Actor Michael Keating, best known for his four-year run on the BBC space opera Blake’s 7 from 1978 through 1981, dies at the age of 79. The only actor who appears in all 52 episodes of the series, Keating won the role on the recommendation of director Pennant Roberts, who had cast Keating in a major guest role in the 1977 Doctor Who story The Sun Makers. With his Blake’s 7 character’s wit echoing his own sense of humor, Keating became a favorite with both fans and fellow cast members, as stories persist of him visiting pubs near shooting locations with castmate Paul Darrow. Stage work and guest roles on television followed, including a lengthy stint on the primetime soap EastEnders, and a role in the 2009 docudrama Micro Men, charting the microcomputer industry in the UK. Keating reprised his Blake’s 7 character in audio form for Big Finish Productions until his retirement from acting.
