(The Scene begins with James and Mistress Net in the crimson void)
TLOTA:
Oh, big whoop, instead of being The Last Of The Americans, I became the host of “TV Trash.” My life was so different. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have...
Mistress Net:
Yet not to begin to understand. Enjoy your next stop.
TLOTA:
Oh crap!
(James screams as he falls as the scene cuts to a “Sliders-”esque tunnel and a musical theme like the “Arrowverse: Elseworlds” theme song plays as a voiceover of James Faraci asking “What if there were alternate realities? What if you saw what could’ve been or what might have been? And What if you realize, you’re in a better place than you really are?” The “Sliders-” esque tunnel leads to James in different ways either dressed like “Rowdy” from “TV Trash,” “The Blockbuster Buster,” James dressed like “Todd In The Shadows,” and James dressed like Brian Zane from “Wrestling With Wregret” as we then see James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as he falls through all of them and the words “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS: ELSEWORLDS” are shown as it cuts to James dressed as “The Blockbuster Buster.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
In the far future, an oppressive Federation is out to conquer all the known planets, led by a cold-hearted, power-hungry, evil. One ship stands alone in trying to stop the Federation and its leader, whom they tried to scramble his brain cells and failed, then became its biggest thorn in their sides, and his name is... BLAKE! (Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as it zooms towards the screen. Cut to James dressed as “The Blockbuster Buster.”)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Greetings Fanboys and Fangirls, I’m James Faraci, and I’m The Blockbuster Buster. In the 1970s, the sci-fi scene was defined by fantastic series like “Doctor Who” and movies like “Star Wars.” But that didn’t deter the man behind Davros and The Daleks, Terry Nation, from trying to get his share of the action. (Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “THE PLOT” appear as a voice says it. Cut to “Blake’s 7” as James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Set in the third century of the second calendar, Roj Blake was a man who wanted to defy the oppressive federation. When he failed, he had his mind melted down and reforged into their version of a model citizen. It’s not until there is a show trial that finds him guilty of a crime he didn’t commit that sends him and a group of others like him out as they find a massive spaceship. Blake takes command of the ship “The Liberator” and begins his mission to free the universe from the Federation. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
The creator of the series, Terry Nation, pitched it as “Robin Hood” meets “The Dirty Dozen” in space! Which sounds awesome! (Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “Cast and Characters” appear as a voice says it. Cut to James physically.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
While there is an abundance of actors who appear in this show and on “Doctor Who” including Deep Roy, Richard Hurndall, the second actor to portray The First Doctor after the death of William Hartnell, Michael Gough, and the Sixth Doctor himself Colin Baker, there were a lot of changes to the main cast. So, I think it would be appropriate to talk about our villains, starting with (Cut to a still of both versions “Travis” as played by their respective actors and a voice saying “Travis, played by Stephan Greif in Season one and Brian Croucher in Season two.” Cut to all the clips of “Travis” on “Blake’s 7” as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Disfigured by an accident he caused because of Blake, Travis is a sociopathic asshole who won’t be happy until he has Blake dead, stuffed and mounted for him to use as his daily target practice with his mechanical laser blasting hand. While the character was recast in season two, it didn’t stop Travis from doing what he wanted to do to find Blake, kill him, and then regain his command job in the Federation. However, if there is one thing you should know, someone who is sociopathic will get what’s coming to them. (Show the clip of Travis being shot by Avon and destroyed in a power vortex. Cut to a still of “Servalan” and her respected actress, and a voice saying, “Servalan, played by Jacqueline Pearce. Cut to all the clips featuring “Servalan” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
She is ruthless, cold-blooded, and power hungry, quickly rising from a commander to a supreme commander to the President of the Federation, Servalan will do whatever it takes to stop Blake or his group, take over The Liberator, and control every star system in an iron-cold grip! Fortunately, the seven will always be there to keep her in check. (Cut to the clip of her nearly getting what she deserves at the end of Season Three as The Liberator’s Teleport system explodes, and it looks like she didn’t get off The Liberator in time to see it explode. Cut to James physically.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Now, we can move on to our heroes, starting with the ones that lasted the longest and then the one that the show is named after. Starting with (Cut to a still of “Avon” and his respected actor, and a voice saying “Avon, played by Paul Darrow.” Cut to all the clips featuring “Avon” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Icy Cold, Logical, driven by taking all the money from everyone and the textbook definition of “The Magnificent Bastard,” he disagreed with Blake on so much. Still, strangely, their goals were similar: to see the Federation reduced to ashes! He becomes a reluctant rebel, and, at times, he seems motivated by financial gain and shows his readiness to put his companions in danger to protect himself. He has an ambiguous and sometimes playful relationship with Servalan. He constantly pounced on Vila when he said anything, turning Vila into a walking joke. Where Avon grew from when he worked with Blake was when he could show compassion and be better than he once was. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
The best part was how seriously Paul Darrow took the character of Avon as a Clint Eastwood character in one of his Spaghetti Westerns. But that doesn’t mean his zingers towards others isn’t cruel or without merit. (Cut to all the jabs and witty retorts towards others. Cut to James physically.) Don’t you ever get tired of being right all the time?
(Cut to the clip of Avon as he says, “Just with the rest of you being wrong.” Cut to a still of “Vila” and his respected actor, and a voice saying “Vila, played by Michael Keating”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Vila” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
A talented thief and often the butt of Avon’s jabs, he likes a fine drink, he wants to take it easy, take what he needs to live comfortably for the rest of his life and wants to be left to his own devices. But even the most comedic foils have moments of greatness, especially in the third season as he goes toe to toe with “Bayban The Butcher” and bests him using his ability to open doors and break into vaults. He is also an expert lock-picker and conjurer and is usually reluctant to risk his life. He's often seen as cowardly, and although other crew members regard him as tiresome, he has a high IQ and just wishes to survive.
(Cut to a still of “ORAC” and a voice saying “ORAC, played by Peter Tuddenham”. Cut to all the clips featuring “ORAC” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Introduced at the end of the first season and originally voiced by the same actor who played his character’s creator, Ensor, ORAC is the greatest tool to help run the ship, assist in Blake and Avon’s cause, help the others in their times of need, and in his own curiosities. ORAC has unlimited abilities and can predict when certain things will happen. (Cut to James physically.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
The other interesting thing about the person who voices ORAC, Peter Tuddenham, also voices the computer known as “Zen” on The Liberator and “Slave” on The Scorpio, in case you wanted to know.
(Cut to a still of “Callie” and her respected actress, and a voice saying “Callie, played by Jan Chappell”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Callie” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
An alien born on the planet Auron, Callie has some psychic powers, including transmitting thoughts silently to others. She later develops mind-reading, telekinesis, and precognition abilities, but she is also uniquely vulnerable to telepathic control by alien forces. Callie was a guerrilla fighter who chose to stand and fight when it came to protecting her home world from Federation control, but was exiled for her desire to save her home.
(Cut to a still of “Jenna” and her respected actress, and a voice saying “Jenna, played by Sally Knyvette”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Jenna” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Jenna is a former space smuggler and skilled pilot who becomes adept at piloting The Liberator. She has great affection for Blake, and she is loyal to him once he gains her trust. While it may seem that she could only be seen as the second in command under Blake, when she had her times to stand toe to toe with the likes of Servalan and some of the most vile and disgusting creatures that dare to come from the depths of space
(Cut to a still of “Dayna” and her respected actress, and a voice saying “Dayna, played by Josette Simon”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Dayna” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
A kickass weapons expert thanks to her father being a weapons maker for those who oppose the Federation. When Servalan murdered Dayna’s father and her adopted sister was killed by the savage natives of a planet she called home, she joined Avon’s journey to stop her, and if she had an opportunity to kill Servalan in the process, then yes, she’d join the team! (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
And as someone with a whopper of a weapon warehouse, she is someone I would like to befriend.
(Cut to a still of “Tarrant” and his respected actor and a voice saying “Tarrant, played by “Steven Pacey”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Tarrant” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
According to Avon, Tarrant is “Brave, young, and handsome, there are three reasons not to like him.” But the fact that he is one hell of a pilot gives Han Solo an equal. He also makes Avon someone to fight back with the same amount of wit that Avon deals to the others. (Cut to a clip of Avon telling Tarrant to shut up and Tarrant talking back with the same attitude. Cut to James physically. )
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Interestingly enough, another character in the pilot was named Tarrant, who was used to help make sure The Federation got rid of Blake, and there is no connection to it, as far as I know.
(Cut to a still of “Gan” and his respected actor, and a voice saying “Gan, played by David Jackson”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Avon” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
The muscle of the team that doesn’t last long, but he proves to be the most loyal to Blake’s cause, so that when he does pass away in the series, it causes one of the most intense changes in the status quo outside of when “The Doctor” loses a companion. While I talk about him being the muscle, he can’t just up and squeeze a guy like a zit, due to a limiter chip in his head. While it does have moments where it does fail and we can see what he can do, it takes his passing to question his capabilities to lead the campaign to end the Federation, which humanizes Blake in a way nothing else can.
(Cut to a still of “Soolin” and her respected actress, and a voice saying “Soolin, played by Glynis Barber”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Soolin” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
She is originally the companion of the one who rescues the survivors of the end of Season 3 and is the one who runs the base for the team because her companion was a Dorian Gray psychopath. She is the only one who can help the others with the maintenance of the base and their new ship, The Scorpio. In the final episode we get some backstory that helped turned her into who she was, otherwise, she doesn’t do much except be a part of the team. (Cut to James physically.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Which is a shame. She had potential. From what I heard, Glynis got the role due to her alleged relationship with her fellow co-star, Steven Pacey. While that remains unconfirmed, I like to think that it was a coincidence.
(Cut to a still of “Roj Blake” and his respected actor and a voice saying “Roj Blake, played by Gareth Thomas”. Cut to all the clips featuring “Avon” on Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Blake was a dissident towards the Federation in favor of everyone having a right to exist as they see fit. He had been brainwashed into being a loyal citizen of the Federation, but once he was found guilty of a crime he DIDN’T commit, it put him on his path to becoming the thorn in the side of the Federation, Servalan, and Travis. While he is always one to try the peaceful route, what happens to him while with the others on The Liberator makes Blake wiser, but also shows that what he is doing is right, even when people say that he is in the wrong. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
His fate will be discussed as we talk about the series, even though he leaves halfway through. But suffice it to say what happened to him is legend.
(Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “Season One: The Way Back” appear as a voice says it. Cut to Season One of “Blake’s 7” as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
As I just said, Roj Blake is a resistance leader against the totalitarian Federation who had his memories scrambled like eggs. He is then found guilty of a crime he did not commit and is sentenced to a life sentence on the penal planet of Cygnus Alpha. While transporting to Cygnus Alpha, he befriends Jenna, Vila, Gan, and Avon. However, by the end of the second episode, Blake gains control of an alien ship dubbed “The Liberator.” By the fourth episode, Callie joins the team begrudgingly initially, but there was a reason for it. She wanted to fight the neutrality of her home planet, Auron, and stop the Federation. Episode six introduces Servalan and Travis and gives Blake and the others a nemesis to keep them on their toes. Thankfully, the team is soon given a chance to get an advantage over the two, and by the season finale, they will have obtained the tool that will help them in their mission, ORAC. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Ultimately, season one is a great start for the series, and while there were episodes that developed the entire team in one way or another, the best and worst is yet to come.
(Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “Season Two: Star One” appear as a voice says it. Cut to Season Two of “Blake’s 7” as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Season two picked up with Blake trying to figure out what ORAC had predicted at the end of the first season, and we meet the aliens that built The Liberator in the season premiere. While the team did go through quite a bit, it isn’t until the middle of the season that some of the biggest changes would occur. By the fifth episode, Gan dies rescuing others and saving Blake, and helping the others in the beginning of their search for “Star One.” Meanwhile, Servalan and Travis are going to face judgment. While Servalan avoids a life sentence, Travis is now a wanted fugitive in the eyes of the Federation, so now Blake has more trouble, especially with what happened with Gan. It changed his perspective on what he was doing. While he remained in charge of the team, he was more determined to ensure he controlled the situation. The season finale, “Star One,” remains one of the best of the series. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
Interestingly enough, this season finale almost connected this series to “Doctor Who” as Terry Nation, the man behind The Daleks and Davros AND the creator of this show, wanted The Daleks to appear, meaning we would’ve had an ultimate crossover since the MCU or the View Askewniverse. Sadly, the people at the BBC decided to kill the idea. But the finale was so good that it laid the groundwork for the rest of the series.
(Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “Season Three: Aftermath” appear as a voice says it. Cut to Season Three of “Blake’s 7” as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Season three saw some of the most significant changes, primarily with our heroes, Blake and Jenna, who had left the show with consequences that would affect the show. Avon was now the person that everyone had to unite under, and when the new characters of Dayna and Tarrant came onboard The Liberator, there were new character dynamics. However, the problem of The Federation loomed large, even after losing “Star One,” it did not shorten the reach of The Federation, in fact it began to spread like HYDRA infiltrating SHIELD in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” so very reluctantly Avon must now pick up where Blake left off and try to stop the Federation and keep Servalan from getting her hands on The Liberator while still having their own adventures, for example “The City At The Edge Of The World,” in which the ruthless outlaw “Bayban The Butcher,” played by the Sixth Doctor himself, Colin Baker is demanding Vila to open a door that could lead to treasure and power. In contrast, it leads to a group of colonists to paradise, it only ensures that Bayban gets what he deserves. (Show clip of “Bayban The Butcher getting blown away with the city. Show clips of Season Three, Blake’s 7 as James does a voiceover.) Then we have an episode on Tarrant’s Brother Deeta, played by Steven Pacey, as we see how an outpost on two planets called Teal and Vandor handles their conflicts. And as great as the season was, the finale, “Terminal,” set everything up for what was meant to be the best finale for a Sci-Fi series of this caliber. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
However, as the finale aired, the BBC Comptroler saw it and said, “This series is great. Renew it for another year.” The problem was that everyone thought the show was over; however, it only had one last lap to go before riding off into the sunset and changing Sci-Fi forever!
(Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo from the final season, and the words “Season Four: Blake” appear as if a voice says it. Cut to Season Four of “Blake’s 7” as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Season four picks up weeks after “Terminal.” However, Servalan still had a hand to play to thank Avon and the others for The Liberator, which went boom at the end of “Terminal.” However, not all is lost, while Cally is killed in an explosion, a new ship called the Scorpio helmed by the villain of the premiere “Dorian” played by Geoffrey Burridge, followed the same route, avoiding the mess that destroyed the Liberator and picks up the survivors from The Liberator and takes them to Xenon and his base, there they meet with Soolin and they’re nearly sacrificed to a Sea Devil I’m not even kidding about it, that is a repainted and repurposed Sea Devil costume to represent the creature that Dorian was going to sacrifice our heroes to, to stay alive, however Dorian should’ve known not to fuck with the tag team of Avon and Vila. (Show Dorian’s death scene. Cut to Season Four of Blake’s 7 as James continues his voiceover.) While Soolin joins the crew, we soon discover that by an act of the devil, Servalan survived the destruction of The Liberator and took the identity of Supreme Commissioner Sleer to regain her power. This season, Avon and the others begin a final strike against the Federation by creating an Anti-Federation Rebel Alliance. Trying to get anyone and everyone to unite against Servalan, however, Servalan would be no different from The Joker if he, Lex Luthor, and Terry Silver were to merge into one supreme evil being! Using the person Avon wanted to lead his alliance, Zukan, to destroy Avon and the others. Leading to the finale, “Blake,” with the base on Xenon damage being too severe even after cleaning up Zukan’s mess, Avon decides to blow the base up, try and find a new figurehead for his Alliance to stop the Federation as he and ORAC found Blake through a line in the pattern of infinity and discovered he is working as a bounty hunter on Gauda Prime. (Cut to James physically.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
And here is where I must post a Spoiler Warning for those who have not seen the series in full. This finale is so important that I am telling you to watch it and THEN come back to this review to discover what happened. If not, you have been warned! (Cut to the finale as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
Avon and the others are blasted when they arrive on Gauda Prime, forcing them to abandon their ship, except for Tarrant, who goes down with the Scorpio in the most intense ways. Blake soon meets with Tarrant and takes him back to his base as Avon and the others arrive at the final miscommunication between Blake and Avon. (Show the clip of Blake and Avon talking, and then everyone around Avon dying after killing Blake in cold blood, before cutting to the end credits. Cut to clips of the finale as James does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
HO...LY...SHIT! The fact that everyone around Avon dies and Avon stands alone with the odds against him, and the last sound anyone hears before the end credits is a volley of bullets flying, is shocking enough. While the series ended this way, the series survived in a book called “Afterlife,” which tells how Avon and Vila survived Gauda Prime and fought another day against Servalan with a new crew. There have been audio dramas that have tried to reboot the franchise, and surviving members of the cast have done their own extensions from the series in audio dramas. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
And rumors have been swirling since the “New Who” Era of Doctor Who about a revival of Blake’s 7; however, with the passing of most of the cast, a continuation may be impossible. As for what took so long for me to do this? I had to wait for a physical copy of “Blake’s 7” to be available here in North America, outside Bootlegs, and copies on YouTube. Some legalities kept this series from being available here. However, last winter, the first season became available physically, and BritBox put it in their streaming service. If you have a Prime Video account and can find it on the schedule on the BBC Sci-Fi channel, you can check the series out there.
(Cut to the “Blake’s 7” logo as the circles go around it and the words “Final Verdict” appear as a voice says it. Cut to “Blake’s 7” as James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci does a voiceover.)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci (V.O.):
While it didn’t have that long a run on TV, its impact is still felt. Shows like “Stargate,” “Farscape,” “Aeon Flux,” “Red Dwarf,” several of the Star Trek properties in the 1990s, and even one of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi shows, “Firefly,” have their DNA Structure because of “Blake’s 7.” It’s a series that set the template for much of the Sci-Fi we know and love. It deserves so much acclaim for what it has done. (Cut to James physically)
James “Blockbuster Buster” Faraci:
And proof that even though the show didn’t last long, it didn’t leave an impact on Sci-Fi as a whole! Ten Points on the Badassitude Meter! Get your favorite drink, Raise The Force Wall, Clear the Neutron Blaster For Firing, Charge The Forward Lance, and give it a watch at standard speed by twelve. Until next time I’m James Faraci and I’m The Blockbuster Buster. (Scene fades to black.)
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