The fourth and final season of Blake's 7, Series D, was broadcast in 1981 from September through to December. This broke the previous three seasons' trend of being broadcast earlier in the year. It consisted of 13 episodes.
Overview
Series D instigated major changes to the show. Following the destruction of the Liberator in Series C's Terminal, the crew gain a new ship – Scorpio - which first appears in Rescue. Cally is reported as dead by Avon, though a body is not shown and her voice is heard offscreen. A new character, Soolin is introduced in the first episode and joins the crew in Power. The crew also gain a combat base on the planet Xenon for this season only.
None of the episodes of Series D were written by Terry Nation. Chris Boucher remained in the role of script editor.
Servalan returns in this season using the pseudonym “Commissioner Sleer”; having reinvented herself and her position in the new Federation, which - following the aftermath of the galactic war in Series C - is rebuilding its empire.
Every episode in this season has a title comprising of a single word.
The series finale, Blake, remains one of the bleakest endings to any television series. Boasting Blake's return, it ends with the entire cast appearing to die at the hands of the Federation or Avon.
| # | Title | Writer | Director | Broadcast date | Notes |
| 1 | Rescue | Chris Boucher | Mary Ridge | 28 September 1981 | |
| 2 | Power | Ben Steed | Mary Ridge | 5 October 1981 | Soolin joins as a regular. |
| 3 | Traitor | Robert Holmes | David Sullivan Proudfoot | 12 October 1981 | |
| 4 | Stardrive | Jim Follett | David Sullivan Proudfoot | 19 October 1981 | |
| 5 | Animals | Allan Prior | Mary Ridge | 28 October 1981 | |
| 6 | Headhunter | Roger Parkes | Mary Ridge | 2 November 1981 | |
| 7 | Assassin | Rod Beacham | David Sullivan Proudfoot | 9 November 1981 | |
| 8 | Games | Bill Lyons | Vivienne Cozens | 16 November 1981 | |
| 9 | Sand | Tanith Lee | Vivienne Cozens | 23 November 1981 | |
| 10 | Gold | Colin Davis | Brian Lighthill | 30 November 1981 | |
| 11 | Orbit | Robert Holmes | Brian Lighthill | 7 December 1981 | |
| 12 | Warlord | Simon Masters | Viktors Ritelis | 14 December 1981 | Final appearance of Servalan. |
| 13 | Blake | Chris Boucher | Mary Ridge | 21 December 1981 | Final appearances of the regular cast. |
Cast
- Avon - Paul Darrow
- Vila - Michael Keating
- Tarrant - Steven Pacey
- Dayna - Josette Simon
- Soolin - Glynis Barber
- Orac/Slave - Peter Tuddenham
Recurring cast
Guest cast
- Dorian - Geoffrey Burridge
- The Creature - Rob Middleton
- Gunn Sar - Dicken Ashworth
- Pella - Juliet Hammond Hill
- Leitz - Malcolm Stoddard
- Colonel Quute - Christopher Neame
- Dr. Plaxton - Barbara Shelley
- Atlan - Damien Thomas
- Justin - Peter Byrne
- Captain - William Lindsay
- Muller - John Westbrook
- Vena - Lynda Bellingham
- Technician - Douglas Fielding
- Android - Nick Joseph
- Verlis - Betty Marsden
- Nebrox - Richard Hurndall
- Piri - Caroline Holdaway
- Cancer - John Wyman
- Benos - Peter Attard
- Tok - Adam Blackwood
- Belkov - Stratford Johns
- Gerren - David Neal
- Guard - James Harvey
- Gambit - Rosalind Bailey
- Reeve - Stephen Yardley
- Chasgo - Daniel Hill
- Keiller - Roy Kinnear
- Slaten - Anthony Brown
- Egrorian - John Savident
- Pinder - Larry Noble
- Zukan - Roy Boyd
- Zeeona - Bobbie Brown
- Finn - Dean Harris
- Boorva - Simon Merrick
- Deva - David Collings
- Arlen - Sasha Mitchell
Production
to be added
Stories set during this series
- BBC Radio dramas The SevenFold Crown and The Syndeton Experiment are both set during this series.
- All of the Blake's 7 Monthly short stories and comics were set during Series D.
Home media
VHS
to be added
DVD
to be added
External links
to be added
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