Maximum Power

And now on Maximum Power, we’re absolutely delighted to be joined by a very special guest, respected director and lovely man Michael E. Briant. Michael very kindly spent an evening talking with Si and Pete about his experiences working on Blake’s 7. In the first part of a two-part interview Michael talks to us about the genesis of the show, his work on The Way Back and The Web, and his early influ...

We’ve reached the end of Series A, which has taken us from a carpark on a totalitarian Earth, via Cygnus Alpha, the planet of the Decimas, Centero, the freighter Ortega, unnamed planet from Episode 8, unnamed planet from Episode 9, an inexpertly constructed Airfix model called XK-72, the Waterloo Tower in Quex Park in Kent, and the planet Cephlon, finally landing triumphantly on the planet Aristo....

Orac. Series A, Episode 13. First broadcast on Monday 27 March 1978. And now on Maximum Power, the Liberator crew discover what a perspex box full of flashing lights is really worth as they meet Orac. This week Nathan is explaining to Si what went on last week, despite Si actually being there for the Deliverance podcast. Pete’s willing to pay ten times what Orac is worth, while Brendan is a lot of...

Deliverance. Series A, Episode 12. First broadcast on Monday 20 March 1978. And now on Maximum Power, we’re living in hope of Deliverance, and while we’re at it having a good chat about Episode 12 of Series A of Blake’s 7! This week Si is being worshipped by the lovely Meegat, counting himself that makes two people who think he’s wonderful. Pete’s been captured by hairy primitives, he’s loving it....

Bounty. Series A, Episode 11. First broadcast on Monday 13 March 1978. And now on Maximum Power, Blake and Cally go in search of the chocolate planet of Lindor, or at least its ex-President Sarkoff, their bounty (but he doesn’t want a bar of it). This week Nathan’s reflexes are getting dull, the guards nearly fell over him before he heard them. James has a smashing time with Sarkoff’s vinyl collec...

Breakdown. Series A, Episode 10. First broadcast on Monday 6 March 1978. And now on Maximum Power, Gan finally gets his featured storyline, and spends most of the episode snoozing as his Limiter develops a breakdown. This week Brendan suggests a trip to neutral Space Station XK72 to sort out Gan’s Limiter, while Simon would prefer to head to Cassiona or maybe Kainnessos. Mark’s one of the greatest...

Project Avalon. Series A, Episode 9. First broadcast on Monday 27 February 1978. This week on Maximum Power, the crew teleport down to a bleak ice planet in search of freedom fighter Avalon. But Travis has got there first, and he’s got a little project in mind. While Si and Col don their extra-toasty heated Space Anoraks™ and prepare to meet Avalon with eager anticipation, Pete decides that he wil...

Duel. Series A, Episode 8. First broadcast on Monday 20 February 1978. With the mighty Douglas Camfield at the helm, the Liberator crew face a dual duel in this week’s jewel of an episode. This week on Maximum Power, Colin is rocking out to avant-garde soundscapes, Nathan’s got the Series A-B-C-D heebeegeebees, and Simon’s spotted the potential for watching Blake’s adventures and commenting on the...

Mission to Destiny. Series A, Episode 7. First broadcast on Monday 13 February 1978. And now on Maximum Power, Avon and Cally are Poirot and Marple on a Mission to Destiny. This week, Pete doesn’t care if your whole world turns into a mushroom, Peter’s people have a saying about trusting people or something. Don’t worry about Si, he lacks affection and Simon has written something in blood… It says...

Seek-Locate-Destroy. Series A, Episode 6. First broadcast on Monday 6 February 1978. And now on Maximum Power, we are down and safe on the planet Centero, which is definitely top secret and can in no way be infiltrated, for Episode 6 of Blake’s 7 — Seek-Locate-Destroy. As nothing really happens in this episode, Pete is keeping busy playing with his new Acid-Squirting-Security-Robot™, while we are...

The Web. Series A, Episode 5. First broadcast on Monday 30 January 1978. This week on Maximum Power, Colin has started acting strangely, he’s been possessed by a strange alien force, and hijacks the podcast, piloting it towards a planet where it is trapped in an unbreakable web hanging in space. Pete teleports down to the planet where he meets diminutive creatures the Decimas, one of them asks for...

Time Squad. Series A, Episode 4. First broadcast on Monday 23 January 1978. This week on Maximum Power, the crew discover a life support pod floating in space, full of frozen leather-clad homicidal maniacs, but Si’s not frightened, he just looks murderous. Meanwhile, James has a chip on his shoulder and another in his head, his punishment for killing a security guard, but he had no choice “you see...

Cygnus Alpha. Series A, Episode 3. First broadcast on Monday 16 January 1978. And now on Maximum Power, Brian Blessed stars as Space Jesus in episode 3 of Blake’s 7 — Cygnus Alpha! This week, on discovering giant off-camera rooms full of jewels and clothes, Si and Mark decide to try their hand at cosplaying late 70s beige sci-fi TV shows. Col is too busy being telepathically manipulated by the shi...

Space Fall. Series A, Episode 2. First broadcast on Monday 9 January 1978. And now on Maximum Power, an army of five, plus him, comes together! In this episode Colin is upping the suppressants in his fellow podcasters’ rations, he likes 'em docile. James finds out that the limit of his world from now is mess facilities, sleeping bays, a recreation area. Nathan has been practising his magic tri...

The Way Back. Series A, Episode 1. First broadcast on Monday 2 January 1978. And now on Maximum Power, drugs, sex, show trials, massacres and women being pulled by the hair, in the first episode of the new family space opera, Blake’s 7! In this episode, Colin has had vis-tapes from his family twice a year, so everything is obviously fine. James has gone without food or drink for 36 hours and is hu...