Pointless Witterings

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, Aubrey Woods, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell and Peter Tuddenham  Written by Robert Holmes  Directed by George Spenton-Foster  Blake has finally tracked down  Docholli  to Freedom City, where he is being protected by Travis from various unscrupulous parties. However, Blake isn't the only one who is desperate to get to him: Servalan wants Docholli: dead or alive, and time is running out, before Servalan's hired muscle get there hands on him. Meanwhile, Avon and Vila decide to cheat the casino out of a great deal of money. With Orac's help, it appears there going to get away with it. But soon Vila is playing for his life in a game of speed chess: the most deadly game in the galaxy... After the ultimate flop of Voice From The Past, Gambit sees Blake's 7 return to form in a completely camp and outrageous instalment. Now normally, I would feel that camp instalments of any TV show w...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, Frieda Knorr, Richard Bebb, Martin Read, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Roger Parkes  Directed by George Spenton-Foster  Blake is suffering - under the strain of the conditioning that was placed on him by the Federation. Soon after, the Liberator changes course, and Avon and the rest of the crew find themselves barred and obstructed by Blake's odd behaviour. On a deserted  asteroid, however, Blake finds exactly what he needs - allies, to help in his fight against the Federation. But Avon is suspicious, and not everyone is quite what they seem... Voice From The Past is, like the state of Blake's mind in this episode, a jumbled mess. Everything is completely messed up, with little to actually recommend it. As usual, at it's heart, there are some really good ideas, but a lot of that gets lost under some really sciziopherinic elements. The whole of thi...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Tom Chabon, Paul Shelley, James Kerry, Lindy Alexander, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette & Jan Chappell  Written by Terry Nation  Directed by Vere Lorrimer The Liberator has come to Albion, where Blake aims to find Space Major Provine. However, his task is complicated when revolution on Albion means that the Federation are now more desperate than ever... The Federation activate the ultimate doomsday weapon - and only the Liberator can stop it. And not only that, but Blake must try to find Provine before the doomsday bomb goes off.  Added to that, the rebellion's main expert in bombs is Del Grant...Someone who has history with Avon... After the rubbish that was Hostage, Countdown is a an excellent return to form for Blake's 7, and a lot of that must be down to Terry Nation's fantastic script. After Redemption, Terry's script work has been fantastic, and he has quickly become one of the best writers for the second season. And one of...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, John Abineri, Judy Buxton, Kevin Stoney, Andrew Robertson, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Allan Prior  Directed by Vere Lorrimer  Blake receives a communication from Travis, after an attack on the Liberator. He is holding his cousin, Inga, hostage. Blake has no choice, but to travel to Exbar and rescue her.  However Travis has set a trap, one which will result in the Liberator falling into Travis' hands. Can Avon and Villa rescue him, before Travis gets possession of the Liberator, and before Servalan's pursuit ships close in?  This must tie with Delieverance as one of the worst Blake's 7 episodes so far. It seems a shame, but the strong run of Blake's 7 that started with an Allan Prior script, Horizon, must end with another of his, Hostage. Now, while Deliverance is simply dull and uninteresting, Hostage is badly plotted, poorly structured, b...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Paul Daneman, Ronald Lacey, Colin Farrell, Colin Higgins, Michael Gaunt, Morris Barry, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Robert Holmes  Directed by Vere Lorrimer  Avon and Villa are dropping in on an old friend: intent on getting hold of the Federation's latest method of communication. However, the pair are soon to find themselves double crossed, and there very lives in danger... Blake, on the other hand, has his own problems. A deep space cruiser has come into orbit around Fosforon, and the Federation base below are intent on studying it. However, that study could lead to the deaths of everyone on the planet...and maybe even the galaxy... I'm suprised that it took David Maloney so long before commissioning a script for Blake's 7 from sci fi genius Robert Holmes. His scripts for Doctor Who are, for the most part, phenomenal, and to see his name down on a Blake's 7 is an automatic boost. A...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, John Savident, John Bryans, Peter Miles, Victoria Fairbrother, Claire Lewis, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Chris Boucher  Directed by Derek Martinus  After Gan's death, the Liberator crew need time to think. Blake disappears off the ship, leaving the rest of the crew wondering whether he has sold them out, or whether he is meeting with somebody else. However, the world on which Blake finds himself is a dangerous one, and soon Blake is fighting for his life... Meanwhile, Travis is facing death. Finally his over zealous actions have come back to bite him... A nd when his trial is over, his executioners will be waiting...  After the climatic ending to Pressure Point, Trial takes a very different tact. Instead of an action packed blockbuster, Trial is a more intimate, reflective piece that's driven by it's characters and there relationships, rather th...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, David Jackson, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Terry Nation  Directed by George Spenton-Foster  "It's time we really hurt the Federation..."  Finally, Blake has gathered enough data to justify his attack on Central Control, and sets the Liberator on course for Earth. However, already plans are afoot against them... Travis also has a final plan. A final plan to destroy Blake and the Liberator crew. With his neck on the block, he makes one final gamble... A final reckoning is due...And a sacrifice will be made that will change everything - forever.    Pressure Point is a game-changer. It's a story that changes the whole dynamic of the show, and it finally solves the problem of the crowded Liberator by drastically reducing the team. It's certainly one of the strongest Blake's 7 episodes so far, and it's 50 minutes of nail biting tension, as,...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, William Squire, Darien Angadi, Souad Faress, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, David Jackson, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Allan Prior  Directed by Jonathan Wright Miller  The Liberator crew are in desperate need of rest, but Blake is intrested in following a lone Federation freighter to the very edge of the galaxy. There lies Horizon: a planet subjugated with typical Federation efficiency. And with the Liberator crew slowly being captured, it will take all of Blake's powers of persuasion to convince the planet's leader of the danger he is in... When one first hears about Horizon, you may discover that it doesn't have the greatest reputation with fandom. It may not be as hated as, say Voice From The Past or Rescue, but it's often considered weak when compared with the episodes that surround it, which I believe are more highly regarded. However, for me, Horizon may be unremarkable in many ways, but it's still a ve...

Starring Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Kathleen Bryon, John Bennett, Scott Fredericks, Jacqueline Pearce, Brian Croucher, Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, David Jackson, Jan Chappell & Peter Tuddenham  Written by Chris Boucher  Directed by George Spenton-Foster   IMIPAK: the most deadly weapon in the galaxy. And stolen right from under the Federation's nose... Blake and the crew of the Liberator are also interested in recovering IMIPAK. Orac has traced the prototype, and it's creator, and now Blake wants the weapon. But the Federation have plans: dangerous ones for Blake...and it will involve himself. But that's not the only person Servalan intends to kill... Weapon is an episode that, on the surface, seems to be quite a strong concept. However, look too deep at Weapon, and it turns into a talky, floundering piece, that keeps the Liberator crew apart from the action for massive chunks, and discards such good ideas as a clone of Blake off hand, with little development. I...