Star Wars - the Saturday Morning Serial Version

I thought it would be interesting to see how the Saga worked as a long series of shorter chapters. I imagine it being re-edited into one long chronological serial, like the Godfather.

At 2 hours long each film can be divided into three chapters of 40-45 minutes, giving 18 chapters in the saga. Shorter episodes of 30 minutes would I think be too choppy, while episodes of an hour would simply be the films with an interval in the middle. At 40ish minutes long, plus opening titles and credits, you get almost an hour's worth of TV. I've tried to think of titles for each chapter: obviously the original film title can be used once, but it's been hard thinking of titles for every chapter that fit the Star Wars typology.

Some of the chapters feel very natural, with a linking theme across it, or a nice circularity, while others are slightly forced. I expected there to be a few cliffhangers, but there is only one solid gold 'what happens next moment', as you will see.

I won't be able to post every chapter up right away, so you'll have to wait, just like in real life.


Chapter 1 - The Phantom Menace
We begin... at the beginning, naturally. The Jedi escape the Federation ship, meet Jar-Jar, rescue the Queen and flee to Naboo. Arriving at Watto's shop we meet Anakin Skywalker, but Qui-Gon is unable to purchase the right parts for the ship. In the final scene we see the mysterious Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Maul. 'At last we shall have revenge.' The final line: 'You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will be no match for you.'

Comments: I was surprised at how much happens in the first 40 minutes of TPM - all the major characters have been established and we've already seen three planets. The ending, with Sidious and Maul plotting together, gives a nice spooky what-are-they-up-to? feeling to the chapter, and gives us a proper look at the menace of the chapter's title. There's plenty of action too.


Chapter 2 - The Mos Espa Pod Race
The heroes visit Shmi Skywalker and the pod race plan is devised, which takes most of the rest of the chapter to wrap up. Towards the end, Darth Maul attacks, and Obiwan and Anakin meet for the first time. The ship blasts off towards Coruscant, for more adventures...

Comments: I like the way the pod race is introduced and wrapped up in this chapter - a nice self-contained story within the wider story. And then at the end the promise of the last chapter - Darth Maul tracking down the Queen and the jedi - is kept, and we have the first glimpse of a lightsaber duel. I'm not happy with the title of the chapter, and have been alternating between 'Mos Espa Pod Race' and 'Boonta Eve Pod Race'. I'm not keen on either so suggestions are welcome.


Chapter 3 - The Duel of the Fates
The Queen's ship reaches Coruscant... Anakin meets the Jedi council, Palpatine is nominated for Chancellor and the Queen decides to return to Naboo where the Gungans join in battle against the Trade Federation. (Come on, you know the story, join in!) Duel of the Fates... only Obiwan survives... PEACE!

Comments: Not much to add here. A bit of plot then half an hour of solid action. A good third chapter. My original title for it was 'The Battle of Naboo', which is more accurate, but not as cool-sounding.


Chapter 4 - [no title]
Padme returns to Naboo, where someone attempts to assassinate her. Anakin and Padme return to Naboo while Obiwan tracks the assassin to Kamino where he discovers a huge clone army awaiting him. In the final scene he looks out as a vast army of clones board their ships...

Comments: I'm really stuck for a title for this one. 'The Kamino Mystery'? Nah. Anyway, plenty of plot in this chapter, and a great final shot, the Imperial March building up into the credits.



More when I can be bothered.

 

(double post)

 

Great idea.

How about "Dark Times?"

*bothers AlexBullet* please continue

 

Good idea

I like it

Although if these were all sequential episodes there would now be a time gap of 10 years between 3 and 4

 

Chapter 5 - The Creeping Fear
Lots of Anakin and Padme mooning over each other to begin with, but fortunately we also get Obiwan and Jango kicking the you-know-what out of each other and the fantastic asteroid chase. Padme and Anakin return to Tatooine and Anakin commits his first truly dark act. We get our first glimpse of Dooku, and the chapter ends with Padme and Anakin blasting off Tatooine to rescue Obiwan...

Comments: An slightly uneven episode, containing the first genuinely dark stirrings that the ominous march of the clones at the end of Chapter 4 suggested. This has of course suggested the title of the chapter, indicating that this is just the beginning of the dark times.

 

I've been thinking about this alot lately-a TV serial series obviously has its advantages, namely that you can stretch things out over 20-odd half hour to an hour episodes, as opposed to trying to cover everything in 2 or 3 hours. You can develop things a bit more leisurely; movies, obviously, have limitations here.

That's basically why I'm holding high hopes for Star Wars TV. It has enormous potential, imo.