Blake's 7 Audio Adventures (The Early Years) - Point of No Return & Eye of the Machine

Into the rainy gloom of twenty-second century London Major Stefan Travis is requested 'as an impartial investigator whom can look without bias' into finding out the reasoning of an arrest of senior radical party member Carl Varon. However it soon becomes apparent that Varon is infact a political terrorist intent on causing a devastating election atrocity. Although only weighing in at a mere 30 ¾ mins "Point of No Return" presents Federation officer Travis in typical sadistic form particularly when he uses Varon's wife and child as hostages so as to force his hand regarding the location of the bomb. The intriguing premise offered by "Eye of The Machine" of meeting the brilliant cyberneticist Professor Ensor, the legendary creator of the supercomputer (and series regular) Orac is given further authoritive gravitas by the casting of respected actor Geoffrey Palmer. You can see certain familiar character traits in Kerr Avon, a youngster arriving on Oxford University campus hoping to work… more »

Into the rainy gloom of twenty-second century London Major Stefan Travis is requested 'as an impartial investigator whom can look without bias' into finding out the reasoning of an arrest of senior radical party member Carl Varon. However it soon becomes apparent that Varon is infact a political terrorist intent on causing a devastating election atrocity. Although only weighing in at a mere 30 ¾ mins "Point of No Return" presents Federation officer Travis in typical sadistic form particularly when he uses Varon's wife and child as hostages so as to force his hand regarding the location of the bomb. The intriguing premise offered by "Eye of The Machine" of meeting the brilliant cyberneticist Professor Ensor, the legendary creator of the supercomputer (and series regular) Orac is given further authoritive gravitas by the casting of respected actor Geoffrey Palmer. You can see certain familiar character traits in Kerr Avon, a youngster arriving on Oxford University campus hoping to work with the distinguished academic. The potential spoiler to their eventual hoped for academic collaboration is the sudden appearance of opinionated, outspoken Freedom Party campaigner Anna Grant played with marvellous gusto by Keeley Hawes (now better known as DI Alex Drake in BBC1 hit series "Ashes To Ashes"). In the lively relaxed atmosphere of the University campus you can see the beginning of the blossoming romance between Anna and Avon that we later see in the television series, particularly in during the TV story "Rumours of Death". Although the second disc runs for 37 ¾ mins by my reckoning the actual story only takes up about 32 ¾ mins. After a gap of about a minute or so there is a 3 ½ min pop song called 'He's The One' which I believe is occasionally used in the background of campus scenes in this story. Admittedly both stories could have easily fitted on a single disc however I supposed their separation is probably down to the distinctly different feel both have (e.g. serious and brooding for "Point of No Return" and relatively relaxed and easy going for "Eye of The Machine") Irrespective of this they are definitely mighty fine 'early years' tales which satisfactorily further embellish the whole structure concept that the series created.