We’ve recently been hearing about BSkyB’s commitment to creating fabulous new content and its deal with HBO, but today my geeky heart has taken a hit with the news that Sky1 is dropping plans to commission a re-imagined Blake’s 7 that early 80s British sci-fi gem that isn’t ‘Doctor Who’.

Sky One signed a deal to bring back ‘Blake’s 7′ more than two years ago, by the firm that had already produced some well received audio dramas (no idea what they’re like) but a troubled development that saw the plan show move from a sequel to a more ‘Battlestar Galactica’ like re-working/re-imagining of the original story, means it was slow going and now it is being dropped altogether.

It is a real shame. The American ‘Battlestar Galactica’ with its dark themes and gritty story lines has been a big hit and a critical success. As I blogged the other week that show is still breaking new ground with a planned new (initially web) based series.

Doctor Who is alright, but it would be nice to have a British sc-fi alternative. This is one the BBC should be picking up – it was after all the creator of the original series that like ‘Doctor Who’ was dreamed up by the late Terry Nation. The BBC has done well with reviving ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and ‘Survivors’, which I thought particularly good.Survivors also managed good audience numbers.

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