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[Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Tyi-Maet_Nefer
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
9/10/07 8:02pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Short seasons work for other television shows. I mean, just look at Black Books - three seasons of only 6 episodes each. And it's glorious stuff.
Oh. Right. It's a comedy.
Anyway...
//runs
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Darth_Shpydar
Registered:
Oct '06
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Date Posted:
9/11/07 8:57am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I agree on the shorter seasons. The increasing trend of abbreviated seasons (brought on in part by both a more relevant "summer season" as well as the glut of reality shows -- shorter seasons allow for more room in the schedule for reality shows, which are made quickly and on the cheap) has allowed for IMO better shows overall. A tighter story, less "throw away" or "filler" episodes, and a stronger overall narrative (particularly in serialized shows).
In the alternative, i'd like an approch similar to the new BSG did originally -- two shorter "seasons" over the course of a "true" season (eg, Season 2.0 & Season 2.5). That way, you still have a standard 20-22 episode season (more important when syndication rights/issues arise), but can structure the overarching narrative individually for each "season".
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DarthButt
Title: Manager
• Classic Trilogy
Registered:
Jun '03
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Date Posted:
9/15/07 1:52am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Here's the entire interview regarding the TV series:
Star Wars Insider: how is the live-action Star Wars TV show progressing?
Rick McCallum: It’s been exciting because we’ve had the opportunity to meet over 200 writers. George and I had a fantastic time in England, where we met about 35 or 40 writers. We met a lot in the United States, a couple in Paris, Prague, and Budapest, and then we’re off to Australia at the end of July. We’re trying to get a group of about five or six people from all around the world. I’m hopefully going to start the writers’ conferences later this year. It’ll take about six months to get the scripts, so by about 2009 we hope to actually be shooting.
Will you be shooting the show in Australia?
Right now, that’s the plan. I think it’s going to really depend on where the most effective and cheapest place we can make it is. Right now, for us, that place is Australia.
How ambitious is the project going to be?
It’ll be darker and more mature, and very character based. The idea is to do say, 13 to 16 episodes over one or two years - we haven’t quite figured that out yet as television is changing so dramatically worldwide. After the second or third year, one of the characters from the first series could move on to his own series. Then, by the fourth or fifth year, we would love to have four or five separate TV series of 13 episodes each running. That’s a pipe dream right now, of course! But as long as it’s good, and long as people respond, and as long as we’re doing it at the level we need to do it, and people care about the characters, I think that’s totally possible.
In terms of distribution, would you prefer broadcast television or something else?
I think it’s too early to really say, because what’s going to happen over the next few years in TV will be so revolutionary. I hope that we can be part of the process of imploding the television experience. Traditional network TV doesn’t really work for us because we don’t want to have interrupted storytelling. Cable is definitely a possibility. It’s like the battle going on between HD-DVD and BluRay. This is just my opinion here, but they could all become obsolete. The industry could go straight to broadband downloading, with filmmakers creating their own websites where they have their own material that you can download. I really believe that is the future of television, of all entertainment. I still cherish going to the cinema and having that communal experience, but there’s no question that it’s changing sociologically, quite dramatically.
Sounds like a "The Sopranos" type of format, that's conducive for HBO or Showtime. Interesting. I like the darker, more mature vibe.
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RevantheJediMaster
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
9/15/07 9:30am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I agree, with the projected amount of episodes per season and the dark tone it seems like the show would be perfect for HBO or Showtime.
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G-FETT
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
9/15/07 10:51am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Hey thanks for posting the whole interview Butt. 
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The Saga returns; August 15th 2008.
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WookieeWarrior9
Registered:
Jun '07
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Date Posted:
9/15/07 2:56pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I don't see it happening for HBO or Showtime because it would really limit the audience. The audience would be a fraction of what they could get for ABC or FOX.
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- George Lucas
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
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-Lit Mod of Death
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
9/16/07 4:26pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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But they would have greater creative freedom, not be constrained to commercial break acts, etc. Plus HBO has done pretty well with their shows the past decade or so. Even Showtime birthed SG-1.
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Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
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WookieeWarrior9
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Jun '07
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Date Posted:
9/16/07 6:12pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I don't think GL is really going to have to deal with the networks limiting his vision. For one, the networks are going to buy the show from him, which is the exact opposite of everything else. Think of it this way, the SW series gets to pick which date it wants to go out with, while the others just hope they get one at all. And I know that this is going to be more adult than any of the movies, but I don't think we're going to be seeing stuff that might be on BSG (a la rape) that might be shunned on network TV.
Just my 2 cents.
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
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Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
9/16/07 11:58pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Right, but, structure wise, they wouldn't be limited to the span of the average act between commercial breaks, nor would they have to deal with premptions and other network hassles in terms of airing schedules.
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K'Kruhk, 140 ABY: "Why haven't I come forth earlier to share my Jedi knowledge with Skywalker?
Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
"If I don't die, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth." - Drew_Atreides
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Jango_Fettish
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
9/17/07 9:30am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I agree with your reasoning, Quest, but I have a feeling the show is going to end up on ABC. With all of these reports about Disney wanting to strengthen their relationship with Lucasfilm, and the supposed additional Star Wars presence at Disney World going into construction next year, I could see ABC's exclusive rights to the show being part of the deal. Only time will tell, of course, but I just think Star Wars is way to mainstream to end up on a channel like HBO, that in most areas is available only in premium priced cable packages. I know with my cable provider the HBO package is pretty expensive (compared to basic cable, at least). Lucas has never been one to limit his available audience like that.
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G-FETT
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
9/17/07 11:04am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I take it ABC = Disney?
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I felt a great disturbance in the force. As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror. Then were suddenly silenced.
The Saga returns; August 15th 2008.
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Darthsuggs
Registered:
Jul '03
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Date Posted:
9/17/07 2:12pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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G-FETT posted:
I take it ABC = Disney?
Sure does.
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GrandWarlord
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
9/17/07 3:41pm
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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I think that would depend on just how "dark" and "mature" they are going to be with it. I have a hard time envisioning anything close to the tone they are talking about, being on a Disney channel. I was hoping one of these days they would break through some barriers, and get down to some nitty gritty with star wars. If it went to an ABC/NBC affiliate I'd be a little disappointed. The idea of it being on HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, really heightens my hopes. The mention of it being up there with "Sopranos" excites me. I don't watch the show a lot, but the idea of having some Star Wars stories set in the type of mood, would be appealing to me. Something different. Get away from the ewoks, the jar jars, etc. Bring in some darker charectors, more mature storylines. There are so many possibilies. But how they approach and follow through with it, will be hard to tell. I do see the point about the "premium" cable channels, and where that would be a real worry. But there are plenty of other channels to chose from too. I could easily see it being on Sci-Fi channel. That channel has to be one of the diverse I've seen. So many different types of shows (of course mostly sci-fi..lol). Some of the shows on a mature side, creature shows, and some on the pretty silly if you ask me side! 
It all does make you sit and wonder, what will happen though....
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The2ndQuest
Title: :
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Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
9/18/07 5:36am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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Not necessarily- I believe I read he did make upgrading theaters to THX quality a requirement for showing ROTJ, IIRC.
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K'Kruhk, 140 ABY: "Why haven't I come forth earlier to share my Jedi knowledge with Skywalker?
Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
"If I don't die, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth." - Drew_Atreides
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Darth_Shpydar
Registered:
Oct '06
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Date Posted:
9/18/07 6:27am
Subject:
RE: [Live Action Series] SW Insider: McCallum talks about season lengths, spinoffs, writers and more
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No matter how "dark" they claim the show is going to be, i'd bet dollar to donuts that it's not going to be any darker than RotS. There's not going to be profanity or nudity, cuz that's just not how Lucas works. There'll be violence, but it's not going to be gruesome, bloody, extreme violence. There's absolutely no question in my mind that the show will be "fit" for network broadcast. Lucas is a smart businessman above all else -- he's not going to limit the exposure of his show by putting it on pay/premium cable.
Even if the show turns out to suck, networks & their parent companies will be falling over each other to secure the rights. Notice how hard and publically Disney is pressing -- and Disney never needs to do such a thing normally. They're frackin' Disney! Star Wars (again, even if it sucks) = immediate viewer recognition + huge pre-installed fan base = advertisers going nuts for ad time = network makes hella money.
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"From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!"
"It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Either you buy it or you don't!" -- Eric Forman
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