Blake's 7

A group of convicts and outcasts fight a guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation from a highly advanced alien spaceship.

Blake's 7 (1978-1981) is a British science fiction series created by Terry Nation for BBC One. Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas) leads a band of convicts and outcasts, including the cynical Kerr Avon (Paul Darrow), the thief Vila Restal (Michael Keating), and the computer ORAC voiced by Peter Tuddenham, in a guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation. Their engine is survival and resistance: they fight from a highly advanced alien spaceship they have taken for themselves, stealing supplies, dodging pursuit, and striking at Federation outposts while trying to remain free of the authority they despise. Each episode is typically a self-contained mission or escape, but the four seasons form a continuing rebellion with shifting crew members, including Josette Simon as Dayna Mellanby and Jan Chappell as Cally. The show runs four seasons across fifty-two fifty-minute episodes. Its tone is gritty, cynical and sardonic, with a bleak atmosphere that is leavened by camaraderie and dark humor. Its themes of compromise, loyalty and fighting tyranny suit viewers who enjoy the rough, low-budget charm of 1970s British space opera. Fans of Firefly and Battlestar Galactica (1978) will find resonance in its outlaw crew and grim defiance.

Audience reception is positive, with ratings rising steadily across the four seasons as the rebels' guerrilla campaign against the Federation grew more ambitious.

• Fireflyshared rebellious crew fighting an authoritarian empire from a ship, episodic space adventure with an antihero edge
• Battlestar Galactica (1978)shared outlaw crew resisting a totalitarian regime in a cramped spacecraft, grim-edged space drama
• Doctor Whoshared British sci-fi tradition, rebel band against an oppressive state, cheap-spectacle adventure with strong character bickering
• Star Blazersshared ragtag band of outcasts, morally gray antihero leader, serialized rebellion against a totalitarian system

Created by

Terry Nation

Release Date

1978-01-02

Episode runtime

50 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (51)

What is Blake's 7 about?

A band of convicts and outcasts wages guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation from a stolen alien starship.

What is Blake's 7 like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blake's 7 as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Blake's 7 violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Blake's 7 as moderate.

What did critics think of Blake's 7?

Audience reception is positive, with ratings rising steadily across the four seasons as the rebels' guerrilla campaign against the Federation grew more ambitious.

Which shows are like Blake's 7?

Shows with a similar feel include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica (1978), Doctor Who, and Star Blazers.

How long is Blake's 7?

Blake's 7: 4 seasons, 52 episodes.

Is Blake's 7 still running?

No, Blake's 7 has ended.

Where can I watch Blake's 7?

In United States, Blake's 7 streams on Hoopla.