Transcript of ‘The Sevenfold Crown’

BRIAN 

Blake’s 7 ran from January 1978 to December 1981, fifty two glorious episodes. I’m Brian Lighthill, and Blake’s 7 was the first show I ever directed on TV—series 4, ‘Gold’ and ‘Orbit’. Now the final episode of the series was seen by over ten million viewers, and now, twenty years after the first series, this BBC radio special was recorded by many of the original cast to celebrate the anniversary. In conversation with Paul Darrow, I asked him: What do you think Avon thought of the rest of the crew?

PAUL 

Generally speaking, I think that Avon was a loner, but was forced to have somebody fly the plane when he wasn’t there—the plane, I mean the spaceship—and also to cook the dinner and make the tea or whatever, and do his ironing, if you like. No, they had their functions, and as long as they performed their functions, he tolerated them. But if they didn’t, he’d kill them.

BRIAN 

Do you think Avon was mad at the end of series 4?

PAUL 

No. There is actually a scene in the last episode, which was called ‘Blake’—because at the end of it Blake was shot by Avon—but in the scene, he was talking about psychopaths, and he smiled. I did that deliberately. Now, no real psychopath believes he is a psychopath [he laughs] and tends not to smile about it anyway, so no, he wasn’t. But he was aware that the way he was behaving might indicate to others that he had psychopathic tendencies, and I would imagine that he did. So, under stress, I think we’d call it today. He’d probably have a counsellor today, wouldn’t he?

BRIAN 

How has the part of Avon affected your career, Paul?

PAUL 

Career-wise, the role of Avon was very good for me—initially—because it established me in a genre and as a type of actor that could play heavies, what they used to call heavies, in the movies, the bad guy. You know, the look. Having said that, although it was helpful in many ways, there were also restrictions because then nobody would let me do anything else. So for a while I had to fight against that in order to do something a little bit different. But my feeling towards it is that I’m very grateful, because over the years I’ve been all over the world to various conventions and so on, made a lot of friends, and it has produced an interesting line of work.

BRIAN 

That was Paul Darrow, who played Avon. Now, Michael Keating, who plays Vila. Michael, was Vila a coward?

MICHAEL 

Well, probably no more than I am myself. I think he was very careful, that’s the quick, flip answer to that. I mean, he certainly gave all the appearances of being a coward in most of the episodes of Blake’s 7. But there were one or two episodes where he actually behaved in rather a brave fashion. For instance in ‘City at the Edge of the World’, which was in the third season, he, as I remember, actually saved Kerril, who was like his sort of girlfriend in that episode. I would say he’s a survivor, so therefore he has to be careful. So the answer to your question is yes and no. Possibly. [he laughs]

BRIAN 

What was the relationship between Avon and Vila?

MICHAEL 

He had a respect, a healthy respect for Avon, but as the series progressed, certainly towards the end of the fourth season, I think not only Vila, but probably the other members of the crew realised there was something wrong with Avon. He was beginning to get completely dictatorial. The relationship did change of course, and he became much more wary of Avon. For his own survival.

BRIAN 

What are your feelings towards Blake’s 7, Michael?

MICHAEL 

It’s nice to be remembered by a number of people, you know, having been in something, you know. I mean, I do plays in various theatres all over this country and only a few people see it. But I mean, a lot of people saw Blake’s 7, so people remember me from that. For my ego, that’s quite nice.

BRIAN 

Thank you. Michael. Now, Jacqueline Pearce, who plays Servalan. Jacqui, how do you feel Servalan felt about Avon?

JACQUELINE 

I think she was potty about him, actually. I do. I think she was probably in love with him. And that’s why, often, when she had a chance to annihilate him, get rid of him, destroy him, she didn’t. So I think it was a very psychologically interesting relationship.

BRIAN 

Did you base the character of Servalan on anyone?

JACQUELINE 

Certainly not consciously. A lot of people would probably say myself. But no, I don’t think I did. You probably know that when she was originally written, she was a man, and halfway through writing her, Terry decided that he should be a she. So I think that’s why she was such an interesting and complex character to play.

BRIAN 

If Servalan had had children, what would she have wanted for them?

JACQUELINE 

Power, I would think. To be invulnerable. But I think a lot of what motivated Servalan, as it is with a lot of people who pursue power to the degree that she did, was an incredible insecurity. So the more powerful she could become, the more invulnerable she felt. And I would think any children she had, she would want that for them too.

BRIAN 

Thank you very much, Jacqueline. Steven Pacey, who plays Tarrant. Steven, did Tarrant feel loyalty to the crew, or was he just there for his own advancement?

STEVEN 

I don’t think Tarrant thought a lot about anything, to be honest. But when he did think about the crew, it was in a completely selfish way. Yes, I don’t think he gave a monkey’s about anybody but himself. [he laughs]

BRIAN 

Did Tarrant’s personality change between series three and four?

STEVEN 

What personality was that, then? Yes, what he had—he did change, he became a little lovesick, I think. He seemed to be falling in love with all sorts of unsuitable ladies. In series 3, he was just at Avon’s throat all the time.

BRIAN 

And what are your feelings towards Blake’s 7?

STEVEN 

Amazement really, that seventeen years on, one’s still getting fan mail from America and this country, that people still remember it. Yeah, the reaction of the fans is the most astonishing aspect of it.

BRIAN 

Steven Pacey. And lastly, Peter Tuddenham, an actor who’s not often seen in this series, because he plays the computers Zen, Orac, and Slave. Peter, did you think the computer had feelings?

PETER 

Oh, yes. For instance, when the Liberator blew up, and Zen was destroyed, his last words were, “I am dying. I’m sorry I have failed you.” Well, I mean, I think that proves the computer has feelings, don’t you? Mind you, I think it was the way I said it. [he laughs]

BRIAN 

Now, Orac and Slave had distinct personalities. How did you decide on the right voice for each of them?

PETER 

Well, you see the producer didn’t want a mechanical sort of Dalek voice, so I made the voices with a human personality. I tried to. When I saw the script and Orac’s lines, he was very precise and to the point, and highly informative, there was no messing about, and didn’t suffer fools gladly. So I thought of a little, old-fashioned, busy little bank clerk, with a bowler hat and a rolled-up umbrella, which he held even on the hottest day. Now, Slave was always trying to help, but getting it wrong. He did his best, poor old Slave, but he kept apologising, so I saw a Uriah Heep type of character, very ’umble, and the voice seemed to fit. I was lucky to have had the chance of the voices. No lines to learn, happy atmosphere. Wonderfully loyal fans, and...let’s do some more. I’m very willing.