Microsoft to bring back Blake’s 7
Following the successful relaunch of Doctor Who, Microsoft is reportedly in the process of bringing back some more classic 1970s British sci-fi in the form of Blake’s 7.
According to The Financial Times, Microsoft is financing the shows in order to generate unique content for its upcoming Xbox One entertainment console that is due to be launched later this year.
Microsoft has yet to confirm that the series will be made as yet, but it does fit with the company’s strategy as it has already signed up Steven Spielberg to produce a TV series, for the console, based on the hugely successful Halo game series.
The move, if it does happen, shows the continuation of a trend started by shopping giant Amazon. It created a new version of the TV show House of Cards and this move by Microsoft, and the Halo deal, shows that platform holders are more than willing to invest in unique content as a means to drive sales for the hardware.
It also shows that devices such as Sony’s new PS4 and the Xbox One are now being billed as more than just games consoles. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360, the current hardware from Sony and Microsoft respectively, support TV playback with the BBC’s iPlayer app and also film streaming with services such as Netflix, so providing bespoke content isn’t that big a leap.
In regards to Blake’s 7 itself, I do remember it vaguely from my early childhood. The fact that the eponymous starship pilot wasn’t in most of the series was more than a little confusing back then, I can only hope that if this product does appear that Blake is actually in it this time. We will have to wait for the final product though to see if, like Doctor Who, it can stand the test of time.
