Otherworldly talents

Robert Meakin recalls a golden age of British television, when great actors imbued classic roles with risky, multifaceted complexity

WITH THREE SHOTS TO THE GUT, poor old Roj Blake is dead. Having, courtesy of the most spectacular of misunderstandings, just murdered the very man and former leader he’d long sought, Kerr Avon remains frozen to the spot. The rest of his ill-fated and largely less memorable crew are fatally picked off, one by one, by newly-arrived Federation gunmen. Soon enough surrounded by his enemies, Avon flashes that knowing showbiz smile for the last time, before the screen goes to black to the sound of more shooting. A December Monday night on BBC One, 40 years ago. Blake’s 7 had just left our screens for good. Its climax was chaotic, brutal and unexpected. Science fiction on British TV hasn’t hit such heights since. Downbeat about the show’s direction and the dramatic straitjacket…

You're reading a preview of

The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2021

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.