It’s about time that we resign ourselves to the fact that Blake’s 7 is never returning to our screens in any recognisable form. Previous attempts to resurrect the ‘70s sci-fi show always end up in something new and wonderful being invented instead. And though that’s great, many of us still crave the further adventures of Avon and co.

Luckily, audio dramas allow a quick fix for fans. Audio doesn’t require expensive practical effects, nor does the age of the cast really matter, which allows for a lot of flexibility. The Crossfire series slots stories in between the gaps in the show. Namely series three. Crossfire is an anthology, little stories that highlight the flexibility of the B7 world and form a greater adventure.

We open with a tale called Paradise Lost, and it is cast in the classic Blake’s 7 mould, filled with politics and social metaphor, feeling more like a Series One tale than anything else. This is a tale of assassination, federation politics and forgotten holiday worlds. It’s filled with pathos and action, and is lavishly produced. This is the episode designed to sell you on the series, and it does that in spades.

Next up is True Believers, a bit of a solo story for Cally (Jan Chappell). Blake’s 7 sometimes suffers from a rather ‘convenient to plot’ approach to world-building, but it’s an advantage with this rather spooky tale. Writer Simon Clark takes full advantage of the show’s themes here to produce an almost supernatural tale of strange cults, telepathic cults and dangerous weapons. It’s the sort of thing that would never have worked on the TV but fits perfectly here.

Resurgence is a bit of a ‘deep lore’ story, picking up on the themes of the televised story Redemption. The tale uses the full cast to explore some of the origins of their mysterious ship, The Liberator, and again, they are some strong ‘horror’ elements mixed with the science fiction. Possibly the best of the set, especially if you feel some of the show’s more mysterious elements need further exploring.
Finally, we get Fearless, a classic ‘crime gone wrong’ tale with Villa as the main character. We get some lovely interactions as well as a continuation of the events from Paradise Lost. It’s a charming little tale with the actors clearly having a lot of fun.

This is a full cast affair; we get a chance to hear Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce’s dulcet tones yet again, and the old spark is as vibrant as ever. The production twinkles, combining the energy of the original show with the skill that comes with experience. Cracking and engaging stuff.

BLAKE’S 7: CROSSFIRE – PART ONE / DIRECTORS: JOHN AINSWORTH AND NIGEL FAIRS / WRITERS: STEVE LYONS, SIMON CLARK, MARK WRIGHT, DAVID BRYHER / STARRING: PAUL DARROW, MICHAEL KEATING, JAN CHAPPELL, STEVEN PACEY, JACQUELINE PEARCE / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW