Blake's 7 Audio Adventures (The Early Years) - When Vila Met Gan

I have to say that this title rather took me totally by surprise and that I only discovered it purely by accident however with the welcome participation of original star Michael Keating this was definitely one audiobook CD that I wanted to hear. For "When Vila Met Gan" B7 Media (whom have already distinguished themselves admirably with their alternate more challenging audio interpretation of the series) present these two series regulars back on Earth some time before the first televised episode "The Way Back". Not only do we have Michael reprising his role but joyfully the majestically moving original theme tune returns to book end this approx half hour offering. Rather than a compelling drama it instead takes the time to fully establish the character relationship between our talented thief and our good natured giant whose strength we learn is because he is an experimental genotype and the various thieving plans they are considering. The dialogue establishes the basic environment in which these two characters live plus there is mention of Gan's fiancée (later wife) Lola and the current elections in which a certain Roj Blake is participating. The story is book-ended by a sequence outside a local drinking establishment with the former, curiously having Vila saying that the Liberator does not have a teleporter system and then, in the latter he and Gan are teleported aboard, something that I personally find most inexplicable. The remainder of the discs approx 53 min running time is filled out by a pleasing "Unlikely Rebels" mini-documentary, approx 6 min Music Suite and a couple of trailers for the first and mouth-wateringly (considering the exciting conclusion to the "Liberator" audiobook CD title) the second (coming in Spring 2009) season. A pleasing enough 'stop-gap' release, apparently with more to come, to help keep 'Blake's 7' fans like myself happy until we finally reach the new audio series early next year.