Out in January – Blake’s 7: Shock Troops

I’m very pleased to be back in the Blake’s 7 universe with a brand new story announced today by Big Finish Productions.

Shock Troops is part of Blake’s 7: Crossfire Part 2, a collection of four full-cast adventures set during the original show’s third season.

Here’s the rather glorious cover:

Starring Yasmin Bannerman as Dayna and Paul Darrow as Avon, Shock Troops delves into the world of Federation Troopers, those faceless foot soldiers who spend so much time getting shot down by the Liberator crew.

Here’s the official blurb:

As the war between the presidents escalates, new recruits are urgently required. Dayna gains first-hand experience of what life can be like as a Federation trooper as she confronts insurgent forces on a frontier world.

Also included in Crossfire Part 2 is Funeral on Kalion by Trevor Baxendale, The Scapegoat by Steve Lyons, and Erebus by none-other-than Avon himself, Paul Darrow.

I was so happy when producer John Ainsworth invited me back to write this episode, as I must admit I thought my Blake’s 7 days were behind me. After writing numerous episodes with Mark Wright – including the award-winning The Armageddon Storm – I went on to produce the audio adventures between 2014 – 2016, until an unfortunate hiatus in production meant that I had to pass the baton to John, the new schedule clashing with my other commitments.

I am especially pleased to have written a story for Yasmin’s interpretation of Dayna, as I had originally planned to cast her in the role back when I was producer. Shock Troops sees Dayna on the other side of a Trooper’s gun fighting a war for the Federation, and not against it…

Also out in January, is Big Finish’s 40th Anniversary Blake’s 7 adventures, The Way Ahead, written by Mark. I really can’t wait to hear that.

You can pre-order The Way Ahead and Crossfire Part 2 on the Big Finish Website now.