Must-See Series From the 1970s to Modern Sci-Fi and Marvel’s Best Movies
Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
The two most popular sci-fi franchises in the world, Star Trek and Star Wars, approach the genre from different angles; the former envisions a perfect future, while the latter is merely a dream, but both involve a clear distinction between good and evil.
A third approach emerged as a result of the influential British series, Blake 7making the heroes villainous and aggressive at the edges, showing a sci-fi universe where the line between good and evil is blurred. With a focus on multi-episode storylines and a dark, gritty tone to its world, the BBC series also laid the groundwork for later shows such as Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscapeonce Battlestar Galactica reorganize.
Not the Good Guys, Not the Bad Guys
Blake of Blake 7 by Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas), the leader of the rebellion against the Federation, he was brainwashed, tortured, then framed for crimes he did not commit and sent to prison world. A born leader, Blake helps other prisoners escape by taking control of The Liberator, a mysterious ship manned by an advanced AI computer called Zen. The thing is, even though Blake is Captain by default, he has his hands full keeping his rowdy compatriots on track as they try to take down the Federation.
At Blake’s side there is Avon, a computer genius who lives by the code of thinking and thinking, who sounds like Spock, except that he is also greedy and willing to sacrifice his colleagues to save his own skin, Vila, a cowardly thief who loves alcohol, Jenna Stannis, a smuggler and a very good pilot, takes a reliable pilot, and very good. episodes.
The other half features Cally, a phone machine with a death wish, Olag a giant who has a device implanted in his brain to keep him calm and docile, and Zen, a sentient computer. The group entered Blake 7 not to be confused with the officers of the Enterprise, or the Rebel Alliance, but they are, without a doubt, the forerunners of the Spirit group Farscape.
Laying the Foundation for a New Way Forward
Blake 7 follows the usual format of British television, with four shortened seasons of 13 episodes each, but with an unusual sci-fi twist, the entire first season was written by the show’s creator, Terry Nation, which is a show that would not be on the top until writing J. Michael Straczynski Babylon 5. The first two seasons play like a prequel to another modern classic, Battlestar Galacticawith the Federation hot on the heels of The Liberator and the ragtag crew facing the enemy that made them so numerous and successful. That’s why, even though the British series debuted in 1978 on a budget that would be considered nonexistent today, it’s still a revered fan favorite decades ahead of its time.
Watch 30 seconds of the show, and you can see that it had no budget, but it had a strong sense of its characters, don’t focus on the amazing special effects, but on the way all the seven violent people explode in different combinations until it seems that every few episodes, someone threatens to leave the Liberator for good.
Terry Nation has written a space opera about horrible people, steeped in the same cynicism and anti-government attitude that played out in England in the mid-70s, and yet manages to maintain a sense of humor throughout. Regardless of the decade of its release, Blake 7 will be hailed as a creative, bold new take on sci-fi.
The most impressive part of the show is how it puts everything together for one of the most jaw-dropping finales in any series. In a world where shows end on cliffhangers and others are slated to launch spin-offs or revivals, it’s refreshing to know that Blake 7 it ends the story.
If you’re bored with Star Trek’s Federation and have seen too many Star Wars characters thought to be the worst in the galaxy who turn out to be teddy bears, it’s worth your while to fire up Britbox (available on its own or as part of Amazon Prime Video), and enjoy a sci-fi series that broke the mold and proved that it’s far-fetched sci-fi for many fans.
