00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:12.840 That's certainly how it feels, yeah. 181 00:14:12.899 --> 00:14:16.620 That's a big advantage to the way that TV was being made in those days. 182 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:25.559 You were watching a cast, rehearse and perform a script, not just a close-up of someone's face while they say one line of dialogue and then come back 6 months later to do the next line or whatever. 183 00:14:25.620 --> 00:14:30.960 Um, so yeah, I just think it, I think that tension is, is, is really, really palpable. 184 00:14:31.259 --> 00:14:47.700 I think this is the episode where you can tell that Terry Nation has fallen in love with the character of Avon and the portrayal of Paul Darrow because he said in interviews, um, that he only realised what a great performance Paul Darrow was after he'd seen the season. 185 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.840 And I think he's sublimally writing towards Avon in all of his scripts this year. 186 00:14:51.899 --> 00:15:07.799 But apart from Blake, obviously, and maybe Jenna in Bounty, a little bit, Avon is the only character who's been, who's had his background explored up to this and he's given, is kind of fleshed out, like you said, Nathan. 187 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:12.360 And I think he's credibly being set up to be the lead in the series. 188 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.539 Yeah, and I think that is necessary. 189 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:19.980 We spent so much time on Blake's backstory before the show even got going. 190 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:29.580 And so doing this here, even though it doesn't really sort of play into anything very much beyond rumours of death, which is not negligible at all, it's terrific. 191 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:37.019 But I also think there's some really clever writing in that scene, which. 192 00:15:38.340 --> 00:15:46.440 So, for instance, we get, and it's a little bit cheesy, but we get a thing where Grant looks at the gun. 193 00:15:46.500 --> 00:15:56.220 Like I even asks him if he's ready and Grant looks across at the teleport desk and sees a gun and kind of, you know, flails a bit or raises eyebrows or something. 194 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.500 And then Avon hands him the gun. 195 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:05.100 And it's very clear that Avon doesn't regard him as a threat because when we get down there, Avon just bosses him around. 196 00:16:05.159 --> 00:16:19.320 You know, like even though Grant wants to kill him because he's done something bad, like at no point is he frightened of him and he even sort of antagonises him. 197 00:16:19.379 --> 00:16:25.860 And then some of the dialogue is delivered, you know, they're given this, there's this box, right? 198 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:30.779 which is the relay thing and it's a perspex box full of flashing lights. 199 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:34.559 And my theory is that it's Lorax, racist uncle. 200 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:41.100 And and and like they both have to get their hands in there. 201 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:48.120 And so they're delivering this dialogue, this antagonistic dialogue, but they're touching one another, like their chests are up against one another. 202 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:49.259 It's really good. 203 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:50.700 It's properly good. 204 00:16:50.820 --> 00:17:00.360 And there's such good lines, like, I must be getting old, wasting more time, and you won't be getting any older, which is just a perfect Blake 7 exchange. 205 00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:09.299 It's also that thing where going back to the scene in the teleport where it's all on Paul Darrow's face with the guns. 206 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:11.640 He sort of just goes, ah, fuck it. 207 00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:14.519 I'll give him a gun. on his face, just ever so slightly. 208 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:22.019 And it's interesting because he's normally sort of pretty ruthless on stuff, but on this, he's going, I know this wasn't my fault, right? 209 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:26.940 I was unconscious for 30 hours and I'm going to, we're going to find a way to sort it out with him. 210 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:37.619 Maybe Grant, you know, realises deep down that it isn't Avon's fault and he's just said something like, I'm going to kill you in order to heighten the drama. 211 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:55.380 The way that Avon goads him and defies him, and it isn't remotely being conciliatory towards him or trying to get on his good books at all, it's like, we're going to get through this and we're going to do it with me being a bastard because I am a bastard and I'm not going to stop being a bastard to prove myself right. 212 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:13.440 Which snaps into focus and makes sense once you get to the end, because it is about him being able to be truthful and honest about this situation, and for once, that save on's driver to get the truth out there and to be, and to be, he says he doesn't want to be believed, but of course he does, and that's unusual. 213 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:20.339 Or so he doesn't think his story is going to exonerate him and he still is aware that Grant still wants to kill him. 214 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:33.960 And I wonder if there's a reading which involves him feeling guilty about her death, you know, even though he's able to explain on one level why he's not responsible for her dying. 215 00:18:34.019 --> 00:18:37.200 Grant makes the point that, you know, he kind of is. 216 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:52.920 And there's a level on which he believes that, I think, and maybe that underlies the way he antagonises Grant and the way that he tells the story and he leaves out the most significant detail until the end. 217 00:18:52.980 --> 00:18:55.079 You know, he doesn't say why it's not my fault. 218 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.980 He just tells the story. because he's not trying to exonerate himself. 219 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:03.720 It's his own disapproval of himself. is his real enemy. 220 00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:04.859 That's what it goes down to. 221 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:12.119 We do see in other episodes that Avon is a bit of a self-flagellating character, but, you know, in private. doesn't put his emotions out there. 222 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:19.140 And I think, um, Grant is a chink in his armour because Avon likes to present himself as an enigma. 223 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:23.640 He doesn't give much away even to the other crew members on the liberator who he's come to know. 224 00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:32.700 But Del Grant knows him and knows his previous life and kind of knows him intimately through his familial connection with Anna. 225 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:37.079 And so it makes Avon quite vulnerable in a way that we haven't seen before. 226 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:41.400 He knows him very intimately after getting that line, hold the flap, Grant. 227 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:48.599 Yeah, I don't know about you, but my fingers are cramming. how that was broadcastable. 228 00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:51.240 Welcome back to Maximum Power Fix. 229 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:58.259 I love how mechanical the bomb mechanism is. 230 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:00.539 It's a blue Peter genocide device, isn't it? 231 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:01.619 It's washing out bottle. 232 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:08.519 You've got to drill a little hole in it and put a toothpick or a hairpin in and then you've averted apocalypse, which is exactly what this needs. 233 00:20:08.579 --> 00:20:18.359 You know, if it was a micro circuit with a soldering iron or something is what they needed, that they just had to hunch over to diffuse it, that would be more scientifically accurate, but you wouldn't get to see the thing going down. 234 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.180 And you wouldn't get Avon's amazing line. 235 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:24.299 We can arrest the downward travel of each plunger. 236 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:33.000 I have not delivered that as well, sports arrow, and who on this planet could deliver that line as well as pull down, arrest the downward travel of each plunger. 237 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:33.480 It's amazing. 238 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:48.059 But this bomb, this bomb looks like something you would make in CDT at school with little sort of perspecs and acrylic and little sort of drilly holes and put little rods in to stop wobbly bits of plastic falling down. 239 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:59.579 And also, can I just say, I mean, not to disrespect the entire title of this episode, why even have a countdown of exactly 1000 space seconds? 240 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:01.500 Just set the whole fucking thing off. 241 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:14.579 And also, if you have this bomb and this timer, yeah, perhaps it would be noticed if it's been moved 4000 miles as well and perhaps that might trigger a, you know, an explosion in any case. 242 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:17.579 It's a question is, easy to really crack bomb. 243 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:29.220 It's a really crap countdown because people counted at different rates. 999 seconds is just over 16 minutes. 244 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:36.839 The ticking sound on the soundtrack doesn't match the digits flicking over. 245 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:51.299 At one point, Corder says that everyone on this planet will be dead in a matter of hours after he's already said that they've got less than an hour, and it's considerably less an hour. 246 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:52.319 It's 16 minutes. 247 00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:53.460 It's crazy. 248 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:56.819 But maybe they die slowly of the soleum radiation, which magically vanishes. 249 00:21:56.940 --> 00:21:57.720 I did think of that. 250 00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:58.140 But still. 251 00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:01.440 Well, you know, that is actually a real thing. 252 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:07.559 And in 1974 because I'm very old and as a five-year-old. 253 00:22:07.619 --> 00:22:10.079 I was massively interested in nuclear weaponry. 254 00:22:10.140 --> 00:22:17.099 But in 1974, they started manufacturing thing called a neutron bomb. 255 00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:22.980 And I do remember it being in the news because, you know, it was sort of very late Cold War and stuff. 256 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:30.779 And the idea was that you could bomb a city, there would be a small explosion, everyone would die of radiation, the radiation would dissipate. 257 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:39.119 And so that is like a real thing that Americans made, so that's fairly delightful. 258 00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:40.619 But we're back at time lash again. 259 00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:44.700 That's what the bandrils have got in time. 260 00:22:44.819 --> 00:22:49.140 Maybe the bandals are occupying the other the other continent on this planet. would be great. 261 00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:51.420 Oh wow. 262 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:53.400 Extended universe crossover, Claxon. 263 00:22:53.460 --> 00:22:57.539 That bomb, like the physicality of that bomb actually works incredibly well. 264 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:00.299 And it's not just because it's the person who brought us MacGyver. 265 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:03.000 It's proper you know, it gives you dramatic moments. 266 00:23:03.059 --> 00:23:09.539 But I could think of a better dramatic moment with the bomb you could have done, is to make it a bit more like Dark Star. 267 00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:17.819 So you've got Aurak, like some version of Aurak on the bomb, and you're trying to disarm the bomb, and it's like, I'm afraid I can't do that. 268 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:25.740 Or, um, you know, sort of I guess the password or some kind of grouchy computer, some combination of Zen and Aurac. 269 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:27.660 It's like gambit in games. 270 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.980 Elcott's computer. 271 00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:41.519 I think if this world ever is accidentally destroyed by a misfiring nuclear thing, someone somewhere is frantically going to be pressing reset password and trying to log into their Gmail to get their dog in things. 272 00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:43.259 The world's going to explode in 3 seconds. 273 00:23:43.380 --> 00:23:46.140 I have 2 observations on this bomb. 274 00:23:46.200 --> 00:24:01.559 One, Nathan, I think your point about the sound effects and the ticking of the bomb not matching up is peak 70s BBC science fiction series because it never, ever matches up in any Doctor Who or Peak 7 with a countdown. be a trade union rule. 275 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:03.599 But I also like... 276 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:09.059 There's probably some kind of demarkation dispute about who provides the ticking and who provides the bomb and whatever. 277 00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:10.680 Which union does he? 278 00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:12.359 Exactly. 279 00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:15.420 But also, I love that Blue Peter connection. 280 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:22.559 Can you imagine on this episode of Blue Peter was showing you how to make a liberated teleport bracelet, and next episode will show you how to make a bomb? 281 00:24:25.619 --> 00:24:39.359 Well, the other thing about the ticking sound is that it is the same sound used in the music for the 5 doctors, whenever the book Barusa is pushing the things around, that kind of just got meat. 282 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:44.519 Anyway, let's talk about Jenna and Callie, and are they even in this fucking episode? 283 00:24:44.579 --> 00:24:52.980 I think they make some sandwiches at the start and then pack everyone off with have a nice day, boys, and that's pretty much all they're allowed to do. they get on each other's nerves. 284 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:54.539 Yeah, of course, women. 285 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:58.920 It's... 286 00:24:58.920 --> 00:24:59.220 Yeah. 287 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:00.720 Yeah, that's all they did. 288 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:05.579 When you're not letting your female characters do anything, the only thing to do is get them sniping at each other. 289 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:08.160 I mean, maybe with being unfair. 290 00:25:08.220 --> 00:25:10.200 We're not being unfair, are we? 291 00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:11.339 Are we being unfair? 292 00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:18.539 Is it just that this happens with the episode that those 2 don't get much to do, because there's always episodes, but some people don't get much to do, or really, no, there's a pattern here, isn't there? 293 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:21.299 We are definitely not being unfair here. 294 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:25.500 I think this is the episode where it comes into such relief what's happened to these characters. 295 00:25:25.619 --> 00:25:30.720 After a strong start this season in redemption and shadow where everyone had a good role. 296 00:25:30.839 --> 00:25:36.240 Our 2 female leads have just kind of disappeared from the storytelling, and it's so disappointing. 297 00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:45.900 Um, I think I counted there's half a dozen episodes this season, including Countdown, where the female characters have nothing to do. 298 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:49.319 All they do is sit aboard the ship and do nothing. 299 00:25:49.380 --> 00:25:52.140 And I think there's probably a couple of reasons for this. 300 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:58.019 I think, like we were talking about earlier, Paul Darrow, um, Terry Nation fell in love with Paul Darrow's performance. 301 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:08.279 And so Avon has good chunks of the action in episodes that don't otherwise revolve around him, and he takes some of the parts that would have gone to the female leads last season. 302 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:16.319 So I can think of weapon off the top of my head where Avon teleports down with Blake and Gan, and actually doesn't contribute anything. 303 00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:17.160 He's just there. 304 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:22.140 And if it had been Jenner or Callie, it would have just been more interesting. 305 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:25.319 So you can play teleport swapperoo all throughout this season. 306 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:34.440 And if you put one of the female characters in the place of Avon or sometimes Villa, it makes every episode better, it's such a shame. 307 00:26:34.859 --> 00:26:43.859 Talking of, by the way, talking of teleports, swapperoo, slight diversion, but did you all notice the amazing acting from Delgram as they as he teleports down? 308 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:57.059 Avon lands stolid like a statue, whereas whereas Dell Grant arrives with a wobble and a little stumble and like, oh, what the hell was that kind of look on his face, going back to what Gareth Thomas always used to do in series A, which I think that he's off doing from now. 309 00:26:57.119 --> 00:26:57.660 That was really nice. 310 00:26:57.720 --> 00:26:59.460 There was a bit of continuity on that. 311 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:16.259 But yeah, the fact that the 2 the 2 female leads are left up there doing a job, which we've already been shown all right, can do, um, and probably Peter Tubenham's getting paid more than both of them, so he gets to have a week off, but it's better for the budget, uh, knowing how awfully unfair things were at that time, for that sort of thing. 312 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:21.299 Like, um, John Leeson got paid a hell of a lot more money for canine and company than Elizabeth Sladen did, didn't he? 313 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:22.079 I remember hearing that. 314 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:24.720 Yeah, because he was the male... 315 00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:27.000 You see here in Countdown. 316 00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:29.759 This should have been Jenna or Kelly instead of Villa. 317 00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:30.720 I have nothing against Villa. 318 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:35.099 Villa's a great character to watch, but he doesn't serve that much of a plot function. 319 00:27:35.160 --> 00:27:38.160 And if you're looking at your characters... 320 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:43.319 He does open the door, yes. and sort of flails around little panicking. 321 00:27:43.380 --> 00:27:44.279 Exactly. 322 00:27:44.339 --> 00:27:50.640 But if you're looking at the logic of the storytelling, they're teleporting into an insurrection, it should have been Callie. 323 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:55.200 Callie should have been down there with Blake and Yvonne and it's just so frustrating. 324 00:27:55.259 --> 00:28:01.980 If only we had a telepath and maybe someone who was skilled in the art of piracy, they might have come in handy on this mission. 325 00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:04.319 Yeah, no, they're left up their banning reception. 326 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:10.440 I feel like they're trying to give Villa more like all of Gan's airtime. 327 00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:13.440 So it's like, okay, he is the comedy character. 328 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:22.559 Let's give him a couple of lines and let's have him down there, but it's there's still not enough for him to do because there's too many guest stars this episode in a sense and not quite enough time. 329 00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:27.839 So he does just end up teleporting down and then just sort of going, uh, okay, which room are they in? 330 00:28:27.900 --> 00:28:32.700 11 AB 50 and then he walks out and goes, Room 1215 B? 331 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:33.119 Okay. 332 00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:34.980 And then it doesn't resolve anything. 333 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.440 Does that explain why earlier? 334 00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:44.220 Because Villa Beams teleports up to the Liberator to go and get the coordinates of where the bomb is? 335 00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:48.240 He talks to Orac off screen and then he goes back to teleport to beam down. 336 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:54.180 And while he's beaming down to tell everyone what the coordinates are, Callie just leans into the microphone and goes, oh yeah, the coordinates are this. 337 00:28:54.180 --> 00:28:57.059 And she reads them out to Blake while Villa's beaming down. 338 00:28:57.059 --> 00:28:59.880 And as soon as Villa has teleported down, He says the coordinates. 339 00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:00.180 Oh. 340 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:08.700 So I think they just don't trust his memory because it's done the wrong way around because then 2 seconds later, someone gives him some directions and he's forgotten them in the very next shot. 341 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:10.319 So I'm not quite sure. 342 00:29:10.380 --> 00:29:12.720 I wonder if there was a setup for that, that got lost. 343 00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:13.259 I don't know. 344 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:22.019 There's an adorable moment when he beams down and one of the Albions kind of just looks at him and sort of turns his head as he sort of walks off. 345 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:25.980 It's very understated, but it's a little sort of boggle moment. 346 00:29:26.099 --> 00:29:29.220 It's like in every 4th and 5th episode of Blake 7. 347 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:31.200 They remember that teleporting is not a thing. 348 00:29:31.259 --> 00:29:34.619 And so they'll cut to a reaction shot of some of the characters going, what? 349 00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:36.539 They just, they just disappeared. 350 00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:40.140 They've never seen Star Trek, are you? 351 00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:42.660 What's that strange music that was playing? 352 00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:45.299 Like a little circus fanfare? 353 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:52.920 I mean, Albion is such a sausage fest, and so they just, they didn't want to ruin that by letting Genoa Cali go down. 354 00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:56.579 Well, they would have sorted it out in 10 minutes as well, of course, and we've got an hour to fill. 355 00:29:56.640 --> 00:29:59.640 So that's probably don't let the competent people go down. 356 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:03.480 Why does Blake insist on Villa going down with him? 357 00:30:03.539 --> 00:30:06.960 They didn't really have many doors to open, and so you're just letting the side down. 358 00:30:07.019 --> 00:30:08.460 If you took Jenna or Calli with you. 359 00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:10.380 Everything would be sorted, like you said in 10 minutes. 360 00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:14.099 But neither of them would have done any sort of comedy complaining. 361 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:16.380 That's that's the reason. 362 00:30:16.440 --> 00:30:21.240 Villa has that great line where they find out they've got, you know, an hour to live or something. 363 00:30:21.299 --> 00:30:22.680 And he just goes, oh no. 364 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:40.440 So the other thing about this episode is about 10 minutes of it is actually spent in this rocket hangar. 365 00:30:40.500 --> 00:30:43.259 So I have a couple of questions about this. 366 00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:52.859 Why does the blue button on the door, conveniently set off a bunch of explosions, and how does that spaceship possibly take off? 367 00:30:52.920 --> 00:31:01.140 Because it's on one, its rockets are on the right hand side, it's horizontal and it's just sort of sitting there. 368 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:03.480 It's parking bay rather than a launch pad, isn't it? 369 00:31:03.539 --> 00:31:04.019 Yeah. 370 00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:06.599 It's all done with magnets. 371 00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:09.059 I think it has a Thunderbird 2 thing happening. 372 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:14.579 It sort of goes up on a ramp and then It's Ensor's old prop, isn't it? 373 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:22.019 Like we've had this over and over again, the sort of Spacemaster 2000 or whatever the hell it is, and they've just sort of wheeled it out again. 374 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:38.700 I love the bit where they go into the launch bay for the 1st time and Villa presses the button to open the doors and we get a shot of the doors slowly opening and then he presses the button and closes them again. 375 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:41.519 And then they bitch at him about doing it. 376 00:31:41.579 --> 00:31:45.900 Even though they just stood there and watched him while he was doing it. 377 00:31:45.960 --> 00:31:48.539 Like they didn't say no, don't or anything. 378 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:55.019 And they waited until the special effect shot had finished before they said, oh, you know, good one villa. 379 00:31:55.079 --> 00:31:58.200 Like, it was badly timed. 380 00:31:58.259 --> 00:32:04.140 And all I could think about was Gareth kind of going, you know, I used to act, I was in under Milkwood. 381 00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:09.000 Um, you know, like, like, it was just so stupid. 382 00:32:09.059 --> 00:32:10.019 It was very silly. 383 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:15.779 And Blake gets the dialogue while Yvonne just looks at Blake like, oh, he's done it again. 384 00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:20.640 I think Gareth Thomas does really nice work in this episode. 385 00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:28.140 It's Avon's episode, Avon and Tell Grant, but Blake gets a lot of reacting to do and he does it very subtly. 386 00:32:28.200 --> 00:32:36.599 So that little scene where they 1st meet and Blake's already picked up on the fact that there's a problem, if this is the Dell Grant that Avon thinks it is. 387 00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:57.660 And while they've got their big dramatic confrontation, Blake's just there in the background, checking it all out with kind of interest, but also a kind of rye amusement that this is something that the usually enigmatic Avon, you know, it's a chink and Avon's armour, like we were saying, and he's interested and amused to see this and see where it goes. 388 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:02.039 To me, this has a really interesting line in it. 389 00:33:02.099 --> 00:33:03.240 You can take either way. 390 00:33:03.299 --> 00:33:11.339 But so just before they're about to go to find the bomb, Blake says to Grant, if anything happens to Avon, I will come looking for you. 391 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:20.160 And this is building up to a little bit, I think, I think it's in Star one, where it's like, they have a really nice moment, everything stops. 392 00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:21.180 I won't spoil it. 393 00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:25.559 They have a really nice moment and then things sort of go the way that happens in star one. 394 00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:28.619 But I think it's building up to that. 395 00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:40.559 It's a nice kind of, I mean, you know, certainly in series A would be, don't muck about with Avon because I kind of need him, and now this is, I will come looking for you, is a bit more kind of personal, a bit more threatening. 396 00:33:40.619 --> 00:33:42.420 And I thought that was a good, very good line. 397 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:43.920 It's one of my favourite bits about this episode. 398 00:33:43.980 --> 00:33:52.019 Was the other way you could take it, you know, to give you a, you know, Harrod's hamper or something, a bottle of champagne? 399 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:54.299 Like, how else we can attack that? 400 00:33:54.839 --> 00:34:01.319 I really enjoyed that and I think it's revealing of the relationship between Blake and Avon. 401 00:34:01.380 --> 00:34:05.940 But part of me did want when he says, if anything happens to Avon, I will come looking for you. 402 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:10.920 Part of me did want Dell Grant to turn around and go, oh no, Blake's going to come looking for me. 403 00:34:17.099 --> 00:34:28.739 It is that Blake 7 thing, isn't it, where it is very sort of soft, you know, occasionally pretty middle-aged man kind of pretending to be Harrison Ford or whatever. 404 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:45.719 I mean, you know, like if you were doing this now in America, I think Jason Momoa would have taken the Dell Grant role, you know, but instead we've got cherubic and sort of curly haired, blonde Tom doing it. 405 00:34:45.780 --> 00:34:47.639 Which we're totally here for. 406 00:34:54.719 --> 00:35:01.019 So my last question I had was, why does Provine spill the beans about Star one? 407 00:35:01.079 --> 00:35:03.360 What is that as well? 408 00:35:03.420 --> 00:35:04.920 It's like, I'm dying. 409 00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:07.679 Just been saving the Federation. 410 00:35:07.739 --> 00:35:18.719 I was about to set up a bomb for 1000000s of people to protect the Federation, but yeah, start one, just pass Marks and Spencer, left, turn right, down the road, cross the lights, and you're there. 411 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:19.619 You know, why? 412 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:20.880 Ask for Docaly, yeah. 413 00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:23.039 Intergalactic space, there we are. 414 00:35:23.099 --> 00:35:24.300 Yeah. 415 00:35:24.420 --> 00:35:28.739 And, you know, it's the fundamental issue where these people are they're devote themselves to this evil regime. 416 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:33.599 But then when they find when they lose control and they've got no soul, it's a tragedy. 417 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:37.739 As the Bee Gees were illustrating at number one in the Hiberaid, that very week. 418 00:35:37.800 --> 00:35:39.900 So, it all tries off. 419 00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:43.800 That was brilliant, Pete. edit that out. 420 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:48.420 They do try and sell it, don't they? 421 00:35:48.599 --> 00:35:58.500 you know, Blake says, you know, we've got paracetamol up on the ship or whatever and, you know, like we can fix this. if you tell us. 422 00:35:58.559 --> 00:36:00.059 That's right. 423 00:36:00.119 --> 00:36:02.400 But yeah, it doesn't quite work. 424 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:06.480 Like earlier when Blake said to him, you know, yeah, we've got teleport bracelets. 425 00:36:06.539 --> 00:36:08.820 We could probably save a few of you. you know, only the good ones. 426 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:09.780 We'll can beam you up. 427 00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:11.579 We can teleport you off if you want. 428 00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:17.340 He has another one of that being the serious grown up taking the tough decisions kind of conversation. 429 00:36:18.059 --> 00:36:19.860 Who thought? 430 00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:30.239 Did any of you, because I didn't, but maybe it's just me, when they were kept, I could, I was hearing the name Dockerly, D-O-C-K-E-R-L-Y, throughout the 1st two, 3 times. 431 00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:33.300 I think I may have seen all these this Arc of Blake 7. 432 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:35.579 And it was only the 1st time I saw it written down. 433 00:36:35.639 --> 00:36:43.019 It's DOC dash H-O-L, that it's supposed to be Doc Holiday, abbreviated, spacish space to Italy. 434 00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:46.019 And I think in the original script it was... 435 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:48.300 Yeah, no, they toned it down. 436 00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:52.800 Apparently, I think it might have originally actually been Dr. Holiday or something and this, no, that's being too obvious. 437 00:36:52.860 --> 00:36:57.119 And because Gambit is the shootout at the okay corral? 438 00:36:57.239 --> 00:36:59.099 No, I don't think it quite is. 439 00:36:59.159 --> 00:37:02.460 But that was, yeah, it is supposed to be space dot holiday. 440 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:04.079 For some reason. 441 00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:07.679 It's such a great space name. 442 00:37:07.739 --> 00:37:08.820 It's a great name. 443 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:09.659 Yeah. 444 00:37:09.659 --> 00:37:14.519 But yeah, no, it's spelled D-O-C-H-O-L-L-I or something like that. 445 00:37:14.579 --> 00:37:16.739 Is that a Bob Holmes one? 446 00:37:17.340 --> 00:37:24.059 Like, I mean, Bob Holmes wrote Gambit, are they just sort of borrowing the name from him because he's very good at space names. 447 00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:25.619 That sounds right, doesn't it? 448 00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:28.739 Yeah, definitely. we see that in a previous, in an earlier episode. 449 00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:29.760 Yeah, that makes sense, doesn't it? 450 00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:35.099 I think there's some real tension in those last stages of Countdown. 451 00:37:35.159 --> 00:37:44.099 I mean, it's all shot on film at Ealing, and you've got the water, and I think one of Dudley Simpson's best soundscapes for the series. 452 00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:48.000 It's a really good score, actually, and quite dramatic. 453 00:37:48.059 --> 00:38:10.440 And although it is just Avon and Dell, and they've just got like a prop bomb, they wring some tension out of this, and it sort of ratchets it up towards the end, and you keep cutting back to Jenner and Callie on the Liberator, sort of, you know, one's tapping, and the other one's getting anxious about it, and then you'll cut to Blake and Villa, and it goes past the 50 and Villa wants to teleport out, but Blake's like not yet. 454 00:38:10.500 --> 00:38:12.539 And so it all gets amped up quite a lot. 455 00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:19.320 I think when I watched this, the 2nd time round in 1981, having seen it a year earlier. 456 00:38:19.380 --> 00:38:22.739 I had very strong memories of this episode and it felt very exciting. 457 00:38:23.159 --> 00:38:25.199 It's really enjoyable. 458 00:38:25.260 --> 00:38:27.539 It's, you know, you, as you said at the start. 459 00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:30.599 It starts, it lands right in the middle of the action for 7 minutes. 460 00:38:30.659 --> 00:38:34.440 There's decent character development and motivation behind it. 461 00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:44.039 It leads on to Star one and there's some people doing karate chops and throwing grenades and it's got everything. 462 00:38:44.099 --> 00:38:47.579 One guy flies across the room, doesn't he? 463 00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:49.980 There's one game stuntman. 464 00:38:50.280 --> 00:38:52.679 Um, I've got a question. 465 00:38:52.739 --> 00:39:04.260 A few weeks ago, we talked about killer, and this has a lot of similarities with killer, doesn't it? 466 00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:21.300 We have someone who has some kind of relationship with Avon, we split Avon and Blake Ump, we're in a sort of federation base, we've got a very definite, predetermined goal. 467 00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:32.579 And I think the differences between those 2 episodes really tell us something about homes and nation. 468 00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:34.739 Does that seem like a thing? 469 00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:36.000 Absolutely. 470 00:39:36.179 --> 00:39:48.360 The 1st thing that Robert Holmes will do is put Avon and Villa together because they have such an electric chemistry, whereas this places them in the same room and they barely talk to each other. 471 00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:57.420 Also, I think it might be a symptom of the fact that killer, while it airs in the middle part of the season was shot at the very start of the season. 472 00:39:57.539 --> 00:40:06.059 And so the 2 episodes feel like they should be separated by a lot more and you wouldn't notice them, but jammed up together, um, they just seem to echo each other. 473 00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:24.960 I think too, although this is really solid and competent and has some character staff, killer is so nasty in all kinds of ways and sort of terrifying in a sort of very non-boy's own kind of way, you know, Terry's all off on a jolly adventure. 474 00:40:25.019 --> 00:40:29.820 Whereas as Holmes gives us some really disturbing things to think about. 475 00:40:29.880 --> 00:40:38.460 And so although I like this a lot, I don't think this is the best iteration of this story this season. 476 00:40:38.519 --> 00:40:40.500 Not even in the last 3 episodes. 477 00:40:42.480 --> 00:40:48.360 Also, killer has Benny from Orphan 55 in it, so it's got to be my favourite... 478 00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:49.019 Oh, God. 479 00:40:49.019 --> 00:40:50.159 He's Caprill. 480 00:40:50.219 --> 00:40:52.440 Benny is Gambrill. 481 00:40:52.500 --> 00:40:53.340 Is he? 482 00:40:53.340 --> 00:40:54.179 My God. 483 00:40:54.239 --> 00:41:01.079 I was really hoping to get through a Blake 7 podcast without fucking orphan 55 feet. 484 00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:03.599 It's canonical. everywhere. 485 00:41:03.719 --> 00:41:07.019 It's the thread that binds the universe or my universe. 486 00:41:08.340 --> 00:41:10.860 Yeah, I think that's right, Nathan. 487 00:41:10.920 --> 00:41:17.579 I think it's really revealing of the approach that Terry Nation has to Blake 7, which I love. 488 00:41:17.639 --> 00:41:27.480 I think Terry Nation's Blake 7, especially when it's done well like this, there's a couple of instances last season which suffer heavily from the pennant Robertsitis, and it all kind of falls flat a little bit. 489 00:41:27.539 --> 00:41:40.320 But when it's done well, it's really good space adventure, it takes other writers, other good writers like Boucher and particularly homes to make it something a little bit more than that and a little bit different from that. 490 00:41:40.380 --> 00:41:43.980 So you've still got the bones, but there's that extra layer of interest. 491 00:41:44.039 --> 00:41:50.219 However, having said that, when Terry writes for it and is writing out his peak form, it's the best bleak 7 there is. 492 00:41:50.340 --> 00:41:53.820 Thank you, everyone, for listening to us talk about Countdown. 493 00:41:53.880 --> 00:41:56.280 We'll be back next week to talk about voice from the past. 494 00:41:56.340 --> 00:41:59.099 Thank you very much for listening and goodbye. 495 00:41:59.159 --> 00:41:59.699 Goodbye. 496 00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:00.239 Goodbye, goodbye. 497 00:42:00.300 --> 00:42:00.719 Goodbye. 498 00:42:01.320 --> 00:42:03.539 Switching to manual. 499 00:42:03.599 --> 00:42:05.579 Maximum power on all drives. 500 00:42:08.639 --> 00:42:10.739 Maximum power. 501 00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:26.340 So the other thing I noticed is Blake does the same face at the end of the episode acting, they did at the end of the trial, which is... 502 00:42:26.340 --> 00:42:33.719 I'm doing an audio description for those of you at home. 503 00:42:35.400 --> 00:42:38.880 It's so close to an end of episode laugh. 504 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:40.920 Yeah. 505 00:42:40.920 --> 00:42:46.920 It's like, I don't know, it's like the end of a, like, I don't know, it's like the end of a He-Man episode or something. 506 00:42:46.920 --> 00:42:49.500 They'd walk us all about it. 507 00:42:49.559 --> 00:42:51.420 They're aiming for Star Trek, aren't they? 508 00:42:51.480 --> 00:42:57.360 But it just doesn't, it's just so incongruous after everything after the 45 minutes that have preceded it. 509 00:42:57.420 --> 00:42:59.880 But can I just say, I love that last scene. 510 00:42:59.940 --> 00:43:09.840 I think that last scene is brilliant, not only because you end on Blake and Avon, which is the key relationship amongst the regulars in this episode. 511 00:43:10.559 --> 00:43:27.659 But it also, they are friends and they do like each other, but there's that wall between them, which you're never going to break down where Blake makes an overture and says, will you tell me about Anna and Avon can't resist putting him in his place and saying, you wouldn't understand and just walks away. 512 00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:32.699 And so the only thing Blake can do is just smile to himself that that's Avon being Avon. 513 00:43:32.760 --> 00:43:33.539 I love that scene. 514 00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:37.860 And the whole thing is underscored by one of those little Dudley Simpson masterpieces. 515 00:43:39.539 --> 00:43:46.260 But it is also like his surprise and amusement at the fact that even bones, don't you reckon? 516 00:43:46.320 --> 00:43:47.280 Like, is that... 517 00:43:47.639 --> 00:43:49.019 Is that it? 518 00:43:49.079 --> 00:43:51.360 It's like, oh, even everyone bones. 519 00:43:51.420 --> 00:43:56.159 It's not just you, you know, that was how I was reading it, but it could just be weird. 520 00:43:56.280 --> 00:44:02.400 Well, we learnt in this episode that he inserts a rod, pulls out at 50 and then tells you that nothing's really changed between you. 521 00:44:05.340 --> 00:44:07.920 And her brother's the next best thing? 522 00:44:07.980 --> 00:44:09.539 He kind of implies it once. 523 00:44:10.920 --> 00:44:13.079 He does, he says it. 524 00:44:13.139 --> 00:44:14.159 He says it. 525 00:44:15.059 --> 00:44:19.500 I think we do have an out now. so to speak. 526 00:44:19.559 --> 00:44:22.619 Yeah, talk about tension in those last scenes. 527 00:44:22.679 --> 00:44:23.760 Sexual tension. 528 00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:24.599 I think you're fine.