archer@hsi.UUCP (Garry Archer) (03/11/86)
> Recently, one of our PBS stations has been airing a british "sf" (term is > a bit dubious--there is less science in the series than in Star Trek (or > even Dr. Who). For instance, they seem to have no idea of what a galaxy is) > series called Blakes 7. They also have a transporter (called, in this case, > a teleporter). People who are supposed to be beamed up or down must wear > teleporter bracelets. It is a bit disappointing to find out that the british > can't write any better than the americans--in every other episode (rough > statistics) the crew beams down, gets conked over the head, and has their > teleport bracelets removed. I remember wondering when I saw the third or > fourth show (when they introduced the teleporter) how they were going to > avoid the Star Trek transporter problem. The answer, of course, is that they > weren't--they were going to discover the problem (and the same cheap > solutions for themselves. Oh dear. So "Blake's 7" made it over here after all. It was a particularly poor Sci-Fi offering. The only reason anyone (including meself) would want to watch it is purely to watch ANYTHING Sci-Fi on the telly, no matter how bad! If you have the opportunity to see it, there's nothing to stop you of course, but remember that the B.B.C. didn't drop it for nothing. Speaking of watching anything Sci-Fi on the telly, I even used to watch a "children's hour" show back home in England 10 (or even 15) years ago, called "The Tomorrow People". I believe that one has been shown over here as well. Any Trekkies ever seen that one? -- Garry Archer ihnp4!hsi!archer Health Systems International New Haven, CT 06511 USA
ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP (Ken Arromdee) (03/13/86)
>Speaking of watching >anything Sci-Fi on the telly, I even used to watch a "children's hour" show >back home in England 10 (or even 15) years ago, called "The Tomorrow People". >I believe that one has been shown over here as well. Any Trekkies ever seen >that one? > Garry Archer ihnp4!hsi!archer Yes. 5 years or so back it was on the pay-TV channel Nickelodeon. Seemed like typical television sci-fi.
ins_ajpo@jhunix.UUCP (Adric of Alzarius) (03/13/86)
>Oh dear. So "Blake's 7" made it over here after all. It was a particularly >poor Sci-Fi offering. The only reason anyone (including meself) would want to >watch it is purely to watch ANYTHING Sci-Fi on the telly, no matter how bad! >If you have the opportunity to see it, there's nothing to stop you of course, >but remember that the B.B.C. didn't drop it for nothing. Speaking of watching >anything Sci-Fi on the telly, I even used to watch a "children's hour" show >back home in England 10 (or even 15) years ago, called "The Tomorrow People". >I believe that one has been shown over here as well. Any Trekkies ever seen >that one? Yes I have seen "The Tomorrow People." It was shown here a few years ago on Nickelodeon. I thought it was somewhat interesting yet mediocre. Any other opinions? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Me, not allowed??? I'm allowed everywhere!" -- The Doctor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Joseph P. Ogulin UUCP: seismo!umcp-cs \ BITNET: INS_AJPO@JHUVMS ihnp4!whuxcc > !jhunix!ins_ajpo P99I1798@JHUVM allegra!hopkins / CSNET: ins_ajpo@jhunix.CSNET ARPA: ins_ajpo%jhunix.BITNET@wiscvm.WISC.EDU
ix312@sdcc6.UUCP (ix312) (03/20/86)
First of all, I don't think this is the proper place for a dicussion of Blake's 7. But, I, of course, will follow the crowd. I am trying to generate interest in starting a net.media.sf/fanatasy to help avoid this problem. Such a newsgroup could include Dr. Who as well as other tv related sf. (I don't include Star Trek in that list.) I hope that you'll give that a thinkabout. Back to Blake's 7. While I agree with everything stated below I still like the show. In article <326@hsi.UUCP>, archer@hsi.UUCP (Garry Archer) writes: > > Recently, one of our PBS stations has been airing a british "sf" (term is > > a bit dubious--there is less science in the series than in Star Trek (or > > even Dr. Who). For instance, they seem to have no idea of what a galaxy is) > > series called Blakes 7. They also have a transporter (called, in this case, > > a teleporter). People who are supposed to be beamed up or down must wear > > teleporter bracelets. It is a bit disappointing to find out that the british > > can't write any better than the americans--in every other episode (rough > > statistics) the crew beams down, gets conked over the head, and has their > > teleport bracelets removed. I remember wondering when I saw the third or > > fourth show (when they introduced the teleporter) how they were going to > > avoid the Star Trek transporter problem. The answer, of course, is that they > > weren't--they were going to discover the problem (and the same cheap > > solutions for themselves. > > Oh dear. So "Blake's 7" made it over here after all. It was a particularly > poor Sci-Fi offering. > I admit that I've only seen a few eposides out of the first season. (perhaps like Star Trek it went downhill in the later seasons) I will also admit that it does suffer from less than fantastic plots, bad special effects (I only worry about special effects on the BIG screen, on tv they all suffer) and a very low budget. At least I hope they can claim a low budget. Also its creator and only writer (so far), Terry Nation, must be one H-LL of a Star Trek fan. Some shows have been merely MINOR rewrites of ST episodes and of course there is that teleporter. But the characters do have their own personalities, (ok a lot of that too was borrowed from ST). But they are a bit different. Now that it sounds like I've put the show down I'll tell you that I really do like it - a lot, perhaps partly because it is such a take off of Star Trek as well as others. If you want to watch great Science Fiction go rent a tape of 2001 or 2010. If you want to watch good science fiction go watch a rerun of Star Trek for the umpteenth time. I find that B-7 is a lot of fun, not great, just amusing. And at this point not a rerun. ME (I know I'm entitled to my own opinion; it's my assumption that everyone else is entitled to it also that keeps getting me into trouble.)