Classic BBC Sci-fi Series Blake's 7 To Return On Syfy Channel

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Classic BBC Sci-fi Series Blake's 7 To Return On Syfy Channel

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday April 9, 2013 @06:23AM from the what's-old-is-new dept.

Zaiff Urgulbunger writes "According to the BBC, 'Cult classic sci-fi series Blake's 7 is to be remade for the Syfy network, it has been announced. FremantleMedia International said 13 hour-long episodes will be written by Heroes writer Joe Pokaski.' Here's hoping the special effects budget will be higher than for the original series! Also, I'm hoping that the Liberator is of similar design and includes Zen — the ships computer."

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I'll miss the old school special effects by VAXcat · 2013-04-09 06:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

It always looked like they could make it to the next starbase, if they didn't run out of steam and iron filings.

--
There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.
1. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by MickyTheIdiot · 2013-04-09 06:42 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I recently re-watched Blakes' 7 while down recovering from surgery, and it has good stories. It has good stories probably because they didn't have to rely on the effects.
  The new Doctor Who now has a good budget, but they have gotten over reliant on the imagery at times. All newer sci-fi has.
  I'm looking forward to a new series (even if it is on SeeFee) and I hope they keep with the gritty, amoral feel they had in the old series. Better effects... sure, but it won't be any good without good writing.
2. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by fermion · 2013-04-09 07:03 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  If they blow the entire budget on fx then all will be lost. Blake's 7 was arguable about Avon and Servilan, the force in which Paul and Jacqueline played those characters. It is kind of like bones and spock. Sure Blake and Kirk were important, but the melodrama kind of made the show, and the fx were of little consequence.
  It is going to be interesting to see what SyFy does with it. A lot of their stuff lately is industrial fashion or magics, which does not really lend itself to Blake. Battlestar Galactica is more in line, but they even that included unnecessary magics. The social commentary in Blake is subtle and morality ambiguous, something that is hard to do on and American TV show.
  
  --
  "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
3. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by snookerdoodle · 2013-04-09 07:06 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Around our house, we call SyFy "The Wrestling Channel". :)
4. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by geekoid · 2013-04-09 07:25 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  " It has good stories probably because they didn't have to rely on the effects."
  no ,it has a good story becasue it was written well. I could list many, many bad show that also didn't have effects.
  "The new Doctor Who now has a good budget, but they have gotten over reliant on the imagery at times. All newer sci-fi has."
  yes, it was the over reliant of imagery that had my daughter crying, and me come down with a sudden case of 'hay fever' at the end of the pond story line.
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
5. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by Anaerin · 2013-04-09 11:41 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  And you probably won't see it rebroadcast. Fortunately there are some archivally-minded individuals that have made all 4 series available at a certain Privateer's Cove.
6. Re:I'll miss the old school special effects by RLiegh · 2013-04-09 12:34 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  At my house, we call SyFy "the reason we cancelled the cable service"
Bring back ORAC! by SuricouRaven · 2013-04-09 06:36 · Score: 5, Interesting

The stuck-up, annoyingly smug computer. It's a billion times smarter than the rest of the crew put together, and doesn't try to hide it. A computer so obnoxious, most conversations ended with someone cutting the power to shut it up. I want to see ORAC again.
How many other computers, when asked if they can perform a video analysis task, announce they just did it - but won't share the result, considering such menial number-crunching beneath them?
1. Re:Bring back ORAC! by Darinbob · 2013-04-09 08:48 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  How many other computers, when asked if they can perform a video analysis task, announce they just did it - but won't share the result,
  Stop reminding us about Widnows 8!
But... by Stormy+Dragon · 2013-04-09 06:36 · Score: 4, Funny

Will the remake have BRIAN BLESSED? Because if not, what's the point??
1. Re:But... by snowjest · 2013-04-09 07:22 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  But surely everyone knows that BRIAN'S ALIVE!
Sci-fi on Syfy? by Dracos · 2013-04-09 06:41 · Score: 4, Insightful

Say it ain't so. I wonder when they'll squeeze this into the schedule between all the wrestling and other ratings-chasing dreck.
But we won't know if it's a true SciFi series until it gets unceremoniously cancelled for no good reason.
My emotions as I started reading... by emag · 2013-04-09 06:45 · Score: 5, Interesting

Classic BBC Sci-fi Series Blake's 7 To Return
*gasp!* *overwhelming joy*

On Syfy Channel
*neutral* "Oh...."

is to be remade
*anger* "... fuck!"

by Heroes writer
*rage* "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
Maybe I should just import a Region 2 DVD player and the discs from the UK, since it looks like it never got released here in the US.

--
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." --H.L. Mencken
Summary by someone who never saw the original? by wonkey_monkey · 2013-04-09 07:13 · Score: 3, Informative

Here's hoping the special effects budget will be higher than for the original series!
No, no, no. What we should really be hoping for is that the effects budgets doesn't matter because the writing and characterisation will be so strong.
Still, an American remake of a popular British series - what could possibly go wrong?

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systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
1. Re:Summary by someone who never saw the original? by swb · 2013-04-09 08:26 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  You're generally right, but the American version of Life on Mars wasn't bad on it's own merits, even if it was somehow not as good as the British version.
  At least the cast was decent -- it seemed unusual to have Keitel, Mol, Imperioli all on a network TV series.
Re:Vila weighs 73 kilos, Avon. by Capt.DrumkenBum · 2013-04-09 07:20 · Score: 4, Funny

as bad (or worse) than the US version of Red Dwarf.
That is not possible. Nothing can be worse than the US version of Red Dwarf. I have a true love of BAD movies and TV, but even I had to shut off the US version of Red Dwarf less than 10 minutes in.

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If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
Re:Funny You Should Mention This by Minwee · 2013-04-09 07:22 · Score: 4, Funny

They used to spell it "Sci Fi", but changed it to avoid charges of false advertising.
Re:Vila weighs 73 kilos, Avon. by bfandreas · 2013-04-09 07:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

They did Fawlty Towers and didn't bother to include Basil Fawlty. But we shouldn't fault them because he was easy to overlook if your bucket-hat didn't have eyeholes cut out.
I said it before and will say it again: The US is where Brit series go to die.
After I heard they wanted to do their very own The Prisoner I really wished for shades that go black when approached by danger. But they ruined that one, too.

This is a TV station that renamed themself from SciFi to SyFy cuz misspeeling ur ohn neme iz kool.
Shouldn't they be filming Fucktopus vs. Turdosaur or something?

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20 minutes into the future