Sky One Developing Reimagining Of The Iconic British Science Fiction Series Blake's 7

Sky One has announced that it has greenlit development on two scripts of the iconic British science fiction series Blake's 7. Elaine Pyke, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Sky One, Two and Three is working alongside Andrew Mark Sewell at B7 Productions, a subsidiary of B7 Media, on an exciting reinvention of the iconic brand. Sky One has ordered 2 x 60' scripts for a potential event series.

Pyke commented: "At a time when science fiction shows often discard good story-telling for overblown visual effects - and following the lead of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica - the time is ripe for a revival of a show that represents the best traditions of the genre, not to mention one of the best-loved and most successful dramas of all time."

Blake's 7 presented to the world a vision of the future, a future where the galaxy is ruled by the iron fist of a galactic federation, in which freedom and justice are things of the past. Into this vision creator Terry Nation cast a small band of outlaws who find themselves in control of the most powerful space vessel in the galaxy, the Liberator. Led by the enigmatic Roj Blake, the group of rebels would strike at the very heart of the Federation, and change the face of science fiction television.

Blake's 7 originally ran for four seasons between 1978 and 1981 and recently topped a British Film Institute poll to find the UK public's favourite television show. The series has inspired the creators of such seminal series as Babylon 5 and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and was sold in over 40 countries worldwide.

Blake's 7 will form part of Sky One's eight figure commitment to drama in 08/09; one of the largest from a UK broadcaster in original HD drama and the largest commitment to UK drama in the broadcaster's history.

The development comes in addition to the already announced slate of adaptations of works by best-selling authors including Chris Ryan (Strike Back), David Almond (Skellig), Terry Pratchett (Going Postal) and Martina Cole (The Take and The Graft).