I am old enough to remember watching the final series of Blake's 7 when it was first broadcast, as well as mornings waiting for my mam to finish her night shifts at the local hospital because she would pick up the latest issue of Blake's 7 Magazine for me from the shop there. I loved what I saw and read back then, and the denizens of TIT Towers enjoyed a viewing of the DVD boxset a few years ago, although my words on this blog about the experience feel a tad overly waspish now. It was great to watch the show again, and then, earlier this year, I saw this:
Thank to my good lady, I received this copy for my birthday and promptly rattled through it. And in the intervening weeks and months, I've kept going back.
Coming in at just over 270 pages, the Series A production diary takes the reader on the long journey from the very inception of Blake's 7 (9th September 1975) to the final piece of first series related paperwork, a BBC audience research report on 8th April 1978. In-between is a treasure trove of notes, scribbles, diagrams, sketches, photographs, anecdotes, and other previously publicly unknown or hard to find information all presented in a straight forward chronological fashion. Final sections offer the complete array of model shots of the Liberator (swoon), episode synopses, and cast and crew lists rounding out the package.
 |
| What a cast! |
Gentle reader, it's amazing. Seriously, if you have any interest in the show, this book needs to be on your shelves. You will find out exactly how difficult it was to bring the show to life, the challenges that both cast and crew dealt with to deliver thirteen episodes of sci-fi TV the likes of which hadn't been seen before, and how you really really shouldn't have a drinkie poos on a school night (1st Feb 1978). Fair play to the late Mr Thomas, but walls would have remained unclimbed if I were in that state!
Jonathan Helm has done a fantastic job of putting together this book, and the research on display is immense. There are hundreds of cast, crew and set photographs, and just flicking through the pages now makes me want to watch the first series again. Maybe I will, what with that new, remastered Blu-ray boxset (not a hint, dear...). The impact of that effort is greatly enhanced by the layout of the book, and that's down to Grahame Robertson of Cult Edge. Whether it's a quick gander or a more leisurely deep dive within the covers, every page is a visual feast. What else can I say other than it's a brilliant effort of the highest quality.
 |
| You know he's judging you... |
And it doesn't stop there, as the proceeds after printing and production costs from this volume are donated to two charities, UNICEF and the Alzheimer's Society. Truly top stuff! And then they do it again...
Yes, Blake's 7 Production Diary Series B made its debut in October and, once again, is raising money for charity. From the Cult Edge tweets, some £2,500 from the Series B volume so far. Alas, I have not picked up a copy because of... well, it may already be hidden upstairs somewhere, because that package from Lulu was there one minute, gone the next. I married a keeper!
So, yes, anyway, should you buy this book? If you want one of the best designed, content filled "behind the scenes" volumes out there, looking at one of the best TV sci-fi shows ever, then yes. yes you should. True, they are a little pricey, but given that they're available via a publish on demand service and all proceeds after costs go to charity, for what you get, they're well worth the money. There's also regular discounts here and there so keep an eye on the social profiles listed below for updates. There are also a couple of B7 annuals, a continuation of the B7 magazine, and surely series C and D volumes to come... What a time to be a Blake's 7 fan!
The various socials below should also keep you informed as to future developments:
X - @JonLHelm, @Blakes7Diary, @cult_edge
Bluesky - @cultedge.bsky.social
No comments:
Post a Comment