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| How Does Blake's 7 Stack Up Alongside Star Trek (Original Series)? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 B7 or Star Trek?
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 22-07-2023 12:15
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 Alpha Grade  Posts: 2485 Joined: 14.06.22 |
The non-B7 rewatchers are indulging in a bit of selective Trek at the moment. So, in your eyes and for whatever reasons, which is 'better'*: Blake's 7 or the original Star Trek? Or is that just a daft question? * In other words, which do you prefer? Let's not give houseroom to all that "well, viewing it objectively..." claptrap! You shouldn't do that, should do that...
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| NerdyTeenGirl |
Posted on 22-07-2023 12:21
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 Beta Grade  Posts: 436 Joined: 19.10.22 |
I personally enjoy Blake’s 7 more because (a) I love the totalitarian government theme in fiction and ( I love that the characters’ motivations and loyalties are not very clear right off.
The Blake’s 7 section of my blog, where I post fics, art, essays, etcetera.
https://thephantomofcygnus.wordpress..../blakes-7/ |
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| M1795537OCVirn |
Posted on 22-07-2023 14:04
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 Admin  Posts: 9082 Joined: 14.01.22 |
I prefer B7 because Servalan's in it.
"You're not sulking, I hope?"
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| Brad |
Posted on 22-07-2023 14:53
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 Moderator  Posts: 3369 Joined: 15.01.22 |
For some reason we love to bash on ST TOS these days. Yes, judged by 21st century standards, it's a bit daft. But taken in the context of the late 60's, before we had even been to the moon, it was edgy. It dealt with contemporary social issues no other series of the time had the courage to touch. So many later series owe a debt to ST TOS, even Blake's 7, Babylon 5, and Farscape. The bottom line, if ST TOS had crashed and burned, we may never have had Blake's 7, and television Sci Fi would still be children's shows like Land Of The Giants. That said: Blake's 7 is a mirror image of Star Trek TOS ST TOS: All problems are solvable. If we all work together for the common good we can build a Utopia. B7: Mankind isn't ready to work together for the common good, and everyone will die. . .  Cockatoo? What Cockatoo? I don't see a Cockatoo! |
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| OneSparePart |
Posted on 22-07-2023 18:05
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 Alpha Grade Posts: 7257 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I like what you said, Brad and agree. I have always loved ST TOS but had not watched it for a while because all of the bashing you mentioned which got into my head. I just started rewatching it (before OUR rewatch) and rediscovered my love for the show. Both shows have excellent stories, excellent acting, they make you feel something, they make you think. They also both have dud episodes which shouldn't be used to judge the shows. They ARE the yin and yang (ooh star trek pun) of tv SF. That's why I love them both. Don't make me choose between them cygnus bazza! We can have our space cake and eat it! Silflay hraka, u embleer rah!
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| Paula |
Posted on 22-07-2023 19:06
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 Moderator Posts: 3191 Joined: 15.01.22 |
Being of an age where I watched Star Trek in real time, it was an amazing thing for the time frame. I loved it. But pitting one against the other, it's hard to say, although once seeing Blake's 7 in 1985, there was no going back. B7 is grittier, darker and so engrossing, if it wasn't I would not be here still taking about it all these years later. I will have to say it's an unanswerable question as it's like comparing apples to orangutans! Impossible. I vote 'daft question'.
Resist the Host
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 23-07-2023 08:21
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Alpha Grade Posts: 2485 Joined: 14.06.22 |
I've got a massive soft spot for original Trek and am surprised to learn that it gets so much stick. It has that aspirational/inspirational edge which, allied to its pioneering qualities, makes it hard to beat. Plus it all feels pretty coherent/joined-up (a characteristic which B7, for all its merits, often lacks). It also offers at least half a dozen genuinely top-grade iconic characters, which sets it apart from most other series of any genre. In terms of individual episodes, there are some big clunkers but its classic:clunker ratio is quite good, to my eyes, and definitely better than B7's. Having said all that, B7 obviously comes at things from a diametrically opposite angle and, from that foundation, has rightly staked out a hallowed spot in the sci-fi firmament - not least because what it does well it does very well indeed.
You shouldn't do that, should do that...
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| M1795537OCVirn |
Posted on 23-07-2023 11:18
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Admin Posts: 9082 Joined: 14.01.22 |
Where do things like Babylon 5 and Battlestar, Moonbase etc rate in the pantheon of SF soaps?
"You're not sulking, I hope?"
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| NerdyTeenGirl |
Posted on 23-07-2023 12:54
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Beta Grade Posts: 436 Joined: 19.10.22 |
Babylon 5 is my second-favorite science fiction show. It was one of my obsessions in high school.
The Blake’s 7 section of my blog, where I post fics, art, essays, etcetera.
https://thephantomofcygnus.wordpress..../blakes-7/ |
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| Lorna |
Posted on 23-07-2023 18:03
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 Alpha Grade Posts: 1986 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I used to belong to a Bristol ST fan club. And we ran Conventions which got some good stars; Walter Koenig for one. We usually wrote a little skit and they would act a part in them. So that was fun. One year we booked Paul Darrow and he brought Jaqueline Pearce, which was a bonus. So I loved both ST and B7 and all the friends I made in both clubs.
I look behind me, what do I see? A pair of golden wings seem to be attached to me.
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| Lorna |
Posted on 23-07-2023 19:04
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Alpha Grade Posts: 1986 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I wonder why TT hasn't commented on this thread? He doesn't rate ST. In fact he has a thread in Duel "Original Star Trek was a bit rubbish, wasnt it?" So where are you TT? I look behind me, what do I see? A pair of golden wings seem to be attached to me.
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| OneSparePart |
Posted on 23-07-2023 20:30
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Alpha Grade Posts: 7257 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I wonder why TT hasn't commented on this thread? He doesn't rate ST. In fact he has a thread in Duel "Original Star Trek was a bit rubbish, wasnt it?" So where are you TT? Don't remind him, Lorna! TT and Cygnus Bazza will be duelling at dawn! Silflay hraka, u embleer rah!
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| Lorna |
Posted on 24-07-2023 05:13
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Alpha Grade Posts: 1986 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I look behind me, what do I see? A pair of golden wings seem to be attached to me.
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| M1795537OCVirn |
Posted on 24-07-2023 11:00
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Admin Posts: 9082 Joined: 14.01.22 |
I wonder why TT hasn't commented on this thread? He doesn't rate ST. In fact he has a thread in Duel "Original Star Trek was a bit rubbish, wasnt it?" So where are you TT? Don't remind him, Lorna! TT and Cygnus Bazza will be duelling at dawn! You know them so well! "You're not sulking, I hope?"
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 24-07-2023 11:56
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Alpha Grade Posts: 2485 Joined: 14.06.22 |
My three-word riposte* to the 'Original Trek' naysayers is: The Tholian Web. Joking apart, I'm very much in the 'each to their own' camp. It's just a bit of telly. Full disclosure: only ever seen two episodes of 'The Next Generation', three and a half of 'Voyager', and none at all of the other Trek incarnations. Love the 'proper' six films, naturally. The first ten minutes of the first one, at the cinema back in the day, blew my mind.** Proper sci-fi, that - not that comic book Star Wars stuff. * A two-word riposte is also available. But not on a PG-13 site. Edit: ** I mean, how good's this, ladies and gentlemen? And that music! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbG3N...&t=11s Edited by Cygnus Bazza on 24-07-2023 14:33 You shouldn't do that, should do that...
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| trevor travis |
Posted on 25-07-2023 10:20
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 Alpha Grade Posts: 4754 Joined: 16.01.22 |
For some reason we love to bash on ST TOS these days. Yes, judged by 21st century standards, it's a bit daft. But taken in the context of the late 60's, before we had even been to the moon, it was edgy. It dealt with contemporary social issues no other series of the time had the courage to touch. So many later series owe a debt to ST TOS, even Blake's 7, Babylon 5, and Farscape. The bottom line, if ST TOS had crashed and burned, we may never have had Blake's 7, and television Sci Fi would still be children's shows like Land Of The Giants. That said: Blake's 7 is a mirror image of Star Trek TOS ST TOS: All problems are solvable. If we all work together for the common good we can build a Utopia. B7: Mankind isn't ready to work together for the common good, and everyone will die. We owe original Trek nothing, since Doctor Who - an altogether superior show - had already begun  And B7 used much of the creative talent from Doctor Who (David Maloney, Chris Boucher, Terry Nation, Robert Holmes, etc) and none from Star Trek, so therefore I can't see if Trek had never existed, how it could have affected B7.Original Trek works to an old tired formula that B7 never did. B7 takes risks and doesn't have a magic reset button. B7 makes you laugh, cry, happy, sad, think, feel. Most of original Trek is dull and like watching paint dry. Maybe it's time to get the "Original Trek was a bit rubbish" thread going again
Edited by trevor travis on 25-07-2023 14:24 Vote Og.
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| trevor travis |
Posted on 25-07-2023 10:20
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Alpha Grade Posts: 4754 Joined: 16.01.22 |
I wonder why TT hasn't commented on this thread? He doesn't rate ST. In fact he has a thread in Duel "Original Star Trek was a bit rubbish, wasnt it?" So where are you TT? Don't remind him, Lorna! TT and Cygnus Bazza will be duelling at dawn!
Vote Og.
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