Sally wrote a long, interesting analysis of Chris Boucher's handling of the B7 characters and their morals, most of which I have snipped for brevity, and concludes:

To be blunt, I don't think Boucher *was* interested in ambiguity (as it by definition must include the shades of light as well as dark) so much as

the

more dramatic qualities of the darker side. A Blake's 7 - and a Blake -

that

was wholly his creation would have been no more rounded and complex than

one

that was entirely Terry Nation's. It's the tension arising from his darker overlay *onto* Nation's lighter, more 'heroic' origins that overcomes the cliches of both and gives B7 its unique flavour.

I would be more inclined to agree with this analysis if I hadn't seen Boucher write fully rounded, mostly good with a hint of dark characters, both prior to and after B7. He invented Leela for DW and went on to the cast of Star Cops. So I'd guess that maybe Boucher was more determined to write the B7 cast as dark precisely to counteract the fact that Terry Nation was writing them as Robin Hood.

Louise

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