Microsoft to produce a remake of BBC sci-fi TV show 'Blake's 7' for Xbox Live

Microsoft is financing a new original TV series based on the BBC’s cult-classic sci-fi show Blake’s 7, according to a Financial Times report that cites anonymous sources familiar with the company’s plans.

The original content push is part of Microsoft’s strategy to compete with other video services that are already starting to produce their own original or exclusive content, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. It also has ambitions of building out an interactive advertising network, dubbed Microsoft NUads, using the Kinect’s motion-sense technology. The Xbox 360 is already among the most popular streaming media devices. And despite being a game console, entertainment activity actually exceeds gaming on the Xbox 360 — (something Microsoft was keenly aware of when designing its next-generation console the Xbox One, too).