Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7

Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
This week we're on the Series B penultimate episode, The Keeper and a strange one to find sitting in that slot. We debate whether it does what a penultimate episode should do, and whether that even matters when there's this much to enjoy.
We get into Bruce Purchase's Gola, Freda Jackson as Tara, the sibling dynamic between those two, the Vila moments that had us both pausing the episode, what Jenna finally gets to do this week, and the behind-the-scenes story of how this script ended up on screen.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.

Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
This week we're reviewing Gambit, Series B episode 11, and we open with some sad news: the passing of Michael Keating, the man behind Vila Restal. Adam shares his memories of meeting Michael at conventions over the years, and we talk about what his performances have meant across the series and what still lies ahead for his character.
On the episode itself, we get into what makes Gambit so hard to pin down: a Freedom City setting that turns the camp dial past anything the show has reached before, a Robert Holmes script built almost entirely on double acts, and a Dudley Simpson-shaped hole where the score should be. We cover Avon and Vila's casino subplot, Servalan's convoluted masterplan, and why the Klute's speed chess scene would have been dead on its feet without Elizabeth Parker's last-minute musical rescue.
There's also a conversation about the new effects on the Blu-ray restoration, some unplanned on-set chaos involving a furry jacket that neither actor could get on during filming, and a few Doctor Who comparisons that turn out to have a real costume connection.
P.S. We record in advance, which is why you're only hearing us talk about Michael Keating's passing in this episode.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.

Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
This week, we're reviewing Voice from the Past, Series B episode 10, written by Roger Parkes. There's a conspiracy at the heart of this one that reaches back to Blake's trial in The Way Back, and we spend a good amount of time unpacking what the episode is trying to do with that history, how well it does it, and where the logic starts to strain.
We also get into Gareth Thomas's performance, what Avon and Cally bring to the episode when they're working in detective mode, and why Orac's limited screen time in Series B keeps catching Adam off guard on the rewatch.
There's also a wider conversation in here about what makes a Vila scene work, why Avon's closing line is worth the price of admission on its own, and how the Blu-ray restoration team handled an episode that gave them some of their most challenging original footage yet.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.

Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
A spoiler straight out the gate from us: Countdown is the best episode we've covered in our entire Blake's 7 journey so far, and we're calling that without hesitation. It's a Terry Nation script with a cold open that throws you straight into a firefight, a ticking clock that builds real tension, and loads of character work packed into 50 minutes.
The Avon and Del Grant thread is where we spend the most time: what's actually driving Avon in those scenes, what Blake quietly stepping up for him reveals, and why a seemingly throwaway scene between Provine and a rebel is one of the most morally loaded things the show has done.
We also talk about Vila getting some brilliant moments, our ongoing frustration with Jenna and Cally being sidelined for what feels like the fourth episode running, and the Blu-ray's new effects, which genuinely impress us more here than anywhere else in Series B so far.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.

Teleporting in... welcome to Federation Strike: A Journey Through Blake's 7!
Right, Blake fans: Hostage, and the verdict is in early: this is a thumping good episode. The script is razor-sharp, the crew actually gets equal footing for once, and the stakes feel real from the opening battle sequence. Later on, Brian Croucher gets a scene that Blake fans have been quoting for decades. You know the one. Ha!
We dig into the Avon twist that neither of us saw coming, the Servalan and Travis scene that somehow makes the episode slow down and speed up at the same time, and the slightly eyebrow-raising farewell between Blake and his cousin. A lot to love in this one, with a few things to poke at too.
We're teleporting out for now! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to follow and subscribe on your preferred podcast app so you never miss an episode.
You can also join the conversation and stay updated by following us on Twitter/X and Bluesky. We'd love to hear your thoughts and theories!
Join us next time as we continue our journey through the universe of Blake’s 7.