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This transcript was created on 2026-06-07 at 22:17:46

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Welcome back to Maximum Power, the Blake 7 podcast, where we're superstitious half-wits who are holding back every single advance we've ever made, or at least we're here to discuss Headhunter. one of the two.

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Hello, I'm Cy, and I'm joined by my upper group of half wits.

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Hello, I'm Hannah.

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Hi, I'm John.

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And I'm Pete.

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So, Headhunter, we are into the 6th episode of Series D. We've got the last episode directed by Mary Rich for a little while, and we're sort of midway through.

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Well, actually, no, we're in the last stages of the go and collect famous scientists from around the Federation to help with the plans.

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Let's start with John, who is new to the podcast.

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How do you feel about series D so far before we get to Headhunter?

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Well, I love series D. I've got, it's my favourite series of the four.

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I mean, I love them all, but series D is my favourite.

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So I've always had a real fondness for the 1st 6 episodes in particular because although I can, I can see that the last half of the season has got a higher hit rate in terms of, you know, genuine classic episodes.

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I just, there's something really sweet about those 1st six. like rescue is my favourite episode of all time.

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I know power has got its issues, but it's a lot of fun.

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You can't deny that.

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And then, yeah, I just, I love all of the episodes.

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Even animals.

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I just, because I just love that, that new setup, how they've just basically reinvented the whole series and it all feels really fresh and exciting and that whole, the new Xenon setting and Xenon base, that, that, I remember that sparked my imagination as a kid because there's, that whole backstory with Dorian, um, the whole thing with the Cesca and the, the hummocks.

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Um, it just, I mean, there's lots of gaps to fill in, but that just sparks your imagination even more.

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So I just love that whole reinvention of the series.

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It's essentially a bit of a cliche to say this, but it's basically, in some ways, a completely new series.

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And the way the series was made as well.

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It's the same for series 2 and three, but it was made basically in 2 big production blocks.

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So they did all the pre-filming, for the 1st 6 episodes, then they did all the studios, and then they did the same again for the remaining episodes.

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And although that was true of previous seasons, this season really does feel like you can split it right down the middle because the tone is very different and they spend a lot more time on Xenon base in the 1st half.

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Whereas the 2nd half.

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It's a little bit more.

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More in line with the previous series and that they're mainly on the spaceship and they're just having adventures and what have you.

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So I just think those 1st 6 episodes feel, yeah, they've got their own unique feel, even though it is part of the wider series D. And I just love them.

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I mean, not everything goes right, but they're just fascinating from a production point of view as well, and there's obviously huge story going on there in terms of what was going on behind the scenes.

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So yeah, in a nutshell, I absolutely love Series D, and this is one of my favourite episodes.

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I mean, I love rescue at the start, and then this book ends that 1st half beautifully.

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I remember it from when I watched it when I was a kid.

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I think more from the 83 repeat season than the actual original broadcast.

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But then when I went to uni, it was a favourite there as well.

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I used to have got one of my housemates loved Blake 7 as well, and we often, this would be one of our episodes of choice, and we would just stick it on and just, I mean, laugh with it, not at it. because it is very, very funny.

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Um, but it's also very exciting and dramatic and a little bit scary as well.

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Yeah, it's pretty much everything you'd want from an episode of Blake 7.

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How about you, Hannah?

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So I was less enthusiastic about the 1st few episodes of series D. I think, uh, I think some days, it gets like unfair flat, but it was very much, I felt like, were kind of like sort of 7 out of 10 and like, I mean, where is my 9, 10 out of 10 episodes?

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It felt like I was waiting quite a while for things to get going.

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And then we got to Headhunter and it just felt like we were out of the park.

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I love the mystery side of it.

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I think it's such a really fun and funny episode.

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Um, I, yeah, just felt so drawn in.

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I like the horror elements.

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It's like got so many sort of tick boxes for that.

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Um, and it feels like we've got back to like more Blake 70, Blake 7 of sort of running around together, um, Yeah, um, a bit less eloquent than the jump, but just it's really fun and exciting.

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I love it.

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Is this one you like, Pete?

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It is, yeah, I'm joining the praise.

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And it's got that.

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So right, episode I was on earlier in the series where we talked about Traitor, which is a brilliantly made episode.

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There's nothing wrong with it at all.

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But I was a little bit lukewarm towards it compared to the rest of the panel, and I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

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And it's kind of because it's kind of, for a really classic Blake 7 episode.

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There got to be something somewhat preposterous about it in with all the action and the drama and the melodrama.

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And yeah, that's where as well as having an episode title that could quite easily be the name of an East European porn website.

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There's a few of those.

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And this is probably the best.

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That's just what more could you ask for?

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Um, yeah, it's, it's, it is a bit silly when it's trying not to be, and when it's trying to be something, I'm, I'm flipped between the 2 lefts.

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John, sometimes I'm laughing with it, sometimes maybe a little bit at it, but still loving it.

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Uh, and, uh, yeah, I, I just think this has got the balance of, of, of, of, of things that, that are really working and something, so maybe if you were doing it on a higher budget or had much more time, you wouldn't have done it quite like that, but the fact that they did it like this is what makes it Blake 7 and that's why I love it.

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I think one of the reasons I liked it is that you had a couple of episodes of Avon not having quite so much to do, um, possibly more than like a couple of episodes, and yet, he's starting to become a like really different, interesting character as the series goes on.

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And so it's nice to spend a bit more time with him and trying to see bits of that unfolding a bit more because not really sure what where that's going to go at this point in the series.

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There's a sort of generation gap between him and all the others now, isn't there?

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with Villa maybe also in his generation, but not being part such involved in a power struggle.

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But there's no sense of a power struggle anymore, between Avon and Tarrant.

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That's that's complete.

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That was settled along.

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I mean, that's settled in the last series, but... stopping a twat by seriously.

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He knows his place now.

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Obviously, Avon pulled a gun on him.

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He's got back in his corner.

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He knows where he belongs.

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But it's more likely.

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I mean I've always I love Stephen Pacy.

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I think he played against the more unlikeable elements of the character because he is so likeable.

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But I think the character is written, you know, slightly more in a more likeable way in this series.

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Like he's still having a go at the villa, but it doesn't feel like he's bullying him like he did in Siri C.

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It feels like it's banter.

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Um, so, yes, and I think all the characters get a lot to do in this episode, but Paul, it's all about Paul Darrow.

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I mean, that's part of the reason I like series D so much, you know, the D is for Darrow.

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And he is just.

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I mean, it's, he's striking that balance between going so over the top, but he's, he's not taking the, taking the Mickey. you know, he's, you know, he's not, you know, he's still taking it very, very seriously, but he's performance is in some ways stratus ferric, you know.

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But then he, but he's really, he still delivers on, on those moments when it really matters, you know, and yeah, it's, you just can't take your eyes off him.

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He's just wonderful.

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I mean, and it's very different to how he was in the earlier series, but yeah, I just, oh, he's just amazing in this episode. just great entertainment.

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Like John Baker, just he's a superstar and you can't take your eyes off.

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I like that there still feels elements of his character as he's B. I think, especially like the moment when he's with Linda Bellingham, and they're slightly flirty with one another, um, um, almost.

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And there's already he asks, like her, like, oh, didn't Muller ever talk about his work with him, with you, she goes, Her relationship was more recreational and it just feels like, oh, that's still the Avon we know a bit.

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Yeah, yeah, there's an eyebrow movement from him on that, isn't there?

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Him and Roger.

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There are some really great moments for him in this episode.

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I love the moment where he sort of pauses while he's thinking about whether to sacrifice Tarrant and Villa, before commanding Aurak to restore the teleport, I won't even go to the heights that he doesn't know one to go to those heights.

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And what a fantastic line he gets when Aurac starts getting cockier than usual.

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And he says, when did you start offering gratuitous advice?

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That's just, that's only he would offer.

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I mean, often that, you know, the banter is sort of cynical for all of them, but that's just such a perfect day wrongly.

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Oh, 2 lovely moments there.

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Yeah, I mean, that restore the teleport.

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I mean, I remember being a student, having had a few shandies, and we would try and do that line.

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I'm not going to do it now.

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Um, but it's just so good, but you really get I mean, it seems to go on for about 20 minutes, doesn't it, when he's thinking it over?

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I mean, it's obviously just a few seconds, but, and again, it's slightly over the top, but it's not.

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You really get the sense he's agonising over this and it's a little bit like what happens in a later episode, no spoilers, but he really is weighing it up, but then he does the right thing.

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He does, you know, he saves them, but if when he says, oh, you have to do better than that, or if you want me to kill them, it's just, oh, it's so good.

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And yeah, that moment you were just talking about Pete as well, is just a, yeah, I love that too.

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I had both of those written down to mention.

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The only other Avon moment I was going to mention is when he just throws away those pliers, whatever it is at the end.

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It's just a little moment.

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It's so casual. love that.

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And his obvious stunt moment where he falls onto the only patch of ground that's actually covered in something so that he doesn't get muddy, but the way he lands with his arms out is just magnificent.

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And of course, it was completely the rain was pouring down, was lashing down, so that was like a swamp they're in basically by the end of it.

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So, yeah.

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For me, this is 11 of the episodes that I sort of realised, sort of watching the series through up to this point.

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This feels like the 1st episode where they're actually writing for everyone in this new crew and Sulin really comes to the 4 finally and is written with a with a character and you can really see Glynis Barber seizing the lines in the way and relishing them in the way that Paul Darrow does.

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She's got a very similar kind of temperament, I think, and she is magnificent.

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And her hair is fabulous this week as well.

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It's a bit where, Orex says, well, I can give you.

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I can fulfil all your desires. you wouldn't know where to start.

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Yeah, that's a character finally emerging, yeah, from, yeah.

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Yeah, definitely.

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I mean, she never really gets her own episode, but she is a lot sharper from this point on, but this might be where I drop my fact, my new fact.

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Oh, go on then, factors.

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I mean, you probably know that series D was actually made in a hurry, even though they said at the end of terminal, oh, it will be back next year, it took them a long time to get it before they were actually officially confirmed to go ahead and it was all done in a massive rush.

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Um, and they initially thought Jan Chappel was going to do the whole series.

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And then they thought she was going to do the 1st 6 episodes.

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I'm sure you know all this already.

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And those 1st 6 episodes were all completely written.

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And then basically, I mean, there's a little bit of confusion here.

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I mean, did she initially indicate she was going to do it or wasn't she?

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But the plan was to bring to have Callie in the 1st 6 episodes.

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And the 6th episode was actually originally going to be animals, and they swapped them quite late in the day, which is probably why you said what you said earlier, so.

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Um, And so, so all the episodes were rewritten, and then Jan Chappell basically just said, no, I'm not doing it. like, hang on a minute, what?

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And so all of these 6 episodes had to be completely rewritten.

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Um, and the original plan was when they were episodes were written, we're thinking, she'll do all of the all 13, but they'd only got the 1st 6 done.

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And then when she said, no, I'm not doing it, and it turned out she wasn't going to do anything apart from those 2 literally 2 words.

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So, but what they had planned to do was introduce Sulin in episode 5, which originally was going to be Headhunter.

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And then Sokali and Sulin would have been in headhunter, Together.

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And then Cali would have been killed off at the end of animals.

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So if you watch Headhunter now, watch it again when you get a minute, and all of the, that character Vina was basically put in there, that was originally Sulin.

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So Su Lin was originally Muller's companion, not Dorian's companion.

145
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Oh, wow.

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We would have had both of them in 2 episodes, so there had been a little bit of a crossover.

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And when you actually watch it, even though Linda Bellingham plays it in a much softer way, then Glynnis Barber would.

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If you just listen to the lines, you can really imagine Glynis Barber taking it and just put in a lot more edge in there.

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And that bit when everyone says to her, don't know, don't be stupid when she's saying that you're murderers.

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At that point, she would have taken the gun out and we'd have learnt that she's, you know, she wasn't just Mueller's recreational companion.

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She was his bodyguard, whatever, whatever she was for Dorian, basically, the mind boggles.

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Um, so, I mean, you're absolutely right.

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This is the 1st episode where you're like, oh, they're finally writing the Sulin.

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But imagine Jan Chappell saying all of Sulin's lines.

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So she would have had all those lovely moments with Aurak.

156
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So it would have been really nice to, Because, I mean, it would have been a shame for Jan Chappell to leave as much as I love animals, it would have been a bit of a, an odd episode for it to get killed off in, but at least she would have had this episode with everyone and just, you know, really getting some smart lines.

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And you can really imagine her.

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I can imagine Jan Chappell saying those lines.

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So, so that, just imagine that episode where it's Sulin and Cali rather than Dina.

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That whole bit where Aurak is telling Sulin to deactivate him towards the end.

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We jumping around, but let's do it.

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Yeah, that in particular, I've wrote that down as one of my favourite scenes, and I like it even more now that it could have been County.

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Yeah, yeah.

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I mean I watched it last night.

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The 1st time, the 1st time I've watched it knowing what I know now.

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And it was just, it just changed my whole perception of the episode.

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I mean, Glynis is still beautiful in it and those lines work for Sulin.

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But, you know, that whole thing of her comforting, you know, that's more of a Calli thing, you know, that caring role.

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Um, yeah, Linda, they obviously changed the script slightly, but large chunks of it were basically, you know, just crossed out the, um, Sulin and put Vino, and then, and that was the case with a lot of the episodes, they just crossed out Calli's name and put in Sulin, or in Animal's case, they crossed out Calli and put in Damon's name.

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Um, so yeah, and as far as I know, I don't think I've ever heard anyone else mention this anywhere.

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But it's just when I've been researching series D. That I just found that I realised that is what had happened.

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You know, there's just a few little script fragments that exist and it's just, yeah, fascinating to think that we could have had them both in it, and Chapel and Glennis Bar, but just a little bit of a crossover there.

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Yeah, series DA.

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Yeah.

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That's really interesting what you say about the Aorax scene because I can now like see how like that works on sort of 2 levels the, you know, when asking to be made inoperative.

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I think it works with Cali because she knows Aurak and sort of trusts to an extent.

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But whereas with Sulin, it feels like she's just following something instinctive, like picking up, there's not something quite right there.

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And I quite like that, like seeing that as like development part of her character.

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Yeah, I mean, I'm not taken away from it as being a great suit in episodes.

180
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Yeah, you're absolutely right. the 1st episode where she really has come into her own.

181
00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:33.779
Um, and yeah, she's like a, in some ways, a bit like a female Avon in terms of the just like really cynical attitude, you know, really, really cool.

182
00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:39.360
Um, But yeah, that's that's a little glimpse at what what could have been really.

183
00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:51.120
Um, again, she would have died in the, in the following episode, which would have been animals, so, killed by Commissioner Sleer, dumped out of the, the spaceship, and, Just left there for them all, all to find.

184
00:16:51.179 --> 00:16:57.000
So it would have been quite a grim, a grim ending, but then they said, okay, you're not going to come and do 6 episodes.

185
00:16:57.059 --> 00:17:02.100
Can you do five, four, you do three, then you can do a couple of days filming.

186
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.759
Can you do lines off screen and it's just, I'll do 2 words, you know?

187
00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:06.960
Alternative.

188
00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:09.240
They're really bad at negotiating, aren't they?

189
00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:11.039
negotiating.

190
00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:13.980
It's very over 14 episodes to 2 words.

191
00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:16.740
That's quite a lot of... are amazing though, aren't they?

192
00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:22.680
It really sells the idea. is down that hole and it's still it's better than if they didn't use it.

193
00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.579
It didn't hurt anything.

194
00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:27.900
It does give the idea that she is down there and it is wonderfully grim, I think.

195
00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:31.740
But I would it would have been nice to have had it for maybe, yeah, 6 episodes.

196
00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:40.200
Wait, when this one, so when this episode kicks off, I did think for a minute.

197
00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:54.599
I can, I think I remember watching it as a kid and thinking that I'd missed an episode because Venus's just there and and they're off on them, and I'm still getting used to them being off on missions, you know, it's just, it's Villa and Tarrant, isn't it?

198
00:17:54.660 --> 00:17:56.640
Just the 2 of them in Scorpio this week.

199
00:17:56.700 --> 00:18:00.720
But I love Villa emerging, yawning, doing up his flies.

200
00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:02.759
That's just...

201
00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.900
Honestly, he's really struggling on the jacket, like, it's already quite worn out.

202
00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:15.480
Yeah, those those costumes must be quite smelly at this stage and I always think as long as they're wearing those costumes, they're going to be okay.

203
00:18:15.539 --> 00:18:18.180
They're going to be, everything's going to be all right.

204
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.980
But then it's next week when they just change into the costumes that most of them die in, basically.

205
00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:28.319
So that always gives though that last half. like they're heading towards Gow de Prime from that moment.

206
00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:33.119
Whereas I like to think there's a big long gap between headhunter, an assassin.

207
00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:36.539
And lots of other wonderful things happened, you know.

208
00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:38.519
This is why you like the 1st half of series D, isn't it?

209
00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:39.779
You just don't want that buildup.

210
00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:41.940
Change of concrete.

211
00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:42.359
That's it.

212
00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.500
Yeah, yeah, exactly.

213
00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:45.240
Yeah, it's the death costumes.

214
00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:53.460
Well, they're still very much in their winter costumes at the moment because everything is foul on location every time they go out.

215
00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:59.640
And then suddenly, with Assassin, the sun has magically appeared out of nowhere after mums in the studio.

216
00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:05.099
Yeah, there's even one studio scene where you can see someone's breath inside.

217
00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:11.220
I don't know if I'm just imagining it from a cutting between location scenes, but it just looks really foully cold.

218
00:19:11.339 --> 00:19:15.599
They spend so much money trying to replicate that now with CGI, don't they?

219
00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:20.099
It's like, just go to Britain 40 years ago or anywhere today.

220
00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.019
Well, that is blade 7, isn't it?

221
00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:25.319
You want the planets to be cold and wet and gray and grim.

222
00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:35.400
And as much as I like the later episodes, you know, seeing that bright sunshine and games, just, I mean, actually, it's nice because it makes a nice change, but Assassin as well, actually, does quite well for it.

223
00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:36.359
Yeah, yeah.

224
00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:43.619
And Paul Darrow loses about 3 stone between Headhunter and Assassin, so I'm not quite sure what happened there.

225
00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:45.839
He just looks a lot. maybe it's just the costume. more flattering.

226
00:19:45.900 --> 00:19:46.440
I don't know.

227
00:19:46.500 --> 00:19:52.200
I agree, yeah, he looks, it works quite well for like Assassin's slave auction that he's suddenly like really gaunt.

228
00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:54.180
Yeah, they even say, don't they?

229
00:19:54.180 --> 00:19:54.839
You're a thin thing.

230
00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:57.480
They wouldn't have said that a couple of weeks prior, don't you?

231
00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:01.740
Maybe he saw that in the script and realised and took it as a hint.

232
00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:03.359
Yeah, made it a crash diet.

233
00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:05.339
Since Gareth Thomas has left.

234
00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.500
They stopped a lot of boozing between them.

235
00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:10.319
I'm not sure they have.

236
00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:22.859
So when this was starting, I was thinking, oh, they've got they've got their corpse in on their ship and they're taking it back and mysterious things can start happening.

237
00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:25.200
So I think, oh, okay, it's a Dracula episode this week.

238
00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:33.539
Uh, because that's, that's the 1st thing that spring tomorrow, sprung to mind for me, the, uh, the, the, the vampire in the, in the, in the ship on the way to Yorkshire.

239
00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.119
But there's a lot more than that to come.

240
00:20:36.180 --> 00:20:38.519
Yeah, that's a that's a really good point.

241
00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:38.759
Yeah.

242
00:20:38.819 --> 00:20:42.000
And they actually describe when they were promoting this episode, they called it a comedy horror.

243
00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:44.940
The horror elements are definitely there, aren't they?

244
00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:47.460
I re-read your...

245
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:51.240
I reread your blog, Hannah, to just sort of steal your your observations.

246
00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.420
Yeah, you had some interesting things to say there.

247
00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:56.640
So I'm now going to claim those ideas as my own.

248
00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:57.299
Now I'm joking.

249
00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:01.079
Um, yeah, I may I may be regurgitating them anyway.

250
00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:02.519
It has been a few years.

251
00:21:03.180 --> 00:21:10.980
But yeah, that the image of him in the, in the cryo chamber is very, yeah, very hammer, isn't it, really?

252
00:21:11.099 --> 00:21:15.539
Um, yeah, Blake 7 didn't do horror that often, but it did it quite well.

253
00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:24.119
Well, should to mention, we're recording this during Halloween week, so I have very much been in like the horror mood and been watching a couple of hammers things this week.

254
00:21:24.180 --> 00:21:30.900
I will just list off because I ended up noting down several of the horror elements that I felt tick off and anyone else should jump in with more.

255
00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:38.759
So we've got characters separated from the start and isolated with Villa and Tarrant off on the own ship.

256
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.779
They're soon really vulnerable once like the system failure goes on.

257
00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:49.740
Uh, we get darkness and dim lighting both on Scorpio and on James Zenon as everything gets turned off.

258
00:21:49.799 --> 00:22:00.839
Um, we've got mystery unknown of, I do spend about just, I, I think it's good for like 35 minutes into this episode before that box gets opened and we get to see what's in there.

259
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:03.299
And I spent the 1st I watched this.

260
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:10.140
I was so, so desperate to know what's in the box because I thought it was just going to be Muller's head originally.

261
00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:15.660
And I was just like, I can't believe they're going around with a head. just such a wonderful creepy element.

262
00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:29.579
Um, just stuff things like, so we've got fear of the unknown, the unexplained, um, some suspense of wanting to know what's in the box, jump scares, um, we get an actual like 1st victim.

263
00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:31.079
So we've got a corpse.

264
00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:40.140
We don't know at this point that it's mullers until later on, but we have a body on the floor that we find out quite earlier. haven't gone ahead.

265
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.720
The technician takes a look at it.

266
00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:47.279
It takes a look at his arse and goes, yeah, it's Moller. recognise that arse anywhere.

267
00:22:47.339 --> 00:22:50.220
That's where it gets a bit rocky. rocky horror, isn't it?

268
00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:55.680
My last one is the, oh, apart from actually just 2 actually.

269
00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:58.980
So won't we, the mon, we have a monster, it's headless.

270
00:22:59.099 --> 00:23:12.119
The obvious, but, um, and it looks like a headless corpse, uh, spinal, um, when we go cut to the forest afterwards, it feels almost like faux corory, I think.

271
00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:16.079
Um, so we've got sort of the slightly dim lighting coming down.

272
00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:21.660
It's almost like, you know, we're heading towards sunset and it's all getting a bit.

273
00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:22.859
I am creepy there.

274
00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:24.599
Um...

275
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:27.539
Also, actually, also, I just, I didn't have thought about it now.

276
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:37.019
Aurak, suddenly, we don't know what's wrong with Aurak, with that of it, but he's suddenly just saying things that are unnaturally auraky.

277
00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:39.599
It's being cuntier than usual. all about?

278
00:23:39.660 --> 00:23:43.140
Yeah, I think because Aurac is such a sod normally.

279
00:23:43.200 --> 00:24:00.059
At 1st we're just a bit like, this is just awe, being a sod, but there's, um, the moment we've mentioned already, um, I think where, um, And he sends that, everyone, he says there is nothing very original about domination, as you will soon discover.

280
00:24:00.059 --> 00:24:05.400
And they, everyone blowed their eyes, just this great, just little like inquisitive look, just for half a 2nd.

281
00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:07.740
And it's, that's, that's it.

282
00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:12.059
And, but, and they say it's this there in our minds still, like, trying to figure out, what's going on?

283
00:24:12.180 --> 00:24:15.839
I love those just sort of creepy aside moments, yeah.

284
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:17.460
Yeah.

285
00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.039
Yeah, it's almost like sort of possession and stuff, isn't it?

286
00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:21.539
Where they're acting out of character.

287
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:23.819
So slave is the same, isn't he?

288
00:24:23.880 --> 00:24:28.859
He's more slave-like than than usual and more stubborn and more.

289
00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:32.759
And so they have to switch him off, which is terrible.

290
00:24:32.819 --> 00:24:34.559
They never have done that to Zen.

291
00:24:34.619 --> 00:24:35.579
Well, he says.

292
00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:50.279
And yet it reminds me of, uh, it's shadow, isn't it, in series B, where, um, they end up with like Zen's doing sort of and weird stuff and they don't know what's and going on and the ships attacking them.

293
00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:54.779
Um, and it all goes a bit weird there.

294
00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:58.079
But I don't know. acting out of character.

295
00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:14.220
Yeah, but it just almost feels by serious D, it always feels like they're so much more vulnerable and I think because it, Scorpio isn't the liberator and it hasn't got those capabilities and they're stuck in one place sometimes and they've not got, it doesn't feel like they've got infinite resources anymore.

296
00:25:14.279 --> 00:25:22.019
And that is one of the things I love about in series D. It feels that everything's closing in on them and they're like running out of options a lot of the time.

297
00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:25.619
Yeah, and the car breaks down in a thunderstorm, doesn't it?

298
00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:35.460
That's, that's, we even get the, the, the, the lightning crack that we hear is from the BBC Death and horror sound effects LP that we had at my school.

299
00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:39.720
I know I queued that up in school plays, that exact thunderclap.

300
00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:47.220
That was that had been doing the, and you hear it the same, the same clap of thunder in most BBC productions from the 60s to the early 80s.

301
00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:50.160
Yeah, that seems like a conscious decision, doesn't it?

302
00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:54.059
that they were really playing up that that horror side of things.

303
00:25:54.119 --> 00:25:56.460
That was a great rundown there, Hano, absolutely brilliant.

304
00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:04.200
And yeah, I've never really picked up on the horror stuff too much on previous viewing, so I did look at it in a slightly different way this time around.

305
00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:10.920
I don't know if it's because I've been immersed in hammer because I've been cheating and looking at your your blog, but yeah, it definitely has that vibe.

306
00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:16.259
And yeah, yeah, you're right. that misty woodland is very, very hammer, isn't it?

307
00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:23.339
Yeah, it's that final sequence where you think you've got to wait, you've gone somewhere, something scary's happened, and then you come home and you discover it's followed you back.

308
00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.740
It's like the final act of the woman in black or something.

309
00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:28.079
Um, that's the...

310
00:26:28.140 --> 00:26:38.940
Just, I think Mark Gats on the documentary says, it's something like, but of course, it's just when you think the monsters aim death, that it comes back more powerful than ever.

311
00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:41.519
Yeah, completely.

312
00:26:41.579 --> 00:26:43.440
And this episode was shown on the 2nd of November.

313
00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:46.079
So it was basically a Halloween Episode.

314
00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:48.000
Oh, they got that bang on then, yeah.

315
00:26:48.059 --> 00:26:49.680
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

316
00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:50.940
There we go.

317
00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:59.759
The only other thing we vaguely on is, well, the scientist's idea of we end up with sort of Frankenstein like, and I'm trying to keep track.

318
00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:14.400
Now, it's been a while since I've watched the earlier episodes, but I make Muller is the 5th dead scientist, at least, that they've had so far following on, you know, from, I think I kill off quite a few in traitor, Justin, last week.

319
00:27:14.460 --> 00:27:16.079
I'm just...

320
00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:16.859
Dr. Paxton.

321
00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:17.339
Who?

322
00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:17.880
Yeah.

323
00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:29.579
Muller stood no chance whatsoever if he was getting involved with them, like, just scientists and Blake 7 in series didn't.

324
00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:36.599
And anyone who met or knew Ensor in any capacity as well is that if you're in both of that Vend diagram, then you've got no hope, have you?

325
00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:37.980
And that's nice.

326
00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:41.279
I think that's a lovely callback to series A as well.

327
00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:45.299
Because we've had it mentioned a couple of times this series already.

328
00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:58.619
So there's obviously just a little bit of continuity there, and I thought that, that was really nice that he, he'd worked with Ensor and had taken on, again, some of Ensor's grumpy traits as well and things like that.

329
00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:00.420
That was that was a nice bit of writing.

330
00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:05.160
Roger Parks is quite good. on the continuity and is quite quite up on that, I think.

331
00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:08.220
Yeah, he's got better, hasn't he, since his very 1st episode?

332
00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:17.400
We did say, we didn't think any writer had improved as much as Roger Parks did between Voice from the Past and Children of Our on.

333
00:28:17.460 --> 00:28:20.339
Yeah, and I think this is as good, again, as children of our own.

334
00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:25.380
I mean, that's a good episode too, but I think this is as almost as big a an improvement if that's possible.

335
00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:27.660
Um, yeah, I love the whole Ensor stuff.

336
00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:31.859
I mean, I'm always crazy for back references like that, but it fits the storyline.

337
00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:36.839
And if you think about it, the Android is at a specifically after Aurak.

338
00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:59.819
So it all ties in nicely together when you actually take a step back and look at it that way, the only slight issue I had when I was following it last night was that whole robot development cartel, that just feels a little bit, I'd like to have known a little bit more about what that's all about, and just a bit more world building there because we see the Scorpio approaching Pharos.

339
00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:07.259
Um, but I don't really get a sense of what, what that, that setup is all about and I'd, I'd have liked to have known a little bit.

340
00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:08.759
A little bit more about that.

341
00:29:08.819 --> 00:29:16.319
I think you thought I'd maybe been a series B episode would have had a nice model shot of the actual, the base that they were in, and it's so nondescript.

342
00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:19.500
It just looks like A, another series D set in there.

343
00:29:19.559 --> 00:29:22.740
It could have almost telephorted down to Xenon Bass again.

344
00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:24.839
You know, it looks pretty much exactly the same.

345
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:29.160
So, um, yeah, I think maybe a little bit more detail there would have helped.

346
00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:30.900
And also, yeah, what the hell is Vina doing there?

347
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:37.019
And presumably, It would have been the same, you know, when, when that was Sulin's introductory episode.

348
00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:38.579
So, you know, how the hell did she get there?

349
00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:42.059
It seems a bit, well, you think how secretive they are about the location of the base.

350
00:29:42.119 --> 00:29:42.779
How did she get there?

351
00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:44.279
Without Muller?

352
00:29:44.339 --> 00:29:45.660
What's happening there?

353
00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:50.339
Yeah, I wonder if there was an introductory segment in a draft of it that they just decided.

354
00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:53.400
Now let's just dive straight in, you know, get cut to the chase rather.

355
00:29:53.519 --> 00:30:00.420
I wonder if we've lost something here because I don't think we ever find out how the robot development cartel got onto Mueller.

356
00:30:00.539 --> 00:30:03.779
And at one point, I kind of styonic.

357
00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:05.339
Oh, is it Vina?

358
00:30:05.339 --> 00:30:07.859
Is like that what we're kind of meant to like infer?

359
00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:19.440
But I don't think it is because I think she is, look, there's never kind of any hint of any sort of motivation of why it would be or anything, nothing kind of adds up about that, even if you kind of say, well, yeah, some of it isn't explained.

360
00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:21.059
You can't add enough about it.

361
00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:36.000
Um, and, uh, Also, the, I kept the fact they just keep doing the fault, the, the robot development cartel. even gets a line where it just feels like really like shoved in and I was like, why didn't they give this a name or anything?

362
00:30:36.059 --> 00:30:38.220
Feels like it should have either.

363
00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:57.599
LinkedIn with something later and I was like, In their mind, is this actually like a, like they're, looking ahead from the 1980s. they've got an actual company in mind, is this like, it's the Coca-Cola company and it's gone rogue by whatever year we're in and this is the BBC, so we can't actually name it.

364
00:30:57.660 --> 00:31:02.700
Um, but it's just that mouthful of robot development cartels.

365
00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:04.079
I love that.

366
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:04.680
I can tell at least.

367
00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:05.880
Yeah, I love it though.

368
00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:07.259
I mean, I think we're doing the same thing.

369
00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:12.359
You've got to say the robot development cartel and the way Paul Darrow says it as well.

370
00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:14.039
It's just it's just it's beautiful.

371
00:31:14.099 --> 00:31:15.420
But yeah, it's very vague.

372
00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:17.220
Maybe that's why they have to keep using the full name.

373
00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:17.819
I don't know.

374
00:31:17.880 --> 00:31:22.440
Yeah, it's a little bit, mate, it's worth remembering, though, these scripts were being rewritten very late in the day.

375
00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:25.740
You know, they only knew Jan Chappell was leaving ridiculously late.

376
00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:30.119
So they didn't give soothing a character because they were just giving her Callie's lines basically.

377
00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:31.920
There's even that moment in.

378
00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:40.079
I don't know if you covered it when you guys were watching power, but there's that awful line where one of the Seska says the black woman must win.

379
00:31:40.140 --> 00:31:47.519
And it just seems ridiculous that she would say that, but reason why is, because Callie was originally in that scene as well.

380
00:31:47.579 --> 00:31:50.700
So she's differentiating the black woman must win.

381
00:31:50.759 --> 00:31:51.420
So it would made.

382
00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:56.220
I mean, it's still a pretty horrible line, chunky line, but um, clunky, not chunky.

383
00:31:56.279 --> 00:31:59.099
Um, It's because I've been watching Remembrance of the Daleks.

384
00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:04.559
It would have made slightly more sense if Cali was there with Dana and it's that other black woman must win.

385
00:32:04.619 --> 00:32:10.019
So it's just little moments like that, you realise, oh, wow, this has been done very, very late in the day.

386
00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:11.339
Mind you, it was ever thus.

387
00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:24.539
This episode is one of many this year that's directed by Mary Ridge, and isn't she brilliant?

388
00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:28.440
She is so good for Blake 7 in this era.

389
00:32:28.500 --> 00:32:30.420
She is really, really on it.

390
00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:35.279
I think this is really brilliantly directed and she gets a sense of pace.

391
00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:40.859
This is quite measured, but it sort of flows and it builds and it's building up and up and up.

392
00:32:40.920 --> 00:33:01.500
I just want to give her kudos for the marvellous moment that she choreographs, where the whole crew are suddenly in the room together, and they all are reading each other's minds and know that they're all going to push tables around the Android and run for it.

393
00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:07.500
And it's brilliant because the viewer just picks up on the clues from this just before they do it.

394
00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:10.920
It shows how well they're working together as a unit, doesn't it?

395
00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:11.700
And you're right, it is.

396
00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:18.839
I mean, moments like that are really hard to do well in a, you know, a multi-camera studio, and it's just so well done.

397
00:33:18.900 --> 00:33:21.119
Yeah, it's just that little look that Glennis Barber gives and you.

398
00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:23.039
They're all, they just work together so well.

399
00:33:23.039 --> 00:33:26.220
And then it's kind of comedic, a few seconds later when they're all running down the corridor.

400
00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:29.099
And it just, it just strikes the tone, I think, just right.

401
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:34.500
It never goes too far towards comedy, but yeah, Mary Ridge is, I think, a phenomenal director.

402
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:42.000
We were so lucky to get her because they, They originally wanted Andrew Morgan to do um terminal after he did Children of our on.

403
00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:43.259
He couldn't do it.

404
00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:46.380
So they got Mary Ridge, who was basically a BBC staff director.

405
00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:49.200
You know, she was there, um, and then they used her.

406
00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.319
And then when they brought it back, they thought, well, let's get Mary Ridgebrook back.

407
00:33:52.380 --> 00:33:55.799
She did such a good job with terminal, but also to get that continuity going.

408
00:33:55.859 --> 00:34:01.619
And then because of the way the production blocks worked, they thought, well, we'll give a pretty much the whole season to do.

409
00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:03.660
And she's, yeah, you're right.

410
00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:05.819
She is so good and she even lifts episode.

411
00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:10.320
I mean, I love animals. keep saying that, but it's not great, let's be honest, but it is well directed.

412
00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:13.380
You know, that shot at the end where they're all watching the shit take off.

413
00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:15.239
It is actually very nice.

414
00:34:15.300 --> 00:34:16.920
The problems with that episode are not down to her.

415
00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:22.260
But obviously what happens at the end and, you know, I think rescue is brilliantly directed, so it's power.

416
00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:22.800
So is this.

417
00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:25.199
Yeah, she's, I think she's a phenomenal director.

418
00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:29.820
But you're right, absolutely about the fine line between silliness and horror.

419
00:34:29.880 --> 00:34:42.300
And I think this is typified by the robot, Android, marching around the bass, shouting, where is Aurak without its head, which I think is the image of the episode.

420
00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:45.420
It is a bit silly.

421
00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:49.260
I mean, it's not really terrifying.

422
00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:50.579
Was I terrified when I was seven?

423
00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:51.659
don't think I was.

424
00:34:51.719 --> 00:35:03.900
It's a great moment when it 1st emerges and the head's gone because it is that of, you don't think the monster's going to come back, but they'd after just a few shots of it, wondering. especially once you get outside and it's like, 0 my god, we're in the real world now.

425
00:35:04.019 --> 00:35:11.280
Well, they even shot that bit on film, didn't they, to make sure it looks really good with the explosions going off and I love the fact it's Dana doing the explosions.

426
00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:13.920
It's like, oh, they remember to give her something nice to do as well.

427
00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:18.659
And it's classic Dana rather than weird Dana that we got in the previous episode.

428
00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:26.639
Um, and yeah, they're all, even she doesn't have a huge amount to do, but it just shows that Roger Parks knew, he understood all the characters and got them working really well.

429
00:35:26.699 --> 00:35:36.179
The one thought I have is I think they shoot that on film, but they shoot the reactions on video and there's clearly some interference, you can see it on the picture.

430
00:35:36.719 --> 00:35:43.260
Well, you can't get more Blake 7 than that, something happening on film and people will actually...

431
00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:47.039
Last week, really, hasn't it?

432
00:35:47.099 --> 00:35:48.780
We've just in the studio.

433
00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:50.159
Oh, God.

434
00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:51.300
Yeah.

435
00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:52.260
Yeah.

436
00:35:52.739 --> 00:36:00.960
But yeah, the yeah, the costume is not, but I mean, it does what it says on the script, presumably, but unless, well, the script says, and it looks like a silly gester.

437
00:36:01.079 --> 00:36:05.400
I don't why, you know, I guess it's just a space costume, isn't it?

438
00:36:05.460 --> 00:36:07.980
And that's what space costumes look like for the 1st half of this year.

439
00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:09.300
Yeah, true.

440
00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:13.679
I guess the elephant in the room we haven't really talked about. is like, how the hell does it keep the head on there?

441
00:36:13.739 --> 00:36:16.139
How the hell does he operate the mouth?

442
00:36:16.139 --> 00:36:18.300
And, you know, why isn't there blood everywhere?

443
00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:22.199
And have you guys ever seen Saturn free, that Farrah Fawcett film?

444
00:36:22.260 --> 00:36:25.320
It was made in Round about the same time, actually.

445
00:36:25.380 --> 00:36:31.800
But there is a there's a robot in that that runs a mock and takes its creator's head and puts it on, but it's a lot.

446
00:36:31.800 --> 00:36:33.420
Goria.

447
00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:39.300
So, and yeah, I think it was made like in 1979, 1980, so not too long before this.

448
00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:46.440
Um, but yeah, they've got like kind of like pistons that are operating the head and it's never, you're never meant to think it's the actual guy.

449
00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:49.199
It's just a gruesome thing that this Android has done.

450
00:36:49.260 --> 00:36:51.000
So how the hell he's got.

451
00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:54.059
You even see the metal bit, it's just completely smooth.

452
00:36:54.119 --> 00:36:57.719
It's not even like there's a hook or anything to stick it on.

453
00:36:57.780 --> 00:37:01.260
So, I mean, I assume something very high tech and clever.

454
00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:11.880
So I know from a history of horror, and I think she probably had still been valid at the time, but Universal had copyright on like the image of Frankenstein for a long time.

455
00:37:11.940 --> 00:37:17.880
So stuff like the bolts like on, like, I think probably would have counted towards it.

456
00:37:17.940 --> 00:37:22.199
So I suspect that's why we don't have that kind of thing.

457
00:37:22.260 --> 00:37:30.360
It's why, um, sort of 1950s Frankenstein looks nothing like sort of 19, um, sort of 30s, and Frankenstein Hammer had to do something completely different.

458
00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:33.059
Um, Yeah.

459
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:34.739
Okay, that gives that gives them an excuse.

460
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:34.980
Yeah.

461
00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:35.639
I mean, a reason.

462
00:37:36.300 --> 00:37:42.119
There must have been a lot of blue roll in Mueller's like lab to clean up all that blood.

463
00:37:42.179 --> 00:37:45.000
It's, I do think he starts to look.

464
00:37:45.059 --> 00:37:46.619
He looked he looked...

465
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:50.519
Not well, but he doesn't look that pale when you 1st see him.

466
00:37:50.579 --> 00:37:53.639
His head there when Taron arrives.

467
00:37:53.699 --> 00:37:59.340
Um, but quite, I think by the time I'm on the ship, he's looking very pale.

468
00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:13.860
Yeah, I think maybe if that had been, if this had been in series C or or B, I think that would have been a little bit more greaseome, I think we'd have seen a bit of blood, and I think it would have been clear that this is, this really is just a dead man's head.

469
00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:17.579
And because he's in cryo sleep and you don't, he doesn't talk that much.

470
00:38:17.639 --> 00:38:29.699
I think, yeah, I think they could have just maybe tweaked the script slightly, so just, so he doesn't really say much, so it's a little bit more feasible that it is a decapitated head stuck on a flat piece of metal, but it's sci-fi.

471
00:38:29.760 --> 00:38:34.380
I mean, there could have been something, some really clever nanotechnology going on behind it, the scenes. don't know.

472
00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:37.679
I'll just have several made out of different turnips like Wurzel Gummage does.

473
00:38:37.739 --> 00:38:40.260
Oh, apart for the course.

474
00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:42.420
Around the turn of the 70s to the 80s.

475
00:38:42.840 --> 00:38:45.300
I love when they tried to barricade him in.

476
00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:47.519
They barricade, or they try to barricade the door.

477
00:38:47.579 --> 00:38:58.199
It is a brilliant scene, but everything that they use and put him run up the door is on wheels. the worst off the ball, like selection of things to try. you know, that trolly will stop him.

478
00:38:58.260 --> 00:39:03.000
So when they beam up, when they, oh, not, I'd say, beam up, how, with that Star Trek, or are we?

479
00:39:03.059 --> 00:39:07.679
When they when they teleport unconscious, Villa and Tarrant back to the base.

480
00:39:07.739 --> 00:39:12.599
And across the girls, get the job of putting them on the stretches because that's the girls' job still.

481
00:39:12.659 --> 00:39:27.119
Um, but, um, there's only one wheelie stretcher, and they've got these 2 blokes laying on the floor and they're like, yeah, we'll bring them through to the medlab, and then you just cut and they're in the medlab, but I want to know who got top deck on the stretcher because they must have just heaped them on top of each other.

482
00:39:27.179 --> 00:39:30.059
It looked like they were about to pick up Villa first.

483
00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:34.079
So we could put Tarrant, rest Tarrant on top of Villa.

484
00:39:34.139 --> 00:39:36.840
Yeah, they just all lean down, don't they?

485
00:39:36.900 --> 00:39:40.380
There's just, yeah, and then it just lingers just slightly, slightly too long, but yeah.

486
00:39:41.219 --> 00:39:46.199
Which one is it that they sort of pick up and then complain that they should lose some weight?

487
00:39:46.260 --> 00:39:47.219
Is that villa?

488
00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:48.000
Yeah, I'm not sure, yeah.

489
00:39:48.059 --> 00:39:48.960
Well, I'm assuming.

490
00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:51.719
I mean, they both look very trim to me, but...

491
00:39:51.719 --> 00:39:56.579
Yeah, but I feel like, yeah, so I feel like Taryn's the tallest one and that perm must wear a ton.

492
00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:58.920
So...

493
00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:02.340
It's his roll neck sweater that's adding to his his weight, isn't it?

494
00:40:02.460 --> 00:40:03.719
That's nice.

495
00:40:03.780 --> 00:40:10.860
It's a long sleeved as well, underneath his full, like, and Scorpio's of jumpsuit as well.

496
00:40:10.920 --> 00:40:12.239
You must have been baking in the studio.

497
00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:16.619
And you know, there was originally he had an overcoat as part of that outfit as well.

498
00:40:16.739 --> 00:40:26.039
You actually, you actually see Sulin wear something, a bit, it's the same style as the rest of her outfit, but she's got like an over, a bit like a waistcoat slash jacket.

499
00:40:26.039 --> 00:40:28.079
And Tarrant was supposed to have that as well.

500
00:40:28.139 --> 00:40:33.059
I think that was more for the outside scenes, but then they just ditched it, but yeah, he must have been bloody roasting.

501
00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:35.159
Imagine there's not a flat on him, is there?

502
00:40:35.219 --> 00:40:37.019
Although we can see it, we can see their breath.

503
00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:42.960
So inside maybe the studio, maybe they stopped heating the studio as budgets got tighter.

504
00:40:46.139 --> 00:40:48.059
Vina's death.

505
00:40:48.119 --> 00:40:50.460
Now, Linda Bellingham is a great actress.

506
00:40:52.619 --> 00:40:54.239
What the hell?

507
00:40:54.300 --> 00:40:56.639
My father's a butt, Kate.

508
00:40:57.599 --> 00:41:02.039
Only Blake 7 could do a hug people to death scene.

509
00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:11.639
Yeah, and it's not even like being, you know, the double asphyxiation by mummy debts in Pyramids of Mars is probably a more gruesome way to go if you're going to be hugged to death.

510
00:41:11.699 --> 00:41:15.119
But he just sort of grabs her and this is like, right, I got you.

511
00:41:15.179 --> 00:41:16.500
And she's like, oh, okay, I'm dead.

512
00:41:16.619 --> 00:41:19.260
We needed a crack sound effect there, didn't we?

513
00:41:19.320 --> 00:41:22.380
I think that just, that, that, yeah.

514
00:41:22.440 --> 00:41:24.539
Just the crowd immediately that, oh, she's dead.

515
00:41:24.599 --> 00:41:25.380
How can you be sure?

516
00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:26.639
It's just how?

517
00:41:26.699 --> 00:41:44.159
It beats the one, my previous, the previous record for this is Liz Shaw in the Silurians when the guy from the, the, the angry bureaucrat, Nider, uh, who gets Ranti and Rantier, more and more plagueridden, and then drops that in front of them, and the 2nd he hits the floor, Liz Shaw says from the other side of the room, he's dead.

518
00:41:44.280 --> 00:41:46.619
But this even beats that.

519
00:41:46.679 --> 00:41:47.940
I don't think she's hit the floor.

520
00:41:48.239 --> 00:41:50.099
This snacks.

521
00:41:50.099 --> 00:41:51.480
I'm timing it.

522
00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:54.000
We've got seconds, just like, can you get the line in really fast, guys?

523
00:41:54.300 --> 00:41:56.940
I mean, she goes for it though, to be fair.

524
00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:58.500
You know, she's not worried about looking dignified.

525
00:41:58.559 --> 00:42:11.099
She's doing her best, but yeah, it would have been better to maybe just move the camera away, so I can just hear a horrible sound, the spine cracking and then see a fall to the floor, just, um, but yeah, it's a slightly mishandled moment there.

526
00:42:11.159 --> 00:42:14.880
And obviously, if it had been Sue Lynn, she wouldn't have died, presumably she'd have just confronted him.

527
00:42:14.940 --> 00:42:15.659
Yeah.

528
00:42:15.659 --> 00:42:22.559
It's a shame. stepped to one side and avoided it quite easily as Lina could have done, had the script not told her not to.

529
00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:28.019
I really like Linda Bellingham in this and I kind of wanted her to stick around like running around with them on the base.

530
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:29.940
Yeah, that would have been great.

531
00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:30.900
And I love her outfit as well.

532
00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:34.860
In my head, and this isn't based on any real insight.

533
00:42:34.920 --> 00:42:37.260
I'd like to think that's what Jan Chappell would have been wearing.

534
00:42:37.320 --> 00:42:43.019
And they thought, oh, we'll just do the costume redesigned for Jan Chappell, so I can really see her, you know, red boots, that red and white.

535
00:42:43.079 --> 00:42:45.599
It's a little call back to some of her previous outfits.

536
00:42:45.659 --> 00:42:49.079
So in my head, that's, yeah, that's, that's how I imagine.

537
00:42:49.199 --> 00:42:51.059
Jan Chappell...

538
00:42:51.119 --> 00:42:53.099
Yeah, it's quite like her terminal costume, isn't it?

539
00:42:53.159 --> 00:42:54.360
Yeah, a little bit.

540
00:42:54.420 --> 00:43:01.199
Yeah, a little bit of that, that red and white one she had in Death Watch as well, and it's, yeah, so it's like that mixture of the gray and the, and the red and the white as well.

541
00:43:01.260 --> 00:43:05.699
Yeah, although there's a bit more cleavage than I think Jan Chappell would have been happy with.

542
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:08.519
I don't mean that sound as sexist as it probably did.

543
00:43:08.579 --> 00:43:11.579
I just, Just from what I've read about Jan Chappell and costumes.

544
00:43:11.639 --> 00:43:18.840
There was certain things she was comfortable with and certain things she wasn't and whereas Linda Bellingham, I think, had maybe, I'm just digging myself a deeper hole here, aren't I?

545
00:43:18.900 --> 00:43:21.360
You're about to use the word buxom, aren't you?

546
00:43:21.420 --> 00:43:21.719
I can tell.

547
00:43:22.679 --> 00:43:26.219
Linda Bellingham is Linda Bellingham.

548
00:43:26.280 --> 00:43:28.559
It is Lindsay Bellingham.

549
00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:29.219
Yeah.

550
00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:33.900
She's got fantastic eye shadow, hair.

551
00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:35.400
Everything.

552
00:43:35.460 --> 00:43:37.500
Yeah, she does look phenomenal.

553
00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:38.039
She really does.

554
00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:39.900
And I've got a lot of time for Linda Bellinger.

555
00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:40.800
I love doing Doctor Who.

556
00:43:40.860 --> 00:43:46.079
Um, and, you know, I used to love that, that, um, what's it called, that sitcom she used to do.

557
00:43:46.139 --> 00:43:49.500
Um...

558
00:43:49.559 --> 00:43:51.000
Yeah, twice.

559
00:43:52.019 --> 00:43:54.960
I'm just inventing a sitcom later. divorce, divorce.

560
00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:55.800
Yeah, 2nd thoughts.

561
00:43:55.860 --> 00:43:56.280
That's it.

562
00:43:56.340 --> 00:43:56.820
Thank you.

563
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:58.980
Of course, that's it, yeah. yeah.

564
00:43:59.039 --> 00:44:03.059
But she's a, she's a, you know, a national treasure, isn't she, bless her?

565
00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:04.320
She really was, yeah.

566
00:44:04.380 --> 00:44:07.980
And the, um, uh, uh, the oxoadverts came after this.

567
00:44:08.039 --> 00:44:10.800
So she was not yet to the oxo mum. because I did speculate.

568
00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:18.059
Maybe, I thought maybe the script had her being strangled and they decided we can't strangle your Oxo Mum on BBC one. that actually hasn't happened yet.

569
00:44:18.119 --> 00:44:21.179
She's not yet all creatures, great and small.

570
00:44:21.239 --> 00:44:22.800
Mrs. Harriet either.

571
00:44:22.860 --> 00:44:23.880
Oh, yeah, yeah.

572
00:44:23.940 --> 00:44:26.760
So is this a relatively early role for her?

573
00:44:26.820 --> 00:44:28.559
Oh, no, no, she's, yeah, scrolling through Wikipedia.

574
00:44:28.619 --> 00:44:29.760
She's done. she's done all sorts.

575
00:44:29.820 --> 00:44:32.099
But yeah, she probably wasn't a household name yet, maybe.

576
00:44:32.159 --> 00:44:34.619
No, yeah, she just had a really great aters.

577
00:44:34.739 --> 00:44:36.000
Yeah, yeah.

578
00:44:36.059 --> 00:44:38.760
I think she would have been recognisable to a lot of people watching it.

579
00:44:38.820 --> 00:44:44.699
Yes, because they, I think they, they tried to get, they sort of went down the Doctor Who route a little bit in series D, didn't they?

580
00:44:44.820 --> 00:44:46.679
Like trying to get, you know, household faces.

581
00:44:46.739 --> 00:44:49.559
It's not household names, then certainly recognisable faces.

582
00:44:49.619 --> 00:45:05.280
Yeah, stuff like so later on when you've got like Roy Kinnear, he's had lots of small parts in various things, lots of guest roles and and I think I sort of, Linda's a bit sort of younger, you know, to not quite so much, but still, it's that sort of kind of approach.

583
00:45:05.340 --> 00:45:11.280
Yeah, and she's, I've seen, some people have sort of written her off as being a little bit wet in this, but she's actually not.

584
00:45:11.340 --> 00:45:18.780
She's actually, she stands up for herself, you know, she's horrified by when they think they've killed her, and you know, she's really going at them.

585
00:45:18.840 --> 00:45:23.579
Yeah, I think there's a bit more steel to the character than than people often think.

586
00:45:23.639 --> 00:45:27.119
And yeah, she's definitely got a bit of a rapport going with Avon.

587
00:45:27.179 --> 00:45:29.820
He definitely fancies her, doesn't he?

588
00:45:29.880 --> 00:45:41.820
I mean, Yeah, there's that great moment where she challenges them about Mueller's death or potential death and Avon just turns around to her, just me and just says, try not to be stupid.

589
00:45:41.880 --> 00:45:42.719
Yeah, yeah.

590
00:45:42.719 --> 00:45:48.539
I like to think that's the point when Su Lim would have pulled a gun and we'd have had that, that part of the character, you know, but yeah.

591
00:45:48.599 --> 00:45:52.380
But that's like treatment, she says, what sort of people are you?

592
00:45:52.440 --> 00:45:58.800
It does make you really wish like you could know a bit more of the background of like, what sort of people did you think you were getting in involved with?

593
00:45:58.860 --> 00:46:03.119
Like, what sort of adverts are they putting up to attract all these scientists?

594
00:46:03.599 --> 00:46:08.400
They finished, they didn't carry on with their, you know, they did the 1st series novelisations.

595
00:46:08.460 --> 00:46:26.460
I hope they do the same for series D because I think you could do, you could fill in a lot of gaps in, in, in series D and really flesh out, you know, some of that background and it's like when they talk about the hydro, hydro plant as well. couldn't they have mentioned that in established that a little bit a little bit sooner?

596
00:46:26.519 --> 00:46:29.940
Um, but yeah. in this episode, if not earlier in the series.

597
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:32.639
Yeah, well, it could have been established in power, couldn't it?

598
00:46:32.699 --> 00:46:33.960
Yeah, good idea, yeah.

599
00:46:34.019 --> 00:46:36.420
And they may be exploring the planet.

600
00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:58.380
So, so much seem when they see, when we sort of sort of come up with these things, I think it does come back to sort of John talking about, it is sort of clear that like the scripts ended up having to be a, there was cleaves of less time to make these sort of, I'm, I'm tweaked because you were having to reuse that time to rewrite stuff.

601
00:46:58.440 --> 00:47:00.059
Oh, completely, yeah.

602
00:47:00.119 --> 00:47:10.019
And I think that's why the scripts in the 2nd half are just that little bit more polished because I think Chris Boucher had more time to, when he knew what he was doing, He had more time to spend with the writers.

603
00:47:10.139 --> 00:47:15.599
So while they were out making the 1st 6 episodes, he was having more time to to polish the next batch.

604
00:47:15.659 --> 00:47:21.659
So, um, but as I say, I do love that 1st half of the season, even though it is, you know, very choppy.

605
00:47:21.719 --> 00:47:35.039
But yeah, I want to, I want to read an, an explanation of that, a robot development cartel, uh, and how Alvina got there and how that works and because she sort, you get the implication, you get, you get the idea that she knows the cartel because she's saying, oh, no, they wouldn't do that.

606
00:47:35.099 --> 00:47:39.960
So she is involved with them in some way, but it's not entirely clear.

607
00:47:40.019 --> 00:47:51.599
Is it like, yeah, you know, you could have a whole prequel about her coming to Avon wanting to bust her partner out of this place that's holding him against his will or something and that could easily be a whole other episode.

608
00:47:51.659 --> 00:47:55.559
It also implies that like maybe maybe she's naive.

609
00:47:55.679 --> 00:47:58.139
You could, on one hand, you could say of going, they'd never do that.

610
00:47:58.199 --> 00:48:00.659
But maybe they would never do that.

611
00:48:00.659 --> 00:48:03.659
And actually, it's not them who were coming after Mueller.

612
00:48:03.719 --> 00:48:04.860
It's some other 3rd party.

613
00:48:04.920 --> 00:48:06.119
Hmm.

614
00:48:06.119 --> 00:48:07.619
Well, they seem quite.

615
00:48:07.679 --> 00:48:09.480
Nice though on the base, don't they?

616
00:48:09.539 --> 00:48:12.059
I mean, that guy seems quite friendly.

617
00:48:12.119 --> 00:48:13.019
I get...

618
00:48:13.019 --> 00:48:14.340
He's Katie Muller's mate, yeah.

619
00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:17.039
Well, maybe the Android planned it all.

620
00:48:17.099 --> 00:48:17.880
Muller was there.

621
00:48:17.940 --> 00:48:19.500
Oh I don't know.

622
00:48:19.559 --> 00:48:21.539
It's nothing...

623
00:48:21.539 --> 00:48:23.519
Right about it all unraffled.

624
00:48:25.260 --> 00:48:29.940
Well, it is implied that the robot has set lots of this up.

625
00:48:30.480 --> 00:48:37.559
So, yeah, maybe maybe it's much nicer in the robot development cartel than we're we're thinking.

626
00:48:37.619 --> 00:48:39.719
Maybe it's just the robot that's the bad egg.

627
00:48:39.840 --> 00:48:45.239
I think we should write that novelisation. ourselves and possibly produce it as an audio drama.

628
00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:45.960
Yeah.

629
00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:52.500
We get it in a few weeks. like decide your destiny one so we can do all the different plot lines.

630
00:48:53.639 --> 00:48:59.639
In a few weeks time, we're going to need something to podcast about. making up our own episodes.

631
00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:02.039
Well, it's all right.

632
00:49:02.099 --> 00:49:03.360
John has form for this already.

633
00:49:03.780 --> 00:49:06.300
Yes, you've done it.

634
00:49:06.780 --> 00:49:09.840
You've done the Lord's work with Pip and Jane Baker.

635
00:49:11.039 --> 00:49:14.579
Sorry, I've lost the thread.

636
00:49:14.639 --> 00:49:16.619
What was that about Pip and Jane Baker?

637
00:49:16.739 --> 00:49:20.820
Oh, sorry, we were just talking about your extra episodes.

638
00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:22.800
Oh, right, right.

639
00:49:22.860 --> 00:49:23.340
Okay, yes.

640
00:49:23.400 --> 00:49:23.639
Yeah.

641
00:49:23.699 --> 00:49:24.840
You blotted it out.

642
00:49:26.099 --> 00:49:28.860
Yeah, Pip and Jane Baker, what could have been?

643
00:49:28.920 --> 00:49:29.340
My goodness.

644
00:49:29.400 --> 00:49:41.159
There's a Star Trek comedy Twitter account called Swear Trek, which just likes to tweet pictures of Star Trek scenes with swearing inserted as captions as if they're all swearing at each other.

645
00:49:41.219 --> 00:49:43.139
It's funnier than our making it sound.

646
00:49:43.199 --> 00:49:46.619
But, um, they, uh, like a few years ago.

647
00:49:46.679 --> 00:49:51.719
And so the episode stops, Spock's brain fascinates them and is a source of endless mirth.

648
00:49:51.780 --> 00:49:57.719
And particularly there's the whole idea and you might need to do some bleeping when this bit comes out, Simon, if you're editing this episode.

649
00:49:57.780 --> 00:50:06.179
Okay, if this bit even stays in, that they redid it as instead of Spock's brain is missing, it's Spot's dick is missing.

650
00:50:06.239 --> 00:50:16.199
And they just took the whole thing, like made a photo novel of the episode with just that, the plot just changed to being that, and everyone's reaction to being told, where is it?

651
00:50:16.260 --> 00:50:17.099
It's in this box.

652
00:50:17.159 --> 00:50:22.920
And that immediately, I couldn't help thinking of that while watching this episode. like, are you sure it's his head in that box?

653
00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:25.440
Because what if it's a robo dick?

654
00:50:25.500 --> 00:50:28.920
And that's actually why Linda Bellingham is so keen to get it back.

655
00:50:30.300 --> 00:50:32.699
It kind of makes my friends.

656
00:50:32.820 --> 00:50:35.280
Recreational relationship.

657
00:50:35.340 --> 00:50:36.960
Yes, yes.

658
00:50:37.079 --> 00:50:40.320
This would never have happened under David Maloney.

659
00:50:41.039 --> 00:50:43.920
Michael Lee Bryant would not have directed that.

660
00:50:44.880 --> 00:50:48.239
Well, it shows how far the series has come though, doesn't it?

661
00:50:48.300 --> 00:51:03.300
I mean, even though series D is my favourite, it is completely different series to the one that Michael Lee Bryant worked on, in terms of tone, um, characters, everything is completely different, but that's part of the reason why I love it so much.

662
00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:05.280
Every series of Blake 7 is so completely different.

663
00:51:05.340 --> 00:51:08.460
But because it's been such a long gap between seasons.

664
00:51:08.519 --> 00:51:11.219
Just stylistically, it is very different.

665
00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:12.599
It's suddenly a very 80 show.

666
00:51:12.659 --> 00:51:20.159
I mean, Siri C was broadcasting 80 and partly made in 80, but it's very 70s in in look and feel, isn't it?

667
00:51:20.219 --> 00:51:22.619
Whereas this is, we're taking the show into the 80s.

668
00:51:22.679 --> 00:51:27.059
Um, briefly, um, and it just, yeah, everything looks different.

669
00:51:27.119 --> 00:51:28.380
Even space looks different.

670
00:51:28.440 --> 00:51:32.039
I think it was, um, yeah, do you know Tim Dickinson?

671
00:51:32.099 --> 00:51:32.699
I think he's done.

672
00:51:32.820 --> 00:51:34.860
He's been on before, hasn't he?

673
00:51:34.920 --> 00:51:43.320
He did a great blog about, um, yes, how stylistically it's different and even space looks different and just the house style has completely changed.

674
00:51:43.380 --> 00:51:45.840
And if Tim is listening to this, if this makes it in.

675
00:51:45.900 --> 00:51:49.139
This doesn't mean I liked him or I've got any respect him as a human being.

676
00:51:49.679 --> 00:51:53.460
It was a reasonably well-written blog.

677
00:51:54.360 --> 00:51:56.760
We'll pass that on to Tim.

678
00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:00.719
The chairs are different this year.

679
00:52:00.900 --> 00:52:02.340
God.

680
00:52:11.400 --> 00:52:13.500
When we're on this planet.

681
00:52:13.559 --> 00:52:18.539
I do end up when we're on the Xenon, I keep, there's little things I just keep wondering about.

682
00:52:18.599 --> 00:52:23.579
That's a lovely bridge that they're on, and it's been lovingly painted green, and I just wonder who painted it?

683
00:52:23.639 --> 00:52:26.400
Was it the, was it the male tribe or the female tribe?

684
00:52:26.460 --> 00:52:29.699
Who had responsibility for the upkeep of all this planetary infrastructure?

685
00:52:29.760 --> 00:52:36.599
Because I guess a lot of these scripts would have been originally drawn up before the idea of them having a base was settled on maybe.

686
00:52:36.659 --> 00:52:43.619
So I guess there's there, they were actually, they visit a planet where episodes, which is what it was for about 3 years.

687
00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:45.539
I think they'd make all right to guess that.

688
00:52:45.599 --> 00:52:52.260
I think they trashed out the basic concept quite early on and then briefed the writers and said, look, this is going to be the theme now.

689
00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:53.159
We've got a base.

690
00:52:53.219 --> 00:52:56.820
We don't have, it's not, we don't have the safety of the liberator anymore.

691
00:52:56.880 --> 00:53:01.019
They're going to be much more on, on the, on the defence, really, because they don't have a choice.

692
00:53:01.079 --> 00:53:12.000
So I think that idea, that theme of them trying to find scientists and build up this group was that was, I'm pretty sure that was established quite early on, and I can only imagine that Xenon and Xenon place. was part of that.

693
00:53:12.059 --> 00:53:25.199
Yeah, they actually, they, if, they started to think as a, almost like as a franchise, you know, they had, um, yeah, quite a lot of information about, you know, what does Xenon base mean, what are the new, you know, the new weapons that they've got?

694
00:53:25.260 --> 00:53:33.659
Um, the Scorpio and and the way they talked about it, they were sort of thinking almost like a, almost like a brand book that you would have have now.

695
00:53:33.719 --> 00:53:42.420
They were sort of thinking about merchandising a lot more and really thinking this is a complete reinvention of the series and, you know, sort of really teeing all that up quite early on.

696
00:53:42.480 --> 00:53:45.900
And then the wheels fell off and everything went wrong.

697
00:53:45.960 --> 00:53:49.920
But I think they were, yeah, really trying to seeing this as a complete reinvention.

698
00:53:49.980 --> 00:53:51.539
Obviously very connected to what went before.

699
00:53:51.599 --> 00:54:03.420
But with a liberator gone, Blake gone, potentially even server land being gone in the very early planning stages, they really saw this as almost like series, A one or...

700
00:54:03.420 --> 00:54:05.400
Yeah, it's a soft reboot, isn't it, yeah?

701
00:54:05.460 --> 00:54:06.300
Yeah, it really is, yeah.

702
00:54:06.360 --> 00:54:09.360
So, um, yeah.

703
00:54:09.360 --> 00:54:16.079
Like Perkwee's 1st year as Doctor Who, it's like how much of this can we actually clear from the decks and it'd still be the same show?

704
00:54:16.079 --> 00:54:17.400
Oh, it's crazy, isn't it?

705
00:54:17.460 --> 00:54:21.719
Yeah, season 7, just how, you know, you see the police box a couple of times once.

706
00:54:21.780 --> 00:54:23.820
There's only one story, the police box, isn't it?

707
00:54:23.880 --> 00:54:25.260
Which is crazy.

708
00:54:25.320 --> 00:54:28.380
Yeah, yeah, everything away. kind of works.

709
00:54:28.440 --> 00:54:28.980
Yeah.

710
00:54:29.039 --> 00:54:30.599
That was a very long rambling.

711
00:54:30.659 --> 00:54:32.039
It wasn't even an answer to a question, was it?

712
00:54:32.099 --> 00:54:33.119
It just me...

713
00:54:33.539 --> 00:54:36.000
Do you know, because I don't, I don't know.

714
00:54:36.059 --> 00:54:43.260
Were any of these scripts found in a cupboard that were on unused series 3 outlines or was it or did they not even have that?

715
00:54:43.320 --> 00:54:44.760
I don't think they did.

716
00:54:44.820 --> 00:54:47.519
I mean, there was a couple of scripts in series C that didn't go ahead.

717
00:54:47.579 --> 00:54:49.199
And actually that's a really good point.

718
00:54:49.260 --> 00:54:57.360
There is some debate if, because Robert Holmes wrote a script for Siri C called Sweetly Dreaming, Slowly Die, Softly Dying or something, something like that.

719
00:54:57.420 --> 00:55:04.800
And some people have theorised that that unused script from Siri C was then used as the 3rd episode, Traitor.

720
00:55:04.860 --> 00:55:13.920
I'm not entirely convinced that is the case, but yeah, I think they had a couple of unused script for Siri C, but I think they were basically, yeah, starting for scratch.

721
00:55:13.980 --> 00:55:15.659
Cupboard was bare pretty much.

722
00:55:15.719 --> 00:55:16.199
Yeah.

723
00:55:16.260 --> 00:55:21.059
And it was, yeah, it was all done in a rush, actually, like the draft script for traitor.

724
00:55:21.119 --> 00:55:22.260
I mean it's still got Calli in there.

725
00:55:22.320 --> 00:55:26.460
But also, you know, Scorpio isn't called Scorpio. called Nighthawk.

726
00:55:26.519 --> 00:55:28.860
And there's all these kind of other changes.

727
00:55:28.920 --> 00:55:33.059
So then I think that was only ever a placeholder before you all get to...

728
00:55:33.119 --> 00:55:34.559
It's crazy.

729
00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:39.780
Yeah, but it's the, but also it's the code name from LOLO, isn't it?

730
00:55:39.840 --> 00:55:40.980
For real?

731
00:55:42.360 --> 00:55:45.000
This is Nighthawk calling.

732
00:55:45.059 --> 00:55:46.139
Yes.

733
00:55:46.139 --> 00:55:47.340
I've been thrilled.

734
00:55:47.400 --> 00:55:49.440
Oh, thank God, I didn't do it then.

735
00:55:50.760 --> 00:56:06.900
And of course, Chris Boucher is quite smart and turns to all the writers who have written for the series so far for the 1st sort of half of the series to various results, but he knows he's going to get a workable script from all of those people.

736
00:56:07.019 --> 00:56:09.179
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing.

737
00:56:09.239 --> 00:56:18.059
Ben Steed and Alan Pryor, whatever you think of them, they were old hands, you know, they, you know, very experienced writers, so they could turn stuff around very quickly.

738
00:56:18.119 --> 00:56:22.559
Um, And Yeah, it's quite a rum bunch, actually, isn't it?

739
00:56:22.619 --> 00:56:29.039
You know, James Folett, Adam Pryor, Ben Steed, It's such a shame Chris Boucher couldn't could only do two.

740
00:56:29.099 --> 00:56:31.440
He was only allowed to write 2 episodes this series.

741
00:56:31.500 --> 00:56:34.260
Would have been nice to have one or 2 more from him.

742
00:56:34.320 --> 00:56:42.000
I think that would have really addressed some of the Um, Yeah, the sort of dangling plot threads in the, in the season.

743
00:56:42.059 --> 00:56:48.300
I think he could have firmed it up a little bit and maybe given soothing a bit more of a character if he'd had a chance to write one or 2 more.

744
00:56:48.360 --> 00:56:50.219
And that was rules, was it?

745
00:56:50.280 --> 00:56:51.900
It wasn't that he was too busy. wasn't allowed to.

746
00:56:51.960 --> 00:56:53.159
Yeah, it was rules, yeah.

747
00:56:53.219 --> 00:56:54.900
And to be honest, he had that every year.

748
00:56:54.960 --> 00:57:05.519
It was, he just managed to find a way around the rules. because when Terry Nation couldn't do the last 2 episodes of Series B, had to step in because there was no one else who could do it at such short notice.

749
00:57:05.579 --> 00:57:07.500
Yeah, officially an emergency.

750
00:57:07.559 --> 00:57:08.400
But yeah, exactly.

751
00:57:08.519 --> 00:57:13.019
You always have to get special dispensation to do more than, I mean, you're allowed to do a couple, I think.

752
00:57:13.079 --> 00:57:16.860
But in with this series, he was told he can do too.

753
00:57:16.920 --> 00:57:23.820
And then, Apparently, Terry Nation had always said, if you can only do 2, always write the 1st episode and the last episode because they'll always get repeated.

754
00:57:23.880 --> 00:57:30.000
But yeah, I'd one or 2 more Chris Boucher script, so that would have made a big difference.

755
00:57:30.059 --> 00:57:34.500
Yeah, we're kind of missing the midseries Chris Boucher high point, aren't we?

756
00:57:34.619 --> 00:57:36.840
Yeah, definitely, definitely.

757
00:57:36.900 --> 00:57:40.739
Yeah, I could happily lose maybe Assassin and get a voucher script in there.

758
00:57:40.800 --> 00:57:42.599
Yeah, maybe another one as well.

759
00:57:43.019 --> 00:57:59.280
It's a shame as well because he's proved himself quite good that the character piece stuff last year too, and you know, soon really needed one of those and I think if he'd had a midway pointy one, he would have probably used it for that.

760
00:57:59.340 --> 00:58:09.059
And I think to be fair, they probably would have given her a more solid introduction if, where they had to write her into those, those 1st scripts, you know, really, really quickly.

761
00:58:09.119 --> 00:58:12.239
So it literally was a case of just crossing out one name and putting in Sulin.

762
00:58:12.300 --> 00:58:19.619
Um, and in rescue, he just had to shoehorn her in and it, you know, that would, we would have had very, very little, little time to do that.

763
00:58:19.679 --> 00:58:28.920
So, yeah, she is very underwritten. in that 1st half of the series and then she sort of comes into her own, but never actually gets like a, a spotlight episode.

764
00:58:28.980 --> 00:58:30.840
But, you know, she's, you know what, though?

765
00:58:30.900 --> 00:58:41.340
You look at how, um, Jenna and Callie were treated in series B, and whatever you think of series D, you know, does Dana and Su Lin are never presented as weak.

766
00:58:41.400 --> 00:58:45.480
You know, they're always presented as these stone cold killers.

767
00:58:45.539 --> 00:58:48.539
Um, you know, very professional, very good at what they do.

768
00:58:48.539 --> 00:58:57.179
So, and obviously 2 phenomenal actresses, and they, you know, they always deliver, and they're always written a smart and funny.

769
00:58:57.239 --> 00:59:17.519
It's just a shame they didn't maybe get a little bit more time in the spotlight, but it's nowhere near as offensive as it was in series B, just how the female characters were just, Completely relegated. you I mean, I'm very forgiving of Blake 7, but that is one of the, the few elements and like that is, that's bad, you know, what was the thinking behind that?

770
00:59:17.579 --> 00:59:22.500
And you look at the 1st series, and Sally and Jan are actually, they get a pretty good slice of the action.

771
00:59:22.559 --> 00:59:24.239
You know, they get more to do than Michael Keating.

772
00:59:24.300 --> 00:59:25.559
They get more to do than David Jackson.

773
00:59:25.619 --> 00:59:30.480
I would say selling Ivettes on Paul Darrow's level and Jan Chappell maybe just slightly less to do.

774
00:59:30.539 --> 00:59:40.380
But they are, you know, they get a very decent slice of the action and then series B kicks in and they just left, you know, dusting on the liberator.

775
00:59:40.440 --> 00:59:41.280
It is, it's shocking.

776
00:59:41.340 --> 00:59:51.599
I mean, who could, I don't know how anyone could look at those 2 actresses and think, right, let's just completely sideline them because they're just so good in the first, but I'm going off on a complete tangent, a complete round.

777
00:59:51.659 --> 00:59:52.860
That's fine.

778
00:59:52.920 --> 00:59:53.579
It's allowed.

779
00:59:53.639 --> 00:59:54.599
It's Blake 7.

780
00:59:54.659 --> 00:59:55.860
We don't even talk about this enough.

781
00:59:55.920 --> 00:59:57.300
Headhunter.

782
00:59:57.360 --> 00:59:57.659
Come on.

783
00:59:58.320 --> 01:00:00.000
But it's true.

784
01:00:00.059 --> 01:00:16.500
There's never an episode where Dana and Sulin are left behind without someone else with them on the base or wherever or left on Scorpio together. one or the other of them go down for, for, for a mission or whatever.

785
01:00:16.559 --> 01:00:18.659
So it's it's far more equal that way.

786
01:00:18.719 --> 01:00:50.760
I would be curious in the sort of briefs that writers got if it proved that the production had learned from the mistake they made in series B and, you know, looked and realised, you lose like good people, like this way, members of your production crew and that, you know, it's one of those things that is still needs a lot of change, like for in the industry, I think, and yeah, I think, especially for like nowadays, the focus is a lot often on like parts for like older women tend to, like, and be lacking.

787
01:00:50.820 --> 01:00:58.559
Um, but it, I, but it is sort of the, I think there's still, the, the 80s.

788
01:00:58.619 --> 01:01:06.539
I think sometimes like in the wider world, like women are having more career opportunities and going out to work and more full time.

789
01:01:06.599 --> 01:01:16.559
I think it's like other industries, it's a really, really slow change and when I've watched some like other like, of later I ate his programs.

790
01:01:16.619 --> 01:01:25.199
I been really shocked in the, like the depiction of how women are treated because it feels sometimes like nothing's changed from like 15 years earlier in attitudes.

791
01:01:25.260 --> 01:01:36.719
I think, I think lessons were learned, and I think, um, I think in the 1st series, obviously, because Terry Nation was right in all of it, and he was, when he, I think he's a lot better than people giving credit for, and he was trying to give everyone something to do apart from Gan.

792
01:01:36.780 --> 01:01:43.019
And then I think it's just with older new writers coming in, I think they just latched on to Avon Blake Villa.

793
01:01:43.079 --> 01:01:46.500
And so that there was that lack of consistency.

794
01:01:46.559 --> 01:02:05.820
But also, but I think Sally and Jan were really fighting for it and really fighting for more to do, and they've always said, I don't think anyone listened, but you can see they did try and address it a little bit towards the end of that series. like Sally gets more to do in the keeper, for example, and Jan Chappell is really heavily involved in Star one.

795
01:02:05.880 --> 01:02:08.519
So it got a little bit better towards the end of that series.

796
01:02:08.699 --> 01:02:21.840
And, um, yeah, when I was researching the book, I really got the sense that, you know, they were in the, you know, the news of the world did a story about them not being happy and it, I think it did make a difference and you look at how strong Gisette's introduction is at the beginning of series C.

797
01:02:21.900 --> 01:02:26.940
I mean, that she's incredibly well written in those 1st 2 episodes at least, and again, that's Terry Nation.

798
01:02:27.000 --> 01:02:33.900
Um, and Yeah, I mean, it doesn't stay as strong as that, unfortunately, but yeah, she's never, she's never really sidelined.

799
01:02:33.960 --> 01:02:39.000
She's always really proactive and and, you know, just as involved as, as Tarrant, I would say.

800
01:02:39.059 --> 01:02:40.920
So, yeah, I think lessons were learned.

801
01:02:41.039 --> 01:03:00.119
I mean, I'm not saying it was perfect, but it was nowhere near as, um, as awful as what happened in series B. I'd like to draw attention. to some Mary Ridge work on the... crash zooms we get.

802
01:03:00.179 --> 01:03:22.619
So I think we get one on the monster standing up, but my standout, and I do love a crash zoo, and it's one where the Mueller has knocked Avon's gone away, and we crash Zoom into Avon, and Paul Darrow gives this fantastic, horrified face.

803
01:03:22.619 --> 01:03:27.659
And he's like, that is how you use a crash Zoom super.

804
01:03:28.079 --> 01:03:31.320
And as it's zooming in, I think it's the same moment.

805
01:03:31.380 --> 01:03:37.739
I might be combining 2 moments in my head, but as his gun is knocked away, his hat, he immediately turns his hand into a gunshake.

806
01:03:38.280 --> 01:03:41.760
It doesn't do anything with it, but it's just like, where's my gun gone?

807
01:03:41.820 --> 01:03:42.719
I've got a gun.

808
01:03:42.780 --> 01:03:43.559
Oh no, it's only my hand.

809
01:03:43.619 --> 01:03:47.039
Well, I think he hurts his hand, blessing, because then he disappeared for a bit.

810
01:03:47.099 --> 01:03:54.179
Yeah, and he, because when he, he has that great line, he's like, I'll be back and he goes off and changes, he's holding his hands with it.

811
01:03:54.239 --> 01:03:56.039
I think the implication is that he's burnt his hand, bless him.

812
01:03:56.639 --> 01:04:00.179
Because we do see the other gun like turning red like it's hot.

813
01:04:00.239 --> 01:04:01.139
So that makes sense.

814
01:04:01.199 --> 01:04:01.679
Yeah, yeah.

815
01:04:01.739 --> 01:04:03.360
And yeah, those bits...

816
01:04:03.420 --> 01:04:04.440
I mean, yeah, very over the top.

817
01:04:04.500 --> 01:04:08.159
Yeah, crash zooms and what have you, but they, they are still really effective as well, aren't they?

818
01:04:08.219 --> 01:04:10.739
So I was just going to mention the awful spacesuits.

819
01:04:10.800 --> 01:04:16.019
I'm loath to criticise production elements for like seven, but they are just...

820
01:04:16.019 --> 01:04:17.400
The rescue suits, yeah.

821
01:04:18.900 --> 01:04:21.719
Flash Gordon in 1932, I think.

822
01:04:21.900 --> 01:04:27.780
They mixed them from another production when clearly like the Mohican must have had some sort of use.

823
01:04:27.840 --> 01:04:31.320
Yeah, maybe they got him from the space rights or something. don't know.

824
01:04:31.739 --> 01:04:34.139
Just spray paint and gold.

825
01:04:34.139 --> 01:04:34.920
It'd be fine.

826
01:04:34.980 --> 01:04:44.940
Yeah, Nicky Rocker is not my favourite designer, Rocky Knickers, as they used to call him, but he did the whole of series D and half of series C as well.

827
01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:51.360
And, you know, some of his stuff's good, but there are some bits that are just pure, I mean, that's just rubbish, isn't it?

828
01:04:51.420 --> 01:04:56.760
I mean, Darrow even get, I keep calling him Darrow, because Avon, what's Avon?

829
01:04:56.820 --> 01:04:57.599
just Paul Darrow.

830
01:04:57.659 --> 01:05:00.780
He even does before, it's time to fetch.

831
01:05:00.900 --> 01:05:03.480
I give this long pause, the rescue suit.

832
01:05:05.820 --> 01:05:07.619
Yeah, they're not.

833
01:05:07.679 --> 01:05:08.219
They're not good.

834
01:05:08.280 --> 01:05:10.800
They have to, um, the flight suits, don't they?

835
01:05:10.920 --> 01:05:15.900
I'm sorry, I'm skipping head, but in Warlord, they have some really lovely flight suits that Avon and...

836
01:05:15.960 --> 01:05:17.940
There's those green and coloured ones.

837
01:05:18.000 --> 01:05:18.539
They're superb.

838
01:05:18.599 --> 01:05:20.099
Yeah, I really like those.

839
01:05:20.159 --> 01:05:21.539
So yeah, he could do it.

840
01:05:21.599 --> 01:05:24.059
I mean, you and I like their regular outfits.

841
01:05:24.119 --> 01:05:28.679
I just wish they could have changed them more, but um, but yeah, that is a, that's a production.

842
01:05:28.920 --> 01:05:31.079
Faux pas there, I would say.

843
01:05:31.139 --> 01:05:35.400
It's very gray. series D. Yeah, it is.

844
01:05:35.460 --> 01:05:50.400
Which, it's, in some ways, like, it's nice when you get some sort of the out of their design of stuff because all the sets are really great and it does feel so 80s in a way of like 80s futurism.

845
01:05:51.000 --> 01:05:56.219
So, God, it's dull, I think, and it feels like the costumes blend into its name sometimes.

846
01:05:56.340 --> 01:05:59.280
Yeah, the sets are not as a whole.

847
01:05:59.400 --> 01:06:07.559
I mean, there are some notable exceptions, but, Yeah, the set design in the in the 1st 3 series I thought was always pretty good.

848
01:06:07.619 --> 01:06:10.320
And yeah, not so much here.

849
01:06:10.380 --> 01:06:19.559
I feel like they do well in headhunter because to make it slightly different because they use dim lighting and they use.

850
01:06:19.619 --> 01:06:23.940
I think on Scorcare, it's sort of kind of almost like dark blue lighting where there's like sort of the lightings going dim.

851
01:06:24.000 --> 01:06:28.139
So it does feel like we have a bit of variety in this one.

852
01:06:28.199 --> 01:06:37.860
You've got when where Avon's meeting Vina in like the main recreational area, meeting area, where the wine's kept that bit.

853
01:06:37.860 --> 01:06:52.739
And that's sort of all sort of fully lit and everything, but then when they're running through doors, we could actually get the sort of lights coming around and we've got darkness and shadows that, you know, doing as best they can on like studio VT.

854
01:06:52.800 --> 01:06:57.360
Um, So that sort of works sort of quite well and then we get to aim the forest.

855
01:06:57.420 --> 01:07:15.719
So I think that actually something that is mostly set in, like, students on, like, Zen and Basin, and Scorpio that normally I do really dislike just how gray and like, and indull it, it's, uh, but they fulfil like, so do, as much as they can with it this episode to give it some variety.

856
01:07:15.840 --> 01:07:16.619
Yeah, you're right.

857
01:07:16.679 --> 01:07:18.000
The lighting is really good.

858
01:07:18.059 --> 01:07:19.500
It's used to create mood, isn't it?

859
01:07:19.559 --> 01:07:32.099
And, um, and I've got to say, I do love the Scorpio set, even, I know it's not, not everyone does love it, and I do love anything to do with Zen on bass, but it's just that when they go down to that other place in, you know, the, the robot development catel.

860
01:07:32.159 --> 01:07:37.380
Um, that could be another, you know, a closet in Xenophase, isn't it?

861
01:07:37.440 --> 01:07:39.599
You know, it just doesn't, it just doesn't stick.

862
01:07:39.659 --> 01:07:40.619
Because I remember watching it last night.

863
01:07:40.679 --> 01:07:42.780
I was thinking, I've seen this episode probably about 50 times.

864
01:07:42.840 --> 01:07:58.320
And I was, oh, I can't remember what the, The HQ of the robot development cartel looks like, but it just, but now I can't even remember it, what it looks like, even having seen it only, you know, the other night, it's, Well, it's basically got a cubicle with a door.

865
01:07:58.380 --> 01:08:00.420
Yeah, it feels like.

866
01:08:00.780 --> 01:08:06.599
Yeah, the more I think about it, I think Mueller, the Android was behind everything because he was after Aurak, wasn't he?

867
01:08:06.659 --> 01:08:30.600
So I think, Mueller was doing whatever he was doing with the robot development cartel, and then the Android basically, I think he then realised, oh, this Android is actually really dangerous, and before he could put the inhibitor in place, the Android had hatched his plan to get ORAC, and do all the things he was doing, and maybe just, you know, really surgically remove that head, and did whatever the hell he did to animate it.

868
01:08:30.659 --> 01:08:35.340
So, yeah, I think we just have to assume it was a very, very, very clever Android.

869
01:08:35.399 --> 01:08:39.600
Improve a mental image of it wandering out with Aurac instead of a head on top of its shoulders.

870
01:08:39.659 --> 01:08:42.779
That would have been that would have looked pretty good, actually.

871
01:08:42.840 --> 01:08:44.460
Reaching up to put the key in.

872
01:08:44.520 --> 01:08:46.739
Yeah, put your own gear.

873
01:08:46.800 --> 01:08:47.640
Can key himself.

874
01:08:47.699 --> 01:08:48.239
Yeah.

875
01:08:48.300 --> 01:08:55.920
Speaking of reaching up, I wonder if they got complaints about Paul Darrow climbing up that electric pylon to rescue his Frisbee at the end.

876
01:08:55.979 --> 01:09:01.979
Everyone's seen those public information films and then Blake 7 go and do this in primetime.

877
01:09:02.039 --> 01:09:04.739
And Paul Durham making it look cool as well.

878
01:09:04.800 --> 01:09:08.399
I thought he looked like the coolest thing you could possibly want to do.

879
01:09:08.520 --> 01:09:11.880
Oh, come on, everything he does is cool, but yeah, I love, I love all that.

880
01:09:11.939 --> 01:09:17.760
Um, Yeah, he's loving it. doing his own stunts as well because all that smoke goes off in his in his face as well.

881
01:09:17.819 --> 01:09:25.140
And then, but yeah, the tossing away of the, um, of the pliers, whatever the hell it is, is just just beautiful.

882
01:09:25.199 --> 01:09:28.140
Anything on the surface of Xenon always gets me going.

883
01:09:28.199 --> 01:09:30.420
I love those, you know, the exit from the base.

884
01:09:30.479 --> 01:09:36.539
Um, yeah, so the more time we spend on Zenon in an episode, that makes me very, very happy.

885
01:09:36.600 --> 01:09:38.520
The doors are really cool.

886
01:09:39.239 --> 01:09:51.479
This is one of my last images of Blake 7 from when I was a kid was of doors in rock faces, and this all comes from series D. Doors.

887
01:09:51.539 --> 01:09:54.119
Lake 7 has always been doors in rock faces.

888
01:09:54.180 --> 01:09:55.439
Oh, that is Lake 7, isn't it?

889
01:09:55.500 --> 01:09:58.079
I love a secret face and an entrance.

890
01:09:58.140 --> 01:10:00.899
Blake 7 does base entrances very, very well.

891
01:10:01.020 --> 01:10:03.600
Stick some doors in a quarry.

892
01:10:03.659 --> 01:10:05.279
That's not my name.

893
01:10:05.279 --> 01:10:06.239
Oh, that just gets me.

894
01:10:06.300 --> 01:10:07.500
That gets me in the field. really does.

895
01:10:07.560 --> 01:10:07.920
Love it.

896
01:10:07.979 --> 01:10:10.920
I was just going to mention another really lovely bit.

897
01:10:10.979 --> 01:10:12.600
I did actually make notes.

898
01:10:12.659 --> 01:10:13.619
I'm so organised.

899
01:10:13.680 --> 01:10:15.300
The bit where Villa's in the cupboard.

900
01:10:16.199 --> 01:10:18.539
Oh, yeah.

901
01:10:18.539 --> 01:10:24.600
Oh, yeah. and you can hear a stool in coming and then she just opens the door and she said, she just completely takes the Mickey out of him.

902
01:10:24.659 --> 01:10:25.319
I just think that's great.

903
01:10:25.380 --> 01:10:26.399
And his acting is so good.

904
01:10:26.460 --> 01:10:29.880
So again, he's sort of like slightly mortified when he steps out of the cupboard.

905
01:10:29.939 --> 01:10:34.560
It's also, and I won't give anything away, but it is a premonition for later in the series.

906
01:10:34.619 --> 01:10:37.560
Oh, yes, definitely, yeah, definitely.

907
01:10:37.619 --> 01:10:40.739
And we get a brilliant final scene up on the surface.

908
01:10:40.979 --> 01:10:49.619
I love the, you know, the Tarrant and and Dana and Sulin are disobeying Avon completely.

909
01:10:49.619 --> 01:10:54.960
That final bit of drama of him realising what they've done in his fury. is just really well played.

910
01:10:55.020 --> 01:10:55.800
I love that.

911
01:10:55.859 --> 01:10:59.640
And then but then Aurat gets the last line, doesn't he, when he said, yes, master.

912
01:10:59.760 --> 01:11:08.100
And the way Paul Darrow looks at him and he's like, you can tell he's really, even though he's still livid, he's kind of tough.

913
01:11:08.159 --> 01:11:10.619
Borax being sarcastic to him.

914
01:11:10.680 --> 01:11:15.000
And he is kind of the dad who all the kids have ganged up on is kind of the...

915
01:11:15.119 --> 01:11:17.460
You're saying, oh, narration gap, isn't it?

916
01:11:17.520 --> 01:11:20.039
Well, it's like a family day out because it's not...

917
01:11:20.699 --> 01:11:30.180
I mean, I guess the stakes are quite high in this episode, but it just feels like, oh, okay, another bloody calamity that we've all got into in the, Yeah, I mean, they work really well together as a group, but yeah, he's definitely.

918
01:11:30.300 --> 01:11:33.239
The teenagers have grown up and he's not in control of them all anymore.

919
01:11:33.300 --> 01:11:33.960
Yeah, yeah.

920
01:11:34.020 --> 01:11:36.300
And it's just that frustrated shut up.

921
01:11:36.359 --> 01:11:37.439
Yeah.

922
01:11:37.439 --> 01:11:38.819
So good.

923
01:11:38.880 --> 01:11:39.720
So good.

924
01:11:46.560 --> 01:11:58.680
Well, I think the prospects for organic life are now secured, and we've done justice to a really, really good episode of Blake 7 tonight.

925
01:11:58.739 --> 01:12:03.420
Oh, I'm really glad you guys like it too, because it's not, I don't think it's a universally loved episode, is it?

926
01:12:03.479 --> 01:12:05.819
I mean, I think people just think, well, it's not as bad as what went before.

927
01:12:05.880 --> 01:12:08.220
But yeah, I think it's great.

928
01:12:08.279 --> 01:12:16.739
When I was watching through for the 1st time, people kept sort of saying, oh, you got off a while before I sort of, it series D really sort of kicks off.

929
01:12:16.739 --> 01:12:21.659
And yet, I like reached this and I was like, this is brilliant.

930
01:12:21.659 --> 01:12:23.520
And I always talk surprised.

931
01:12:23.579 --> 01:12:27.600
Yeah, it felt like it had like a lukewarm like response to it.

932
01:12:27.659 --> 01:12:30.840
I was like, but no, like this is sort of in it for me.

933
01:12:30.840 --> 01:12:54.300
And it's a while further into the series, I was thinking, this is going to like stay in like my favourite episode of series D. Yeah, and for me, yeah, it is that thing where it's got exactly the right amount of slightly ridiculous doings in it, that just hits that sweet spot that is so hard to hit because not enough and you get something that's fine and good and exciting, and too much and the wheels might start to come off.

934
01:12:54.359 --> 01:12:56.039
But this just this hits the spot exactly.

935
01:12:56.100 --> 01:12:59.279
It's getting a little bit preposterous and just really exciting.

936
01:12:59.399 --> 01:13:00.479
Yeah, yeah.

937
01:13:00.539 --> 01:13:00.840
Sorry.

938
01:13:00.899 --> 01:13:03.000
It's, yeah, great family entertainment as well.

939
01:13:03.060 --> 01:13:08.220
You know, this is a really good 50 minutes of great family entertainment, something for everyone.

940
01:13:08.399 --> 01:13:10.619
The murder of a national treasure.

941
01:13:10.680 --> 01:13:11.699
Yes.

942
01:13:11.699 --> 01:13:13.739
Thrown in for good, maybe.

943
01:13:13.800 --> 01:13:20.699
And I think that a lot of that with quite a few episodes in series D, like power, for example, and I know that episode does have issues.

944
01:13:20.760 --> 01:13:25.140
But you can just imagine watching that, you know, back in the 80s with your family, which I did.

945
01:13:25.199 --> 01:13:28.920
And it was, you know, everyone was, I'm not saying the whole family was hooked.

946
01:13:28.979 --> 01:13:33.239
But I remember my older brother, like Blake 7, you know, my mom and dad would watch it too.

947
01:13:33.300 --> 01:13:38.640
And it, yeah, it's just, it's okay, it's maybe not hitting all the sports for like the real afficionados.

948
01:13:38.699 --> 01:13:42.840
But it's just a really good solid hour of really good, good telly.

949
01:13:42.899 --> 01:13:49.500
I think you've got to remember that is it was, this was made as a slab of entertainment, mentally watched once, and then forgotten.

950
01:13:49.560 --> 01:13:57.420
I mean, it says a lot that we're here talking about it all these years later, but I think it definitely did its job of just being, yeah, really solid family entertainment.

951
01:13:58.920 --> 01:14:00.960
Can't say fair than that.

952
01:14:01.979 --> 01:14:07.439
Thank you, Hannah and John, for coming along and discussing headhunter with us.

953
01:14:07.500 --> 01:14:12.960
We'll be back next time when I believe we're getting some kind of message from the planet Domo.

954
01:14:13.319 --> 01:14:16.739
The ninth, 5 subjects.

955
01:14:16.800 --> 01:14:18.300
What can it mean?

956
01:14:18.420 --> 01:14:21.600
Find out next week on maximum power.

957
01:14:21.659 --> 01:14:25.020
So let's say thank you very much for listening and goodbye.

958
01:14:25.079 --> 01:14:25.979
Goodbye.

959
01:14:26.039 --> 01:14:26.220
Bye.

960
01:14:26.279 --> 01:14:26.819
Bye.

961
01:14:38.939 --> 01:14:41.880
That's the power, go, go!

962
01:14:41.939 --> 01:14:45.420
30 seconds thrust it, Maxi.

963
01:14:45.539 --> 01:14:47.460
Switching command.

964
01:14:47.819 --> 01:14:53.760
Maximum power on all drives. pound.