PAUL DARROW - B7E part company!

[AVON]

Sadly, the planned new "B7" revival may now be in doubt with the shock news that "PAUL DARROW" has left "B7E" - so, won't be in any new show - if it still materialises??? "B7E" still have the rights to produce a new "BLAKE'S SEVEN"!

"ANDREW MARK SEWELL" is not exactly the flavour of the month and is rather the No 1. "most hated person" right now in the eyes of most "B7" Fans!

Also, the "official website Forum" was recently shut down, without the registered members actually using it being warned or, told it was closing down permanently!

Latest News From AvonDS

9th October, 2003

Blake's 7 : The Movie - A Message from Paul

This is something I never thought I would have to write to you.
I am sorry to say that circumstances have arisen, that leave me no alternative but to sever relations with the company formed to revive, "Blake's Seven".
Terry Nation and I talked at some length about his idea for a two-part TV Movie that might capture the imagination of a new generation, as well as pleasing those of you who have so constantly supported his original conception.
Since his untimely death, I have tried to realise the vision which, in a sense, he entrusted to me.
However, I have fallen foul of modern business practice, which seems to prefer exploitation of a, 'brand', and therefore, a TV Movie such as Terry and I envisaged seems as far off as when it was first mooted.
Otherwise, I must quote, 'artistic differences', with those with whom I was previously in association.
This is not a Damascene revelation -- I have been disturbed by the situation for quite a while and have tried to remedy it, but my efforts have been overrruled or ignored. My position became untenable.
You will know, I hope, how deeply unhappy I am and I'm sure you will share my disappointment.
As somebody once said -- "Every silver lining has a cloud."
Your affection and support over so many years meant a lot to Terry -- and still does to me.

Paul Darrow

From the response on other Forums about this latest development non of the Fans blame "PAUL" - despite not yet knowing the full reasons for his departure from the project, etc!

 

[JunkMonkey]

Looks like the ScyFy (god! I hate that!) channel will be taking up the baton:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/22/blakes-7-us-remake

 

[Dave]

On the plus side, I would think this is likely to be a completely different production company from the one that Paul Darrow fell out with. That was a long time ago. I don't know myself. Maybe Servalan, or some of the other members who were close to Paul might return to tell us what is happening.

However, on the minus side, American's don't have a good track record with re-visualising British TV programmes. I'm thinking of The Office, Coupling, The Inbetweeners. Also, while the reworked BattleStar Galactica was good, it was nothing like the original. Somehow, I don't believe Terry Nation's idea of 'Robin Hood in Space' and rebels fighting a totalitarian government will survive the translation very well.

And is there even an appetite for this in the USA? Wasn't Firefly a similar story, cancelled before the first season was complete? And Firefly had all the 'Civil War' allegorical references that a US audience would have enjoyed more.

 

[JunkMonkey]

I don't believe Terry Nation's idea of 'Robin Hood in Space' and rebels fighting a totalitarian government will survive the translation very well.

And is there even an appetite for this in the USA? Wasn't Firefly a similar story, cancelled before the first season was complete? And Firefly had all the 'Civil War' allegorical references that a US audience would have enjoyed more.

I've been thinking about this all day on and off (what an exciting life I lead). I think you have something. The American audience doesn't really seem to like (in its TV SF anyway) the 'rebel band fighting the system' trope.

Farscape and Firefly are the best I can come up with and neither of them lasted that long. There seems to be a need for the heroes to be part of a larger organization. Part of what we unreconstructed Pinko Socialist Liberal Hippy types used to call the Military Industrial Complex. Babylon 5, both versions of Battlestar Galactica and endless iterations of Star Trek and Stargate all sit within a military mindset.

Star Wars came to mind but the gallant band were soon part of a larger military hierarchy and that film came out the year after the American Bicentennial, it plugged right into the American Revolutionary spirit of nobel righteousness fighting an evil distant Emprire - part of the reason the prequels fail so spectacularly for me is the way the ragtag heroes of the first films turn out to be part of the same Military Industrial Complex that they are fighting.

I don't know but I really can't see the home 'ScyFy' (even in quotes it looks like sh*t) channel audience buying Blake's Seven without some serious story revamping first.

"Okay. So here's the deal. It's like space, In the future. On the moon or somewhere. There's this guy Blake, he's married to this fox called Servalan and they have two kids: Kerr and Cally. Their next door neighbor, this really grumpy dud called Villa...."

 

[reiver33]

"Listen, is that good old uncle Avon calling?"

 

[JunkMonkey]

Baboom-Tish!


Damn, I wish I'd thought of that...

 

[Ursa major]

Don't feel too bad, JunkMonkey; let's face it: that sort of thing is hard to make up....

 

[reiver33]

Blakes 7 as soap opera? Well the character dynamics alone would beat the crap out of Dallas...