Monday, August 5, 2013

STAR WARS ON TV III

Star Wars on television, as a live-action series? The notion has often won my interest. Twice before I've blogged about that issue...

Star Wars TV Series
http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2007/10/star-wars-tv-series.htm

Star Wars TV Live Action
http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2009/03/star-wars-tv-live-action.html


Is it possible this time, with Disney behind that universe, the idea might actually see the light of a flat-screen? The ABC television network is interested in discussing a possible series.

I'm not a Star Wars fan but I would check out a television serial version, absolutely. There is potential for more stories other than the now dreary story-line of the feature films. (I'm speaking of the 'prequel' films, obviously, not the original three. Speaking of dreary Star Wars'; the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.)

From Reuters...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/04/abc-starwars-idUSL1N0G50CB20130804



I just now discovered that there is an overview on Wikipedia on the history of the television live-action Star Wars concept...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_live-action_TV_series

2 comments:

Greg Woods said...

I remember there was even talk of a series as far back as the 70s. It would be great though if they dispensed with the whole Skywalker-Vader lineage and simply did a series set in that universe, as you've wisely suggested.

For example, in 1978, early in the run of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" series, there were one or two issues that had a completely different set of characters, that tangentially related to the familiar ones we all know. There was a "Skywalker-ian" character, a female with more cajones than Princess Leia, a talking bunny, and so on.... which weren't necessarily variations on Luke, Solo, etc. They were a ragtag bunch of renegades that lived in the vast world which Lucas created.

On that note, I leave you with this trivial tidbit. In the early 1980s, DC published a short-lived series entitled "Atari Force", featuring a similar group of ragtag adventurers in space. This was quite a hip series, actually- I loved it.

Barry Smight said...

Thank you for the Atari Force info. I read up on those comics, and they do sound interesting. Did you keep any?

You are right about discussions about a possible Star Wars TV series going way back. I remember an interview with Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz in about late 1977 or early 1978 where he said, "... we've talked about doing a television series..." (That may have been in Starlog magazine or something similar.)

We agree, obviously, that there is a universe to explore; stories from that universe -- which was George Lucas' original intent, evidently.

I find the notion of milking the same characters and environments perverse considering that there are so many possibilities for new and alternate characters and situations.

Thanks for the comment!