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Blake's 7 to be revived by Microsoft for Xbox One

Microsoft is reported to be backing a remake of classic BBC sci-fi show Blake's 7 for owners of the Xbox One games console.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

From Star One to Xbox One: Blake's 7 could be coming back, as Microsoft is reported to be backing a remake of the classic BBC sci-fi show for owners of the upcoming games console.

Georgeville TV's reboot of Blake's 7 is helmed by Heroes writer Joe Pokaski and GoldenEye director Martin Campbell, and was originally intended to appear on TV channel SyFy. But it now seems the 13-episode series will go out on the Xbox, according to the Financial Times.

Created by Terry "I invented the Daleks I did" Nation, Blake's 7 first aired in 1978. It was like a very British, anti-Star Trek, in which a ragtag band of criminals and troublemakers took on the totalitarian Terran Federation and, more often than not, lost. It included such technological marvels as Orac, a small box that could communicate with other computers. How novel!

The titular Blake, played by Gareth Thomas, jumped ship after the second series, only to return for perhaps the bleakest ending of a TV series ever filmed, when he's shot dead by his former friend Avon while the rest of the cast is massacred in slow motion.

The original cast has reunited for a series of audio plays from Big Finish, to kick off in January next year.

Microsoft is also funding a live-action TV show based on sci-fi game Halo to be shown on the Xbox, produced by none other than Steven Spielberg.

With its newfound interest in creating telly, Microsoft is looking to emulate the success of Netflix, which has started producing new programmes such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black andArrested Development.

Do you remember Blake's 7? Should Microsoft make TV shows? What classic show would you like to see revived? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our dystopian Facebook page.