From: blakes7-d-request@lysator.liu.se Subject: blakes7-d Digest V00 #180 X-Loop: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se X-Mailing-List: archive/volume00/180 Precedence: list MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" To: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se Reply-To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se ------------------------------ Content-Type: text/plain blakes7-d Digest Volume 00 : Issue 180 Today's Topics: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Re: [B7L] DS9 crossover (was Re: Crew, Models and Liaisons) [B7L] Re: Zenith Is Here Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) [B7L] Fav episodes Re: [B7L] Re: Traves Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Re: [B7L] Priceline (was Posting fanfic?) Re: [B7L] DS9 crossover (was Re: Crew, Models and Liaisons) Re: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Re: [B7L] Fave episodes/ class status Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Re: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Re: [B7L] Re: Stuart Jones (was Crew, Models and Liaisons) Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Re: [B7L] Of Grants, Cops, Tangos and Valium (in no particular order) [B7L] Re: RoD Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) Re: [B7L] Fav episodes [B7L] Re: [off-topic] Greco-Roman comedy [B7L] Re: fav episodes [B7L] Re: Traves [B7L] Julia Lawson ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 19:12:46 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List Subject: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII If anyone has seen page 44 of the new Radio Times, then they'll know why I'd like to stand up and say a serious thank you to Neil Faulkner, Murray Smith and Richard Proctor. Some of the work on the Sevencyclopaedia was mine, but the bulk was done by Neil originally. Murray has contributed much additional material and Richard has done all the layout work involved in adding the pictures, cross-references, etc. Judith PS. For those who don't get Radio Times, the Sevencyclopaedia was just listed as SF site of the week - nobody was more surprised than me. -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 - Fanzines for Blake's 7, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news, Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc. (also non-Blake's 7 zines at http://www.knightwriter.org ) Redemption '01 23-25 Feb 2001 http://www.smof.com/redemption/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 16:26:49 EST From: "Jessica Taylor" To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] DS9 crossover (was Re: Crew, Models and Liaisons) Message-ID: <20000628062649.40817.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >Betty: > > > > But, damn it, the problem is I can't write plot to save my life... Una: > > Plot schlmot. Plots write themselves. Exactly, it's not like Blakes 7 was always big in the plot department, the shows main appeal (in my opinion) came from the the character interaction and also, like much science-fiction, its ideas, the setting was one of the shows best aspects (IMO, I don't need to keep saying this, do I?). If you're idea works, write it. Jessica ps Please write it, it sounds great! ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 02:28:14 EDT From: JEB31538@cs.com To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Re: Zenith Is Here Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > ate: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 01:30:17 +0100 > From: "Andy Hopkinson" > To: "Lysator" > Subject: [B7L] ZENITH IS HERE... Wonderful. I am looking forward to ZENITH. I have already ordered my copy from Judith Proctor. I hope that a lot of the rest of the list orders a copy, too. Joyce ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 00:06:56 +0100 From: "Isobel Gordon" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) Message-ID: <001f01bfe08c$7063dfa0$903229d4@gillyworld> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Fiona wrote: > Ahem. As a professional anthropologist, I'd like to say that opinion is > currently divided on whether or not carnival type activities act as a safety > valve or whether they, as suggested in Mary Douglas' seminal work *Purity > and Danger* (1966), in fact act to reinforce the status quo by presenting us > with images of what should not be in a lawless context (e.g.: it is not > considered socially acceptable for men to wear dresses and makeup in > everyday life in Western society, so by encouraging men to cross-dress > during Carnival, when the normal rules are explicitly subverted, you make it > clear what those normal rules are). Alternatively they may, as Abner Cohen's > article "Carnival" (about the Notting Hill Carnival) suggests, be a way of > expressing identity and working out conflict through performance. > > And here's me thinking I'd keep work out of this... > > Fiona > Hi Fiona, Sorry, I was half asleep and just regurgitating what I remember of a lecture delivered by a boring lecturer on popular culture in Early Modern Europe. I hadn't even had one cup of coffee. Izzy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 16:32:40 EST From: "Jessica Taylor" To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) Message-ID: <20000628063240.98876.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Dana wrote: I can just imagine Gan leading them in a chorus >of "Jerusalem." Did anyone ever write a filk for "Blakes Jerusalem", I'd love to see it. Cheers. Jessica ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 00:55:22 -0600 (MDT) From: Betty Ragan To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-Id: <200006280655.AAA19962@zia.aoc.NRAO.EDU> Well, OK, my two cents on *this* suject... These are in only a very vague and general sort of order. All evaluations and interpretations are, of course, entirely MHO. Like Sally, I'm one of those unabashed Season 2 fans who thinks everything in the entire series revolves around the Blake-Avon relationship, whether Blake's actually on-screen or not. So be warned. Also be warned that I tend to run on at the mouth when discussing stuff I really like. :) Right, favorite epsiodes: "Shadow": A great ensemble piece. Everybody gets something to do, and everybody's personality shines through brilliantly. (Admittedly, they're not all at their best here: Blake's being short-tempered and Vila's... well, you know... :) But, hey, I think these people's flaws are some of the most interesting things about them.) Cally's telepathy is used to good effect for once (I would have *loved* to have seen more of the kind of trick she uses here), and she gets to be wonderfully tough and threatening. It's got scads and scads of snappy dialog -- some of the best in the series, and that's saying something. I *love* the twist at the end -- so *very* B7ish -- and that "where are all the good guys?" exchange, which just sums up the whole series so well. The telepathic-takeover part of the plot is by far the weakest element, and even that works pretty well in context. I've used this one several times to introduce new viewers to the show, with considerable success. "Trial": I love abosolutely everything about this episode, right down to the cheesy planet sets and the philosophical flea. It afforded me many happy hours playing the ever-diverting "Just what the hell is going on in Avon's mind?" game. Croucher gives a fine performace as Travis, almost making up for his wince-inducing debut in "Weapon." And I wouldn't have thought that a bunch of scenes with none of Our Protagonists in them anywhere would have held my interest so well, but the trial scenes are riveting. I also love the sense it gives that events in the B7 universe (unlike in certain other shows I could name), have *consequences*: Fallen comrades aren't forgotten the next week. Large-scale failure has inevitable emotional fallout. The bad guy can't go on failing to catch the good guys forever without penalty. What else? Oh, yes: Bercol and Rontane! What more could you ask for? "Terminal": First and foremost, there's the beautifully intense Avon-Blake stuff (yes, even though Blake's not actually there :)). And I agree with Sally: Tarrant is at his absolute best here. He frequently annoys me, I admit, but I like him a *lot* in "Terminal." Vila's in great form here, too. Zen's death chokes me up everytime. And, of course, Our Protagonists lose again. Gimme that angst, baby! "Blake": Impossible to beat for emotional impact. This is *the* defining moment of the series, and it casts its shadow back over everything that goes before it. B7 just wouldn't be what it is -- and wouldn't be half as memorable -- without it. "Duel": Maybe it's mostly that I can't help comparing it to Star Trek's "Arena," and it comes out *so* much the better for the comparison. Actually, it could have felt like a simple rip-off of the Trek episode, but for me, "Duel" just serves to highlight all those things I love about B7 that make it so different from Trek. And then there's that great exchange between Avon and Blake ("Do I have a choice?"/"Yes."/"Then I agree.") which sums up their whole relationship *so* well. Plus we get Avon practically admitting that he does care. I really like Sinofar and Giroc, too, and the space battle at the beginning (by far the best of the series). "Star One": Even after multiple viewings, the plot still hooks me in. And [sob!] it's got the last-ever set of Avon-Blake interactions (well, last but *one*, anyway :)), and very interesting they are, too. It's all so wonderfully sad for me, watching this and knowing what's going to happen next, knowing that this is, in a sense, the beginning of the end, and that poor ol' Avon never *is* going to be "free of it." The whole thing just *feels* very much like the major turning point it is. "Rumours of Death": Even if it is the ideal Platonic version of the episode that I *really* like. :) Just can't resist that Avon-angst! "Spacefall": Sets up great character dynamics right from the very beginning. That Blake-Avon-Jenna scene in the computer room is one of the best in the show. "Deathwatch": The *other* episode I really like Tarrant in (it's totally impossible not to sympathize with him here). And another great ensemble piece. Pacey gives a marvelous performance as Deeta (frankly, I like him *better* as Deeta than as Tarrant). And there's something just utterly charming about the sight of the Liberator crew gathered together to enjoy the equivalent of a Super Bowl party (even if do agree with Cally that the whole spectacle's kind of disgusting). "Redemption": I remember being slightly disappointed by this the first time I saw it, simply because it wasn't the sort of backstory I wanted/expected for the origins of the _Liberator_ (though don't ask me what kind of backstory I *did* want). I like it better and better with every repeat viewing, though. It's just a good, solid, entertaining story. Lots of action, lots of tension, lots of good character stuff. "Sarcophagus": *I* think the characterization is pretty good, anyway. This episode could easily have fallen flat on its face, but instead turns into something mesmerizing, thanks in large part to good directing, good use of visual effects, and a great performance on everybody's part, especially Michael Keating's. (Jan Chappel does a good turn as the alien, too.) This is another one that's grown on me a lot. Honorable mentions to: "Killer" (for terrific Avon-Vila interaction and great guest characters), "Pressure Point" (the scene of Blake discovering the empty Central Control room is absolutely unforgettable), "Orbit" (yes, just for the shuttle scene, though Egrorian is entertainingly icky), and "The Way Back" (completely atypical, yes, but I like it a lot). And now that I've named half the series, I'll stop (although I *still* have a niggling feeling that I've forgotten something). -- Betty Ragan ** bragan@nrao.edu ** http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~bragan Not speaking for my employers, officially or otherwise. "Seeing a rotten picture for the special effects is like eating a tough steak for the smothered onions..." -- Isaac Asimov ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:20:37 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Traves Message-ID: <07c401bfe0d2$296fa5c0$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Fiona: > In *my* fantasy-football version they'd've kept Brian Croucher and raised > his salary. Brian Croucher - the Terry Venables of B7. Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:26:19 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Message-ID: <07c501bfe0d2$29b169b0$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jason asked: > Ok, someone's going to have to give us a 'brief' outline of what Steeleye > Span was about - I can't be bothered trolling the net to find out. Folk band. Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 01:26:17 -0600 (MDT) From: Betty Ragan To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Priceline (was Posting fanfic?) Message-Id: <200006280726.BAA27508@zia.aoc.NRAO.EDU> Trish wrote: > If PD starts thinking he can sing a la Shatner, I'm out of here .... Oh, dear god, now I've got this horrible image (erm, what's the auditory equivalent of "image?") of PD singing "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins," a la *Nimoy*... and a sudden urge to run away screaming "aargh!" -- Betty Ragan ** bragan@nrao.edu ** http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~bragan Not speaking for my employers, officially or otherwise. "Seeing a rotten picture for the special effects is like eating a tough steak for the smothered onions..." -- Isaac Asimov ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 09:46:31 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: Subject: Re: [B7L] DS9 crossover (was Re: Crew, Models and Liaisons) Message-ID: <082301bfe0dd$65f4cec0$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Betty wrote: > Tiger M wrote: > > > How about Garak using those skills *on* Avon? ;-) > > Ohh! Ooh! But, no, then Avon would have to kill him, and I couldn't > bear that. (Avon is just so much less forgiving than Odo...) 'Tis a > lovely thought, though... Easy: they need to keep Garak alive because only he can do something of vital importance for them. > Then Una wrote: > > > Mail me mail me mail me mail me! We can brainstorm! Want want WANT this > > story! > > [LOL!] I'm not going to get out of this, am I? Well, OK, in that > case, I can use all the help I can get... :) :) > Still Una (now responding to me): > > > > But, damn it, the problem is I can't write plot to save my life... > > > > Plot schlmot. Plots write themselves. > > Well, maybe *yours* do... Plot is just what characters do to each other. > > And who cares about plot when you can > > have a series of scorching scenes made up of killer dialogue? > > Yeah, but they've got to have something to talk *about*, don't they? > Besides fashion, presumably. :) Just set them off at each other and see where they take you. You don't have to write Garak, he does all his own talking. Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 10:15:20 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: "Lysator List" Subject: Re: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Message-ID: <085901bfe0e1$63aa6cc0$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Judith wrote: > If anyone has seen page 44 of the new Radio Times, then they'll know why I'd > like to stand up and say a serious thank you to Neil Faulkner, Murray Smith and > Richard Proctor. > PS. For those who don't get Radio Times, the Sevencyclopaedia was just listed > as SF site of the week - nobody was more surprised than me. So it is! That's really brilliant! I note it says 'this fan site beats all contenders', and damn right! Congrats all! Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 02:38:27 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Message-ID: <20000628093827.8484.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Minnie wrote: Now, then, she *could* have died last Friday week ... but actually I do agree that he's been there a few months, at least. How (and when and why) did he get there? Why does he stay? What was he doing before then? We don't know (but whatever it was, it hurt.) Do you mean Tando? (Because I went through the transcript and that's the only one I can find). Tando wasn't one of their people but a rival bounty hunter and 'worse than the people he hunted' (Arlen calls him 'one of your erstwhile colleagues, but then at this point she's supposed to think Blake is a real bounty hunter too). As I said, grimmer and more detached - Blake, like the Scorpio crew, kills more easily than he did before. Ah. *That's* where our opinions differ, and there's nothing in the series to go either way. My opinion is that there *must* be an element of law-abiding-wannabes (probably hiding in the cities that we don't see) or else there wouldn't be this clean-up and bid to rejoin the Federation going on (someone had to be organising that, and it wasn't the likes of Tando.) People like Klyn. There are 'good' (or semi-good) people in countries waging full-scale civil war, after all. There were quite possibly also a fair level of semi-good (whatever 'good' means in the Federation) people who may have wanted law and order, but hardly at the cost of bringing in the dictatorship, and are facing having to go underground if they want to survive the faux-Anschluss (I hope that's how it's spelt) and *that's* where Blake may have struck it richer (except that Avon's little shooting party got in the way). We don't know. Presumably he landed up there after whatever happened to damage him so badly in the interim. Again we don't know what he did with rejects ('keep it vague' could really be the Nation/Boucher motto :-)) My own opinion FWIW is that he must have taken some bounties, but probably the *real* scum that you believe (as you're entitled to :-) he was recruiting. One of my favourite PGPs suggests that, since the bounty was for 'dead or alive', he only handed over those already dead when he found them ('more bloodthirst than sense') but it's quite possible he simply killed 'murderers and rapists', outlaws convicted of really ugly crimes. He then recruited the useful and semi-decent, and let the doubtful ones 'escape'. And from another post: Ummm... I can't see why he shouldn't. Deva's computers may be useful, but they make mistakes (Arlen) and from off bits of information in 3rd season, it appears that even the minor Powers-That-Be have scrappy and dated knowledge on people such as the Liberator crew (Shrinker, Rumours; Grose, Moloch). So it's more than possible that Blake didn't know how long Tarrant had been with Avon. And anyone who spent more than three days with Avon would realise that the dear man's people skills weren't *that* great. Blake *has* lost faith in his own ability to judge and trust people, that much is clear. He might trust Avon personally, but not his ability to read other people (especially when his own ability has been so badly cracked). So ... he comes across the Scorpio. And finds one ex-FSA high-flyer-turned mercenary/smuggler - *not* exactly a comfortable resume from Blake's point of view - and *no sign* of Avon, Vila or Cally. He has no idea where they are, what Tarrant is doing there or what Tarrant may or may not have done with the people Blake knows. Personally, I'd've shoved Tarrant in the nearest oubliette while I tried to find out, but perhaps Blake didn't think he had that much time ... or wanted to take a chance on Tarrant, but couldn't without something other than his own instincts to go by. Hence the test. (Yes, I'm biased. Did I ever deny it? But testing Tarrant is not a problem for me - *letting him go* is). ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 02:39:14 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Message-ID: <20000628093914.46105.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Judith wrote: If he'd take just anyone, there wouldn't be any *point* to Deva's checks or his tests. Absolutely (and throw in the rest of them. Except - maybe - for Vila.) ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 02:40:48 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Message-ID: <20000628094048.73622.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed After Judith wrote: Neil answered: as distinct from the *only* member of Blake's new group that we see, the hardened lowlife desperado named Deva. Arco's a smidge less cuddly (well, *I* don't want to cuddle him) but I've always wondered about Nova, and Selman looks like a classics professor. Maybe they had separate shipments for classes of criminals - First Class/Nice (Our Heroes), Second Class/Not-So-Nice (theft, assault, being not as pretty as our Heroes) and Third Class/Football Supporters. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 10:02:04 +0100 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Message-ID: <015d01bfe0df$b3691380$e535fea9@neilfaulkner> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Dana Shilling > But talk about blind faith in technology...if I understand what Servalan > said > correctly, NOBODY is supposed to know where Star One is, (what genius > thought THAT up? I think I used to work for him) and the entire > central computer control for hundreds of planets was supposed to be entirely > automated and would have been completely without personnel if a few people > hadn't volunteered to be stranded there. Why not make the location > classified, > and treat it as an elite colony? A point I covered in The Wit And Wisdom Of The Dead, in Star Three (available from Judith P). Records were kept (the brainprints made by Docholli). And then some terrorist group accidentally destroyed them. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 09:53:18 +0100 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Fave episodes/ class status Message-ID: <015c01bfe0df$b28ee020$e535fea9@neilfaulkner> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Ellynne G. > Of the reams of gender power issues stories I've come across, there are > the interesting Amazon stories (although Power was an exception, it's > interesting that so many show an evil female hierarchy grinding down the > males [hence, presenting a surface argument for the guys not to let > females get to uppity] but they do this by presenting a role reversal > that show the guys suffering an exagerated version of the women's > position and finding it truly unjust and unbarable If you can find it, check out the essay Amor Vincit Foeminam by Joanna Russ for an analysis of some unintentionally hilarious examples. Harry Harrison also offered a role reversal society in The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World, but with tongue stuck firmly in cheek (and minor plot significance anyway). Neil ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 09:44:44 +0100 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Message-ID: <015b01bfe0df$b1bdd480$e535fea9@neilfaulkner> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Jason de Rooy > Ok, someone's going to have to give us a 'brief' outline of what Steeleye > Span was about - I can't be bothered trolling the net to find out. Steeleye Span was one of the two major British attempts to fuse post-Monterey rock with traditional folk (the other being Fairport Convention). Lead vocalist was Maddy Prior. Their biggest UK hit was All Around My Hat which reached no.5 in late 1975, though they released loads of albums and developed a sizable cult following. Prior also sang large chunks of Hiawatha on Mike Oldfield's Incantations LP, and probably did lots of other things too but I'm not really into folk-rock. Fairport Convention was fronted by Sandy Denny, who sounded a lot like Prior only better, and she guested on Led Zeppelin's Battle Of Nevermore (1970). I gather she's dead now. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 09:31:26 +0100 From: "Neil Faulkner" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-ID: <015a01bfe0df$afb70800$e535fea9@neilfaulkner> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Unsurprisingly, I prefer the episodes that offer something more substantial than juicy Blake/Avon moments (the presence of any such in my faves is unfortunate coincidence). The Way Back - a pretty obvious choice, given the heaps of background, political corruption, wanton brutality, general bleakness and such. Shadow - another pretty obvious choice, given the heaps of background, political corruption, wanton drug abuse, general bleakness and such. Trial - I like the parallel plot structure, with both Blake and Travis up before the beak (in Blake's case he's being tried by himself, of course). I also like the way the convergence of the two plot strands is essentially coincidental, Blake not knowing that Travis is on Servalan's HQ station. Not much in the way of heaps of background, but the political corruption and general bleakness is there. There's also Thania, who definitely had the Best Boots in the entire series. Star One - the absolute best ever episode in the entire series in its entirety ever. A palpable sense of impending doom builds up through the course of this one, making it clear that Something Big is going to happen and it's probably not going to be all that nice. Tidies up the 2nd Season story arc neatly , clearing the stage for the next season, and just for once Deadly Dudley's musical score is genuinely atmospheric. Rather than save the galaxy in time for tea, the crew are left holding the fort with an uncertain future ahead of them. I just love the irony of Blake having to reverse his plans completely. And there's Jenny Twigge as Lurena, and that brilliant scene with Cally running down the corridors to ditch the explosive charges before they blow. City at the Edge of the World - endlessly rewatchable (if I had any means of watching it) simply for its cracking script, brimming over with dark humour and camp but genuine menace. Colin Baker is brilliant, and Cally gets some of her best lines ever. Rumours of Death - I don't go much on old walls, however patiently they wait, but the rest of the episode is well above par. Another converging plot structure, dark humour (not so funny for the squirrel, of course), a decent gun battle, and lots of twilight atmosphere in the last gleaming of Anna's doomed rebellion. Anna herself is fascinating, and this is probably Servalan's most credible episode. I think the quality of this episode, for me at any rate, is contained in one line - the crackly megaphone voice saying "Attention in the house". The Establishment Uber Alles, because that's the way it is. Sarcophagus - I hated this one when I first saw it, reckoned it the worst episode ever (even worse than Dawn, though only just), and it was quite a few years before I did a complete U-turn. A decent plot which is actually built on the mindjacked Cally syndrome, rather than just throwing it in as a convenient plot device (as in eg The Web or Ultraworld), a good script which exploits the potential within the characters rather than just running them through the action, and lashings of ambiguity which can be interpreted any way you like to make the episode science fiction or pure fantasy, according to taste. Terminal - bleak bleak bleak bleak bleak Blake - the only really good 4th season ep. Not much of a plot, really, but then the first 45 minutes are only there to build up the tension for the last 5. No silly widgets or aliens, but good sets, sensible costumes, practical no-nonsense dialogue, decent special effects, and lots of blood at the end. A brilliant finale to a rather patchy final season. So out of nine favourite episodes, only six were penned by Chris Boucher. Odd. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 03:19:57 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-ID: <20000628101957.50860.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Neil wrote: I am so sorely tempted to say something like "yes, petal, *we* believe you ..." here. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:35:53 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Prior & Steeleye Span Message-ID: <088301bfe0ec$e6d2c6a0$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Neil wrote: > Fairport Convention was > fronted by Sandy Denny, who sounded a lot like Prior only better, and she > guested on Led Zeppelin's Battle Of Nevermore (1970). Fab fab fab fab fab fab song... > I gather she's dead > now. Yes, she died in the early 1970s, I believe. Fairport are about the only band I make the effort to go and see and I was proud to hear that they were called 'the most unfashionable band in Britain' in a recent review. People take their two-year old daughters along with them, or go with their great-grandad, it's that much of a rave. Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 04:27:54 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: Blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sevencyclopaedia Message-ID: <20000628112754.41957.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Heaps of congrats to you all ... and I forgot to congratulate Una as well (hanging head in shame). This humble little poster applauds you as well, Una. Sally ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 12:37:04 +0100 From: "Una McCormack" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-ID: <08ef01bfe0f5$49a39590$0d01a8c0@codex> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Neil wrote: > Trial - I like the parallel plot structure, with both Blake and Travis up > before the beak (in Blake's case he's being tried by himself, of course). I > also like the way the convergence of the two plot strands is essentially > coincidental, Blake not knowing that Travis is on Servalan's HQ station. Structurally, intellectually, 'Trial' is a classic. But that bloody alien... I think it's an example of trying to do something beyond the capacity of the show. And that mars 'Trial' for me. For something to be the best of the best, it has to know its format and use it. > There's also Thania, who definitely had the > Best Boots in the entire series. Unfortunately, she also had the Spottiest Chin and the Greasiest Hair > Star One - the absolute best ever episode in the entire series in its > entirety ever. A palpable sense of impending doom builds up through the > course of this one, making it clear that Something Big is going to happen > and it's probably not going to be all that nice. Tidies up the 2nd Season > story arc neatly , clearing the stage for the next season Did you see 'Star One' on first transmission, Neil? I wonder if I would love it more if I had seen it then. Again, it's got all the things you list (and my absolute favourite Liberator flight deck scenes: one at the start, one at the end, which both *crackle*), but you run into them damn crappy aliens again. > Terminal - bleak bleak bleak bleak bleak Hmm. 'Dull dull dull dull dull' is usually what springs to mind. Actually, I think there's also an element of not being able to bear it. It's the same reason that I can't reread 'The Last Battle'. > Blake - the only really good 4th season ep. Not much of a plot, really, but > then the first 45 minutes are only there to build up the tension for the > last 5. No-o! There's loads of brilliant dialogue and your 'palpable sense of impending doom... making it clear that Something Big is going to happen'. And even tho' you know this is British TV and written by Chris Boucher you keep on hoping that it's going to be OK, that they'll meet and sort out the universe and all will be right with the world... Of course, the best thing about 'Blake' is Gareth Thomas, who is just astonishingly fab and so 'not-Blake'. 'What on earth happened to you...?' > So out of nine favourite episodes, only six were penned by Chris Boucher. > Odd. Funny, that. I note four out of my top five were Boucher scripts also. Una ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:07:54 -0400 From: "Christine+Steve" To: "B7 Mailing List" Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: Stuart Jones (was Crew, Models and Liaisons) Message-ID: <013d01bfe0f9$9086dfe0$b6069ad8@cgorman> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nyder added > Hollywood frequently seems to operate, IMO, on the Dr Goebbels principle: > that is, that "the intelligence of the public cannot be underestimated." > Too true. The American Dr. Who shows this off well - chuck in a few car chases, a love intertest and some gangster shootings and the audience will be happy. Hmmm!! Can you imagine an American version of B7? Probably have fist fights between Avon and Blake every other episode. Steve Dobson. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:43:15 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: Re: [B7L] 'Blake' and beyond Message-ID: <200006280843_MC2-AA5F-78AF@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The Doctor wrote: >avant-la-lettre == after the letter. Um, before, surely? Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:43:27 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-ID: <200006280843_MC2-AA5F-78B8@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Ellynne voted: >And (I know I'm the _only_ person who'll say this) > Dawn of the Gods, mainly because I saw it late and > night and apparently hallucinated a >whole back story that makes sense of it. Well, don't stop there! Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:43:33 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: Re: [B7L] Of Grants, Cops, Tangos and Valium (in no particular order) Message-ID: <200006280843_MC2-AA5F-78BC@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Pat Sumner commented: >> Joanne, the happy event has now taken place; >>Steve rang earlier today to announce he'd managed >> to find two of the videos of Chris Boucher's Star >> Cops for me. Only one to go! > >I'd be willing to bet (but not necessarily to pay up) that >he found volumes 1 and 2. All three, actually, but he was missing No. 3. So you half win. Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 08:43:20 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: [B7L] Re: RoD Message-ID: <200006280843_MC2-AA5F-78B4@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sally wrote: >She might well have been (I may have a low opinion >of the planning of the coup, but she did get further > than a lot of people - including me - would have). What I *hope* is that her current lover was fairly high up in the military, and that her actions were just phase one of the coup - capture Servalan. Phase two would be him turning up and appearing to negotiate a political settlement with her. But, er, he was too distraught to rethink the plan when he found Sula was dead, so did nothing, but finally got his revenge on Servalan in the rearguard action on Geddon. Or so he thought. Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 14:22:38 +0100 From: "Alison Page" To: "lysator" Subject: Re: [B7L] Greco-Roman comedy (back on topic?) Message-ID: <021701bfe104$887d6020$ca8edec2@pre-installedco> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Interesting post Fiona, >opinion is >currently divided on whether or not carnival type activities act as a safety >valve or whether they, >reinforce the status quo by presenting us >with images of what should not be These are both rational, teleological, explanations, but there is another possibility - that there are some human needs that can not be satisfied in a rational way. Perhaps people can't help wanting things that spoil what they have set up. It's probably true that the idea behind characters like Vila or Servalan supports the status quo. But when they appear on screen they take on a life of their own. Alison ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 14:22:22 +0100 From: "Alison Page" To: "b7" Subject: Re: [B7L] Fav episodes Message-ID: <021601bfe104$87586820$ca8edec2@pre-installedco> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I tend to agree with Neil about fave episodes. I like the pivotal story-arc eps. I think I'd pick Space Fall over TWB, because I like the prison-ship scenario a lot, and finding the Liberator. In fact I'd construct a 1.5 episode here by bringing in the 'welcome to the Liberator' bits out of Cygnus Alpha. Then to these episodes I'd add Star One, Terminal, Blake. They just fit together so satisfyingly into a big arc and they are each so pefectly poised between optimism and pessimism. With pessimism winning in the last one of course. To these I'd have to add the 'Vila' episodes. Hmm.. Killer, Gambit, City, Orbit seems a fairly good selection. And then I'd have to add 'Trial' to create a good Travis 2 trilogy (with Gambit and Star One). This is all starting to make sense. Alison ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:45:36 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: [B7L] Re: [off-topic] Greco-Roman comedy Message-ID: <200006281145_MC2-AA61-1F25@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Thanks, Meredith, I was hoping you'd sort me out. Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:47:11 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: [B7L] Re: fav episodes Message-ID: <200006281148_MC2-AA77-F8C9@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit This was down to Neil being positive, wasn't it? I wonder if it's all a trick... Anyway, I didn't need to do any thinking, because I'd found out last week that I still had my reply to Una's Q-study, and looking through them my tastes don't appear to have changed much in the past two years. Top five in broadcast order: Redemption, Gambit, Star One, City at the Edge of the World and Blake. R, SO and B for the Blake & Avon stuff. Redemption beautifully sets the agenda for second season, which I perceive as Avon's increasingly desperate attempts to fight his way out of this unfortunate entanglement. This climaxes at Star One and then, aren't we lucky, again on Gauda Prime. Gambit is good fun all round, and IT'S GOT JARRIERE IN IT. City at the Edge of the World is also good fun, especially Vila dealing with (original) Kerril and Bayban, though Kerril going soppy spoils it a bit later on. Platonic City is much better. Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:45:27 -0400 From: Harriet Monkhouse <101637.2064@compuserve.com> To: "INTERNET:blakes7@lysator.liu.se" Subject: [B7L] Re: Traves Message-ID: <200006281145_MC2-AA61-1F21@compuserve.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Joanne wrote: > "Conquistador" -minor mental meltdown ensues> I was wondering if the "amazon six-triggered bride now searching for a place to hide" might be Dayna. And the recriminations of "The Milk of Human Kindness" seem to fit in somewhere, though I haven't yet worked out who's singing it to whom. Harriet ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 06:50:51 +0100 From: "DragonFly" To: Subject: [B7L] Julia Lawson Message-ID: <003e01bfe18d$fd058920$6c4d883e@oemcomputer> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi again all, just a quick couple of questions. how many paper books have been published - 'The Novel' and 'Project Avalon' are these the only ones? also I have bought from EBay the 1980 B7 annual and I am currently Bidding for the 1979 annual.....I know there is a 1981 annual how rare is this one as I have heard it had a lower number published than the other 2. is 12 Pounds a fair price? as many of you know I am trying to collect the illustrated covered release videos (1991 / 1992) how hard is it to find 'Blake' and the series 4 videos and I don't want to miss a chance of buying it if I see it, be it at a more expenisve price. I am aiming to pay no more than 5 pounds (inc) per tape. I have limited it to that price not cos I don't think it is worth it but to make it more fun as I could and buy the whole 4 series if I wanted to but that would take the fun out of hunting them down at a certain price. But I rarely see the series 4 tapes around esp 'Blake', so if I have to pay more because it hard to come by then I will. hope that all made sence. Julia Lawson in Loughborough -------------------------------- End of blakes7-d Digest V00 Issue #180 **************************************