Star Wars TV: Are These The Droids We're Looking For?

I'll climb into the cockpit of anything that is GOOD. That is my only criteria. A lot of people moaned when BSG was brought back to life, only to be surprised at how well it was done. A Star Wars TV program would have to be much, much better than the last three movies though if it wants to stay on the air.

The Star Wars galaxy is big enough to accommodate a new series. Heck, a comedy about a Scranton, PA office has spawned 4 seasons. It's all about how they execute it.

I have a bunch of friends who continue to defend, however halfheartedly, the prequel films (although, more often than not, I find they are imagining the movies they WISH they had seen, rather than the movies that were actually made), but I think one more bit of sub-standard Star Wars product would send even them over the edge.

So maybe this show is necessary, if only to save the males of Gen X from themselves.

Will there be singing? Dancing?

A Star Wars TV program would have to be much, much better than the last three movies though if it wants to stay on the air.

Well considering how bad the first two were, it shouldn't be that hard to top. And let us not forget the true nadir of star wars; the 80's christmas special. I've never even seen it and I'm still traumatized by its existence. (tiddyboom)

Seriously though, there is a hardcore dedicated group of Jedi/Sith nuts out there who will turn out to watch anything Star Wars related.

I personally feel that the Star Wars universe is so vast that there is plenty of fodder for a new tv series. I'd love to see them go back into the history of Star Wars and cover the first sith war. Or to deal with the formation of the Jedi or the Galactic Republic. (Yeah. I'm confessing my nerd/dork/whatever status.) There's a lot of interesting stuff in the dusty vaults of Lucasland that could make captivating sci-fi tv.

@ C. Brown and others:

"I personally feel that the Star Wars universe is so vast that there is plenty of fodder for a new tv series...."

You know, actually I agree with this. My problem is that George Lucas himself has shown little interest in fleshing out that universe. His movies hint at this vast, Silmarillion-like background, but they simply don't step up to expanding on any of it except in the sketchiest terms, or even in giving any depth to their "present time" stories.

Now if you could turn it over to someone else? Joss Whedon? A man can dream, right?

Maybe that's the better question: What writer/producer would you like to see create a new Star Wars series?

I would totally watch a Star Wars TV show - if it was Any Good. I agree that there is plenty of material to work with in the SW universe, so it will all depend on execution. Which was totally lacking in recent SW efforts. I love SW, and always will, but am not a fangirl who could overlook the awful first 2 prequel movies, or the mediocrity of the 3rd prequel movie.

@ James: I'd turn the whole thing over to Joss Whedon if I could - honestly, I don't trust Lucas not to frac it totally up, given his recent track record. But Whedon - that dude can develop an effective mythology and compelling characters in his sleep.

I'm totally ready to crawl back into an X-Wing... if it's in a Vista/XP enabled version of the X-Wing Gold, TIE Fighter, and/or X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter video games for PC. Three of the greatest flight simulation games of all time that are begging for updates in the broadband/HD graphics era we now live in.

TV show? I agree. DO NOT WANT!

See, I really don't think that the disappointments of the prequels will transfer to the new show. As long as someone else writes the dialogue, I wouldn't be too worried.
At a point in the past (since this idea has been kicked around for years) Lucas had mentioned that he would love for Kevin Smith to direct the show. I think that as long as the show is in goods (not just Lucas's) it will be ok.

And when I was back in high school, I read alot of the books for the Star Wars expanded universe: there actually are some pretty good characters and concepts to be explored. The best of this was the "X-Wing" series, which featured on the pilots of an X-Wing squadron led by Wedge Antilles. It was highly entertaining, and contained none of the main characters from the movies.

Back when Lucas first started making noises about making a live-action Star Wars TV show, Penny Arcade had an amusing take on what it might consist of.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/04/27

Lucas is good with the "big picture", but the man can't write dialogue to save his life. Once in a while, a good line will pop out, but those are the exceptions.

My dream line-up for the production team would be:
George Lucas, exec. producer (so he has to sign the checks)
Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon, directors
Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, and Ben Edlund, chief writers, backed up by the script people who brought us Buffy and Firefly.
ILM, special effects (who else?)
Timothy Zahn and some of other writers who have done some of the novels should probably be involved too- they probably know the universe as well as Lucas does now...

This would be one that I'd be willing to watch an episode or two of. Long term love, though, must be earned...

Damon Lindelof from Lost. He's a self-proclaimed Star Wars admirer and he happens to be free in 2 and 1/2 years when Lost ends. As Mel said above, you also need participation from Star Wars book writers because they know the mythology well.

As for storyline...I vote they jump into the future starting after Luke and Han and Leia have died. That way they can deal with their children. The kids would be expected to be leaders, be living in the shadow of their parents' legacy, and have all sorts of issues. Also, you get to create a new menacing bad guy.

This show will have too many 20-something actors playing intergalactic teenagers. The advertisers will insist.

If George Lucas is so intent on reanimating the remnants of one of his creations, can't he revisit 'American Graffiti' instead? It's about time for a 'Mad Men'-style look at 1950s teenagers...

So you want Buffy the Sith Lord Slayer? Seriously, why flog one cash cow when you can flog two at the same time, right?

At the risk of making lots of fanboys upset, what exactly is so great about Joss Whedon? I'll grant that his humor is good in an occasionally slightly-too-cute sort of way, but tons of book- and comic book authors do better at plotting, characterisation and originality.

I could just be getting old, though, because hearing Kevin Smith mentioned actually made me cringe as well. My show title suggestion: "Buffy the Sith Lord Slayer and her worthless stoner sidekicks talk about nothing".