C4: DAWN OF THE GODS
RADIO TIMES: When the Liberator is mysteriously drawn off-course, it takes the crew vital minutes to find out why. By then it is already too late to save the ship from almost total destruction.
BROADCAST
Monday, 28 January 1980: 7.15pm-8.10pm
GUEST CAST
The Caliph - Sam Dastor
Groff - Terry Scully
The Thaarn - Marcus Powell
CREW
Writer - James Follett
Director - Desmond McCarthy
Producer - David Maloney
Script Editor - Chris Boucher
Stunt Co-ordinator - Stuart Fell
Production Assistant - Roselyn Parker
Production Unit Manager - Sheelagh Rees
Director's Assistant - Hermione Stewart
Assistant Floor Manager - Antony Root
Film Cameraman - Peter Chapman
Film Recordist - Ian Sansam
Film Editor - Sheila S Tomlinson
Series Videotape Editors - Sam Upton (Uncredited), Malcolm Banthorpe (Uncredited)
Visual Effects Designer - Steve Drewitt, Jim Francis
Video Effects - A.J. Mitchell
Graphic Designer - Doug Burd
Studio Lighting - Brian Clemett
Studio Sound - Malcolm Johnson
Special Sound - Elizabeth Parker
Costume Designer - Dee Robson
Make Up Artist - Sheelagh J. Wells
Music By - Dudley Simpson
Series Created By - Terry Nation
FACT FILE
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James Follett’s script specified the board game played by the Liberator crew as ‘Cosmos’, an intergalactic version of Monopoly.
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The original version of the script was written for Jenna and ‘Captain’.
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The scenes set on Crandor were shot on a featureless black set at Ealing Studios from Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 August 1979.
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Studio recording took place from Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 November 1979.
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The Liberator surgical unit was a redressed cabin set from Powerplay.
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The incidental music included ‘Cally’s Song’ by Elizabeth Parker.
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Sheelagh Wells designed the Thaarn make-up.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“David Maloney and Chris Boucher had a problem with a script that was either not delivered or was unusable. Chris and I had the same agent. I was volunteered by my agent George Markstein, the creator of The Prisoner TV series, to produce a script in a week.”
Writer James Follett, interviewed by Scorpio Attack in 2005.
“I thought the direction was sluggish, but that was true of a lot of television at the time. Blake’s 7 had the additional burden of special effects which was not reflected in the budget.”
Writer James Follett, interviewed by Scorpio Attack in 2005.
EPISODE GALLERY