Editing Blake's 7 (section)

== Overview ==
Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were made, and first broadcast in the United Kingdom between January 1978 and December 1981 by BBC1.<ref name="B7 Programme Guide/Prologue">{{cite book |last1=Attwood |first1=Tony |last2=Davies |first2=Kevin |last3=Emery |first3=Rob |last4=Ophir |first4=Jackie |title=Blake's 7: The Programme Guide |chapter=Prologue |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/terrynationsblak00attw/page/9 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |location=London |year=1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/terrynationsblak00attw/page/9 9] |isbn=0-426-19449-7}}</ref> They are set in the third century of the second calendar (this is mentioned in associated publicity material, not in the series)<ref>The Federation introducing a 'new calendar' is mentioned in the episode "Pressure Point"). ({{cite magazine |last=Pixley |first=Andrew |title=Blake's 7. 'The Dirty Dozen in Space' |journal=TV Zone |issue=156 |pages=48–56 |date=October 2002 |issn=0957-3844}})</ref> and at least 700 years in the future.<ref>In the episode "Killer", a 700-year-old space ship is encountered, one of the first deep-space missions from Earth.</ref> ''Blake's 7''{{'}}s narrative concerns the exploits of political dissident Roj Blake, who leads a small group of rebels against the forces of the [[totalitarian]] Terran Federation that rules the Earth and many colonised planets. The Federation uses [[mass surveillance]], [[brainwashing]], and drug pacification to control its citizens. Blake is arrested, tried on false charges, and deported to a remote [[penal colony]]. ''[[wikt:en route|En route]]'', he and fellow prisoners Jenna Stannis, Vila Restal, and Kerr Avon break free and escape on a technologically advanced alien spacecraft, which its central computer 'Zen' informs them is named ''Liberator''. ''Liberator''{{'}}s speed and weaponry are superior to Federation craft, and it also has a [[teleportation]] system that enables transport to the surface of planets. Blake and his crew begin a campaign to damage the Federation, but are pursued by Space Commander Travis—a Federation soldier—and Servalan, the Supreme Commander and later Federation President.<ref name="B7 Programme Guide/Stories">{{cite book |last1=Attwood |first1=Tony |last2=Davies |first2=Kevin |last3=Emery |first3=Rob |last4=Ophir |first4=Jackie |title=Blake's 7: The Programme Guide |chapter=The Stories |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/terrynationsblak00attw/page/29 |publisher=Virgin Books |location=London |year=1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/terrynationsblak00attw/page/29 29–117] |isbn=0-426-19449-7}}</ref>

The composition of the titular "seven" changes throughout the series. The initial group—Blake, Vila, Gan, Jenna, Avon, and Cally—included Zen as the seventh member. At the end of the first series, they capture a supercomputer named Orac. Gan is killed during the second series, after which Blake and Jenna disappear and are replaced by new characters Dayna and Tarrant. At the start of the fourth series, Cally dies and is replaced by Soolin. After the destruction of ''Liberator'', the computer Zen is replaced by a new computer, Slave, on board their new commandeered ship ''Scorpio''.

While Blake is an idealistic freedom fighter, his associates are petty crooks, smugglers and killers. Avon is a technological genius who, while apparently motivated by self-preservation and wealth, consistently acts to help others. When Blake is separated from his crew, Avon becomes commander. At first, Avon believes the Federation has been destroyed; he becomes tired of killing, and seeks rest. However, by the middle of the third series, Avon realises that the Federation is expanding again, faster than originally realised, and he resumes the fight. 

The BBC had originally planned to conclude ''Blake's 7'' at the end of its third series, but a further series was commissioned unexpectedly following the broadcast of its final episode.<ref name="Liberation-Cotton">{{Cite book
| last = Stevens
| first = Alan
| author2=Moore, Fiona
| title = Liberation. The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Blake's 7
| location = England
| isbn = 1-903889-54-5
| chapter = Season D
| publisher = [[Telos Publishing Ltd.|Telos]]
| year = 2003
| page = 154}}</ref>
As a result, some changes to the programme's format were inevitable, both in front of and behind the camera. These included the appointment of a new producer and the introduction of a new spacecraft, ''Scorpio'', and new characters, Soolin and Slave.<ref name="Fulton">
{{Cite book
| last = Fulton
| first = Roger
| title = The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction
| edition = 3rd
| year = 1997
| publisher = [[Boxtree]]
| location = London
| isbn = 0-7522-1150-1
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000fult/page/66 66–74]
| url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000fult/page/66
}}
</ref>

''Blake's 7'' was watched by approximately 10 million people in the UK and was broadcast in 25 other countries.<ref name="B7 Programme Guide/Back">{{cite book |last1=Attwood |first1=Tony |last2=Davies |first2=Kevin |last3=Emery |first3=Rob |last4=Ophir |first4=Jackie |title=Blake's 7: The Programme Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/terrynationsblak00attw |publisher=Virgin Books |location=London |year=1994 |page=back cover |isbn=0-426-19449-7}}</ref>