In a meeting with BBC Head of Series & Serials Ronnie Marsh, Dalek and Survivors creator Terry Nation – who has already found himself at odds with the producer of Survivors – pitches a new series idea. Described as “The Dirty Dozen in space,” Nation’s series idea envisions a slightly disharmonious group of rebels taking up arms against a totalitarian, almost Orwellian future government. The concept, which Nation names Blake’s 7 at the meeting, will take a few years to make it to the screen.
Terry Nation, the television writer who created Doctor Who’s greatest foes, the Daleks, graces the world with another science fiction creation on the BBC, Blake’s 7. Set centuries in the future, the show depicts a government so corrupt that the audience is left with a band of terrorists, guerilla fighters and deeply flawed human beings with whom to sympathize (and luckily, they have the cathedralesque Liberator, the fastest ship in the galaxy, on their side too). The show’s only drawback? Delivering post-Star Wars sci-fi action on the budget it inherited from the cop show that previously held that Monday night timeslot. 
BBC1 premieres the second episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Leslie Schofield guest stars; this is the first episode featuring Paul Darrow as Avon.
BBC1 premieres the third episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon) guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the fourth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This is the first episode filmed; Jan Chappell joins the regular cast as Cally.
BBC1 premieres the fifth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Richard Beale guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the sixth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Stephen Grief (Travis) and Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan) make their first appearances as Blake’s arch-enemies in this episode.
BBC1 premieres the seventh episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. John Leeson (Doctor Who) and Barry Jackson guest star.
BBC1 premieres the eighth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Patsy Smart guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the ninth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. David Bailie guest stars, and future series regular Glynis Barber makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance unrelated to her role in the show’s fourth season.
BBC1 premieres the tenth episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Julian Glover guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 11th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. T.P. McKenna guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 12th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode is the first part of a trilogy spanning the first and second seasons, involving the acquisition of a supercomputer called Orac.
BBC1 premieres the 13th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode is the second part of a trilogy spanning the first and second seasons, involving the acquisition of a supercomputer called Orac. Derek Farr guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 14th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, the first episode of the series’ second season. This episode concludes a trilogy spanning the first and second seasons, involving the acquisition of a supercomputer called Orac. Resident voice artist Peter Tuddenham adds the voice of Orac to his duties (he already voices the ship’s computer, Zen).
BBC1 premieres the 15th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, the first episode of the series to be written by someone other than Nation himself. Vernon Dobtcheff guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 16th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. John Bennett and Scott Fredericks guest star; Brian Croucher takes over the role of Travis (though the obvious difference goes completely unnoticed by the other characters).
BBC1 premieres the 17th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. William Squire guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 18th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jane Sherwin guest stars. This episode is the beginning of a story arc running through the remainder of the second season, concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility; to up the stakes, the character of Gan (played by David Jackson) is killed off, though the first choice of series creator Terry Nation would have been the popular character of Vila.
BBC1 premieres the 19th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. John Savident and Peter Miles guest star. This continues a story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility.
BBC1 premieres the 20th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This is the first Blake’s 7 episode written by renowned Doctor Who writer and script editor Robert Holmes.
BBC1 premieres the 21st episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Kevin Stoney and John Abineri guest star.
BBC1 premieres the 22nd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Tom Chadbon guest stars. This continues the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility.
BBC1 premieres the 23rd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7.
BBC1 premieres the 24th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Aubrey Woods, Denis Carey and Nicolette Roeg guest star. This continues the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility.
BBC1 premieres the 25th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This continues the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility.
BBC1 premieres the 26th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This season-ending episode concludes the story arc concerning Blake’s search for the Federation’s central control facility, and sees the exit of some of the show’s regulars, inclduing Jenna Knyvette (Jenna), Brian Croucher (Travis) and even Gareth Thomas (Blake).
BBC1 premieres the 27th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode kicks off the third season and a running story arc through the third season regarding the Federation’s severe loss of manpower and territory during the intergalactic war that happens off-screen between seasons. Josette Simon and Steven Pacey are introduced as new guest stars, and Paul Darrow as Avon is established as the show’s new lead actor. Richard Franklin (Doctor Who) guest stars.
BBC1 premieres the 28th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode continues the story arc of the Federation’s postwar rebuilding. Michael Sheard and John Hollis (both of whom will be seen later in 1980 in The Empire Strikes Back) guest star.
BBC1 premieres the 29th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This episode focuses heavily on new series regulars Josette Simon and Steven Pacey; Michael Gough (Batman) guest stars.