Blake’s 7: Orac (BBC-1 27 Mar 2018, with Derek Farr)

As season one finale Orac opens there is a handy reminder of what happened in the previous episode, the Federation are trying to get their hands on something called Orac built by a dying man called Ensor, on the planet Aristo, and are willing to pay a hundred million credits to get it.

Meanwhile Jenna, Gan, Avon and Vila have all come down with radiation sickness after spending too long on the planet Cephlon. Unfortunately there are anti-radiation sickness drugs aboard the Liberator. The issue forces Blake’s hand, he must take the Liberator to Aristo, hopefully getting there before the Federation and also with the hope that there are anti-radiation sickness tablets to be had.

Travis and Servalan manage to get to Aristo before our heroes but have to contend with a force field and an amphibious lizard like race. Blake and Cally manage to get into Ensor’s quarters and although they have the medical equipment needed to save his life he realises he needs to get back on the Liberator with them so that the operation he needs can be carried out. It turns out Orac is an incredible super computer, able to tap into every computer in the universe and with basically the sum of all knowledge at the end of it’s circuit boards.

The episode rather nicely ends on a downbeat as Orac, whose vast knowledge allows him to see into the future, predicts the destruction of The Liberator. Orac is voiced by Derek Farr, who plays Ensor, in this episodes, from season two he would be voiced by Peter Tuddenham.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 27 March 1978

Writer: Terry Nation / Director: Vere Lorrimer

cast
Gareth Thomas as Blake
Sally Knyvette as Jenna
Paul Darrow as Avon
Jan Chappell as Cally
Michael Keating as Vila
David Jackson as Gan
Peter Tuddenham as Zen
Stephen Greif as Travis
Jacqueline Pearce as Servalan
Derek Farr as Ensor
James Muir as Phibian
Paul Kidd as Phibian