Gareth Thomas Interview with Louis Hirshorn WYSP Scorpio V Chicago
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Gareth Thomas Interview with Louis Hirshorn WYSP Scorpio V Chicago is an interview conducted on July 31, 1987 in conjunction with Scorpio Con, a Blake's 7 convention.
The interview was originally broadcast on the Philadelphia radio station "94WYSP," then later transcribed and printed in an unknown fanzine.
The interview contains 5780 words.
Some Context
The interview was conducted roughly six years after the the last episode was filmed, and two years before The Blake's 7 War.
Interview Contents
The interview is quite long and detailed, and covers many topics regarding characterization, the relationship Gareth Thomas had with Paul Darrow, the BBC and their decisions regarding show direction,
One interesting point the interview illustrates is how an actor remembers and ruminates on things differently than what many fans do; case in point: six years after the last episode was filmed, Thomas mis-remembers who was in the penultimate final scene, something most fans of the show would have had memorized.
A Similar Interview
Louis Hirshorn, the interviewer, appears to be a fan of the show. Hirshorn conducted a similar interview with Paul Darrow during the BATS East Coast Tour, 1986; this earlier interview was originally printed in a magazine called "FINE TUNING" (July-August 1987), and reprinted in Avon Newsletter #30 in October 1987.
Some Interview Excerpts
Louis: Let's start talking about the character of Blake itself. He really fascinates me, because many people think of him as the all good, the all heroic character. But I don't. To me he is the other side of the coin, other side of the same coin as Travis. Blake will do whatever he has to do, kill mill ions of people to destroy the Federation. Just as Travis will do whatever he has to do, to get Blake.
Gareth: That's a brand new question. Yes, (laughs) that's the first answer. Secondly is, that is the basis for the whole series. You have to decide which one you want to go with. There are Travis fan clubs. There are Blake fan clubs. I wouldn't like the police to turn around and say,"This man's a psychopath because he believe's in Travis." Nor would I like somebody to turn around and say "I am right because I believe in Blake." The whole series started as a Dirty Dozen in space, or Robin Hood in space, or whatever. And there were two protagonists. You had to make up your mind which one you wanted to go with. If you have two protagonists, you're going to have to have two sides of the coin. On this occasion there are actually three sides of the coin. It is the added attraction of Servalan, who is supposedly bar both, and didn't know which way to turn...from what. But yes, that's a very good point.
Louis: It's funny though, even in the first season, after a while, we begin to lose sight of the fact that these are criminals in space. They've become the good guys.
Gareth: Yes, and the reason for that is very simple. We had set up in the first episode that they were criminals, but all falsely imprisoned, because the Federation was the evil... I mean we had set up good and evil to begin with. It's very interesting that I believe I'm right in saying, I'm not absolutely certain of my facts, but I believe I'm right in saying; for a long time it wasn't accepted in the States, and the first episode of Blake's 7 hasn't been shown quite a few places, because Blake was actually falsely, as I believe as Blake, accused of being a child molester. I'd forgotten that, somebody brought it up to me at a convention two years ago, but apparently that did cause a lot of problems over here. It didn't in England because it just came out as a pilot, and then went into the series, and people didn't think about it. Now I think they might. But over here there was a problem, because Blake was supposedly a child molester, and we spent a whole series trying to convince people there's no way this man could molest a child, could molest a woman, could molest a man, could molest anybody except the Federation (laughs).
Louis: Yes, yes, but something that always sort of bothered me about that last episode. . . I think the fact that Avon kills. . . killing Blake is great. I think that's a great touch, but I'm not quite sure of the reason why he does it. I mean, these two guys have survived through major threats, attacks, monsters, everything. For the cornerstone of the series, Blake, to be killed due to some little miscommunication, heresay by Tarrant, it doesn't seem concrete enough a reason to kill Blake.
Gareth: It. . . a variety of reasons. By that stage, Avon had begun to believe I think that he was the leader. He'd begun not to be able to accept Blake. In his mind he could. Once he was actually confronted with the man, then there was a challenge. And the difference between that and the first two series was that Avon was the man in control. Blake was by that stage to say a terrorist; still with his ideals, but terrorist activity basically. A desperate man. When the two met, there was immediately that love between them again, and I do mean that word. There was enormous love between Avon and Blake. When the two met, given the doubt, given Avon's character as that developed in the two series without Blake being there, there was. . . in fact my one complaint of the last episode, was that it was signaled to the public, that Avon was going to kill Blake; 'cause there was no one else in the world that could. He had to be the one. There was nothing else that could happen. It was either Blake or Avon, and Blake was unarmed (laughs) And at that stage it had to be Avon, he had to. . . he convinced himself. Now having said that, he convinced himself that Blake was actually a turncoat. But the very last shot, which is Paul's idea, which I must admit I admire,'cause it was brilliant, I wish I'd thought of it. The very last shot is Paul standing astride, or Avon standing astride Blake, defending him to his own death. That was the point of that episode... Did you remember that shot?
Louis: Of course! And that great smile on his face.
Gareth: Yes, I say,that's right. And that I think was very beautiful. It was Paul's idea, and I admire him for that brilliant idea, 'cause it did actually sum up the whole thing. I mean the reason why the series finished, was because you've got two protagonists; not Blake and Avon. You've got Blake's 7, and the Federation. One or the other is going to win. There's a limit to how many stories you can go without one of them winning. And it came to its natural end.
Gareth: I've never seen myself on television. That's a lie. I saw the blooper tape (laughs)...[snipped] I don't because, I to a certain extent, as far as one can be, and this is a dangerous word to use; to a certain extent I'm a perfectionist. And you cannot watch yourself on television without saying, "Damn it, I want to go out and do it again properly." Of course you can't do that.
Louis: I wonder why Servalan was not included in that last episode?
Gareth: Now you have me. I've never seen it. I've never seen any of them, and we're going back six or seven years. I thought she was actually.
Louis: No. She was not in it.
Gareth: Oh, I thought she was. No, I don't know why in that case. Maybe the character was strong enough actually, because of the pure physical time of 50 minutes, and the antagonism between Blake and Avon or whatever. Maybe the writer felt Servalan is such a strong character that we know she has controlled what's happened. She doesn't necessarily need to be seen.
Louis: Something I always wondered. The whole third series, the basis behind it, is trying to find Blake. Why? Why does Avon have to find Blake? He now has the Liberator. What else does he need?
Gareth: Look at the first two series. We've already discussed this. Avon can't live without Blake. Blake can't live without Avon. In fact, if there's any point to make, Blake can live without Avon. Avon can't live without Blake. That's why Blake was the leader.
Louis: That's good. It's funny though, in the episode of "Star One," Avon goes, "I want to be free of him."
Gareth: Yes.
Louis: That's just him talking though.
Gareth: Oh, it's, I mean having said. . . He cannot be free of that man. That's why he says it. He needs to be, but he can't be. Where as Blake could just go, and did (laughs).