We go to the occasional toy fair because prices for TV-related items are generally lower than for the bigger collectors’ events; the main focus is on model railways, die-casts and the like with the media tie-ins being more subsidiary.

I think it’s important that you write what you feel you *want* to write; you’ll find your own balance with the areas that interest you, or where you feel you get interesting feedback. Delighted to know that you’re now back into the 1980s for ‘Back in Time for TV’; clearly you have an appetite for viewing these programmes and wanting to convey your enthusiasm for them. And that’s all excellent news!

Hope you get a lot of good feedback. I shall drop you a line when I get a moment.

All the best

Andrew

Stafford is fairly local for me so perhaps it would be a good idea to pop by the next one! Any unloved Blake's 7 annuals might find a new home by then.

I suppose I'm mostly just glad that I'm writing well. I'd like to know if I was waffling on badly, instead of trying to delve deeply into interesting tangents. If I wasn't writing this, I would certainly be writing about something else I loved. Well, in fact I am – I'm now in the 1980s for Back in Time For TV. But I took a break between the 1970s and 1980s, thinking I would use it for other things. Instead, I got bored, realised this break was far too long, felt a yearning to write, and the timings worked out that I had finished off a couple of other shows and was finding myself fascinated after the first few episodes of Blake's 7.

Oh wow – that's marvellous! Well, I'm now privately contactable too. I figured out how to add an About Me section to the sidebar and there's an email address for the blog.

Frankly, it’s just lovely to see people enjoying “Blake’s 7”. My wife and I attended the Stafford Toy Fair yesterday looking for TV odds and ends. On offer were some nice “Danger Man” paperbacks (US and UK), a smattering of “Doctor Who” toys scattered around the place, but sitting there on one stall was an un-loved “Blake’s 7 Annual” which made me kind of feel sad that nobody had snapped it up for the sheer fun of it…

Always happy for you to drop me a line if I can help out with an aspect of the show which fascinates you – *very* few people take this kind of interest, but you’re a rare example of somebody who *gets* television production in this way. But – yes – primarily this is about you enjoying the shows without being encumbered with all the background (most of which you’re deducing anyway). Time for abandoned scripts and the pros and cons of block and strike filming later…

When I find something I like and I think other people *may* like as well, I do flag it up to like-minded friends or try and post on receptive fora. If it’s bringing more people to enjoy your writing – that’s great.

Whether you continue or not isn’t something that should be affected by feedback. If you continue to like “Blake’s 7” (or any other series), then continue blogging about it. If you don’t, then – as with any television show that you don’t find to your tastes – you stop, and you find something else which you like more. Enjoyment adds an extra veneer to writing in my experience – there’s somehow an extra sheen in the finished text when somebody is having fun. And at the end of the day to my mind there are only ever two reasons to write: a) you get paid and/or b) you have fun. Either one will do. *Both* is back-of-the-net. But either’s good.

I must get around to seeing “Firefly” as well; I know it’s got a brilliant reputation, but it aired on a channel we didn’t get at the time (indeed, we still only have free-to-air which is *more* than enough for our appetite). So, I look forward to joining in the fun with that one day as well.

Alistair McGown did a brilliant chronology in “TV Years” didn’t he? He’s a smart, clever writer; I have a lot of time for him.

SF shows *can* be impenetrable at times. Some of my favourites are those which span the genres; as long as the television is striking or imaginative or engaging or memorable, that’s fine by me.

Have fun and take care! 🙂

All the best

Andrew

Andrew, I’m honoured I was able to bring such a good start to your day! I’m trying to keep to publishing the blogs each Friday now but as everything was ready last Thursday night, decided to publish earlier. Your comments on the production background are really interesting. I’m always curious when scripts are rejected or replaced and I’d never heard about strike filming before. It will be fun to dig into some of the show’s production background when I’m finished.

From behind the scenes of this blog I can see where people have visited from, which means I have been able to click through and see your posts on various forums. Thank you for sharing. I’d initially been uncertain whether I would continue writing beyond the first series, but the feedback I’ve had has made me keen to carry on.

Mrs Underhill, I also felt a pang of sadness for Avon at the end. Blake seems to think he’s being flippant when he says about one bolthole being gone, but I thought it was clear that he wasn’t and he would be gutted. It’s probably one bit of hope that has been keeping him going. And I think you’re right about that realisation – even if he finds another bolthole, he’ll always be looking over his shoulder now.

I was perfectly happy for Avon to be left out of their jolly laughing because it jarred somewhat and I thought it a bizarre inclusion!

I haven’t seen Firefly, though read about it in the recent edition of TV Years. I’m not familiar with much sci-fi at all. I spent yesterday working through TV Years’ timeline and it’s given me so many shows to seek out! Yet there are also plenty of more recent ones that I could have probably watched when they went out, but just never grabbed me while growing up. I’ve always been cautious about anything that seemed *too* sci-fi-y and it was one thing I was worried about for Blake’s 7 – that it just wouldn’t be accessible, and I would get put off by jargon.

Intriguing idea about Vila bluffing. His early relationship with Gan had made me expect them to be a double act of sorts

Blake and Avon’s arguing was good here as you’re right, they both get desperate. I can’t remember if I’ve written about this on the blog already, but I like how they are shown to have reasoned differences of opinion and it isn’t just always petty bickering.

You’re wrong on the Bridget Jones link I’m afraid! It’s the first film in which she tells Mr Darcy, “You give the impression of being all moral and noble and… normal, and helpful in the kitchen… but you’re just as bad as the rest of them!”

And this morning's "Gosh! This is good!" was for the new "Doctor Who Magazine" special about Target paperbacks. Not sure what tomorrow's will be yet.

All the best

Andrew

I see how it could be disappointing for someone who thought it'd be about Gan, but honestly, the rest of the team got such a terrific character development, especially Avon, Vila and Blake, that I couldn't bother less. 🙂 Jenna gets a snappy comeback to the Dr. assistant, it's an OK episode for her. Cally comes across as not very bright in trusting Gan, but she's an alien so gets a pass.

By the way – yes, we can be sure that everyone on the Liberator is human, bar Cally.

And yes – here it's driven home that the Libbie crew are #1 hunted bunch in the Galaxy, they can't leave, even a carefully planned neutral bolthole is a mirage: too much temptation for someone to betray them. It's here that the truth dawns on Avon – he's truly stuck on Libbie. Him standing alone in the end, mourning his escape dreams, made me very sad.

It reminded me of the episode "Safe" from "Firefly", where Simon had an absolutely rotten day and decided that somewhere else could be better than on the ship. But somewhere else almost killed him while the crew came to the rescue, and in the end they were all happy family laughing together at the dinner table.
Here Avon had a similarly rotten day, with Gan attacking and Blake's insane plan as the last straw. Avon also in mortal danger after leaving, but here he rescues himself and helps to rescue the crew, and is left alone in the end while the crew are laughing together with Gan, without him. B7 is a much harsher show than Whedon's creation.

I felt that Avon's panic when he grabbed Jenna wasn't because of fear for his life but because of loss of control – he had no control over situation when he thought he clearly saw the danger and the way to avoid it, but Blake (and Jenna) forcefully ignored him.

Oh yes, loved Vila so much when he came to save Gan from Kayn! Made me remember that Gan was his closest friend on London. If Vila screwed up his courage for anyone it would've been for Gan. I think Vila's 1st kill was on Cygnus Alpha – he was very shocked by it. Since then he got more used to violence, but still.

I also thought Vila was bluffing about Blake, playing "bad cop" to Blake's supposed "good cop". He totally believed that Blake would be able to kill the bastard.

Ah, and I loved Blake in this episode! He showed his humanity by getting irrational and desperate over his inability to help Gan (hence his insane suggestion of operating themselves), and then getting irrationally angry and petty over Avon's leaving – points for Cally for calling him out. Avon's leaving really hurt him.

But Blake also gets shit done, and he knows how to motivate people. He has drive and fire needed for a leader – and he showed it here with Kayn. I thought his threat was awesome and effective, and I thought Vila and Avon thought that too.
Also it was Blake who first warned everyone about "many faces of neutrality" which Avon later reiterated. Blake is smart here – desperate but still smart. And mean, to Avon as well. I felt like the last straw for Avon wasn't even the latest Blake insane plan but Blake not saying thank you for Avon accomplishing the impossible with the computers. Avon was petty and hurt too.

Bridget Jones link – "The Edge of Reason", right? 🙂
Ah, it's such a joy reading your blog and reliving my own feelings!