The last Triton puzzle I blogged was the Roulette puzzle in 2016 which elicited 38 comments, many objecting to the theme on obscurity grounds. I found it entertaining and (due to my misspent youth reading James Bond) relatively easy.
This puzzle, too, had some serious obscurity value, being based on a TV SciFi series first broadcast in 1978. I was a fan at the time, but I did not remember any of the names of the protagonists (except one obvious one), so had to resort, as usual, to Mr Google.
24 letters in 6 linear groups are not indicated by the wordplay for the solutions in which they appear. These groups will enable the solver to identify the theme, which demands the aptly located replacement of a word in the completed grid. The relevant craft thus revealed must be highlighted. All final grid entries are real words or names.
I didn’t approach the theme until I had a nearly filled grid, and had ZEN, AVO, GAN, CALLY, VILA and J?N?A. Googling “cally vila” (the two I was sure about) immediately led me to BLAKE’S 7, and the six names resolved, after re-visiting clues to sort out missing unclued letters, into AVON, CALLY, JENNA, VILA, GAN and ZEN. These six, plus BLAKE himself, were the original 7, ZEN being the onboard computer.
So the “aptly located” missing name had to be BLAKE, and the obvious place to find him was at 7 down. Replacing TEENE with BLAKE revealed the LIBERATOR, which was the name they gave to the purloined alien ship, and left all real words in the grid, though I did have to check on ASSART.
The title cunningly referred to the CRAFT (the Liberator) and the SHOW (Blake’s 7) and to the fact that you had to reveal both the name of the show and of the craft in the final grid.
The series was very popular in its heyday, but deteriorated after Blake and Jenna’s disappearance at the start of series three, and the fourth series was the last.
So thanks to Triton for reminding us that there was once proper British Science Fiction on the BBC, apart from Doctor Who, and that series of thirteen episodes were still being commissioned in those days.
A good puzzle, with some tricky wordplay. The last one I managed to parse was 4D (SMATTERINGS) which I thought excellent, once I grasped the Morse code connection, cunningly flagged by “dashes” and “dots” in the clue.
P.S I shall be away sailing when this blog comes out, so please forgive delays in replying. Ho is still unwell (see blog 1452), so I’m on my own for a second week.
Across |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue (definition) | CLUED UNCLUED |
Wordplay |
| 1 | Labour sober after losing big character in Ed Balls (4) | ORBS | Remove E (big character in Ed) from SOB(e)R and anagram (labour), so [SOBR]* |
| 5 | Did Kindle generation joke about person putting pen to paper? (9) | LITERATOR | LIT (did kindle) + ERA (generation) + ROT (joke) reversed |
| 12 | Stems underground river, wearing warm undergarment (5) | CORMS | COMS (warm underwear) round R(iver) |
| 13 | Make certain to deliver right result (5) | ENSUE | ENSU(r)E (make certain) minus R(ight) |
| 14 | Nothing against eggs (3) | OVA | O (nothing) + V (against) |
| 15 | Maintain American’s behind time penning his version of Casualty (6) | ASSERT | ASS (American’s behind) +T(ime) round ER (US version of Casualty) |
| 16 | Muddle at the outset ruins North Highland Reel (4) | PIRN | PI (same as pie = muddle) + R(uins outset) + N(orth) |
| 17 | Long leg back on fence (4) | PINE | PIN (leg) + back of (fenc)E |
| 18 | Regret crowding round savage animal (5) | ROGUE | RUE round O (round) |
| 19 | Group whose members have adapted 1950s Jaguar (7) | ECOTYPE | C-TYPE (Competition Jaguar of the 1950s) |
| 21 | Component of nasal drop mixture (5) | SALAD | Hidden in naSAL Drop |
| 22 | Game bird one’s driven around (8) | NINEPINS | SNIPE (bird) + I (one) |
| 24 | Creep in charge of hotel (4) | INCH | I(n) C(harge + H(otel) |
| 27 | One joining a gym taking day to get fit (5) | ADAPT | A (one) + A PT (gym) round D(ay) |
| 30 | Detestable creature repulsed polite young nurses (4) | YETI | hidden reversed in polITE Young |
| 31 | Latin service bizarrely includes a limerick? (8) | VERSICLE | [L(atin) + SERVICE]* |
| 33 | Taunt largely corrupt group seizing power (5) | JUNTA | [TAUN(t)]* |
| 34 | God killing one fish in Scottish river (7) | DEICIDE | I (one) + ID (fish) in DEE (Scottish river) |
| 36 | Government in Germany that is withdrawing last of income protection (5) | HEDGE | G(overnment) + DH (d.h. = das heißt = German for i.e.= that is) all reversed (withdrawing) + (incom)E |
| 37 | Fight fires at top of hill (4) | COMB | COMB(at) (fight ) minus AT |
| 39 | Leaders in America indecisive. seemingly more than one cuckoo (4) | ANIS | First letters of A(merica) I(ndecisive) S(eemingly) |
| 40 | First-rate driver spins after clipping Alonso’s front tyre (6) | RADIAL | AI (first rate) + DR(iver) reversed round A(lonso) |
| 41 | A Monsieur familiar to Parisian (3) | AMI | A +M(onsieur) |
| 42 | Express contempt about tips for entertainers making a comeback (5) | SNEER | RE (about) + E(ntertainer)S all reversed |
| 43 | Try following a star (5) | ALGOL | A + GO (try) |
| 44 | Buyer satisfied to secure case of rank ale with no head (9) | MARKETEER | R(an)K (case) in MET (satisfied) + (b)EER (ale with no head) |
| 45 | First signs of over-the-top grants exercising system (4) | YOGA | First letters of O(ver-the-top) + G(rants) |
Down |
|||
| No. | Clue (definition) | CLUED UNCLUED |
Wordplay |
| 2 | Cycling superior to rambling (4) | ROVE | OVER (superior) cycled |
| 3 | Edges of burger well done (5) | BRAVO | B(urge)R edges |
| 4 | Dashes meaning something special after three dots? (11) | SMATTERINGS | Three dots = S (Morse code) + MATTERING (meaning something) + S(pecial) |
| 5 | One drink and I start to dance around new flat [7) | INSIPID | I (one) SIP (drink) + I + D(ance) round N(ew) |
| 7 | Nut trapped by support for old injury (5) | TEENE | EN (nut – printing) in TEE (support) |
| 8 | Taking off, say, gown when stripped of degree (6) | EGRESS | EG (say) + (d)RESS (gown) minus D(egree) |
| 9 | Withdraws pamphlets supporting heartless regime (8) | RETRACTS | TRACTS (pamphlets) below R(egim)E |
| 10 | Sit shivering with English traveller in Hungary (7) | TSIGANE | [SIT]* + E(nglish) |
| 11 | Randy French cafe owner and wife start afresh (5) | RENEW | RENE (from ‘Allo ‘Allo) + W(ife) |
| 12 | Comfortable with no end of dirty tricks (6) | COZENS | COS(y) (comfortable) minus (dirt)Y |
| 16 | Sexual activity I cut back in relation to parties (11) | POLITICALLY | IT (sexual activity)+ I + LOP (cut) all reversed |
| 20 | Mention Triton and others returning bottles (4) | CITE | ETC (and others) reversed round (bottles) I (Triton – setter) |
| 23 | Concern over trespass close to unsafe pit (8) | PARTERRE | PART (concern) + ERR (trespass) + (unsaf)E |
| 25 | Complaint: fish fed not 5,000, only 1% thereof (4) | COLD | COD (fish) round L (= 50 = 1% of 5000) |
| 26 | I contemplate rude bits book’s left out (7) | STUDIER | B(ook) leaves [RUDE (b)ITS]* (out = anagram) |
| 28 | Proposition first person turning up in drag (7) | PREMISE | PRISE (drag) round ME (first person) reversed |
| 29 | Make water beetle responsible for damage to crops (6) | WEEVIL | WEE (make water) |
| 31 | Not thinking about boring intellectual lacking sex appeal (6) | VACANT | CA (about) in (sa)VANT (intellectual) minus S(ex) A(ppeal) |
| 32 | Crack cocaine consumes money (5) | CHASM | C(ocaine) + HAS (consumes) + M(oney) |
| 34 | Harry Kane finally stopped by Dutch subterfuge (5) | DODGE | DOG (harry) + (Kan)E round D(utch) |
| 38 | Idealized perception of person one married previously (5) | IMAGO | I (one) + M(arried) + AGO (previously) |
| 39 | What winds up carnivorous cat? Pea soup! (4) | SMOG | (carnivorou)S + MOG (cat) |
I thought that was thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve been a fan of the show in question for a long time, and have watched the lot more times than I’d care to mention, so I spotted the names without too much ado once I’d worked out what them being in groups alluded to. Enjoy your sailing trip, and best wishes to Ho again for a speedy recovery.
One of the best of this year, for me, if only because of the lighbulb moment, with the phrase ‘Blake’s 7’ bouncing round my head, when I realised I wouldn’t have to wade through Wikipedia and fan material to work out what to do next. A lovely penny drop.
Only one anagram in the whole puzzle.
Thanks to Triton and Hihoba
I was making steady progress through this finding it a bit easier than most Inquisitors when suddenly I realised what the theme was and what a marvellous PDM that was. Our son and daughter (and me as well) were terrific fans of the show, and the memories of them playing and acting out their own story lines came flooding back. Much superior to Dr Who which they never really got into. Many thanks to Triton for the trip down memory lane and to Hi for the blog
I solved (almost) all the clues, didn’t understand the preamble regarding, “24 letters in 6 linear groups” though I did, of course, have most of the letters, then gave up.
I’ve heard of Blake’s Seven but I never saw it – never seen Doctor Who, either, for that matter.
I guess that if there hadn’t been the French Open Tennis finals (exciting) and the Canadian Grand Prix (boring) then I might have put in more effort.
Thanks to Triton and HiHoBa. And, to Ho, GET WELL SOON, Hi needs you!
Horse racing? No thanks. TV sci-fi series? Oh, yes. What with this and Red Dwarf a couple of months back I feel we’re on a bit of a streak with IQ themes. It’s always a pleasure to have a PDM when you know it’s actually going to help you. Took a while to dig out Gan and Jenna from my memory, though the rest I knew (but I hadn’t realised Zen was one of the original 7 – I’d vaguely looked for Orac too). Some lovely clues – I particularly enjoyed 25D – and in the end the only one I wasn’t 100% sure of and had to look up to confirm was CORMS at 12A. Could have been CORMI, I thought, not having known of coms as an undergarment. The only clue I didn’t like was 36A – it’s been long enough since I’d last been tripped up by d.h., as the German id est, in a clue for it to have faded to the faintest of memories and took a lot of dredging up. Is it not as obscure as i think?
Like Kenmac, I didn’t understand the first bit of the preamble and was put off by another part of it (‘the aptly located replacement of a word’). Believing I would get so far and then find myself thwarted by the theme, I decided not to start.
As it turns out, I knew nothing about the theme, and I would have been duly thwarted. As with the horse-racing theme in the previous puzzle, I would not have been able to follow all the instructions to the end no matter how much of the grid I completed.
I’m sorry to have passed on a setter I haven’t tried yet. The preamble was clear enough despite my fears, but I have had past experience of themed barred-grid puzzles whose instructions were ambiguous or unclear (intentionally or otherwise).
I have a vague recollection that “Blake’s 7” has been a theme before somewhere – though I can’t remember where and I’m sure this thematic treatment must have been different.
What amazes me is that contributors to this thread hold the series in such high regard. As far as I remember it was renowned for very shaky props, ham acting, dubious dialogue and absurd plots.
But everyone to his own, of course. I enjoyed the puzzle anyway!
Not too tough this week, though the NW corner was my last to fill. Bit of a grapple there.
I have distant childhood memories of enjoying the TV show. Which is unusual for me, not in terms of recollection, but in terms of enjoying sci-fi which is not my goto genre in any sense of the arts. Maybe I need to revisit the show to reengage. I’m sure in this day one can rewatch anything on YouTube etc.
Thanks as ever to setter and blogger.
it was renowned for very shaky props, ham acting, dubious dialogue and absurd plots
What’s not to like?
I had heard of Blake’s 7 but never seen it, so I needed Google’s help in putting a few of the names together to get to the theme. For some reason I had mentally filed it with Thunderbirds, but I now see that, although they were both sci-fi, Blake’s 7 wasn’t puppets and the shows were over a decade apart. So, quite a passable puzzle – thanks Triton – but received without quite the same level of enthusiasm as others. Which means I’m glad it wasn’t my turn to blog, but Hi‘s – thanks for that.
Thanks to Triton. Lots of neat cluing here I thought and I found this to be a fun challenge with several smiles as clues were solved (e.g. WEEVIL, RENEW). The six names meant nothing to me I’m afraid, the show being a bit before my time, but I had heard of it and it was immediately clear what needed to be done to complete the puzzle.
I failed to understand PIRN so good to have that one explained, thanks Hi.
I enjoyed this. I too was a big fan of the show back in the day but I am embarrassed to say that I had to use Google as I couldn’t remember any of the characters apart from Blake and Avon. I remember both greatly enjoying the show and that it was pretty terrible. I think as OPatrick @9 – how could you not like it? It was bad enough to be good.
Thanks to all involved.
Enjoyed, with appreciative thanks to Triton and Hihoba. As a supposed SF pundit I should have cracked this instantly, but never actually watched Blake’s 7 (though I remember Clive James’s blistering review). Somehow I knew the name of one non-Blake crew member — Avon — and the Liberator turns up occasionally in listicles of fans’ favourite spaceships, so I eventually got there without resorting to Wikipedia (except after finishing, to confirm the remaining crew names).
I found this easier than Triton’s previous offerings, despite having never seen Blake’s 7 (though I was around when it was first shown). I had no idea what connected CALLY, GAN, AVON etc. but that’s what the Internet is for, and once I’d got a few of the names a search pointed me in the right direction.
An old-school puzzle with neat, clever clues and an endgame that fell nicely into place once you twigged the theme. Yes, those unfamiliar with the series would have probably got nowhere without online research, but that holds true for many IQ and Listener puzzles these days and in this digital age I see no cause to complain about that. Very enjoyable; thanks Triton.