The Blake’s 7 Reboot That Was Going Full Battlestar Galactica
Is it time to hop back on the Liberator, talk to Zen, and fight against the Federation? Fans of Blake’s 7 have been waiting decades to step back into this world. There have been some starts and stops.
For the uninitiated, Blake’s 7 was a British science fiction television series created by Terry Nation that aired over four seasons (series in England) from 1978 to 1981. It was created by the enormously prolific Doctor Who writer/Dalek creator and was enormously popular in the U.K. and Europe.
Blake’s 7 was a sort of “Dirty Dozen in space” or perhaps a “Farscape a few decades earlier.” The Blake in question is Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas), a political dissident who teams up with his fellow convicts, steals an alien starship, and goes on the run.
The rebels, a mix of criminals and idealists, operate from a highly advanced alien spaceship, the Liberator, which the Scorpio later replaces. The fan-favorite sci-fi series was known for its dark tone, solidly complex characters, and some questionable moral ambiguities.
Along the way, it explored those age-old sci-fi themes of resistance, freedom, and the cost of fighting oppression (sound familiar?)
So, is Blake’s 7 ripe for a reboot? Well, the journey of the Blake’s 7 reboot has been a complex and uncertain one, marked by several attempts to revive the beloved British sci-fi series. Initially, Sky1 showed interest in 2008, planning two 60-minute specials, but the project was abandoned in 2010 after an extensive development process.
SyFy’s Attempt To Reboot Blake’s 7 In Battlestar Galactica Style
Then, back in 2012, as reported by Deadline, a reboot was in the woks, set to be produced by Georgeville TV, with Joe Pokaski (Heroes, CSI) as the writer and Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Goldeneye) as the director.
It was even reported that Syfy had ordered 13 episodes. However, the project’s future became uncertain once again when Microsoft, initially reported to air the remake on its Xbox Live digital network, denied any involvement.
But Syfy pressed ahead with plans for a thirteen-episode Blake’s 7 first season. It looked like the remake was going to bring back the story of interstellar renegades with a few modern-day upgrades. But eventually, it died on the vine.
Much of the talk around the reboot was centered on SyFy’s then-recent success with Battlestar Galactica. SyFy’s plan was to mirror the style and success of that other show. That could have worked well with the tone and themes of Blake’s 7, but ultimately SyFy went no further with it.
Casting The Blake’s 7 Reboot
There was some speculation and Blake’s 7 fan casting, but no official names were ever confirmed due to the project’s uncertain status. Original series star Gareth Thomas passed away in 2016. Plus, Paul Darrow who played Kerr, passed away in 2019.
There were some original Blake’s 7 folks who did seem to want to get in the mix on a reboot though. Glynis Barber, who played Soolin in the original series, expressed interest in returning to a reboot.
Current Status Of The Blake’s 7 Reboot
Since then, very little has happened on the Blake’s 7 reboot front. This isn’t to say it won’t happen; far from it. After all, we live in a content arms race where streamers and studios are constantly looking for original or legacy IPs to turn into potential franchises.
Blake’s 7‘s influences can be seen stretching across the ensuing decades of sci-fi television, casting ripples through shows such as Babylon 5, Firefly, Farscape, and Battlestar Galactica. There is a history here.
If done properly, a new Blake’s 7 series could find a whole new generation of fans who’ve never even heard of the original show. As with everything, however, it will all come down to execution.
From this standpoint, there’s always hope for Blake’s 7 to return in some form, clearly with some needed updates along the way. If fans want it, they’ll have to let Hollywood know.
