Jenna Stannis
Encyclopedia
Jenna Stannis is a fictional character
from the British
science fiction
television
series Blake's 7
, played by Sally Knyvette
. The role of Jenna Stannis has recently been revived in the Blake's 7 audio plays where she is played by Carrie Dobro
.
A member of the elite Alpha class, Jenna was a beautiful but cynical smuggler/self-styled "free trader". She clearly had some involvement with resistance groups as she had once met the resistance fighter Avalon. She was captured by the Federation and sentenced to be transported to the prison colony on Cygnus Alpha. However, she befriended Blake
, assisted in a mutiny on the transport ship and escaped with him and Avon
aboard the Liberator
.
A talented pilot, Jenna initially took charge of all navigation duties aboard the Liberator. She was the only crew member capable of flying the ship when Zen
was inoperative or unwilling to do so.
Jenna was cynical and untrusting, but could also be kind and affectionate with a good sense of humour. She was very intelligent, in keeping with her grade rating, and seemed to enjoy baiting Avon and Vila. While Jenna was never completely devoted to Blake's ideals, she was loyal to him and they had a strong mutual affection (she was chosen by Sinofar in Duel to demonstrate the death of a friend to Blake and was jealous of Inga in Hostage). She was also more ethical than the other crew. When she was a free trader, for example, she refused to run drugs. Her beauty brought her to the attention of a number of dangerous people (Spacefall), but she used her looks to her advantage on occasion (The Keeper).
Jenna disappeared with Blake during the Intergalactic War
at the end of the second serial. The only report Zen heard was that she was on a hospital ship. In the series finale, Blake told Tarrant that Jenna returned to smuggling and died heroically - self-destructing her ship and taking "half a squadron of gunships" with her. It is presumed this story was true, although it is probable that Blake is simply dropping her name into the conversation to judge Tarrant's reaction. Blake uses many ploys and deceptions in order to work out whom he can trust, and watches Tarrant very closely in the said scene.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
, played by Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette is a British actress, director and drama teacher.She is best known for her roles as Jenna Stannis in first two seasons of the British science fiction series Blake's 7 and as Kate Sugden in the soap opera Emmerdale...
. The role of Jenna Stannis has recently been revived in the Blake's 7 audio plays where she is played by Carrie Dobro
Carrie Dobro
Carrie Dobro is an American actress. She is best known for her leading role as Dureena Nafeel in the Babylon 5 feature-length film A Call To Arms and its short-lived spin-off TV series Crusade. Carrie played the character of Kulai on the ABC TV series Hypernauts...
.
A member of the elite Alpha class, Jenna was a beautiful but cynical smuggler/self-styled "free trader". She clearly had some involvement with resistance groups as she had once met the resistance fighter Avalon. She was captured by the Federation and sentenced to be transported to the prison colony on Cygnus Alpha. However, she befriended Blake
Roj Blake
Roj Blake is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Gareth Thomas ....
, assisted in a mutiny on the transport ship and escaped with him and Avon
Kerr Avon
Kerr Avon is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7, played by Paul Darrow...
aboard the Liberator
Liberator (Blake's 7)
The spaceship Liberator is a fictional starship featured in the first three seasons of the BBC television series Blake's 7.-Background:...
.
A talented pilot, Jenna initially took charge of all navigation duties aboard the Liberator. She was the only crew member capable of flying the ship when Zen
Zen (Blake's 7)
Zen is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Blake's 7. The voice of Zen was provided by the late Peter Tuddenham...
was inoperative or unwilling to do so.
Jenna was cynical and untrusting, but could also be kind and affectionate with a good sense of humour. She was very intelligent, in keeping with her grade rating, and seemed to enjoy baiting Avon and Vila. While Jenna was never completely devoted to Blake's ideals, she was loyal to him and they had a strong mutual affection (she was chosen by Sinofar in Duel to demonstrate the death of a friend to Blake and was jealous of Inga in Hostage). She was also more ethical than the other crew. When she was a free trader, for example, she refused to run drugs. Her beauty brought her to the attention of a number of dangerous people (Spacefall), but she used her looks to her advantage on occasion (The Keeper).
Jenna disappeared with Blake during the Intergalactic War
Intergalactic War (Blake's 7)
The Intergalactic War is a fictional event in the Blake's 7 science fiction television series. Linking the second and third season, it represented a culmination of the second series' Star One plot thread....
at the end of the second serial. The only report Zen heard was that she was on a hospital ship. In the series finale, Blake told Tarrant that Jenna returned to smuggling and died heroically - self-destructing her ship and taking "half a squadron of gunships" with her. It is presumed this story was true, although it is probable that Blake is simply dropping her name into the conversation to judge Tarrant's reaction. Blake uses many ploys and deceptions in order to work out whom he can trust, and watches Tarrant very closely in the said scene.