Synopsis:
Roj Blake (Blake) meets with Ravella at a pre-arranged rendezvous. She verifies that he followed the exact route she gave him, and that he hasn’t eaten in thirty-six hours in accordance with her instructions. Ravella tells him that the food and water contain suppressants to keep the population docile and that the effects should be wearing off by now. Blake is disbelieving wondering why the administration would do such a thing. Blake has met with her because she supposedly has information about his family; a brother and sister, who live Ziegler Five one of the Outer Worlds. Unnoticed, they are followed by a blonde haired man with a limp.
She takes him to exit sub forty-three, where they meet Dal Richie, who tells Blake that it isn’t them that have information about his family, but a man who has asked them to contact Blake. They are going to meet him outside – a category four crime – and with Blake’s agreement, the trio leave. Outside a giant domed city is seem behind them. Heading north, they cross a river and walk about three miles to a series of tunnels, followed by the limping man.
There Blake meets Bran Foster, a rebel who leads a group against the ruling Terran Federation. Blake insists that Foster immediately tell him about his family – they were executed four years ago upon arrival at Ziegler Five just after his trial. Blake tells him that can’t be true as he receives vistapes from them which Foster tells him are faked. Foster explains that,
“Four years ago, there was a good deal of discontent with the Administration. There were many activist groups. But the only one that really meant anything was led by Roj Blake.”
The man that followed Blake to the tunnels is Dev Tarrant, a member of Foster’s group who have assembled for a meeting.
Blake’s group was infiltrated, Foster doesn’t know by who, and Blake and his followers were captured. His mind was manipulated so that he confessed to his crimes, saying he was ‘misguided’ during his trial. Then even those memories were suppressed. His followers were allowed to emigrate to the Outer Worlds but, like Blake’s family, were executed upon arrival.
Blake isn’t sure what to believe, but flashes of memory return as he wanders off from Foster, who begins the meeting. Foster explains to his group that by stepping up their efforts on Earth, the Federation will be forced to divert resources from the Outer Worlds, with the aim that at least one of those planets will declare independence from the Federation within two years.
Federation troopers arrive and despite Foster surrendering peacefully, the troopers open fire massacring the group, including Foster, Ravella and Richie. Blake witnesses everything and is arrested as he renters the city.
Ven Glynd, head of the Justice Department, Alta Morag and Dr. Havant, who performed the operations on Blake, are discussing the implications of what has happened. With younger Federation citizens believing Blake’s trial was staged, Morag is keen to avoid Blake becoming a martyr in death, so devises a plan to discredit him totally.
Ven Glynd appoints Varron to defend Blake, and when Varron meets Blake in his cell (M3), Blake says he will confess and simply wants to make a statement in open court as there was no justification for murder. But Blake isn’t being tried for leaving the city and attending a dissident meeting, but instead,
“Assault on a minor, attempting to corrupt minors, moral deviation…” All the charges relate to children. Blake realises that the Federation are seeking to discredit him.
At his trial, Blake is found guilty, and sentenced to deportation to the penal planet Cygnus Alpha. The arbiter prevents him from making a statement, and as he protests he is sedated, but not before seeing Tarrant. It was Tarrant, a security officer who usually worked on the Outer Worlds, who betrayed both Blake’s and Foster’s groups, and was responsible for the recent killings.
Blake is laying unconscious on a bunk in a transit cell, when Vila steals his watch before Blake suddenly awakes. Jenna Stannis is silently watching, as Vila introduces himself. He is a habitual thief and, like everyone in the cell, is to be deported to Cygnus Alpha. Jenna sits next to Blake, and asks him for the time, prompting Vila to return Blake’s watch. Jenna is a smuggler who operated on the Near Worlds before her capture. They have less than twenty-fours before departure.
Varon confides in his wife, Maja, that the case against Blake, including the statements of three children that were verified by lie-detector was too perfect. Together they visit the Public Records Office, and the computer operator brings up the school attendance records of the three witnesses. Each was absent the day before the alleged attacks. Access to the records of the Central Clinic has been classified for the day in question, but the pair bribe the operator. Three people were operated on, but their details expunged, clearly indicating a link between the children’s absence and the clinic. As they leave, the computer operator calls security.
Varon meets with Blake, and tells him he has enough information for a holding order, and apologises for not believing Blake earlier. As Varon goes to meet his superior, the time to departure to Cygnus Alpha is brought forward to just eight hours time.
Ven Glynd, listens to Varon’s allegations, and says he will now take the matter in hand, and order that Blake be detained on Earth pending further investigations. Varon’s request for permission to go outside is denied, as Ven Glynd tells Varon to relax and that he will order a search for the tunnels.
Upon leaving Ven Glynd’s office, Varon realises he never mentioned the tunnels. Varon and Maja overhear Ven Glynd telling Dr. Havant to disappear for a few days, and to only take calls from him.
The husband and wife trick Havant into leaving incriminating files at his front desk, which Maja collects, while Varon procures a video camera. The couple leave the city but an alarm is triggered.
Jenna tries to reassure Blake that there is still time, and confesses that only now that the reality has set in is she afraid.
Varon and Maja discover the bodies in the tunnels and after Varon has videoed the scene and searched the bodies for identification, they head back to the city.
The prisoners are herded into the prison ship, and Blake not hearing an order given to him is confined to his seat. As the ship takes off for Cygnus Alpha, Tarrant is standing over the dead bodies of Maja and Varon outside the city. He tells a trooper to organise a cover story of a transporter accident.
Looking back at Earth, Blake vows to return.
Cast
Roj Blake – Gareth Thomas
Jenna Stannis – Sally Knyvette
Vila Restal – Michael Keating
Bran Foster – Robert Beatty
Ven Glynd – Robert James
Dev Tarrant – Jeremy Wilkin
Varon – Michael Halsey
Maja – Pippa Steel
Ravella – Gillian Bailey
Dal Richie – Alan Butler
Arbiter – Margaret John
Dr. Havant – Peter Williams
Alta Morag – Susan Field
Clerk of the Court – Rodney Figaro
Computer Operator – Nigel Lambert
Guard – Garry McDermott
P.A. – Not credited
Credits
Director – Michael E. Briant
Producer – David Maloney
Writer – Terry Nation
Script Editor – Chris Boucher
Episode Information
Originally Broadcast: Monday 2nd January 1978 on BBC1
Viewer Ratings: 7.4m
RI: 57
Working Titles: Cygnus Alpha, Prelude
Production Dates: 4th April to 11th November 1977
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The original line-up was Roj Blake, Vila Restal, Jenna Stannis, Arco Trent, Olag Gan, Kerr Avon, Brell Klein and Tone Selman. Arco and Selman appeared briefly in the third episode, Cygnus Alpha, but were killed off.
Forbes Collins, Mike Grady & Peter Benson were considered for the role of Vila. Director Pennant Roberts recommended Michael Keating for the part of Vila after casting him in Doctor Who.
Other candidates for Cally included Gennie Nevinson, Hilary Ryan, Kathryn Leigh Scott & Frances Tomelty. Jan Chappell got the part after Maloney saw her appearing in a play with David Jackson.
David Jackson as Gan was an old friend of David Maloney’s from theatre work and Z-Cars.
Paul Darrow originally went for the part of Blake.
Peter Tuddenham provided the voice of Zen. He was an old friend of director Vere Lorrimer.
The underground meeting & Blake’s flashbacks were filmed at Monkton Farleigh Ministry of Defence Tunnels, Wiltshire. The barren area outside the Domed City was filmed in scrubland near a stream in Bray, Buckinghamshire.
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The Domed City was a glass shot of the model built by effects designer Ian Scoones for the title sequence.
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Nick Allder lit the model shots of Dome City. He went on to win an Oscar for his work on Alien.
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The Way Back was the second episode to be recorded in studio, after Space Fall. The episode was recorded in Studio TC6 at BBC Television Centre from 10-11 November 1977.
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Whilst Avon doesn’t appear in this episode, he was in Terry Nation’s first draft as the convict who says to Blake, “Take a long look, that’s the last you’ll ever see of Earth!”
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Dudley Simpson and his musicians recorded the Blake’s 7 theme at Lime Grove Studios on Tues 11 October, 1977.
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The episode was novelised by Trevor Hoyle in Blake’s 7: Their First Adventure.
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Actresses considered for Jenna included Felicity Dean, Jan Harvey, Jane Asher & Susan Wooldridge. The role of Jenna eventually went to Sally Knyvette.
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Actors considered for Blake included Maurice Colbourne, Warren Clarke, Tom Adams, and Donald Sumpter. Gareth Thomas eventually won the role after being recommended to producer David Maloney by Terry Nation.
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The script was commissioned from Terry Nation on Thursday 11 September 1975. The first draft was called Cygnus Alpha.
