Say it Aint So - Star Wars TV Show

[Crapshoot]

Star Wars series to run and run
George Lucas
George Lucas has been working on the fourth Indiana Jones
The TV series spin-off of the Stars Wars film franchise will run to at least 100 episodes, according to producer Rick McCallum.

He told BBC Radio 1 the writing team would soon be meeting to start on the project, which would begin filming in 2008 and be ready the same year.

"Hopefully if we can make it work and everybody's excited and watches it we will keep on going," said McCallum.

The series will be set between episodes three and four of the film saga.

It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers.

McCallum said there would be "a whole bunch of new characters" and the series would be "much more dramatic and darker".

Huge franchise

He added that it was unlikely any of the stars of the movies would be involved in the TV series.

Star Wars creator George Lucas has just completed writing the script for the next Indiana Jones film and will then begin work on Red Tails, about African-American pilots in World War II.

Following completion of that film, work will begin on the Star Wars TV series.

There has already been a Star Wars series spin-off in the shape of the animated Clone Wars, which began as three-minute episodes before they were expanded to 30-minute shows.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005, marked the end of the end of the Star Wars saga on the big screen.

It became the biggest film franchise in history, with the final film alone taking £500m at the box office outside of the US.



As you can imagine, this is already raising an outcry at Slashdot- the fear as to how Lucas is going to further destroy what was once an amazing franchise. Dear god, Luke's life was supposed to have been boring - what is he going to do now ?

[Franklinnoble]

... Dear god, Luke's life was supposed to have been boring - what is he going to do now ?

Episode 87: Luke Bullseye's Another Womprat

[BrianD]

My guess is this works out to be something like a new Smallville. As big a Star Wars fan as I am, this will have to show some great promise in the early episodes to keep me watching.

[Crapshoot]

Episode 87: Luke Bullseye's Another Womprat

My favorite line from the discussion over there:

"I won't watch it unless Han shoots the smuggler first - in every damn episode". :D

[st.cronin]

I'm just going to pretend that George Lucas had a massive stroke about 15 years ago, and this show and the last few movies are his accountant or caretaker trying to pad their own bank account.

[Honolulu_Blue]

the fear as to how Lucas is going to further destroy what was once an amazing franchise.

I don't know if that'd be possible. The damage has been done. It can only go up from here...

[Antmeister]

It might work if they focus more on the universe and less on the characters in the movies. Indirect references would be fine. However I am still trying to imagine how they would pull it off to keep it interesting from week to week.

[stevew]

Originally i thought the show was going to focus on a Jedi that survived the purge in Episode 3. Which I thought actually had promise for a fun action show. Now this concept of Luke Skywalker:All Growed Up sounds absolutely shitty. Although, unless there is a talking Gungan as a main character, I suppose it could be passable. Killing off Jar Jar violently in the series pilot would do a lot for me.

[Crapshoot]

It might work if they focus more on the universe and less on the characters in the movies. Indirect references would be fine. However I am still trying to imagine how they would pull it off to keep it interesting from week to week.

Yeah, but knowing Lucas- he'll destroy canon further, with Luke discovering his Jedi powers at 7 when fooling around with friends, and what not.

[Crapshoot]

Originally i thought the show was going to focus on a Jedi that survived the purge in Episode 3. Which I thought actually had promise for a fun action show. Now this concept of Luke Skywalker:All Growed Up sounds absolutely shitty. Although, unless there is a talking Gungan as a main character, I suppose it could be passable. Killing off Jar Jar violently in the series pilot would do a lot for me.

Steve, you might enjoy some of the Jar-Jar ideas in this thead:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/21/163235

[SFL Cat]

Hmmm....this doesn't sound like it will end well...

[MacroGuru]

Well, I know you can see the trailer and I heard the first episode here, however it is built for the player they are selling...

http://www.zvue.com/downloads/free.php

[stevew]

That Star Wars Revelations stuff was like porn with no sex.

[GrantDawg]

Brian Posehn from "The Comedians of Comedy": (paraphrased by some else)

I hate Star Wars, because I used to love Star Wars. The new movies aren’t even bad compared to the first Star Wars; they’re bad compared to whatever Sandra Bullock just said yes to.

You know what it’s like? It’s like you’re uncle putting his cock next to your mouth. Not gross like if it happened when you’re younger, but like if it happened now. Like if at Christmas time when everybody’s asleep and suddenly feel something next your ear and your like “Owww!” And then two Christmases later…it happens again!

I don’t even think there’s going to be a third one. I think it’s just going to be me walking into an empty theater and Lucas raping me. I’ll be crying on the floor already and then he’ll put on a Greedo mask and call it the Special Edition. Greedo came first!

[Fonzie]

I have a bad feeling about this...

[Warhammer]

It COULD be cool if they show Obi Wan basically watching after Luke, kind of the way he did when Luke was attacked by the Tusken Raiders in Ep. IV.

But, I liked the idea of a show detailing Vader hunting down the remanents of the Jedi order.

[Honolulu_Blue]

But, I liked the idea of a show detailing Vader hunting down the remanents of the Jedi order.

Yes, because all those Jedi masters we saw get gunned down in Episode III put up such impressive fights.

[kcchief19]

It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers.
I'm not entirely sure this is accurate. Lucas and Macallum have stated in the past that while the series will cover the time between Episodes III and IV, it will not focus or include major characters -- at one time it was believed the series would never include even Darth Vader. So that line is true from a certain point of view, but my understanding is that while those 20 years will be the timeframe of the show, it will not focus or even include Luke. The show instead would be based on some minor fringe characters that appeared in the prequels.

It's also been said that while Lucas wants to direct the first season, he plans to establish the broad story lines and then turn the series over to others. That has real potential. If the Star Wars novels have proven nothing, it's that George Lucas created a fantastic universe and that other talented writers can take it in a whole new direction.

I think there's an audience. It will be a syndicated show, so even an audience of six million would make it a hit, 10 million would make it a smash. You don't think there aren't 10 million people in this country who wouldn't tune in?

Maybe I'm a fanboy. I don't think the prequels were fantastic, but given my connection to the storyline and characters, I enjoyed them more than, let's say, most other movies I've seen during the last year.

[Anthony]

i agree with kcchief.

i don't think the series would suck. as long as the storyline came from Lucas himself i'd be more interested. the only reason i don't read any of the extended universe novels is because they aren't officially a part of the SW universe/cannon. same would be for anyone writing a LOTR novel nowadays. sure, go ahead, but if it doesn't come straight from the source (or at least with his blessing) then it didn't really happen.

so, yeah, this series caries more weight to it than any of the extended universe novels, and for that one reason i'm more interested than i would be.

[Warhammer]

Yes, because all those Jedi masters we saw get gunned down in Episode III put up such impressive fights.

Yeah, the Jedi were completely prepared for what happened then... :rolleyes:

I understand that most people didn't enjoy the sequels, but they were a lot better than 90% of the trash that makes the screen nowdays. I know that tons of people are going to be raving about "The Benchwarmers"

[Honolulu_Blue]

Yeah, the Jedi were completely prepared for what happened then... :rolleyes:

Yeah, if only they had some way of sensing when something really bad was going to happen... :rolleyes:

[PSUColonel]

I think it would be very interesting if the series chose to follow the life of Vader rather than Luke.

[Franklinnoble]

I think it would be very interesting if the series chose to follow the life of Vader rather than Luke.

I think they'd better not count on having James Earl Jones around forever to do the voiceovers.

If they were smart, they'd make the TV series into a post-episode 6 series... or a prequel 1,000 years or so in the past...

[Abe Sargent]

I think they'd better not count on having James Earl Jones around forever to do the voiceovers.

If they were smart, they'd make the TV series into a post-episode 6 series... or a prequel 1,000 years or so in the past...

KOTOR is some of the best fiction in the SW universe, so I'd be happy with something old.

-Anxiety

[Marc Vaughan]

Watch Serenity - imho that and Firefly are exactly the mood and setting that the newer Starwars movies should have been taking, its space fantasy for a mature audience ....

(have to pimp them at every opportunity - the more DVD's bought the more chance that some station actually allow the development of a new season of episodes ;) )

[Crapshoot]

Watch Serenity - imho that and Firefly are exactly the mood and setting that the newer Starwars movies should have been taking, its space fantasy for a mature audience ....

(have to pimp them at every opportunity - the more DVD's bought the more chance that some station actually allow the development of a new season of episodes ;) )

Marc, have you seen our Firefly/Serenity thread ? :D - I'm with you - I keep trying to turn friends onto to it- to buy the DVD's, in the hope its not too late for the TV show.

[FrogMan]

I understand that most people didn't enjoy the sequels, but they were a lot better than 90% of the trash that makes the screen nowdays. I know that tons of people are going to be raving about "The Benchwarmers"

You know, that pretty much sums up my feeling on the I-III prequel movies. Went in there to have fun, had fun. Could I nitpick about this or that not being relevant, or not making sense with what is supposed to happen in the future? Sure, I simply decided to go in there with the heart of a 9yo boy, just like my son went in to watch them movies.

In the same way, the series has me interested to at least check it out and I'm sure my son would absolutely love it, no matter how bad it can end up being. Heck, he loved seeing the 1976 version of King Kong when they showed it on TV the weekend after we'd seen the Peter Jackson version in theater. And man was that an ugly gorilla...

FM

[Honolulu_Blue]

Watch Serenity - imho that and Firefly are exactly the mood and setting that the newer Starwars movies should have been taking, its space fantasy for a mature audience ....

(have to pimp them at every opportunity - the more DVD's bought the more chance that some station actually allow the development of a new season of episodes ;) )

Yeah, I've been proselytizing Firefly for a few years now. I've been able to convert quite a few, notably one of my friends who became a bit obsessive. I think he saw "Serenity" 5 times in the theater and buys the series DVDs for pretty much everyone he knows. A worthy cause.

Let's check my Magic 8-Ball to see if the Star Wars show will be anything like Firefly... *shake shake shake* *shake shake shake*

"Outlook Not So Good"

I actually am kind of excited by the concept of a Star Wars show. Like I said earlier, I don't think it can further tarnish the series anymore than the prequels have already done. It can only go up. If it's more CGI masturbation like the prequels, eg, CGI aliens dancing around, stepping in poo, dangling from larger CGI aliens, talking in retarded accents, etc., than the show is sunk. The Star Wars universe has some rich material there. They just have to figure out where to go with it.

[Marc Vaughan]

The Star Wars universe has some rich material there. They just have to figure out where to go with it.
Can someone please please explain to me why Mr. Lucas doesn't do something with the fantastic 'post' Star Wars novels which have been released - loads of them would make great films or TV series imho ...

For instance Rogue Squadron could be a great series in a similar vein the Yuhavon (sp? - definitely ;) ) epic collection of novels would be a fantastic series of films in a similar vein to the original star wars etc.

[FrogMan]

...proselytizing...

okay, I know I spoke French before I spoke English but am I the only one who had to go check that word up on dictionary.com?

Good work though, no spelling error :D

FM

[Honolulu_Blue]

okay, I know I spoke French before I spoke English but am I the only one who had to go check that word up on dictionary.com?

Good work though, no spelling error :D

FM

Thanks! I will be honest, I knew the word, but had no idea how to spell it. I had to look the spelling up on dictionary.com. I think my first attempt looked something like "prostheltizing". :)

[IwasHere]

I think there's an audience. It will be a syndicated show, so even an audience of six million would make it a hit, 10 million would make it a smash. You don't think there aren't 10 million people in this country who wouldn't tune in?

See "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (1992) [TV-Series 1992-1993]

That didn't work out so well did it?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103586/

[cthomer5000]

This isn't really news so much, they announced plans for a TV show right after the last movie came out. I'm sure it will suck as much as these 3 most recent movies did.

[cthomer5000]

as long as the storyline came from Lucas himself i'd be more interested.

It's funny, but I'm basically the exact opposite on this. The guy has lost any talent he once had and is now a certifiable hack. I hope he does nothing but license the name to the show, and maybe i'm interested.