The Worlds of Blake’s 7 are set to expand more than ever before, as some familiar faces take centre stage in a range of full-cast audio adventures from Big Finish Productions.
Three brand-new box sets and three tie-in audio novels are due to be released over 2021 and 2022, featuring beloved cast members reprising their original television roles, including Michael Keating, Sally Knyvette, Jan Chappell, Stephen Greif, Brian Croucher and... Colin Baker.
Producer David Richardson said: “I’ve had this in my mind for nine years. When we first started making Blake’s 7 at Big Finish, I had vague plans to do a series of box sets that centred on characters originally created for the series by Chris Boucher. At the time, it never came to pass… but now, here we are!
“The Clone Masters explores that enigmatic race which was introduced in the brilliant Season B episode, Weapon. We have Jenna and Cally on a mission together. We have the return of Travis, in which he comes face to face with… another Travis. (Fear not, it’s not down to time travel and it all makes sense within the series story world). And we have Hinton, a psychostrategist who… ah, but that’s for later.
“It’s taken nine years, but it’s been worth the wait!”
Script editor Peter Anghelides added: “It's such a treat to delve into previously unexplored parts of Blake’s 7. What are the unrevealed secrets and motivations of the Clone Masters, who on TV we met briefly before later hearing of their untimely demise? What further influence across the galaxy do the Terra Nostra have, when we know that they are involved in whatever is dirty, degrading, and cruel on every civilised world?
“And how did Bayban become the Butcher that the Liberator crew encountered in his startling original appearance… and how could he possibly have survived that?
“Our new full-cast audios offer nine thrilling and stylistically different adventures, featuring aspects based on those tantalising first experiences in the TV show. It’s brilliant to hear the original cast members facing these brand-new challenges. And the novels broaden that even more in three exciting, wide-ranging journeys in the Blake’s 7 universe.”
Each new box set is paired with a related tie-in audiobook, as follows:
Due for release in September 2021, The Clone Masters revisits original script editor Chris Boucher’s enigmatic race from the second television season’s episode Weapon. This box set is released alongside The Rule of Death, a full-length audiobook written by Trevor Baxendale.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – The Clone Masters is now available to pre-order as a collector's edition CD box set (at £19.99) or digital download (at £16.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
Blake’s 7 – The Rule of Death is now available to pre-order as a digital download (at £9.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – The Clone Masters & The Rule of Death are now available to pre-order as a bundle on collector's edition CD (at £28) or digital download (at £25) at www.bigfinish.com.
Then in December 2021, Colin Baker returns as the eponymous career criminal Bayban the Butcher, first seen in 1980’s City at the Edge of the World. Accompanying this release is Bayban Ascending, a full-length audiobook written by Nigel Fairs.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – Bayban the Butcher is now available to pre-order as a collector's edition CD box set (at £19.99) or digital download (at £16.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
Blake’s 7 – Bayban Ascending is now available to pre-order as a digital download (at £9.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – Bayban the Butcher & Bayban Ascending are now available to pre-order as a bundle on collector's edition CD (at £28) or digital download (at £25) at www.bigfinish.com.
And there’s more – in January 2022, three new full-cast audio dramas dive deep into the murky underworld of the Terra Nostra, the dangerous organisation first encountered in the TV story, Shadow. The tie-in audiobook, entitled Zero Point, is written by Scott Harrison.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – The Terra Nostra is now available to pre-order as a collector's edition CD box set (at £19.99) or digital download (at £16.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
Blake’s 7 – Zero Point is now available to pre-order as a digital download (at £9.99) at www.bigfinish.com.
The Worlds of Blake’s 7 – The Terra Nostra & Zero Point is now available to pre-order as a bundle on collector's edition CD (at £28) or digital download (at £25) at www.bigfinish.com.
Big Finish listeners can save more by pre-ordering all three box sets – The Clone Masters, Bayban the Butcher & The Terra Nostra – for £80 on collector’s edition CD and £70 on download, exclusively from the Big Finish website.
