The BBC and ITV would have had their guidelines, but looking back on shows from any era is now astonishing as to where these boundaries would appear to lie. Julie and I have been watching “Get Some In!” (which is far better than we expected) and I’d forgotten that the word “bastard” was thrown around in a few editions – that I recall being generally a post-watershed word (of course, here in the future, it’s now comparatively acceptable in comparison with a lot of the other words which *do* feature in the dialogue).

Seeing the shows which push the boundaries – in terms of style or content – is always fascinating. I’ll never forget my excitement when seeing shows like “Gangsters” or “Moonlighting” or some of Dennis Potter’s serials which really ripped up the rule book and struck out in a new direction.

All the best

Andrew

I did notice Avon catching Blake but never quite managed to work in any commentary on it. I continue to find him such a fascinating character. Much of this does come from his relationship with Blake so it would be interesting to see anything more with the other members of the crew.

In so many ways Blake's 7 is a stark contrast to Coronation Street! Doing the Back in Time For TV articles has really made me appreciate programmes' context far more. Also, because I've yet to find any concrete rules about what was allowed pre-watershed during the 1960s and 1970s, it's great to see what different programmes managed to do.

I've never been drawn towards fan fiction for anything, so it is unlikely to be something I will explore for Blake's 7 either. It is an area I am happy to know by reputation and rumour alone!

“Duel”’s a mixed bag isn’t it? An old idea which is retooled adequately to maintain character and concept interest. And your observation that this is airing against “Coronation Street” is brilliant! Wish other writers had this grasp of how TV works and has changed over the years…

Many thanks

Andrew

Agree with your thoughts on Avon in this episode – that was the time I started picking up on him caring more then he showed, and his speech about "you don't have to be irrational to prove that you care" is one of my favorites. His words are often at odds with his actions and his body language – like he throws himself in front of danger to cover Blake while loudly berating him. Like here in "Duel" he catches Blake into his arms when Blake stumbles after the explosion.

I remember your question on Twitter whether there are Blake/Avon fanfics and I can emphatically answer – OH YES! After 1.5 years in fandom I'm still at the tip of the fanfic iceberg but it's one of the main pairings, while Avon is also shipped with a variety of men, women and inanimate objects – just you wait. 😀

Loved you observation on how no one can really leave the Liberator after Blake made them all #1 rebels for the Federation. They had a chance of fading into obscurity before – not anymore.
Also you noticed a moment with Avon looking genuinely relieved when Blake and Cally got back in the end of SLD – yes, thought so too! He cared more for Cally then he wanted to show. And his words about the device they stole also showed that: "Under the circumstances, it would have been a great pity if it hadn't worked."

Avon is a fascinated character. Also you noted his interplay with Vila – yes, remember that's where I started enjoying it too.
Blake – hope he'll live up to you expectations, he does develop in interesting ways, don't want to spoil.

Jenna – alas, not her best showing in this episode. But I liked her words how Federation caught all of them at least once.