Michael Keating and my original plans for continuing Blake’s 7

This week we heard the sad news of the passing of Michael Keating who played Vila in Blake’s 7. 

Working with Michael was one of the highlights of my time writing and producing Blake’s 7 for Big Finish Productions. He was an absolute gentleman, so kind and generous, who made studio days an absolute pleasure with stories of his love of rambling and the great outdoors.

The news reminded me of my original plans for Blake’s 7 which were scuppered by various behind-the-scenes shenanigans. All of our stories were set between seasons one to three of the TV show, but before I moved on as producer, I’d planned to continue the story beyond what we saw on television.

Vila would have been revealed as one of the only survivors of the massacre at the end of Blake, having played dead among the corpses of his shipmates.

He would have started a new life for himself, on a distant colony, crafting a new identity, although his carefully constructed — and eminently safe lifestyle — would have been rocked when someone from his past turned up on his doorstep.

That was Jance, the character we introduced in the Liberator Chronicle episode, Poison, played by actor Samantha Béart.

Jance informs Vila that Blake has also escaped death and ever since Gauda Prime has been waging bloody war on the Federation in the Liberator’s sister ship, the Retributor.

Against his better judgement, Vila is recruited to join the fight again, becoming the leader of a new team of freedom fighters, including Jance and an untrustworthy clone of Kerr Avon.

Eventually, after many daring misadventures, they find the Retributor, boarding the ship to face Blake, only to find that someone has been masquerading as the freedom fighter — none other than deposed supreme leader Servalan, played, of course, by Jacqueline Pearce, out to take revenge on those who stole her throne. 

It would have been a lot of fun, but sadly was not to be. Something I was particularly looking forward to was seeing Paul Darrow and Michael working together again, the balance of power finally shifted in Vila’s favour!

Something to file under the ‘what ifs’ of the last few decades. One thing is for certain, I will never forget working with one of my childhood heroes.

RIP Michael. Maximum Power.