From: blakes7-d-request@lysator.liu.se Subject: blakes7-d Digest V99 #129 X-Loop: blakes7-d@lysator.liu.se X-Mailing-List: archive/volume99/129 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 99 : Issue 129 Today's Topics: Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment [B7L] Hehehe! Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Re: Post-"Blake" (was [B7L] Greetings fellow Blakes 7 fans...) Re: [B7L] The Syndeton Experiment Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Re: OT: Re: [B7L] Dark drama Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment Re: Post-"Blake" (was [B7L] Greetings fellow Blakes 7 fans...) Re: [B7L] Wow! Re: [B7L] Songs and characters [B7L] Sleazy Vila (was Songs and characters) Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila [B7L] Re: The Syndeton Experiment Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila re [B7L] Dark drama Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila [B7L] The Syndeton Experiment [B7L] Re: blakes7-d Digest V99 #128 Re: [B7L] Re: blakes7-d Digest V99 #128 [B7L] Syndeton Sucker Re: [B7L] Wow! [B7L] Re: Mission to destiny [B7L] Star One (Was Re: Wow!) Re:[B7L]Mission To Destiny Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Re: re [B7L] Dark drama [B7L] BBC chat - The Syndeton Experiment ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:47:47 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List Subject: Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII On Sun 11 Apr, mistral@ptinet.net wrote: > > > Judith Proctor wrote: > > > I also wonder at Avon's certainty that a robot can't be truely self-aware - > > I would define Orac as alive. > > Of course, I didn't get to hear the play, but I really wouldn't worry about > this, Judith, Avon was always insisting to everybody else that Orac was just a > computer, and then treating Orac like a person when no one else was looking. Ah, I was trying too hard not to give the plot away. Orac wasn't the robot in question. Avon effectively destroys vast numbers of robots which according to him (with almost zero evidence) were not self-aware, therefore there was no harm done. > So if Avon was asserting that a robot can't be self-aware, I suspect it was > just hyperbole on his part (he does do that from time to time). As you can see, it was a bit more than that. Since I realised the contradiction with Ultraworld (which I really don't want to go into detail about because I don't want to spoil things for those who intend to buy the CD), I'm even more worried about the characterisation in this episode. It's still better than the Sevenfold Crown, but suffers from Letts' lack of familiarity with the series. Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 Fanzines for Blake's 7 and many other fandoms, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news, Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 15:50:04 -0500 (CDT) From: "G. Robbins" To: B7 Main List Subject: [B7L] Hehehe! Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Here is a name analysis of our favorite character..... Avon The name of Avon gives you a clever, quick, analytical mind, but you suffer with a great deal of self-consciousness, lack of confidence, and much aloneness because of misunderstandings. Your idealistic and sensitive nature gives you a deep appreciation for the finer things of life and a strong desire to be of service to humanity. There are times when you experience inner turbulence at your inability to say what you mean. It is far easier for you to express your deeper thoughts and feelings through writing than verbally. You find pleasure in literature, in poetry, and in your ideals and will turn to them when you feel you have been misunderstood. You are deeply moved by the beauties of life, especially nature. Because your feelings run deep, you must guard against the ups and downs, being very inspired one minute, then moody, reserved, and depressed the next. Your reactions to people vary according to how you feel. You tend to be secretive and noncommittal about private matters, yet at times you will talk effusively in order to hide your self-consciousness or to lead others away from personal subjects. You are inspired by encouragement from others, yet suspicious of their intent. You crave affection but seldom find anyone who understands your nature. Physical weaknesses would show in your heart, lungs, or bronchial organs. For more name analysis, check out http://www.kabalarians.com/gkh/your.htm! From: gggg g g rrr aaa ccc eee g r r a a c c e e g gggg r a a c eeeee g g r a aa c c e gggg r aaaaa ccc eee ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 23:41:02 -0700 From: Julia Jones To: Lysator List Subject: Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: <2i1aQCA+PEE3Ewhz@jajones.demon.co.uk> In message , Judith Proctor writes >Having just listened the The Syndeton Experiment, I've concluded that it's >better then The Sevenfold Crown. > I haven't heard it yet, but when has that ever stopped me sticking my oar in? > >The bit that really had me worried was when Avon said to Dr Rossum that he liked >inflicting pain and from the context in which he said it, there was the >implication that it was true. What?! >That isn't Avon. Avon may be a cynical bastard, >but he isn't a psycopath (he was having a joke at his own expense in 'Blake'). >This simply doesn't fit any aspect of Avon that I've encountered before. He'll >kill without remorse when necessary, but he doesn't hurt people for pleasure. This is one of his more endearing traits. The only time he seems to take pleasure in killing is in Rumours of Death, and frankly, I doubt I would have been as restrained in enjoying Shrinker's fate. Someone seems to have confused "ruthless" with "sadist". Presumably the someone who thinks watching one or two episodes is adequate background for writing a script. > >I also wonder at Avon's certainty that a robot can't be truely self-aware - I >would define Orac as alive. > I would define this behaviour as out of character for fourth season Avon (although quite in character for first season). He night refer to Orac as 'it', but by fourth season it's to emphasis that Orac is not human, not that Orac is not self-aware. He also treats Muller's robot as self- aware, and he accepts Vinnie in Deathwatch as human until given evidence otherwise. Turing test - if you accept it as self-aware until you're told it's a computer, how can you then say that it isn't? -- Julia Jones ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 08:57:54 -0700 From: Julia Jones To: lysator Subject: Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-ID: In message <000601be835f$fb051a60$741cac3e@default>, Neil Faulkner writes >I've just a read a piece on the BBC online news that British TV drama has >been slated for being 'too dark, too slow, too gritty or too >socio-political' to sell to a worldwide audience. The report by the >Department of Culture points to sunny upbeat Australian shows like Home and >Away as the kind of thing British TV companies ought to be making. > >Rather kills off any last hopes of a fifth season of B7, dunnit? And there was me thinking that one of the reasons many Americans like British shows is because it's an escape from the relentless diet of optimism churned out by most US channels. -- Julia Jones ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:04:20 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: Post-"Blake" (was [B7L] Greetings fellow Blakes 7 fans...) Message-ID: <19990411230420.7148.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Pat Pwrote: >Yes, being a bunch of arrogant know it alls, we generally just spew >out our perfect opinions, in the firm belief that the world really cares >what we have to spout about. >Pat P Forgetting the non-INTs, surely? What would Tramila say? Regards Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:13:09 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] The Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: <19990411231309.52711.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain >Well, not as bad as the Sevenfold Crown, but is someone seriously >expecting me to believe that Avon spent his youth in clubs with >names like the Purple Nightingale? >Harriet No. I can imagine him studying the life cycle of the purple nightingale, but only if he thought it might be useful later on. Nightclubbing, I feel, involves a few more of the social graces than Avon tends to display, unless, of course, anyone wants to speculate that a misspent youth has made him into that which we all know and love (or "love", take your pick). Regards Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:22:44 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-ID: <19990411232244.58750.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Ann Basart wrote: >Now I read that someone in the U.S. is planning to do a takeoff on >"Fawlty Towers." Help!!) Because the Cracker-wannabe Fitz has received an airing on Australian television, a critic for the Sydney Morning Herald looked at this phenomenon, mentioning along the way that Fawlty Towers *has* been remade for American television. According to the SMH writer, it was called Newhart and screened some years ago (in the US, at least - don't know about anywhere else) but, unlike Fitz, was made without John Cleese's co-operation. Trivially Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:29:08 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: OT: Re: [B7L] Dark drama Message-ID: <19990411232908.77377.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain >> 'G'day, Bliyke!' >> 'G'day, Ivon!' >> 'Beaut day furra barbie!' >Isn't that, "Chuck anotha shrimp on th' barbie"? (-8 No, Kathryn, no. Shame on you. It's king prawn, not shrimp. Please pardon Kathryn, it sounds like a severe case of Paulhoganitis. She'll be saying canteloup when she means rockmelon next! Antipodeanly Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:34:25 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: <19990411233425.4946.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain >From: mistral@ptinet.net >Judith, Avon was always insisting to everybody else that Orac was >just a computer, and then treating Orac like a person when no one >else was looking. Maybe immersing myself in the prose of Ian M Banks isn't such a good idea after all. Now I find myself wondering how Avon would behave around one of the Minds from the Culture. Trying to get my mind into work mode on a Monday morning Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 16:35:10 -0700 From: Tramila To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: Post-"Blake" (was [B7L] Greetings fellow Blakes 7 fans...) Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990411163510.00850ea0@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Pat P wrote: >>Yes, being a bunch of arrogant know it alls, we generally just spew out our perfect >>opinions, in the firm belief that the world really cares what we have to spout about. Care???? Sure you jest? > Forgetting the non-INTs, surely? What would Tramila say? LOL Joanne I live with a "know it all" and I tend to get violently vocal (read screaming) when a 'know it all" thinks he "knows it all" then he truly knows nothing. I'm still shaking my the lunch time conversation. :) or should it be :( Tramila --------- Charter Member and Pres. of V.I.C.E. Vila's Intimately Corruptible Element Am I corruptible? Of course I am! and loving it!!! --- Risa's Rebels (Sime~Gen) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 00:48:10 EDT From: Pherber@aol.com To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Wow! Message-ID: <9be6c690.2442d50a@aol.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Penny wrote: > I just -- after a 7+ year buildup -- watched 'Blake' for the very first > time. And all I can say is...wow. Wow. Wow. Whoa. I'm impressed -- it's left our Penny speechless! Yeah, that sucker's a shocker all right. It still makes me cry, every time. Nina ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 01:31:18 EDT From: AdamWho@aol.com To: mistral@ptinet.net, blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Songs and characters Message-ID: <5534fdf4.2442df26@aol.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I forgot to mention, whenever I see pictures of the lead singer in The Knack ("My Sharona"), he bears a strong resemblance to Vila. He really doesn't now, but if you see a few pictures of him from the time when the song was a hit, I think he did. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 23:24:02 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Sleazy Vila (was Songs and characters) Message-ID: <19990412062403.68587.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain >From: AdamWho@aol.com >I forgot to mention, whenever I see pictures of the lead singer in The >Knack ("My Sharona"), he bears a strong resemblance to Vila. He >really doesn't now, but if you see a few pictures of him from the time >when the song was a hit, I think he did. Any attempt of mine to remember this particular singer is coloured by the fact that I have, as part of a one hit wonders program I taped off the radio, an Australian dj referring to the person concerned as "sleazy". I think repulsive might've been uttered as well (male dj - not to his taste, obviously ). Sleazy. Is Vila sleazy? Or is he merely an incurable optimist? Certainly the latter applies, or he wouldn't even try any of the chat-up routines he ever used, even on Soolin the Icy. But the distaste with which they are sometimes received suggests that he's tried too hard and too often, with unpalatable (to him, at least) results. I'd try expanding on this, but with real life intruding... Regards Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 23:32:16 -0700 From: Tramila To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990411233216.00850890@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Any attempt of mine to remember this particular singer is coloured by the fact that I have, as part of a one hit wonders program I taped off the radio, an Australian dj referring to the person concerned as "sleazy". I think repulsive might've been uttered as well (male dj - not to his taste, obviously ). > >Sleazy. Is Vila sleazy? Or is he merely an incurable optimist? SLEAZY!!!! Adorable loveable Vila is NOT sleazy. Tramila cries at the thought that anyone could THINK such a thought!!! --------- Charter Member and Pres. of V.I.C.E. Vila's Intimately Corruptible Element Am I corruptible? Of course I am! and loving it!!! --- Risa's Rebels (Sime~Gen) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 23:45:37 PDT From: "Joanne MacQueen" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-ID: <19990412064537.6916.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Um, before Tramila has a heart attack: >>Sleazy. Is Vila sleazy? Or is he merely an incurable optimist? >SLEAZY!!!! Adorable loveable Vila is NOT sleazy. >Tramila cries at the thought that anyone could THINK such a >thought!!! S'all right, Tramila, there, there I was trying to put it from the point of view of the female characters. I like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime target for a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. Regards Joanne ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 00:44:28 -0700 From: Tramila To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990412004428.00835200@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Um, before Tramila has a heart attack: > >>>Sleazy. Is Vila sleazy? Or is he merely an incurable optimist? >>SLEAZY!!!! Adorable loveable Vila is NOT sleazy. >>Tramila cries at the thought that anyone could THINK such a >thought!!! > >S'all right, Tramila, there, there I was trying to put it from the point of view of the female characters. I like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime target for a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. Thank you Joanne. I guess you are right but it is still hard to think that way about VILA. he he...LOL.. OK I broke! But really, IMVHO I think that was Vila's thread of sanity holding on in his insane world. Avon was sometimes his friend, sometimes simply a tool to do the dirty work. In a world of cases, he was on the bottom of the totem pole. Must have been hard to live in a situation like that. As a woman, I can understand this. Even in the day and age of the modern woman, there is still the underlying undercurrent stigma of being female. Tramila --------- Charter Member and Pres. of V.I.C.E. Vila's Intimately Corruptible Element Am I corruptible? Of course I am! and loving it!!! --- Risa's Rebels (Sime~Gen) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 01:56:57 -0600 From: Penny Dreadful To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.19990412015657.007b8570@mail.geocities.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 11:45 PM 4/11/99 PDT, Joanne MacQueen wrote: >I like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime target for >a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. I don't think he would, though, because every woman he hits on is clearly his superior, power- or status-wise (which is not surprising given his level of power and status). Ergo they have nothing to lose by rejecting his advances, ergo he can't possibly be "sexually harassing" them, unless I greatly misunderstand the meaning of that phrase. Discuss. --Professor Dreadful ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 00:58:36 -0700 From: Tramila To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990412005836.0084db50@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >>I like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime >target for a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. > >I don't think he would, though, because every woman he hits on is clearly >his superior, power- or status-wise (which is not surprising given his >level of power and status). Ergo they have nothing to lose by rejecting his >advances, ergo he can't possibly be "sexually harassing" them, unless I >greatly misunderstand the meaning of that phrase. > >Discuss. You're probably right. < happy> See !!!! Vila is just Vila. Likeable, loveable Vila. LOL Tramila ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 01:32:52 -0700 From: mistral@ptinet.net To: B7 List Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-ID: <3711AFB3.28C9D8DB@ptinet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Joanne wrote: > I > like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime target > for a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. Tramila wrote: > But really, IMVHO I think that was Vila's thread of sanity holding on in > his insane world. Aw, I always thought it was part of his 'persona' -- it's useful for a Delta, particularly one who's a professional criminal, to seem not only harmless, but the type of person you'd really rather not take any more notice of than necessary. When he was really interested in a woman, he could be a gentleman (Kerril, Muller's woman). I know lots of people who've adopted a public persona and then lived in it to such an extent that it's almost difficult for them to remind themselves at times that it's not really who they are. This would easily explain why he often comes through in a pinch when he has to. (And to go outside canon, MK's a good enough actor, that if he'd wanted to portray Vila as sleazy, he'd have likely come across much sleazier.) Although, as far as comparing Vila to pop musicians goes, he's always reminded me of Phil Collins. I wonder if Vila would enjoy the drums? There's a fun thought. Recast our heroes as a rock band -- who plays which instrument? Avon on synths and Cally on bass guitar? Jenna 'flying' on lead guitar? And Blake doing his best James Brown out front? (Gan can throw the cape over him and lead him off stage.) Which leaves Tarrant for another guitar and Dayna and Soolin for backup singers, with Dayna occasionally filling in on harp and percussion, and Soolin as accessory keyboards. How about it? "I feel GOOD!" Next I suppose we'll need a repertoire. Hmm..... TTFN, Mistral P.S. Zen for lights and sound, Orac for manager, and Slave to warm up the audience with his Marvin impersonation. Travis and Servalan as dueling music critics, and half-a-dozen faceless Federation guards for roadies. I'm having too much fun, can you tell? -- "Do we really need money that badly? I ask myself."--Vila ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:36:33 +0100 From: Murray Smith To: Lysator Subject: [B7L] Re: The Syndeton Experiment Message-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I have to conclude that it is _far worse_ than 'The Sevenfold Crown', because it violates the canon of the series in a huge way. One of the most obvious examples is with syndeton, which powers the drives of starships. The problem is that no mention was made of syndeton in the entire series. According to 'Stardrive', plasma was the substance used. Also, the Scorpio has Dr. Plaxton's photonic drive, using a fuel (light) that costs nothing. Why, then, would the B7 crew use such an expensive fuel such as syndeton? This is only one of many examples I have come across. I would suggest that, if the BBC are going to produce more plays, they should get a proper scriptwriter. Murray ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 01:45:11 -0700 From: mistral@ptinet.net To: B7 List Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-ID: <3711B296.A5F8B82B@ptinet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Penny Dreadful wrote: > At 11:45 PM 4/11/99 PDT, Joanne MacQueen wrote: > > >I like Vila, but, unfortunately, in this day and age he'd be a prime > target for > >a sexual harassment case, hence the potential sleaze factor. > > I don't think he would, though, because every woman he hits on is clearly > his superior, power- or status-wise (which is not surprising given his > level of power and status). Ergo they have nothing to lose by rejecting his > advances, ergo he can't possibly be "sexually harassing" them, unless I > greatly misunderstand the meaning of that phrase. > > Discuss. > > --Professor Dreadful Actually, I'd call them equals, not superiors, at least in the case of his crewmates. Which might generate a sexual harrassment case in corporate America, but the defendant would be the company that allowed him to get away with that behaviour in the workplace without disciplining him for it. This leads to thoughts of Dayna and Soolin levying complaints at Avon for not keeping Vila in check --- oooh, nooo!!! LOL! Please somebody write us a story about this! Mistral -- "This isn't fair, you know."--Vila ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:24:58 +0000 (GMT) From: Una McCormack To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Ann said: >My other favorites -- "The Sandbaggers," "Sapphire & Steel," of course B7 >-- all stemmed from the UK. 'The Sandbaggers' is just superb. They were showing it on Granada Plus up till Xmas, and then it disappeared in a puff of smoke. I am not placated that it was replaced by 'The Sweeney' (tho' Matthew is) even if we get a trailer with the terrific line: 'We're the Sweeney, lad. And we've not 'ad any dinner'. As threats go... 'The Pretender' is a good recent US show that's pretty nasty: again, Sky pulled it off after 6 or 7 episodes of the new season so that it could fill up its schedules with more and more episodes of 'The Simpsons'. >Now I read that someone in the U.S. is planning to do a takeoff on >"Fawlty Towers." Help!!) Is this actually a true thing? I heard a story about this is a while ago, in which the studio execs watched an episode and then said, 'Guys, this will work, so long as we can get rid of that guy Bay-zil'. Una ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 02:15:19 PDT From: "Stephen Date" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-ID: <19990412091523.82952.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Neil wrote > >I've just a read a piece on the BBC online news that British TV drama has >been slated for being 'too dark, too slow, too gritty or too >socio-political' to sell to a worldwide audience. The report by the >Department of Culture points to sunny upbeat Australian shows like Home and Away as the kind of thing British TV companies ought to be making. > >Rather kills off any last hopes of a fifth season of B7, dunnit? > >Neil Home and Away ? Home and Away ! Obviously the Department of Culture should rename itself the Department of Cheap Populist Tat. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 02:58:25 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-ID: <19990412095826.80732.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain But of course Avon could counter-sue Dayna for - erm - harrassing him in that cave when he was weak and defenceless... I thought I told you children to stop this bouncing... ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 03:00:41 -0700 From: Tramila To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990412030041.0085c100@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >for not keeping Vila in check --- oooh, nooo!!! LOL! Please somebody >write us a story about this!> > >But of course Avon could counter-sue Dayna for - erm - harrassing him >in that cave when he was weak and defenceless... Oh MY! > > >I thought I told you children to stop this bouncing... Did someone say BOUNCING!!! Tramila --------- Charter Member and Pres. of V.I.C.E. Vila's Intimately Corruptible Element Am I corruptible? Of course I am! and loving it!!! --- Risa's Rebels (Sime~Gen) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 03:21:47 -0700 From: mistral@ptinet.net To: B7 List Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-ID: <3711C93A.8DD40F1@ptinet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sally Manton wrote: > I thought I told you children to stop this bouncing... Children? No, no, no. The only time *children* are allowed to bounce in my house is if my basketball gets deflated. Mistral -- "And for my next trick, I shall swallow my other foot."--Vila ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:12:31 +0000 (GMT) From: Una McCormack To: Lysator cc: Space City Subject: [B7L] The Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Those of you who have heard me whine on about 'Animals' know that I have a strong constitution and a high forgiveness level when it comes to crap. On this occasion, I have no mercy. I disliked TSE immensely. Radio is a limitless medium - perhaps the only way, for example, that you can reasonably adapt something like 'The Lord of the Rings' (tho' I am eager to see what the films manage). Radio is words, characterization, ideas: TSE lacked all of these. It was season 4, and not even the good half. If you're going to assemble the cast together to make a play which doesn't have the constraints of the original series, why dole out the dross from that earlier series? To screw up one radio play is forgivable. To screw up two is asking for a punch on the jaw. Things I didn't like: 1. Where did all this stuff about Avon's background come from? Which hallucinogenic drugs were involved in its creation? How can we prevent anyone who is going to write a piece of fanfic from ever taking them? 2. The huge plothole which meant that Servalan's scheme for the second half of the plot depended on brain surgery being conducted in 2 minutes *and* prior knowledge of the script. 3. Turning Servalan into a panto dame. Why not cast Lily Savage and have done? Things I *did* like: 1. Steven Pacey's supreme performance (especially the double entendres - ooh, missis!). 2. Paul Darrow's restrained performance (despite lines that shot through the heart of the character). 3. It was shorter than T7FC and thus the agony was over more quickly and I was forced to indulge in less high-pitched hysterical laughing as a defence mechanism. 4. I was able to stick on 'Mark of Kane' and 'The Logic of Empire' afterwards and hear what B7 radio plays can really be like. Una ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 11:47:03 +0100 From: "Deborah Day" To: Subject: [B7L] Re: blakes7-d Digest V99 #128 Message-ID: <007901be84d1$ce328040$4190bc3e@oemcomputer> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; boundary="----------------------------"; charset="iso-8859-1" Judith Proctor wrote that Avon did not enjoy inflicting pain. I remember that in Mission to Destiny he hit the woman (Sara?) and said he enjoyed it, so perhaps it was true. Debbie Day ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 04:03:42 PDT From: "Sally Manton" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Re: blakes7-d Digest V99 #128 Message-ID: <19990412110346.91117.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Debbie wrote:, But he said it in a surprised way, as if the fact that he enjoyed it startled him...indicating that, as a normal thing, he *wouldn't* get any pleasure out of hitting someone. He was only violent when he was threatened, and not gratuitously cruel even then (except in his verbal cruelty, which came as naturally as breathing). I don't think Avon got pleasure out of physical violence, but neither did he shrink from it. It was just one more thing that he increasingly found he had to do, so any qualms he might have had (not that I actually *recall* any ) would have been forced out of sight and out of mind. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 13:01:06 +0000 (GMT) From: Una McCormack To: Lysator cc: Space City Subject: [B7L] Syndeton Sucker Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Still just went out and bought the CD, tho'... Una ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 04:31:00 PDT From: "Hellen Paskaleva" To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: Re: [B7L] Wow! Message-ID: <19990412113101.99465.qmail@hotmail.com> Content-type: text/plain Penny wrote: >I just -- after a 7+ year buildup -- watched 'Blake' for the very first >time. And all I can say is...wow. Wow. Wow. Would you recommend it to me to watch it, too. Because I haven't do that, still. Therefore yesterday evening I've watched 'Star One' for the first time since it's first broadcasting 14 years ago. On the videotape. I knew, that Blake would survive, but, nevertheless, I was so much happy, seeing him 'alive and kicking' (kicking Avon, especially) in the last minute, so I screamed to my sister something foolish, like: "Hurray, HE's alive! HE's alive!" But the question, that bothered me since yesterday, was -- why Travis was so, ... how to say, err... disappointed from (or - with?) humankind? He was *so much* disappointed, that he tried to annihilate all the people in the Galaxy. I couldn't find reasonable explanation *in* the series. But I couldn't find it *out* of the series, too. I've searched the Internet resources, but there was nothing about Travis' possible live before the series have started. All this is based on the presumption, that dead sentence is not enough reason to come to hate the humankind... Just thoughts.. Hellen the Bulgarian (still alive, just as Blake was, after NATO attacks in our neighbourhood) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 23:22:20 +1000 From: "Afenech" To: Subject: [B7L] Re: Mission to destiny Message-Id: <13165446860276@domain3.bigpond.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > ---------- > > From: Deborah Day > > To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se > > Subject: [B7L] Re: blakes7-d Digest V99 #128 > > Date: Monday, 12 April 1999 20:47 > > > > Judith Proctor wrote that Avon did not enjoy inflicting pain. I > remember that in Mission to Destiny he hit the woman (Sara?) and said he > enjoyed it, so perhaps it was true. > > > > Debbie Day I dont remember any instance of Avon seemingly inflicting pain happily. The incident in 'Mission to destiny' is not one, not to my perception. He knocks Sara out, Sara being the one who has murdered several of her crew-mates. Having knocked her out doesnt he then say something to the effect to take her away because he did enjoy it - this suggests, to me anyway, that he is as Blake describes him in 'Spacefall' a 'civilised man' perhaps somewhat surprised at this touch of the unexpected primitive he has discovered in himself. Pat F ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:27:41 -0600 From: Penny Dreadful To: blakes7@lysator.liu.se Subject: [B7L] Star One (Was Re: Wow!) Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.19990412092741.007a18c0@mail.geocities.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hellen the Bulgarian said: > >Penny wrote: > >>I just -- after a 7+ year buildup -- watched 'Blake' for the very first >>time. And all I can say is...wow. Wow. Wow. > >Would you recommend it to me to watch it, too. Just so long as you're warned that it makes 'Star One' look mighty cheerful by comparison. >But the question, that bothered me since yesterday, was -- why Travis was so, ... how to >say, err... disappointed from (or - with?) humankind? He was *so much* disappointed, that >he tried to annihilate all the people in the Galaxy. >I couldn't find reasonable explanation *in* the series. Well, (a) he did have a reputation, well-established in the series (Seek-Locate-Destroy, Project Avalon, Trial), for massacring large groups of civilians for very little reason. And (b) he was shown to grow progressively more obsessed with killing Blake as the series progressed. So it seems in keeping with his character that he should ultimately be willing to massacre *all* the civilians in the galaxy if it meant Blake would be killed along with them. I'm not saying that's a *reasonable* explanation, but it's plausible... I think when we touched upon this topic here some months ago Neil had an even better explanation than that. (Neil? Where are you, Neil? You haven't killfiled me for that "great big frontal lobes" crack, have you, Neil?) >But I couldn't find it *out* of the series, too. I've searched the Internet resources, but >there was nothing about Travis' possible live before the series have started. Realistically speaking, I imagine a boring single-minded advancement through the ranks of the military, beginning in adolescence. >All this is >based on the presumption, that dead sentence is not enough reason to come to hate the >humankind... I think the significance of 'Trial' is not the fact that the Federation put Travis under a death sentence, but the fact that he was unequivocally rejected by them. Obviously the external structure (physical and moral) imposed by the military was the only thing keeping him from going *completely* off the rails. >(still alive, just as Blake was, after NATO attacks in our neighbourhood) Glad to hear it. --Penny "Can't Complain" Dreadful ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 17:04:46 +0100 From: "Julie Horner" To: Subject: Re:[B7L]Mission To Destiny Message-ID: <01be84fe$2fac1940$170201c0@pc23.Fishnet> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Deborah said: >Judith Proctor wrote that Avon did not enjoy inflicting pain. I remember >that in Mission to Destiny he hit the woman (Sara?) and said he enjoyed it, >so perhaps it was true. I had always assumed that it was the struggle with her that he enjoyed rather than the act of causing pain. You know I think I would enjoy a struggle with Avon..... Julie Horner Software Engineer Lincoln Software Tel: +44 (0) 1625 616722 Fax: +44(0) 1625 616780 E-mail: julie.horner@lincolnsoftware.com Web: http://www.lincolnsoftware.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:38:38 -0500 From: "Lorna B." To: Subject: Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-Id: <199904121732.MAA02675@pemberton.magnolia.net> Joanne wrote: >>Because the Cracker-wannabe Fitz has received an airing on Australian television, a critic for the Sydney Morning Herald looked at this phenomenon, mentioning along the way that Fawlty Towers *has* been remade for American television. According to the SMH writer, it was called Newhart and screened some years ago (in the US, at least - don't know about anywhere else) but, unlike Fitz, was made without John Cleese's co-operation.<< I have to wonder about this, really, and whether the SMH reporter has ever seen NEWHART because, other than the settings and having husand and wife proprietors, I can think of absolutely no similarities between that show and FAWLTY TOWERS. It's like saying the 80s night-time soap HOTEL was based on FAWLTY TOWERS because they were bot set in hotels... I liked both FAWLTY and NEWHART, actually, but they weren't at all alike. Perhaps the reporter was thinking of AMANDA'S or AMANDA'S PLACE (can't recall exact title) from a few years ago, which was widely acknowledged to be based on FAWLTY, only removed to the California coast with a female proprietor. Lorna B. "Cookies and porn? You're the best mom ever!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:42:47 -0500 From: "Lorna B." To: Subject: Re: [B7L] Sleazy Vila Message-Id: <199904121736.MAA03073@pemberton.magnolia.net> >>Sleazy. Is Vila sleazy? Or is he merely an incurable optimist? Oh, yes, I think Vila can be *quite* sleazy when given the chance. He can be a drunken, lecherous lout, but he can also be quite the gentleman with the right female. Perhaps stress factors have something to do with which behavior he exhibits. I also happen to think he had the biggest and most varied porn collection of any of the rebel crews, but unfortunately that's only MO and not supported by canon. Lorna B. "Cookies and porn? You're the best mom ever!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:49:09 -0500 From: "Lorna B." To: Subject: Re: re [B7L] Dark drama Message-Id: <199904121742.MAA03713@pemberton.magnolia.net> >>Now I read that someone in the U.S. is planning to do a takeoff on >>"Fawlty Towers." Help!!) Una said: >Is this actually a true thing? I heard a story about this is a while ago, >in which the studio execs watched an episode and then said, 'Guys, this >will work, so long as we can get rid of that guy Bay-zil'. Don't know about the story (most studio execs are idiots, I think, so it could be true), but there is another takeoff of FAWLTY being shown now. I can't recall the name of it, don't know if it's any good, and it could already be canceled, but it does have John Laroquette starring, who is usually pretty good. As to dark drama, I like it and tend to prefer it, but I don't think any one country holds a monopoly on it. I like some of the more optimistic or fluffy shows as well (no monopoly on these either), for variety. A constant diet of dark drama would get awfully damned boring after awhile. Lorna B. "Cookies and porn? You're the best mom ever!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 18:58:39 +0100 (BST) From: Judith Proctor To: Lysator List cc: Space City Subject: [B7L] BBC chat - The Syndeton Experiment Message-ID: Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII I got this today. > > Dear Judith, > I thought you and your users would like to know about the above event - > > Live Date: 14 April > > Time: 1pm BST (5am PST 8am EST) > > Join director Brian Lighthill and fellow Blake's 7 fans in the Beeb chat room > dedicated to the cult sci-fi adventure series on Wednesday. Get ready to be > beamed up to The Liberator live at 1pm. > > URL-www.chat.beeb.com/chat/comingup/ > > There is also a B7 competition as part of the TW+ webzine at > http://www.twplus.beeb.com/html/blakes7/ > > Please feel free to distribute, and please join in if possible. It would be > great if some knowledgeable fans took part. > > Best Wishes, > Ian@beeb.com Might I suggest that you all turn up in vast numbers to emphasise how much support there is for Blake's 7 even if you don't actually post anything. Remember that Brian Lighthill is actually quite a nice guy (I've met him) and he put a lot of effort into getting the BBC to actually do anything Blake's 7 related at all. By all means tell him the play's rubbish, but try and be polite about it! People tend to respond better to criticism if you say something nice at the same time. The BBC web page didn't like my browser the last time I visited, so I don't know if I'll be able to join in, but if anyone wants my thoughts, here they are. The radio plays need a script editor. Barry Letts simply does not know the series. BRING BACK CHRIS BOUCHER! Ideally get Chris or somone else who worked on the original series to write a script, but failing that, at last let someone who knows the series do some editing. Why not let fans submit scripts? They've nothing to lose as long as they ask for a copyright waiver. And least, but never least: BRING BACK BLAKE! Judith -- http://www.hermit.org/Blakes7 Fanzines for Blake's 7 and many other fandoms, B7 Filk songs, pictures, news, Conventions past and present, Blake's 7 fan clubs, Gareth Thomas, etc. -------------------------------- End of blakes7-d Digest V99 Issue #129 **************************************