Scorpio Attack contains novelisations of three episodes from Season 4.
Script Writers
1 Chris Boucher
2 Robert Holmes
3 James Follett
Television Details1 Chris Boucher
2 Robert Holmes
3 James Follett
50 Minutes / BBC1 / Colour
28/09/81 Rescue 1
12/10/81 Traitor 2
19/10/81 Stardrive 3
Archive Details / DVD Releases
Season 4 of Blake's 7 has been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK (Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / HMV.com).
Blake's 7: Scorpio AttackBLAKE'S SEVEN : THEY FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF SPACE
After the atomic wars there emerged from the ensuing chaos a Dictatorship so powerful that it enmeshed the majority of Earth-populated worlds. Known as the Federation, it grew in power until the hard-won freedom of the people it ruled disappeared.
Blake himself began the sole resistance against the might of the Federation. Now he is lost — perhaps for ever — but in his pioneering footsteps came his gallant followers known as BLAKE'S SEVEN.
In their new ship, the Scorpio, they carry on their heroic and dangerous fight for liberty...
Publisher BBC Books Format Paperback Publication Date 1981 ISBN 0-563-20014-6 Original Price £1.50 Country UK
Cover image supplied by Stephen Barker
Blake's 7: Scorpio AttackBLAKE'S SEVEN : THEY FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF SPACE
After the atomic wars there emerged from the ensuing chaos a Dictatorship so powerful that it enmeshed the majority of Earth-populated worlds. Known as the Federation, it grew in power until the hard-won freedom of the people it ruled disappeared.
Blake himself began the sole resistance against the might of the Federation. Now he is lost — perhaps for ever — but in his pioneering footsteps came his gallant followers known as BLAKE'S SEVEN.
In their new ship, the Scorpio, they carry on their heroic and dangerous fight for liberty...
Publisher BBC Books Format Hardback Publication Date 1981 ISBN 0563179783 Original Price UNKNOWN Country UK
Back cover blurb supplied by
Stephen Barker
Stephen Barker
Blake's 7: Scorpio AttackBlake's Seven: They fight for the freedom of space
After the Atomic Wars there emerged from the ensuing chaos a Dictatorship so powerful that it enmeshed the majority of Earth-populated worlds. Known as the Federation, it grew in power until the hard-won freedom of the people it ruled disappeared.
Blake himself began the sole resistance against the might of the Federation. Now he is lost — perhaps for ever — but in his pioneering footsteps come his gallant followers known as BLAKE'S SEVEN.
In their new ship, the SCORPIO, they carry on their heroic and dangerous fight...
Publisher Citadel Press Format Paperback Publication Date 1988 ISBN 0-8065-1082-X Original Price $3.50 Country USA
Edition Notes
- The image of the Liberator on the cover is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, the Liberator should have three guns (not just the two as seen on the cover illustration), and secondly, it was blown up at the end of Terminal, the story immediately preceding Rescue!
In the Press
DWB
Issue 108 — Review
General Notes
- Scorpio Attack was Trevor Hoyle's third and final Blakes' 7 novelisation after Blake's 7 in 1977 and Project Avalon in 1979. Of the three, Scorpio Attack is the only one to feature episodes not written by series creator Terry Nation.
- Chris Boucher is probably best known for being script editor of all four seasons of Blake's 7 as well as scripting no less than nine episodes including Star One and Blake, the very last episode of the series. In 1987 his sci-fi series Star Cops made a brief and poorly scheduled appearance on BBC2, with Boucher writing five of the nine episodes. More recently he has written four original Doctor Who novels, all of which feature Leela who he created for The Face of Evil, one of three stories he wrote for the series during 1977.
Robert Holmes is best known for writing numerous stories for Doctor Who between 1968 and 1985, including undisputed classics such as Spearhead from Space, Pyramids of Mars, The Talons of Weng-Chiang and The Caves of Androzani. Between 1974 and 1977 he was also script editor on the programme, during what was arguably one of the strongest and most popular eras of the show. In 1981 he adapted David Wiltshire's novel Child of Vodyanoi for BBC1 as The Nightmare Man, and between 1979 and 1981 wrote Killer, Gambit, Traitor and Orbit for Blake's 7. Other telefantasy series he contributed to include Undermind, Dead of Night and Into the Labyrinth.
James Follett is best known as a novelist, although to science fiction fans he is probably better known as the creator of the BBC Radio 4 drama Earthsearch which ran for two seasons from 1981. He also wrote Dawn of the Gods for Season 3 of Blake's 7 in 1980. - Rescue is the first episode of Season 4 and carries on from the previous season's Terminal which saw the Liberator destroyed and her crew stranded on Terminal by Servalan, who is now presumed dead having been on board when the Liberator broke up. Rescue sees Cally killed off (off screen) and the introduction of Soolin (Glynis Barber) and the Scorpio.
