Blake 7 returns

Science fiction fans can celebrate the revival of a famous cult hit after plans to revive the BBC series Blake’s 7 were announced. Sky One is to remake the science fiction series following the recent re-imaginings of Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman. The satellite channel has given the go-ahead for the development of two 60-minute scripts with a view to a potential "event series". It is rumoured producers have mapped out a six-part series reviving Blake, his self-serving lieutenant Avon, Servalan, the ruthless Supreme Commander, and the show’s other fondly-remembered characters.

Elaine Pyke, the commissioning editor, drama, at Sky One, Two and Three is working with Andrew Mark Sewell at B7 Productions on the project. "At a time when science fiction shows often discard good storytellng for overblown visual effects and following the lead of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica, the time is ripe for a revival of a show that represents the best traditions of the genre, not to mention one of the best-loved and most successful dramas of all time" Pyke told Broadcast.

Created by sci-fi legend Terry Nation, Blake's 7 ran for four series on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981, and followed a band of rebels in their fight against the totalitarian Federation that ruled the galaxy. Blake is the political dissident who escapes deportation to a remote planet by forming a gang which includes a smuggler and a thief. It was launched in the wake of Star Wars’ success, and challenged viewer expectations with its cynical characters, who were eventually massacred in a shoot-out. Although the production values of the original series have dated, the show has proved both influential and enduringly popular. Blake 7 Productions will now have the technology to create the epic space battles which were constrained by the BBC’s budgetary demands in the late 70s.

The new Blake’s 7 will fly on Sky One after the satellite broadcaster asked the rightsholders of Terry Nation’s creation to develop a fresh series. In many ways it's hardly a surprise that Roj Blake and his band of intergalactic renegades are next in line for the remake treatment. B7 Productions is a subsidiary of B7 Media, the company that owns the licence to the show. In recent years it has already developed the brand with a series of Blake's 7 audio dramas, featuring actors such as James Bond star Colin Salmon and This Life's Daniela Nardini.

The prospect of a new Blake's 7 follows Russell T Davies's highly successful reworking of Doctor Who for the BBC, and the new Battlestar Galactica, the fourth and final series of which is currently showing on Sky One. NBC's revival of Bionic Woman, starring former EastEnders actor Michelle Ryan, has been less successful, with the show expected to be axed after just one series. Crucially, the success Life On Mars- with its time-travel scenario- has proved that such concepts can have broad and populist appeal.

Sky One is showing quite a talent for reinvention these days: it's not long before we'll be, erm... enjoying the all-new Gladiators. Blake's 7 represents a great opportunity for Sky One. The channel has enjoyed some success with original programming in recent years, with big-budget adaptations of Terry Pratchett's fantasy tales, but this is still a tiny fraction of its import-dominated output. As imports and sports rights get ever more expensive, it pays to manufacture your own hits. A home-made, high-quality Blake's 7 would also do wonders for Sky One's profile among TV connoisseurs.

But the operative word is "high-quality". According to the Guardian's Chris Tryhorn what lets the old sci-fi series down is the frankly appalling production values - rubbish special effects, wobbly sets and leaden pacing. The somewhat hammy acting style doesn't help either, he notes. To modern eyes this can render a lot of old TV drama, unlike films - and indeed TV comedy - of the same era, almost unwatchable.

Although the UK audience will be limited to Sky subscribers, the series will be sold to international broadcasters - the original was shown in 40 territories. The Blake’s 7 brand also has significant potential for programme downloads and DVD sales.

Battlestar Galactica, praised as a complex allegory about US interventionist foreign policy, has shown that if you give high-concept sci-fi the look of a serious feature film, it becomes credible and gripping in a way that far surpasses its analogue antecedents. It's also hoped the new Blake's 7 can invest money in getting the writing talent, which is the key factor that makes much US TV so entertaining and compelling. In fact, thinks Tryhorn, they should hire Battlestar's Ron Moore if he has time on his hands after bringing BSG to a close.

The BBC will challenge the revival with a new sci-fi show that echoes Blake’s 7. Outcasts follows the race to find an alternative home to Earth in the Universe. In return for their liberty, a group of social misfits and criminals become the pioneers of a large new settlement on a near planet.