Latest on my wirlwind regression to the '70's is Brit Sci-fi drama Blake's 7.Watching the first few episodes of 1979's season 2, I can say with certainty that it stands up very well. Its very cheap, the effects are naff, the planets are welsh quarries and none of the actors have regional accents.
But it fares better than most Doctor Who made by the BBC at the same time. The premise is strong, it takes itself seriously and the plots have a tense gorilla war aspect to them.
What excells though is the writing and the casting. When talking about the UK drama Life on Mars, I expressed admiration for the British ability to present characters like Gene Hunt, that are blunt, sarcastic with a general view of contempt for others. Blackadder is another. Blake's 7 has THREE of these... Super-computer Orac, Supreme Ferderation Commander Servalan and Blake's numer two, Avon. All three are genius creations that all other Tv shows could learn from.
With the exception of cowardly thief Villa, most other characters are uninteresting...which allows them to be fodder for the magnificent 3. It's rumoured that Sky TV are developing a remake of this shaw, and that's fine. But, as with the US Life On Mars, if they don't get the casting right, the whole thing will be a shadow of its former self.
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