WEBVTT NOTE This transcript was created on 2026-06-07 at 22:20:45 1 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.179 Maximum Power. 2 00:00:06.179 --> 00:00:18.480 Hello and welcome to Maximum Power, the Blake 7 podcast that recruits people for its mission, no matter what crimes they've committed on other podcasts. 3 00:00:18.539 --> 00:00:22.140 This week we're talking about seek, locate, destroy. 4 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:23.280 I'm Pete. 5 00:00:23.339 --> 00:00:24.179 I'm Colin. 6 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:25.019 I'm James. 7 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:27.300 I'm Nathan, and I'm Cy. 8 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:36.479 And we are giddy with excitement, I think, because we've reached a certain point in this series where, well, the game has been upped and the game has been changed, hasn't it? 9 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:40.380 Who wants to jump in with the 1st thought on this, Simon? 10 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:41.640 I haven't heard from you for a little while. 11 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:46.380 Okay, well, my 1st thought is isn't the robot shit? 12 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:49.979 Really? 13 00:00:50.039 --> 00:01:05.340 This is the 1st shot you see after you've seen the planet and the announcement sort of over the screen and you see this robot wobble into shot and it's slow and it's clunky and it's absolutely bloody awful. 14 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:10.379 And they probably wasted half the budget of the episode on it, or even the season. 15 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:12.239 And it's little squirter. 16 00:01:12.299 --> 00:01:21.239 I think that that mechanical acid squirter that it's got for, for, which is, like, some kind of chemical facility, some kind of very dangerous plant. 17 00:01:21.299 --> 00:01:29.459 So equipping your security robot with a thing that sprays fire drenched acid everywhere as a means of improving the security of your workplace. 18 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.579 I think that's going to end up being reviewed in a meeting at some point. 19 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:37.319 Do you think it's more shit than an announcement telling everyone what planet they're on? 20 00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:40.799 The planet Kent. 21 00:01:40.859 --> 00:01:41.760 I mean, Cantoro. 22 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:44.519 Kent with a hard C. 23 00:01:44.579 --> 00:01:46.680 That still, that sticks in my crawl. 24 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:47.640 Why is it pronounced that? 25 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:48.359 It should be sent. 26 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:50.340 Was it at the centre of something? 27 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:52.799 Well, it's a communication centre, isn't it? 28 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:54.540 So it's a very Terry nation name. 29 00:01:54.599 --> 00:01:58.500 It's like a radius or, you know, refuses or something. 30 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:01.980 He didn't do refuses, but, you know, desperous then. 31 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:15.240 It's also a top security area because there's a sign that says so and there's no way you can get in, even if you, I don't know, climbed up the ladder that's next to it or go... 32 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:22.919 No, there's a sign, and if there's a sign, then you're then... 33 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:24.719 Top security. 34 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:27.780 We are flung straight into this story, though, aren't we? 35 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:34.379 barely one minute in and Blake is teleporting down into the industrial complex of the week. 36 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:38.819 And we get our very 1st down and safe. which become more hooray. 37 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:41.340 The rest of the series, which is fabulous. 38 00:02:41.400 --> 00:02:42.960 That's not the name of the podcast. 39 00:02:43.020 --> 00:02:50.639 It's also really our 1st traditional, or as will become traditional Blake 7 industrial location with lots of pipes. 40 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:56.939 They're at an old factory somewhere running around and we see a lot of this over the next few years. don't we? 41 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:01.439 Yeah, and is this augmented with one of those very clever glass paintings that they do. 42 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:05.340 So there's a bit more domes going on added to the complex. 43 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:07.139 Yeah, what shot? 44 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:14.340 There's definitely Federation Guards and it's between the sort of the all the pipe where we normally see and then another bit on the right hand side and in the distance. 45 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.620 There's a there's a map painting. 46 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:17.219 I'm sure of it. 47 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.400 Yeah, they're so, they're so subtly done. 48 00:03:20.460 --> 00:03:22.919 The people who did these are just absolute geniuses. 49 00:03:22.979 --> 00:03:23.759 Yeah they are. 50 00:03:23.819 --> 00:03:26.939 I think this episode is a bit of a reboot immediately. 51 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:32.699 Look, so soon in, 6 episodes in, and it kind of goes, all right, this is what we're going to do now. 52 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:33.419 This is it. 53 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:39.240 And it may not know it's going to do that quite so much, but it's it's definitely, you know, this is it. 54 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:40.500 This is the direction it's going to take. 55 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:46.439 It's the cat and mouse approach now and really what the Federation is going to be like. 56 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:52.680 This is a pivotal episode for the series and it is nonstop, as you say, like Blake being, sorry, teleports down. 57 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:57.539 Villa packs his lunchbox and then pots down as well. 58 00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:59.939 Yes, 1977. lunch box. 59 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:00.360 Exactly. 60 00:04:00.419 --> 00:04:01.020 It's great. 61 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:03.780 It looks like a lot of it's on film as well. 62 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:06.539 It's well, it's definitely well. 63 00:04:06.539 --> 00:04:09.719 And there's not a, there's not a moment where it isn't interesting. 64 00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:15.780 No, and again, I think we also get sort of a restatement of everyone's skills in this cruise. 65 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.000 So we've got villa with his lock picking. 66 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:22.800 He's using his skills well and shows that he's sort of clever underneath his cowardice. 67 00:04:22.860 --> 00:04:32.699 We've got Gan used to strong arm everyone and used his extra strength, Callie being hard, Avon using his computer skills. 68 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:38.339 So everyone has got a little role to play, apart from Jenna, who's stuck on the ship doing the driving. 69 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:39.540 Yes, yes. 70 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:41.040 She's stuck at reception, isn't she? 71 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:42.300 when everyone else has gone down the pub. 72 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:45.480 Someone's got to stay in the office, Jenna, and man the phones. 73 00:04:45.540 --> 00:04:47.699 They're not going to man themselves while they're all down the pub. 74 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:48.360 Poor Jenna. 75 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:50.759 It is a bit of a strange sort of reboot though, isn't it? 76 00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:55.019 Because do we know, was this whole thing shot before it went out? 77 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:58.019 Yeah, it's still, this is still being shot in December. 78 00:04:58.079 --> 00:04:59.819 In fact, I think they shot something on Christmas Eve. 79 00:04:59.879 --> 00:05:02.879 So this is maybe the last one to be filmed before it goes out actually. 80 00:05:02.939 --> 00:05:05.279 So they're not doing it with any foreknowledge of how they get received. 81 00:05:05.339 --> 00:05:08.519 I mean, there's sort of weird, strange ret cons and stuff. 82 00:05:08.579 --> 00:05:10.500 I mean, things happened to Blake twice. 83 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:15.420 You know, the last time I was on, I talked about how he gets his memory wipe twice. 84 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:20.220 Now he gets sort of ambushed in a car park somewhere and all his friends are killed twice. 85 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:22.680 And he even sort of comments on it. 86 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:31.259 And it is this sort of strange thing as if they're having to course correct in the middle of it, but what there's no time to revise the earlier scripts or something. 87 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:34.319 It is an odd reboot. 88 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:39.540 I think it's, you know, brilliant and it's the direction that the show goes in and that ultimately really works. 89 00:05:39.660 --> 00:05:43.500 But there's been a lot of wheel spinning to get to this point, I think. 90 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:55.560 Now, the dialogue is landing so well on the characters who do get it, and we can make jokes about Paul Jenna getting left out this week, but when they do have a good line, like, like Villa, there isn't a lock I can't open if I'm not scared enough. 91 00:05:55.620 --> 00:06:01.800 It's such a brilliant villa line because that only he would say that and it gets the audience on side. 92 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:06.660 And, uh, uh, and yeah, he could have actually just climbed over that gate quite easily, I think. 93 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:08.759 That's not the point. 94 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:09.660 That's not the point. 95 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:20.399 This has got, I think, one of my favourite lines in any TV show ever, which is that fabulous little speech that Villa gives when he approaches the Federation Guards. 96 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:21.600 Oh, yes. 97 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:22.980 Oh, that's I'm a spy. 98 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:26.339 I've come to blow something up what you think would be most suitable. 99 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.560 That's such a doctorish line, isn't it? 100 00:06:32.939 --> 00:06:37.259 I was a thief, but recently I've become interested in sabotage. 101 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:38.579 In a small way, you understand. 102 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:39.839 Nothing too ambitious. 103 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:41.279 I hate vulgarity, don't you? 104 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:51.060 Yeah, you can see like competing seizing the opportunity to take centre stage there and have his moment. 105 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:59.160 It's a proper comedy moment when he comes out the door as well, you know, there's this whole thing about how he can't really get through the gate in time or whatever. 106 00:06:59.220 --> 00:07:02.699 And so he escapes by picking a lock, but we don't see it. 107 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:06.779 And Blake is shocked to have him come out through the door behind him. 108 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:08.279 I think it's really sort of funny. 109 00:07:08.339 --> 00:07:10.019 And I don't know if it's Terry Nation. 110 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:17.639 I mean, Terry Nation's written comedy before or is it Chris Boucher sort of fixing the very thin Terry Nation script? 111 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:18.300 has been given? 112 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:25.740 Because, you know, all of that dialogue that you were commenting on is just Boucher being incredibly witty, I think. 113 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:35.160 And maybe the cast now having had a good month as a, as a troop really getting to know each other, are able in rehearsal to work it up a bit as well. 114 00:07:35.220 --> 00:07:38.279 Maybe that's where that little bit with the villa popping out from the door came from. 115 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:44.399 It's great But it's not just our main cast that we're going to be talking about this week, is it? 116 00:07:44.459 --> 00:07:46.560 Our heroes, our anti-heroes. 117 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:48.779 Because we've got an anti-hero on the scene now. 118 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:51.660 What do we all think about villainy in this episode? 119 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.300 Wow, it's fascinating, isn't it? 120 00:07:54.360 --> 00:08:00.839 Because we've got Me our 2 big bads and obviously one is set up to be the bigger badge than the other. 121 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:05.759 And then as the series goes on, the lesser one takes centre stage. 122 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.779 I have to say, Servoland is my favourite character in the whole show. 123 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.680 So I'm so pleased to see her. in this show. 124 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:14.339 Yes. 125 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:16.199 And in every show. 126 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:18.660 I can tell you what. 127 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:20.939 I could tell you were holding back, I could tell. 128 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:30.180 What's what's really interesting here is how her performance is very different to what it becomes later on. 129 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:34.980 She's so still and quiet and icy. 130 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:36.480 I completely agree. 131 00:08:36.539 --> 00:08:37.259 Yeah. 132 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:44.700 She can make the word secretary absolutely the most menacing word in the whole of the English language. 133 00:08:45.659 --> 00:08:49.500 Which for some people it may be, but she can do it universally, yeah. 134 00:08:49.559 --> 00:09:01.679 Considering what she becomes later on with the big flamboyant performances, this is fascinating to see the genesis of the character, and you can see why everyone instantly thought we have to bring her back. 135 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:07.679 There's something fabulous in her that we can really exploit and they really do. 136 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:09.899 Was she a one off character originally? 137 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:18.659 So originally she was written as a male character and she was in a script that they abandoned called location Destroy, which is originally episode four. 138 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:19.320 Right. 139 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:28.259 And despite the fact it has a similar name was actually plot wise, nothing like this episode, it was a weird cross between what became dual and deliverance. 140 00:09:28.379 --> 00:09:28.919 Okay. 141 00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:29.940 Yeah, that's really interesting. 142 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:39.659 The other, I wonder, I don't know if it was scripted for her to be surprisingly young, as well as the thing that strikes me coming to this, is how, I mean, I think she's in a, Jackie Pierce is actually in her 30s, but she doesn't look it. 143 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:41.460 She looks younger and just so. 144 00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:45.659 So, so, she's so precise in her delivery, like you were saying, Psy. 145 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:53.279 It makes her this calm, big-eyed creature, the, the, the ruthlessness, but we get to see with her. 146 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:59.100 Well, how would you describe Ray, space race, but with an eye, her acquaintance? 147 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:01.080 There are layers to that, aren't there? 148 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:03.480 He's not just one of her, um, he's not just a henchman, is he? 149 00:10:03.539 --> 00:10:05.279 I think the acting is very clearly telling us. 150 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:10.019 Yeah, it's really interesting because she's so flirty and warm in those scenes. 151 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:20.639 So we've seen many sort of disparate parts of her character and it shows how manipulative she is depending on who it is that she's talking to, which is really fascinating. 152 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:24.840 I think too, just she's actually surprisingly girly. 153 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:27.360 Like I was finding that a little bit shocking. 154 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:38.580 It is that sort of coquettishness and, you know, she's stroking his face and all of that sort of thing before it becomes absolutely clear that even someone that she has this relationship with. 155 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:43.379 She's not going to tolerate any sort of anti-federation sentiment from them. 156 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:48.179 And so having her turn makes her more surprising. 157 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:55.860 We don't see this serverland again, really ever, even Jarvik or other people that she's sort of presumably having sex with. 158 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:07.980 I was actually sort of impressed by how well drawn she is here and how they, they kind of disarm us a bit, partly with how she looks, but just with how she behaves in that 1st scene. 159 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:24.960 Jacqueline Pierce, in many interviews, said, she came in and they said, oh, we want to dress you in sort of combat gear and big boots, and she was the one who said, no, no, it would be much more fascinating if she's dressed very softly because it contrasts with her character so well. 160 00:11:25.019 --> 00:11:38.220 And thank God they did because they created something to use the most overused word really iconic in that with her in her beautiful ballroom dresses striding round the galaxy. 161 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:41.220 Sort of like a beautiful venomous spider. 162 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:52.799 I wrote it back in the back in the 90s, uh, woman's hour on BBC radio 4 doing a feature on, on, on science fiction women, and I sent, sent them an email in those pre-social media days. 163 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:56.399 It's like you've got to talk about serverland, she was like Darth Vader in a ball gown. 164 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:01.620 And they read it and it was an American hosting the session and children. 165 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:09.240 I've had quite a lot of emails that seem to be from men of a certain age who are particularly impressed with a character called, I think, Sir of Alan? 166 00:12:09.299 --> 00:12:09.840 Is that right? 167 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:14.700 I don't think she served apart from herself and the Federation. 168 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.639 Very true. 169 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:36.360 And of course, uh, we, well, at first, when you when you see her, she's, she's there with, she's surrounded by 2 of the most wonderful things from Doctor Who, and they are Nider, and and the space walls, uh, which, which are in the form of Secretary Montagne and and, and the walls that we see in BBC series throughout the decade. 170 00:12:36.419 --> 00:12:39.240 The way that she plays the politics of the situation. 171 00:12:39.299 --> 00:12:51.000 You immediately, you can see that she's a politician as well, not just, not just, you know, a manic baddie, because she's got, there are things that could go wrong for her and she's got to manipulate these rather dreary men, hasn't she? 172 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:52.259 Yeah, they are. 173 00:12:52.320 --> 00:13:10.320 They are talking about this in political terms, in the sense that, and I wrote this note down, and then they actually said the line, that the federation are learning that Blake is turning into a legend, and that sets the motivation for exactly what's going on and that he's, you know, blowing up 70s power stations are, it's turning into something. 174 00:13:10.379 --> 00:13:27.899 So it's got a good setup from that perspective and that when they bring in another certain character who's utterly ruthless, out of the way, they go about things, you can't, like the Federation is terrible and horrific, and but now they're just like, we don't care who we get or what we do. 175 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:29.519 We're just gonna stop this guy. 176 00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:31.019 It just it just doesn't matter. 177 00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:36.600 That sort of Nider and the other guy, they're sort of like, okay, you know? 178 00:13:36.659 --> 00:13:39.539 Yeah, and the idea that she can be opposed. 179 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:46.259 You know, she has she has to lay down the law. with Ray, that disobeying her will not be tolerated. 180 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.000 Even though some of her some of her Nazi storm troopers are saying, oh, hang on, this this guy's a bit much. 181 00:13:51.059 --> 00:13:53.759 We don't really, this, this Travis, this Travis, coming. 182 00:13:53.820 --> 00:13:56.519 Come on, you know, genocide above and beyond beyond the call of duty. 183 00:13:56.580 --> 00:14:04.019 That establishes that nice balance that there are people among the, among the federation who can be chipped away at. 184 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:14.340 Perhaps we should talk about the other main character that is joining us in their, in their 1st incarnation, which is Travis. 185 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:18.960 Well, it's Travis's left buttock, I think, initially, isn't it? 186 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:23.399 Long, long, lingering left button, exactly. 187 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:28.320 He does spend a lot of time watching Blake sex tapes. 188 00:14:28.379 --> 00:14:31.019 Yes, don't you need to. 189 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.759 He's into torture porn, obviously. 190 00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:38.940 Yeah, no, I had a note about his O face. 191 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:40.379 I mean, it is very clearly. 192 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:43.679 It's clearly what we're seeing on the Blake 07. 193 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:49.620 This is where the ratings have hit 10000000 at this point. 194 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:51.120 It's a bit meta, isn't it? 195 00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:52.259 Blake is becoming a... 196 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:56.039 Yeah, but inching up towards 11, almost on the cusp of 11. 197 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:58.019 Blake is becoming a legend in his own schedule. 198 00:14:58.379 --> 00:15:02.940 This is this is the highest rated episode of series A. The peak interesting. 199 00:15:03.059 --> 00:15:05.879 And that's coming off the web, presumably. 200 00:15:05.940 --> 00:15:06.840 Yeah, didn't put anyone off. 201 00:15:07.740 --> 00:15:14.460 We were saying on that episode that it has its moments that we now might cringe at, but no, yeah, people loved it. 202 00:15:14.519 --> 00:15:15.240 People laptops. 203 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:17.700 You didn't get any of that on Coronation Street, opposite it. 204 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.299 What's the hate about little baby green zygons? 205 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:22.919 No, I have no hate for them. 206 00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:31.620 There will be the, they would, if only there'd been the marketing, they would have been the Christmas smash, every child would have wanted a clockwork, a clockwork decimal. 207 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:35.519 Decimal mania. 208 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:38.940 Some mania, yeah. 209 00:15:40.139 --> 00:15:51.360 We also get a neat, there's a bit in here where Avon is decoding the message using the decoder, which we better go back because we've obviously we've leapt forward to Jacqueline Pierce because why wouldn't you? 210 00:15:51.419 --> 00:15:55.980 But there's the whole, the antics on the, on the base what they're raiding and stealing the decoder. 211 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:01.679 It's, it's, there's the bit where Cali and Gan become rather unlikely hostage takers. 212 00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:09.240 I don't know, and the beautiful Peter Craze, brother of Doctor Who's, Michael Craze, is held hostage by them. 213 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:12.480 And you can see by a look on his face that he knows he's been captured by the B team, basically. 214 00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:18.059 But they block a door with a big computer, so that's a useful thing to do. 215 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:19.679 So then Gan has to smash something. 216 00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:25.200 Do you find that Gan has to go into sort of Hulk smash mode and he's just so terribly, terribly polite about it. 217 00:16:25.259 --> 00:16:28.919 Everyone is so fucking posh in this show. 218 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:30.360 I can't get over it. 219 00:16:30.419 --> 00:16:31.019 Villa. 220 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:35.220 Like I was so struck by Villa's accent early on, but Gan takes the cake. 221 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.700 You know, he's this sort of big strong man, he's just perfectly shaved. 222 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:41.279 There's no hint of muscle in his physique. 223 00:16:41.340 --> 00:16:43.500 He's just a sort of big, tall, fat guy. 224 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:49.620 You know, pulling out the decoder acting. is entirely his teeth. 225 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:51.779 You know, he's not moving his arms. 226 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:56.580 He's not really making any strenuous effort or even pretending to do that. 227 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.139 He's just gritting his teeth. 228 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:09.180 I think one of the reviews that I read of an earlier episode, critiqued him and said, it's often described as a gentle giant. 229 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:12.480 I would say massive moron was more appropriate. 230 00:17:13.619 --> 00:17:20.400 One of the most horrifying moments of my life remains being a Doctor Who stroke Blake 7 convention in the late 90s. 231 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:29.160 Not being very au favoured Blake 7 and its world, and being in a corridor, going to a room, and my friend saying to me, oh, let's go down here and get seats ready for David Jackson. 232 00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:31.500 And I went, who the fuck's David Jackson? 233 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:37.619 And he walked past. precise moment. 234 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:42.480 And I turned and made eye contact and wanted to die so very, very much. 235 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:45.779 I've been carrying that all these years. 236 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:47.940 Actually, it's quite nice to get it out. 237 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:53.099 He didn't look, he there was an impassive look on his face. 238 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.559 He probably got that quite a lot. 239 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:57.480 He probably got that, yeah. 240 00:17:57.539 --> 00:17:58.019 From his wife. 241 00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:59.579 His children. 242 00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:02.220 His agent. 243 00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:10.980 And it's a shame because he's an adorable guy and has given crumbs to work with and still manages to make something out of him. 244 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:14.579 Yeah, I think he's sort of very underrated. 245 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.460 I do think he is very good in spite of that. 246 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.000 And he has a great voice and he is criminally underwritten though. 247 00:18:21.059 --> 00:18:23.700 Did he work much apart from Blake 7? 248 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:25.740 He did lots of bit parts in Bings? 249 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:29.220 He was always sort of turning up as in tiny roles all over the place. 250 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:34.380 I think he was quite busy, but never, this was his sort of big starring role, really. 251 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:37.259 And I don't know that it did very much for his career. 252 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:39.180 It was his big break, but it broke him. 253 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:39.660 Yeah. 254 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:41.099 Yeah, and there's the problem. 255 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:55.619 I mean, Blake's Evan suffered from the way that the 80s when it, one of the defining things of the early 80s was this obsession with the 70s having been the napist and crappest decade ever, that as a kid anyway, I was really conscious of in the, I mean, maybe every one of my that age thinks that of the previous decade. 256 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:04.259 I think Blake 7 suffered in the in the non-science fiction fan world in in the 80s by seeming to epitomise 19 the 1970s in a way. 257 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:12.599 And that might, I don't know if that hampered the cast being sort of date stamped as well as sort of typecast in what they went on to do later. 258 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:13.500 What do you think? 259 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.680 Who did have the best post-Blake 7 world. 260 00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:18.119 I suppose Gareth Thomas did get. 261 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.859 He did get back onto all of his beloved Shakespeare and stage work that he'd always wanted, didn't he? 262 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:26.099 Yeah, I don't think any of them really hit the big time, did they? 263 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:31.259 I mean, Sally Nevette did a stint in Emmerdale Farm, as it was, married to Fraser Hines. 264 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:32.339 Oh of course, yeah. 265 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:38.160 I don't think any of them ever got huge roles ever again. 266 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:43.079 Paul Darrow did Dombey and Son and stuff, but was all wet. 267 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:46.500 I think they were all tarred by being in Blake 7. 268 00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:53.039 Well, wasn't his last acting roles being vomited on by one of the race assault ladies in Little Britain? 269 00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:54.539 Yeah, that was that's true. 270 00:19:54.599 --> 00:20:00.299 He had a good line in Judges in Hollyoaks for some reason. 271 00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:02.700 Who was the casting director? 272 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:04.140 Was it one of us? 273 00:20:04.200 --> 00:20:07.140 Chris Thomas was quite a big name before Blake 7. 274 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.099 Like he was a well-known actor on television. 275 00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:15.119 I think there have been some other ones from the folks that joined a little bit later. 276 00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:21.839 So Josette Simon is in The Witcher, which only a few months ago was Netflix's biggest series. 277 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:26.099 So you can see her in that. when she turned up in that. 278 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:27.180 Yeah, me too. 279 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:29.759 Is she in the 2nd season of Broadchurch? 280 00:20:29.819 --> 00:20:33.960 Yeah, and do you about Simon OBE, lest we forget? 281 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:37.019 A native of my hometown Leicester? 282 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:40.140 And she's actually responsible for my 2nd most embarrassing incident with an actor. 283 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:43.440 Oh, Simon, right? 284 00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:44.940 Hold that off to a UC. 285 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:46.799 Yeah, okay, fair enough. 286 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:47.279 I will. 287 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:52.140 And she's also had a phenomenal stage career. 288 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:55.259 I saw her play Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. 289 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:58.500 I saw more of Jothette Simon than anyone probably should. 290 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:00.180 Right, exactly. 291 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.740 Well, I was front row and that was my 2nd most embarrassing experience. 292 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:05.220 Yeah. 293 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:10.319 Well, I like how you feel. 294 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:14.519 But she was phenomenal. absolutely phenomenal. 295 00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:18.299 She's she's on the national treasure path. 296 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:20.460 She's like she'd created a theatre company and everything. 297 00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:23.880 You know, she's not as well as as well as acting. 298 00:21:23.940 --> 00:21:26.579 She's the boss as well of her own her own theatre company. 299 00:21:26.819 --> 00:21:29.400 But we'll get there in a year or three. 300 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:33.240 So yeah, so they steal this device. 301 00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:42.480 And one of the 1st one of the 1st phrases that Avon decodes through it is that supreme command, the supreme commander has requested maximum cooperation. 302 00:21:43.799 --> 00:21:46.680 Maybe that could become her catchphrase. 303 00:21:46.740 --> 00:21:49.859 I don't know Maybe that should be the name of our podcast. 304 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:51.000 Exactly. 305 00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:53.039 We really left that lying here, didn't we? 306 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.200 Although they succeed in their mission. 307 00:21:58.259 --> 00:22:05.460 They also completely fail from a project management point of view. looking after their workforce. 308 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.420 But forgetting that one of the crew hasn't made it back. 309 00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:12.240 No one purchases. 310 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:13.259 They're so quick. 311 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:16.799 It's difficult to count to 7 apparently. 312 00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:22.740 Yeah, it's like David Cameron leaving his kids in the pub that time. 313 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:30.240 We were just, we all got into this and happily sailing away and yeah, they realised they forgot Cali, which is quite brutal. 314 00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:31.740 It's only a 3rd episode, to be fair. 315 00:22:31.859 --> 00:22:40.259 Terry Nation pulls the same crap in the chase, obviously, with Vicky, where, you know, they have a whole sort of scene and then suddenly realise, oh, where's Vicky? 316 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:45.539 It's him pulling out of his sort of back catalogue for a plot twist. 317 00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:48.240 I was wondering why it seems so familiar. 318 00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:49.440 And we get the response. 319 00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:53.880 I wrote down one of my favourite Terry Nation words gets used because Villa says, we can't go back. 320 00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:56.759 The place will be crawling with security interception. 321 00:22:56.819 --> 00:22:58.980 Every nation loves crawling. 322 00:22:59.039 --> 00:22:59.940 It comes up a lot. 323 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:04.019 Place is crawling with Daleks, which is such a... 324 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:08.220 One thing Daleks do not do is cruel. not where they're in the in the machines. 325 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:20.819 There's another trope as well, which is the bombs with the countdown on them, which everyone seems to have, and we love them so much this time that we're going to mix the footage together of the countdown. 326 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:28.380 Yeah, it's really helpful of all the bomb manufacturers to go the extra mile and put that nice big clock on the outside. it? 327 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:38.039 Absolutely And of course, we have our 1st someone's lost their teleport bracelet in a moment of absolute crisis when they need to be taken back up as well. 328 00:23:38.099 --> 00:23:39.960 And we'll never see that again. 329 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.099 Do they? 330 00:23:41.099 --> 00:23:42.599 Yeah, Crowley loses hers. 331 00:23:42.660 --> 00:23:46.859 See, if they'd been teleport underpants, they wouldn't have lost them. 332 00:23:46.980 --> 00:23:48.240 Yeah, yeah. 333 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.759 Telepants. 334 00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:51.720 Teleport pants. 335 00:23:51.900 --> 00:23:54.359 You wouldn't want something to go wrong, though. 336 00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:55.920 No, I guess not. 337 00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:59.700 And every time somebody tried to steal it off you, it would be complications. 338 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:09.900 The big problem is Jan Chappell has such slender arms that the teleport bracelet really needs to be about 3 quarters of the way up her arm to stay in place. 339 00:24:11.220 --> 00:24:22.079 I like the little detachable cat collars that our cat has to stop getting snagged on a tree or anything that they automatically ping off in any sense of peril, which is not what you actually want with a teleport bracelet. 340 00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:23.880 It should not be like a self-releasing cat collar. 341 00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:31.200 Losing Cali does give Gareth Thomas some good moments to remote and a really good line from Jenna. 342 00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:36.480 I really like her line where she says, oh, you've got to make pizza of yourself if you want to survive. 343 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.599 So showing Jenna's pragmatic attitude to life. 344 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:40.680 Yeah. 345 00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:41.160 Yeah. 346 00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:54.720 She also says, you know, like Kelly knew what she was getting in for and stuff and there's a very strange exchange where she says to Blake, Callie wasn't a child and Blake goes, wasn't she? 347 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:57.660 And I kind of think that's utterly baffling. 348 00:24:57.720 --> 00:24:58.920 Well, depends how that is. 349 00:24:58.980 --> 00:25:02.519 The character's written as quite young initially, I believe. 350 00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:04.140 So maybe there's a hangover. 351 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:08.940 There's also that exchange between them about her condemning herself. 352 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:22.559 Did you think that's sort of a hangover from her almost sort of suicidal tendencies in time squad where she's going to go off and just blow herself up because that's what she's got because she's a gorilla fighter and that she's the only one left. 353 00:25:22.619 --> 00:25:23.819 Could be, couldn't it? 354 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:34.019 Yeah, that has been set in her character, that she is someone who is prepared clearly prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in their mission, although just making a decoder doesn't really seem like a big enough deal. 355 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:41.700 I was actually a bit shocked by how kind of tough Callie presents when she's dealing with the hostages. 356 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:49.500 And I'm so used to sort of late, late series C, Cali, where, you know, she's just a nurse or whatever or teleport operator. 357 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:51.660 She gives him a good kicking, doesn't she? 358 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:53.339 Yeah, yeah, it's not too bad. 359 00:25:53.400 --> 00:26:01.500 I mean, she does get punished for being a sort of uppity lady later on by being sort of smacked in the face and stuff, which is a little bit sort of unfortunate. 360 00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:03.480 I was actually a bit surprised. 361 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:09.539 I haven't seen series A for a little while and she is much, much harder than I expected. 362 00:26:09.660 --> 00:26:15.720 Yeah, and she gives Travis what for, doesn't she, when she's captured and being interrogated. 363 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:19.740 And she's talking back and she's very strongly written here. 364 00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:23.339 Yeah, no, Travis is threatening with his ring of zing. 365 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:26.220 Um, she uh, she, she holds back. 366 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:28.319 She, she, she doesn't, she doesn't crumble. 367 00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:34.500 Are we seeing, we've established, you know, there's a lot more to serverland than we've seen in this episode, though she makes a fantastic 1st impression. 368 00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:36.960 Is Travis more, what we see is what we get? 369 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:41.400 Or are they going to be, because I can't remember quite so clearly whether there's going to be more layers to him as we go forward? 370 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:43.920 I mean, as long as he is the one that he is. 371 00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:45.839 It's just leather all the way down, isn't it? 372 00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:48.539 It's basically leather. 373 00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:50.519 Black leather. slightly camped. 374 00:26:50.579 --> 00:26:57.420 I mean, it's surprising we don't actually get that many episodes with him as Travis overall, and we're with Serverland for so long. 375 00:26:57.480 --> 00:27:08.339 And so we can see and look back on how strongly she develops, whereas we don't get that much of a chance with the 1st Travis, I think to actually see anything. 376 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:11.579 And, you know, like he doesn't need to be particularly complicated. 377 00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:17.160 This sort of character development next series, but it is a bit unfortunate. 378 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:19.319 I really rather they haven't. 379 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:24.119 Is that because Brian Crouch was playing him? 380 00:27:24.180 --> 00:27:32.460 Yeah, no, and he's the only person in the semi-regular cast who isn't as posh as hell, and so they have to sort of kick him about a bit, I think. 381 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:35.640 Yeah, he regenerates into someone from East Asia. 382 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:36.960 That's right. 383 00:27:37.140 --> 00:27:48.960 But in this episode, there is that moment where he puts his hand on Servoland's hand to stop her making a call, a phone call at one and I thought, oh, that's not how this is going to pan out. 384 00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:55.740 This is still being written with her as the one behind the desk and him as the wild dog out there doing her dirty work. 385 00:27:55.799 --> 00:28:00.240 He's got to become someone who can fail and who she can get angry at, I imagine. 386 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:03.420 Imagine if he'd done that to her in a later season. 387 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.980 He would have lost that hand. 388 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:06.660 Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. 389 00:28:06.779 --> 00:28:12.480 Even sort of later in the season, the dynamic between Travis and Servoland has changed completely. 390 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:26.220 When there's sort of a replay of Travis being brought into her office in deliverance, it's played completely differently to how it is here and he's far more subservient to her than he's betrayed right now. 391 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:35.880 Yeah, the civil and evolves into this dominatrix, that that gives him a very clear role that he's got that he's going to get, doesn't it, as a in sympathy with that. 392 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:38.880 But he also is shown to be quite clever. 393 00:28:38.940 --> 00:28:54.539 He shows good, clever thinking, spotting the details that the technicians have missed about the missing cypher parts when they're doing the forensic bits and he's shown to be obsessed with Blake and that grows and grows and grows. 394 00:28:54.599 --> 00:28:57.000 So yeah, there's a few layers to him. 395 00:28:57.059 --> 00:28:58.619 Yeah, because he's got that back. 396 00:28:58.680 --> 00:29:00.420 Of course he's got backstory with Blake, hasn't he? 397 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:05.039 That's the clever thing to have dropped in, and I guess there's going to be explored or at least referenced going forward. 398 00:29:05.099 --> 00:29:11.460 In the early writing process, and we discussed this when we were talking about time squad, didn't we? 399 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:19.140 Um, that the, the character that's played by Kel Kelman from... 400 00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:21.539 From the road to the sidemen, I can't remember the actor's name. 401 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:22.680 Jeremy Wilkin. 402 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:26.579 Thank you. was actually the same character that Travis becomes. 403 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:28.740 Well, I mean, it's kind of obvious, isn't it? 404 00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:38.880 Because like you're setting everything up in the early episodes and clearly Travis is kind of a late addition to the writing process, otherwise he would have been there earlier. 405 00:29:38.940 --> 00:29:42.119 It's very strange to kind of set him up in episode 6. 406 00:29:42.180 --> 00:29:45.900 And to say, you know, that thing that happened in episode one. 407 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:48.720 Well, that happened before only with Travis. 408 00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:49.980 Do you know what I mean? 409 00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:51.960 Like, well, why wasn't he in episode one? 410 00:29:52.019 --> 00:29:53.579 It was that question that I asked before. 411 00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:59.339 There seems something to be, there seems to be something sort of terribly just disorganised about the way this is set up. 412 00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:08.220 Well, that character was originally called Travis in the original drafts and was his name was later changed to Tarrant before the series started filming. 413 00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:10.259 You know, my brother's called Travis. 414 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.059 We used to love that when I was a kid. 415 00:30:12.119 --> 00:30:13.559 It was so good. 416 00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:17.220 Does he strut around a lot in leather? 417 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:18.539 Is he a sadist? 418 00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:24.359 Does he have a laser on destroyer built-in? 419 00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:25.079 Yes. 420 00:30:25.140 --> 00:30:26.519 Oh yes, absolutely. 421 00:30:26.579 --> 00:30:27.480 Top quality. 422 00:30:27.539 --> 00:30:31.140 You can see Chris Boucher there saying, oh yeah, I've got a good name for this. 423 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:32.460 Oh, I'd thought of something. 424 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:33.059 Yeah, yeah. 425 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:35.940 This is a shared universe, actually, isn't it? 426 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:41.099 I'll just drop the S from the 2nd S from it. 427 00:30:42.119 --> 00:30:44.460 It was a brand name. 428 00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:45.779 Okay, Laserson. 429 00:30:45.900 --> 00:30:51.720 You can tell just looking at it in robots of death. of Laser on Destroyer. very clear. 430 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:56.339 There's some really nice directorial touches in this one. 431 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:06.960 I love it where Blake and Travis are just telling their backstory, uh, and you're sort of cutting between the 2 of them, each explaining it from their own point of view to their uh, to their respective cohorts. 432 00:31:07.140 --> 00:31:09.779 I think that's Boucher too, don't you? 433 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:11.819 I think that must be Boucher doing that. 434 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:18.480 It seems like a little bit too kind of not quite straightforward enough for nation, I think. 435 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:23.339 Maybe, yeah, maybe maybe some scissors were just wielded to myself and give it that bit of tempo, yeah. 436 00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:38.579 The other bit of directorial excellence, I thought, is that the all the technicians show up with their own name badges that look like they are at a lake 7 convention. finding available in reception afterwards. 437 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:40.380 I'll be signing photos in small print. 438 00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:49.619 This is also a monumental thing in terms of the Blake's something we haven't touched on yet, in terms of the Blake 7s cultural standing in the world that it exists in. 439 00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:59.819 This is the 1st episode of Blake 7 to be broadcast when Mull of Kintire is no longer the UK's number one single because it has been throughout the whole of Blake 7 so far. 440 00:31:59.940 --> 00:32:02.940 And there's a, I just think, I don't know, that tells us something. 441 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:04.619 I don't know what, tells us something. 442 00:32:04.680 --> 00:32:07.200 Tells us something about you. 443 00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:10.619 Don't check my browser history. 444 00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:13.920 The long dark winter is over. 445 00:32:13.980 --> 00:32:18.420 Yeah, it's now uptown top ranking fact fans. 446 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:19.859 The world has gone reggae. 447 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:22.500 But they are still, they are only filming 5 weeks in advance. 448 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:24.720 That just... 449 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:25.619 Mind blowing. 450 00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:28.200 They're really close to the bone here, aren't they? 451 00:32:28.259 --> 00:32:30.180 And are they making an episode? 452 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:31.859 I guess they must be making one episode a week. 453 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:39.000 Although it has about the same episode, the same budget as Doctor Who, but minute per minute, but their mate got to make twice as much every week. 454 00:32:39.059 --> 00:32:47.819 Yeah, because they do all the location filming sort of in blocks for all the episodes before they go into the studio and produce the episodes. 455 00:32:47.880 --> 00:33:00.420 I think Gareth Thomas said at one point during the 1st season, because he complained about this, he was doing scenes from several different stories, sort of in the studio all at once, trying to catch up on bits. 456 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:13.980 So different directors would be coming in and saying, and then you're doing this bit now, and you're doing this bit now, and then this bit, and so that it was just a complete muddle, and I think they sort that out for series B, and they get the production side of it under control a bit more. 457 00:33:14.039 --> 00:33:26.160 I think they're very much feeling their way and don't know how this is going to go and how much time they're going to need in the studio for all of these scenes and how technically difficult it's going to be to get it actually in the can. 458 00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:31.200 The production line that's required for this is a monumental thing, isn't it? 459 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:36.960 compared to compared to regular BBC weekly drama serials, who do not have to visit a different planet every week. 460 00:33:37.019 --> 00:33:38.460 Yeah, different factory. 461 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:40.980 Different gas works. 462 00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:44.640 But I guess they've got connections, haven't they? 463 00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:51.900 through the Doctor Who experience and such like with these various spicy places that they can use for starters. 464 00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:54.599 So you can see how that helped them get it up. 465 00:33:54.660 --> 00:33:55.259 Yeah, I think. 466 00:33:55.319 --> 00:34:01.259 Beer Lorimer gives this episode a real pace and verve compared to how Pennant Roberts might have done it, for instance. 467 00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:03.779 I know we pick Penn and Roberts every week and then go. 468 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:05.160 That's a contractual bit done. 469 00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:13.139 But he does the action seems very well and there's a real sense of pace and particularly when you've got the alarms going off in the bass and everything else. 470 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:15.000 There's real tension in those scenes. 471 00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:16.199 Yeah, yeah. 472 00:34:16.260 --> 00:34:23.579 It's funny because I was finding it all just a little bit too relaxed, but perhaps that's the decades that have passed since then. 473 00:34:23.639 --> 00:34:34.079 I guess the script has a lot to do and a lot going on, and, you know, we've had a few scripts that seem to have had long periods of sort of marking time up to this point. 474 00:34:34.139 --> 00:34:45.300 But this one has, you know, the centro heist thing and then the rescue, but the introduction of Servolan and Travis. 475 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:49.739 It's just the right amount of incident for a 50 minute episode. 476 00:34:49.800 --> 00:34:54.539 And so, I do think that it's also down just to the scripting of this one. 477 00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:57.239 I just think it's a particularly good episode. 478 00:34:57.239 --> 00:35:06.059 And, and, you know, Lorimer didn't have much choice but to keep things moving along because there was so much to get through in the time allotted, I thought. 479 00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:07.860 The writing is pretty good. 480 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:30.059 I do love Blake playing Travis at his own game at the end as the twist and Travis missing the tiny detail of the ship coming in fast and then going back out and not thinking they teleported in at that moment because he's not expecting Blake to do that because he thinks he knows who Blake is and what Blake will do and that's why he loses this one at the end. 481 00:35:30.119 --> 00:35:40.199 We see Blake becoming a better freedom fighter by virtue of hanging around with these dodgy characters who are sort of becoming making him think more tactically, perhaps, or perhaps he's learning to be a bit more Avon. 482 00:35:43.260 --> 00:35:46.440 What do we think of the finale that of the ending? 483 00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:47.039 to this story. 484 00:35:47.099 --> 00:35:51.000 I am your death, Blake. isn't it a fantastic line? 485 00:35:51.059 --> 00:35:53.400 I wish you delivered it a bit more like that, though. 486 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:57.539 You've done that. you've ruined it. ruined the original for me. 487 00:35:57.659 --> 00:36:03.360 Or like Paul Darrow doing Richard III in timelash. 488 00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:06.000 Run, Blake, run. 489 00:36:06.059 --> 00:36:07.139 Damn, yours. 490 00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:12.900 Kelly is gloating over the tiny little gun of Travis's that she's stolen. 491 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:15.179 Really not a very impressive gun. 492 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:31.199 I actually think that bit is particularly well directed with the blowing off his hand, but you don't actually see that as just out of shot, and what you get instead is Travis's reaction to it, and we're on film for some reason, even though we're indoors. 493 00:36:31.260 --> 00:36:34.320 I just think that scene is really particularly good. 494 00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:38.880 And then just the choice of making him monologue for no reason. 495 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:40.380 Do you know what I mean? 496 00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:47.039 To Blake in his retreating spaceship gives it that kind of giant operatic feel. 497 00:36:47.099 --> 00:36:50.519 There's no actual kind of in-story reason why he would say this. 498 00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:58.860 And so it is just a sort of fantastic kind of declaration of, you know, like a statement of intent going forward. 499 00:36:58.980 --> 00:36:59.820 I think it's wonderful. 500 00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:02.760 He's not the only one that's doing it in this episode either. 501 00:37:02.820 --> 00:37:07.920 There's a, there's that scene halfway through the episode with Servoland looking out the window. 502 00:37:07.980 --> 00:37:09.780 Your time is running out, Blake. 503 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:16.079 It's like all the villains are just like soliloquising left, right, and centre. 504 00:37:16.139 --> 00:37:22.920 It's almost like they know they're setting up the rest of the series and this is, it will be a game of cat and mouse between them from now on. 505 00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:26.159 And we've got to state this just so that we know. 506 00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:30.960 From now on, Travis will be chasing after Blake around the universe and this is where we're going. 507 00:37:31.019 --> 00:37:32.639 Yes, oh, Blake. 508 00:37:32.699 --> 00:37:34.500 Now you know I am a returning character. 509 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:40.380 I'm contributing the 3 episodes, Blake. 510 00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:47.159 And I've parked my car in the disabled space outside broadcasting house and I don't even care. 511 00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:55.019 She got orders to go and move her car while they were filming because she just parked across the entrance of the broadcasting house. 512 00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:59.940 I didn't I didn't expect Blake 7 to have sort of cliffhangery endings. 513 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:08.519 It's more, but it does have, that feels like a, you know, I mean, obviously, I am your death, is word peril, hasht, uh, if I may. 514 00:38:08.579 --> 00:38:10.500 It's that thing of this, that's... 515 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:11.159 I don't know why. 516 00:38:11.219 --> 00:38:20.760 I've written down in my notes, stop that pigeon because it reminds me of those cartoons that would end that way, you know, we got it, I'm going to get you fist shaking moment. 517 00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:25.920 Well, there is that theme where Servoland Hans, Travis, his orders and a piece of paper. 518 00:38:25.980 --> 00:38:28.199 He goes, are these your orders? 519 00:38:28.260 --> 00:38:29.639 Destroy Blake. 520 00:38:29.699 --> 00:38:37.139 She's handed him a piece of paper with 2 words. for the rest of the show. pull it out for you. 521 00:38:38.159 --> 00:38:41.099 It was the shortest one-to-one with a line manager. 522 00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:43.440 I've been for quite a long. time. 523 00:38:43.500 --> 00:38:44.699 And she says the thing. 524 00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:47.280 Servolan says, seek, locate, destroy. 525 00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:49.380 It's always good to get the episode title. 526 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:51.300 Yes. 527 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:53.219 Important to get those in the right order really. 528 00:38:53.340 --> 00:38:56.400 And what is the difference between seek and locate, really? 529 00:38:56.460 --> 00:39:01.440 No, no, it's falling apart now. from a very nation. 530 00:39:01.500 --> 00:39:03.900 Well, you seek, and then you locate. 531 00:39:03.960 --> 00:39:04.980 It's basically. 532 00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:08.579 Locate is the end result of seeking. 533 00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:10.019 Exactly, James. 534 00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:10.679 That's exactly right. 535 00:39:10.920 --> 00:39:13.860 Well, destroying is the end location. 536 00:39:14.099 --> 00:39:20.519 I can't even talk anymore. should actually be called hunt, embark, declare, declaim, fail. 537 00:39:20.579 --> 00:39:22.199 Try again, fail, try again. 538 00:39:22.260 --> 00:39:24.239 Fail, try again, and then get fired. 539 00:39:24.300 --> 00:39:26.460 Yeah, put on trial. and then fall down a hole. 540 00:39:27.179 --> 00:39:38.460 For his 2nd identical massacre too, you know, like, um, the massacre on Oros, but they don't try him for that, they try him for a massacre on Sarcasta or something. 541 00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:42.960 No one has seen the earlier episodes, I think, is the number one rule. 542 00:39:43.019 --> 00:39:44.460 Not even the people that were in them. 543 00:39:44.579 --> 00:39:46.320 No, or the ones making it. 544 00:39:46.380 --> 00:39:48.780 Definitely not the script editor who writes that episode. 545 00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:52.139 To be fair. 546 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:56.340 They literally were writing them like 5 minutes before they were being recorded. 547 00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:57.539 I mean it is evident. 548 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:00.599 Look, this is the 1st episode of Blake 7. 549 00:40:00.659 --> 00:40:01.440 Really isn't it? 550 00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:03.599 Yeah, definitely what Blake 7 becomes. 551 00:40:03.659 --> 00:40:05.159 Yeah No, it's a sixth. 552 00:40:05.699 --> 00:40:07.260 Oh really? 553 00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:09.659 No, I'm being overly looking. need to look at my schedule again. 554 00:40:09.719 --> 00:40:13.619 By the way, did they they juggled the order about a bit when they were recording, weren't they? 555 00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:14.940 Was that just for logistical purposes? 556 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:24.000 I don't know if we know, or whether there were some episodes that ended up being shunted back due to problems, but they didn't quite film them in broadcast order, which is surprising. 557 00:40:24.059 --> 00:40:26.639 Was Ben Aronovic did the radio series thing? 558 00:40:26.699 --> 00:40:27.480 many years later. 559 00:40:27.539 --> 00:40:35.880 And it obviously has now the chance to introduce Servoland and Travis immediately from the beginning. 560 00:40:35.940 --> 00:40:45.360 And there's a sense in which that might have made for a better series A, because don't know what we're doing for 5 weeks at all. 561 00:40:45.420 --> 00:40:49.980 And then suddenly it kicks in and it's marvellous. 562 00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:53.039 You know, I think this is clearly the best episode so far. 563 00:40:53.099 --> 00:40:58.380 And part of the reason is that we actually kind of know what we're doing. 564 00:40:58.440 --> 00:41:01.260 Like it's got a mission a project. 565 00:41:01.559 --> 00:41:09.960 In some ways, this could be considered to be the 4th story of the season, though, because the 1st 3 episodes are basically the same plot arc. 566 00:41:10.019 --> 00:41:14.760 Well, I mean, episode 3 is a plot arc in the sense that it's the same thing. 567 00:41:14.820 --> 00:41:29.940 It was sort of another thing happening to the same people, I guess, but it does take a long while to get going, and I just can't help thinking that the whole season would have been a bit more fun if they had thought to bring Servolan and Travis in earlier. 568 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:32.340 It just looks like they're making it up as they go along. 569 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:40.199 See, I never got that feeling as a child because we had the VHS omnibus edition, so they were introduced in tape two. 570 00:41:40.260 --> 00:41:45.119 Yeah, we see, I never became aware of Blake 7 until series C, I think. 571 00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:50.039 I mean, I suppose there's a parallel with the Doctor Who reboot holding back, bringing in the Daleks for a few episodes. 572 00:41:50.099 --> 00:41:56.039 I'm not claiming that they did that with this with that level of foresight, because yeah, I think they're worth just finding out let's do this series. 573 00:41:56.039 --> 00:42:04.559 And, and, and I guess Terry Nation didn't have in his original pitch, and then 6 episodes in or introduced a fabulous villain and her henchman. 574 00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:11.699 In his original pitch, maybe, maybe he did, but maybe it did evolve out of the, writing it and realising I know what this needs. 575 00:42:11.760 --> 00:42:12.840 Once you feel it. 576 00:42:12.900 --> 00:42:24.539 Yeah, the character Shevalan that became Servolan was only supposed to be in one episode and then they retooled the character and passed Jacqueline Pierce and then, well, let's bring her back every other week. 577 00:42:26.280 --> 00:42:29.460 But it was still male or was that Terry Nation doing? 578 00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:31.139 Hey, she's a villain. 579 00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:35.219 Shervalan. 580 00:42:35.639 --> 00:42:38.159 She's a Shervalon. 581 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:44.519 I think that comparison you made earlier with garlic is absolutely right, isn't it? 582 00:42:44.579 --> 00:42:49.139 It's episode 6 and it's the thing that absolutely kicks it into gear. 583 00:42:49.199 --> 00:42:50.400 It's a midseason premiere. 584 00:42:50.460 --> 00:42:51.719 Yeah, it is a premiere. 585 00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:59.400 Like we said before, we get everyone's skills restated, we get backstory for Blake that could have been in it before, but wasn't. 586 00:42:59.460 --> 00:43:03.780 We get Serverland discussing the effect that Blake is having on the Federation. 587 00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:08.880 It's almost as if we're expecting everyone to tune in this week for the 1st time. 588 00:43:08.940 --> 00:43:09.840 And they did. 589 00:43:09.900 --> 00:43:11.280 10.900000 of them. 590 00:43:11.340 --> 00:43:12.179 Yeah, yeah. 591 00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:13.260 Groves. 592 00:43:13.320 --> 00:43:15.000 So 2nd pilot. 593 00:43:15.059 --> 00:43:26.400 When we were talking about Time Squad, we were saying that in many ways, the lesser B plot on the planet is the same thing they're doing here, but here, they're doing it so much better. 594 00:43:26.460 --> 00:43:27.960 They're infiltrating a base. 595 00:43:28.019 --> 00:43:32.579 They're doing the same things, but actually they're doing it in a far better way. 596 00:43:32.699 --> 00:43:36.059 It's more kinetic and with more kind of reversals and things. 597 00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:40.199 Like there's, you know, stakes and unexpected things happening and stuff. 598 00:43:40.260 --> 00:43:45.719 Yes, though, I'd like to correct something I just said, Si, which is that we didn't talk about. 599 00:43:45.780 --> 00:43:48.000 No, we talked about anything but time sports. 600 00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:55.440 We talked more about cyclicate destroy the times, God. 601 00:43:55.500 --> 00:43:57.119 That's telling. 602 00:43:57.179 --> 00:44:01.079 It is. you've got to find out how not to do it in order to find out how to do it. 603 00:44:01.139 --> 00:44:05.579 Yeah, and I just wonder if there is a slight element of that going on, sort of behind the scenes. 604 00:44:05.699 --> 00:44:09.900 They're making it up a little bit on the hoof when they discover something that works. 605 00:44:09.960 --> 00:44:13.800 And I think we can do that again and do variations of this. 606 00:44:13.860 --> 00:44:17.699 We can, oh, we've got this fabulous actress who can play the villain. 607 00:44:17.760 --> 00:44:19.199 Actually, let's bring her back. 608 00:44:19.260 --> 00:44:21.539 We're not planning to, but actually she's so good. 609 00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:24.059 Let's give her a contract for another couple of episodes. 610 00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:25.139 We can work her in. 611 00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:27.300 We've still got enough time to make this happen. 612 00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:34.320 Don't they use more explosive on Travis's hand than they do on blowing up the base? 613 00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:37.739 in Times Squad as well? 614 00:44:37.800 --> 00:44:40.739 It definitely, uh, definitely goes, goes with a bang. 615 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:41.699 Yeah, but poor Travis. 616 00:44:41.820 --> 00:44:46.980 I'm wondering how much of him is going to be left by the end of series one if he's being gradually chipped away out. 617 00:44:48.119 --> 00:44:52.860 I'm watching these episodes poised for things to nominate a shriek of the week. 618 00:44:52.920 --> 00:44:54.960 And I have to say this is a shriek-free episode. 619 00:44:55.019 --> 00:45:00.840 Um, possibly after a surface of them uh, with the web with the little shrieking creatures who do nothing but run around shrieking. 620 00:45:00.900 --> 00:45:02.219 There's not much in the way of speaking. 621 00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:06.360 Callie gets dragged down a corridor unconscious, which is an amazing bit of camera. 622 00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:08.940 Travis scream when his hand gets shot. 623 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:10.380 Yeah. 624 00:45:10.380 --> 00:45:11.519 It's so good. 625 00:45:11.579 --> 00:45:12.300 It's so great. 626 00:45:12.360 --> 00:45:14.039 I don't know that he makes a noise, does he? 627 00:45:14.099 --> 00:45:19.800 But he's like neck, his neck, he sort of arches back and his mouth opens and stuff and he's shot in profile. 628 00:45:19.860 --> 00:45:20.460 It's good. 629 00:45:20.519 --> 00:45:21.360 One of their shots. 630 00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:23.519 Yeah I had it down as a Yelp. rather than a shelf. 631 00:45:23.579 --> 00:45:24.119 Yes, okay. 632 00:45:24.179 --> 00:45:24.840 I give it that. 633 00:45:24.900 --> 00:45:26.460 What's your review of that? 634 00:45:26.519 --> 00:45:27.000 Yelp. 635 00:45:27.059 --> 00:45:27.780 Oh, please. 636 00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:35.820 Does the noise that I made when Serverland 1st appeared on screen count as... 637 00:45:35.820 --> 00:45:38.340 I suspect that was a similar noise to the one I made. 638 00:45:38.940 --> 00:45:41.579 Yeah, I think we're older, didn't we? 639 00:45:41.639 --> 00:45:46.320 And so what is the what is the frock rating then, James, for her opening number? 640 00:45:46.380 --> 00:45:48.119 I think it's a solid six. 641 00:45:48.179 --> 00:45:49.980 Oh, you're kidding me. 642 00:45:50.039 --> 00:45:51.840 It's much higher than that. 643 00:45:51.900 --> 00:45:53.460 I think it is one of her best. 644 00:45:53.519 --> 00:45:55.679 All the sort of silver chasing around the collar and stuff. 645 00:45:55.679 --> 00:45:59.099 And, you know, like it's practical, but very feminine. 646 00:45:59.159 --> 00:46:02.039 I'm I'm absolutely here for that. giving it an eight. 647 00:46:02.099 --> 00:46:04.440 I just said that to get a reaction. 648 00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:08.579 You're being frock troll. 649 00:46:10.380 --> 00:46:12.539 Always happens. 650 00:46:12.900 --> 00:46:17.760 I don't like the netting on the sleeves very much, but that's just me. 651 00:46:17.820 --> 00:46:19.079 I'm not... 652 00:46:19.139 --> 00:46:20.699 I'm not terribly fond of this costume. 653 00:46:20.760 --> 00:46:23.159 I think she has much better white frocks later on. 654 00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:25.619 You know what the colour reminds me of? 655 00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:27.659 It's Anthony Ainley's master. 656 00:46:27.719 --> 00:46:32.940 That kind of silvery sort of guilt work kind of thing. 657 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:36.059 But this is better because it doesn't have Anthony Ainley in it. 658 00:46:37.320 --> 00:46:40.139 Now there would be an alternative performance. 659 00:46:40.380 --> 00:46:43.079 Oh, Travis. 660 00:46:43.139 --> 00:46:43.679 Okay. 661 00:46:47.880 --> 00:46:50.940 Oh my dear Blake, you have been naive. 662 00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:55.619 Is there anything else that we have done? 663 00:46:55.679 --> 00:46:56.340 There is one more thing. 664 00:46:56.400 --> 00:47:00.900 We get the introduction of the mutoids in a very small way. 665 00:47:00.960 --> 00:47:02.699 So they're sort of mentioned. 666 00:47:02.760 --> 00:47:20.699 I'm not sure, do we see any in this episode, but again, it's Terry Nation sort of setting things up for the future that Travis wants to work with not quite human people because he doesn't trust any human to do what he tells them properly or then or maybe it's just more that the mutoids are stupid enough to follow any of his his orders. 667 00:47:20.820 --> 00:47:23.400 I think there are a really super weird creation. 668 00:47:23.460 --> 00:47:27.300 I don't think episode one takes place in a universe with mutoids in it. 669 00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:31.199 It's very, very strange, weird kind of thing. 670 00:47:31.260 --> 00:47:32.219 I'm totally here for it. 671 00:47:32.280 --> 00:47:33.659 It could have been much more boring. 672 00:47:33.719 --> 00:47:46.019 And I do think, is it, is it the novel, you know, Blake 7 in the beginning that kind of ditches the word mutoids and calls them androids, which is just like a 100000000000 times less. doesn't it? 673 00:47:46.079 --> 00:47:48.179 When Limito is finally introduced dual? 674 00:47:48.239 --> 00:47:49.500 Yeah, properly. 675 00:47:49.559 --> 00:47:53.219 Well, it's the 1st time we get a sort of real character piece with a musoid in it. 676 00:47:53.280 --> 00:47:54.119 I think it's wonderful. 677 00:47:54.179 --> 00:47:55.199 It's really, very good. 678 00:47:55.320 --> 00:47:56.820 And their hair. 679 00:47:56.880 --> 00:47:58.559 They're fabulous plastic. 680 00:47:58.679 --> 00:48:02.280 Yeah, and that great big mushroom topped heads that they have originally are really good. 681 00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:07.199 And then they go for a geometric bob in series D, but they're getting in head of ourselves. 682 00:48:16.739 --> 00:48:18.780 Thank you very much for listening along with us. 683 00:48:18.840 --> 00:48:26.159 We hope you have enjoyed being sought, located, and destroyed, and we hope you'll be back with us to talk about Mission to Destiny next time. 684 00:48:26.219 --> 00:48:27.000 Goodbye. 685 00:48:27.059 --> 00:48:27.420 Goodbye. 686 00:48:27.480 --> 00:48:28.199 Goodbye. 687 00:48:28.260 --> 00:48:30.360 Goodbye, and goodbye from me. 688 00:48:39.420 --> 00:48:41.519 Switching to Manny. 689 00:48:41.579 --> 00:48:43.440 Maximum power on all drives. 690 00:48:46.500 --> 00:48:48.719 Maximum power.