It has been a long time since there has been any
Blake's 7 DVD news, and folks (like Scott Kriefall of St Paul, Minnesota) have asked what the situation is.
We've found the probable answer, thanks to Michael Sliger of Tuscaloosa, AL. He pointed us toward the discussion forum at
Blakes7.com (free registration required), where a V.I.P. from B7 Enterprises has posted a note back in August explaining the problem with the Region 2 release for Europe. The same situation assuredly affects the R1 release for U.S.A./Canada, so let's read up:
I'm sorry that so many of you have been frustrated by the lack of an official statement concerning the release of the original "Blake's 7" series on DVD and apologies for the delay from B7E for not offering one sooner, but in many ways the onus is on BBCW to provide an explanation (since they are the publisher of the product) and not us. That said I feel that you have all been extraordinarily patient and deserve some sort of explanation from our quarter. I wish I could give you definite news on a release date, but what I will do is clear up a few misconceptions and also confirm a few theories.
I can confirm that B7E and the Nation Estate are currently in negotiation with BBCW to agree terms that will enable a 'value add' DVD release of the original series, but the fact of the matter is that the BBC jumped the gun before the requisite rights and co-operation had been secured, hence the delay. Since negotiations are on going we are not at liberty to discuss specifics relating to the delay, but please be assured that all parties are endeavoring to resolve matters as quickly as possible. The good news is that the planned release will certainly delight the fans, but as is always the case when you are the rights owner there are commercial considerations at play and when the long-term considerations of the brand are also concerned you can't afford to be too evangelical in your deal making. Consequently there is a need for pragmatism by all parties and it is on this understanding that matters are now moving forward to what we hope will be a successful outcome for all concerned.
I appreciate that for everyone who just wants to see the release happen and feel that they're being left in the dark this is a frustrating stare of affairs. All I can do is apologize and assure everyone that we (and by that I also mean BBCW) are committed to ensuring that the release happens sooner rather than later. As a gesture to your enduring support for Terry Nation's original series and our revival plans going forward what I will promise is that when the release is confirmed we will endeavour to offer all those who visit this website an opportunity to purchase the DVD at a competitive price. Keep checking the website for further details.
I realize that this posting won't answer all of your questions but I trust that it will allay some fears and go some way to illustrate that there is a clear intent by all parties concerned to see the release happen and that everyone holds the fans enthusiasm and desire to buy the DVD in the highest regard.
Thank you again for your support.
Andrew Mark Sewell
Managing Director
B7 Enterprises
Note that "BBCW" = BBC Worldwide.
It is also worth noting that B7 Enterprises hold the rights to, and are working on, a revival version of the series. It is a 4-hour miniseries that brings back Paul Darrow as Avon, and makes him the focal point of "a rebellion reborn." They are the sole owner of the rights to the old series as well, and certainly they will want to make sure that a DVD set of the original series is available in time for a marketing tie-in to the new version...but that's not planned to be broadcast any sooner than the Spring of 2005. It could be possible that they are not in a hurry to get the original show's DVD set to market any sooner than that. We might be in for a long wait.
