Must-see TV shows are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale.
Title: Blake’s 7
Date: 1978-1981
Vitals: In the distant future, political prisoner Roj Blake recruits a gang of criminals to help him battle the totalitarian Federation. Will the crew’s venality doom their crusade — or will Blake’s wide-eyed idealism?
Famous names: Gareth Thomas, Paul Darrow, Michael Keating, Jan Chappell, Terry Nation, Michael Keating, Steven Pacey, Jacqueline Pearce
Crunchy goodness: 5
The shit: Pearce’s Servalan, originally a throwaway villain, quickly becomes one of the show’s main stars, cavorting around in slinky dresses and giant sun-hats while dispensing death with a smile. (In one recent television interview, Pearce announces, “I was a masturbatory icon to an entire generation,” throwing her head back and laughing at the thought.)
Deadliest spoiler: The cynical nerd Avon goes nuts and finally kills the idealistic Blake, who also goes a bit nuts. And then Avon (probably) dies a moment later.
Elevator pitch: It’s the evil twin of Star Trek — from the point of view of the bad guys.
