Paul Darrow, cult favourite in Blake's 7, dies aged 78. He played my favourite character in my favourite SciFi series from the late 1970s - early '80s. In true BBC tradition, it had a ridiculously low budget; however, the dialogue was great. The character Avon - played by Darrow - had a particularly caustic wit and the exchanges with Villa (Michael Keating) were memorable for fans of the show.