Following success of revived Doctor Who, Red Dwarf and Blake’s 7 make comeback
Posted by dailypop on November 2, 2009
In 2005, I thought I was living in some kind of extravagant sci-fi fantasy designed just for me. First Doctor Who returned to TV after a 16 year-long gap and was a massive success, then The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was made into a big budget film starring members of the League of Gentlemen. Blake’s 7 was also rumored to make a comeback and actor Paul Darrow was heavily involved.
Since 2005, Doctor Who has spawned two spin-offs (Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Smith Adventures) and proven to be so successful that other British TV channels are rubbing their chins thinking about the possibilities.
Red Dwarf
Just last year, Dave TV revived the cult favorite science fiction comedy Red Dwarf for a special story called ‘Back to Earth.’ As the series was shown in a limited fashion in the United States in the mid 1990’s, you may not have heard of this program. At the time that Red Dwarf arrived, Doctor Who was on its way out and there were no real avenues for sci-fi fanatics to get their ‘fix.’ Combining an unhealthy knowledge of sci-fi tech and a hefty dose of trademark British humor in addition to top-notch actors and the stellar writing team of Grant and Naylor, Red Dwarf filled the vacuum. Running for a staggering eight seasons, Red Dwarf was an oddity in that it was so well written while also being absolutely absurd. It also displayed the best in special effects at the time.
Scene from Back to Reality
When the series ended in 1999, there was even talk of a feature film which never came to be.
The Dave TV special ‘Back to Earth’ (set after a fictional 9th Series) was in some ways an experiment to see if there was still an audience for the series and given the viewing figures, there certainly is.
Earlier this month, actor Robert Llewlyn tweeted the following:
Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, Cat and Kryten in Red Dwarf
If Red Dwarf does make a comeback, this will be big news for the legions of devoted fans waiting with baited breath for so long. Think ‘Doctor Who’ big.
“Series 10 of Red Dwarf announcement just been made at DJ 09. To clarify the scripts have been commissioned, wont be filming til 2010″
Blake’s 7
On 25 October, The Guardian confirmed a long-standing rumor regarding the future of the fan favorite liberators of Blake’s 7:
In related news, an announcement was recently made that confirms the revival of another British science fiction institution, Blake’s 7. Even as an avid fan of British science fiction programming, it took me ages to catch Blake’s 7 in its entirety. Shown only on selection public TV stations throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, the series was a massive hit in the UK and more or less represents to the TV viewing public what Star Trek means to Americans.
In short, Blake’s 7 is a sci-fi epic set in a future where humanity is ruled by a combination of fear and chemical mind-control. A small group of terrorists set out to free mankind from the control of the Galactic Federation. Piloting the strange alien craft known as the Liberator, the group of seven freedom fighters give no quarter in their war against the evil empire.
The series ran for four years and culminated in one of the most awe-inspiring finales ever filmed on TV. Created by the father of the Daleks Terry Nation, Blake’s 7 soon had a massive cult following rivaling that of the other major sci-fi program at the time, Doctor Who. While the group of rebels was initially led by Roj Blake, after a galactic war he went missing and the reluctant computer genius/sociopath Kerr Avon took over. Actor Paul Darrow played the purring sinister antihero with so much aplomb that he is still known for his signature performance.
Cult of Blake’s 7
A pair of radio dramas and an audio adventure series starring Michael Praed (of Robin Hood) followed and kept the fire burning for fans. Talks have bubbled up since the series ended in 1981, but only recently has there been any real sign of a final product. Life on Mars series creator Matthew Graham has spoken about the basis of the idea which follows closely to Nation’s original concept that it involve Kerr Avon in some way. Whether the new Sky1 series will involve Darrow or this concept is still unclear.
Paul Darrow is Kerr Avon in Blake's 7
“Sky1, meanwhile, may have made the most ambitious choice with a revival of Blake’s 7, the dystopian science fiction series that attracted up to 11 million viewers per episode. It will try to emulate the success of the new Doctor Who with production values to match the imagination of its writers – unlike three decades ago when the sets wobbled.”
What is clear that it is a great time to be a fan of cult sci-fi.
Alex said
Ever since Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, I’ve wanted Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost to remake Red Dwarf… and I’m generally not a huge fan of remakes, but they’d do a fantastic job of bringing the concept to new audiences.