The first four episodes of "Blake's 7" establish the background for the series.

The Cult Of Blakes 7 - Part III (see Part II)

Blake, finding himself with four condemned criminals, one alien resistance fighter, and a ship's computer, organizes them into a team to fight the Federation. The only things which hold this group together in the beginning are Blake's leadership, the relative safety the ship offers, and the fact that none of them have anywhere else to go.

The setting is this galaxy, some time in the third century of the second calendar, about 800 years in the future (references to time are made in later stories).

The small group survives and manages to occasionally damage the mighty Federation with the help of the superior alien technology they acquire when they take over the derelict alien starship they come to call Liberator. Later they increase their advantage when they inherit superior human-engineered technology in the form of the electronic brain, Orac. The advantages these machines give the team are redoubled by the Federation Administration's desire to capture the Liberator and Orac undamaged.

Viewers raised on "Star Trek" may wonder why Blake is so insistent on destroying the Federation. Unlike "Star Trek," however, "Blake's 7" does not offer an optimistic view of a future military Federation. This darker vision of human nature shows whole populations controlled by suppressants added to their food and water. A devastating war has retarded advanced developments and has left mankind under a repressive central government. Technology has advanced only in military hardware. The higher echelons of the Administration and Space Command of the Terran Federation use whatever means necessary to keep order and maintain the status quo; this is a government which operates on the premise that "things are more important than people."

Although prospects in the "Blake's 7" universe appear bleak, hope remains alive as a small group of rebels and criminals become a symbol of resistance and succeed in preserving their individuality and holding their own against the forces of the most powerful and corrupt government that ever existed.

Introduction | The Beginning | The Production Team | Background Characters | Morality & Humor | Sex & Death | Conclusion | Summary

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Quotations & other material copyrighted to Terry Nation, BBC, et al.
Email bewarne@blakes7-guide.com to report mistakes, make comments, ask questions.
A continuity guide to "The West Wing" is also available,
And a guide to the 70's series "Kung Fu".