Would a Star Wars T.V. show even work?

"Finally, I have a feeling GL wont have much to do with series, other than his named slapped on it as Ex. producer."
After what happened with the Holiday Special, no way in hell that Lucas will not have a very hands on approach to the TV series. I agree he will not direct and probably not write the actual shooting scripts very much, but he will sure as heck keep an eye on those who do.
I think a lot of people here are missing the point. You are going to have to appeal to a very wide audience to have this show be a sucess,the vast majority of which could not be classified even as casual fans.There are not enough fans to support a TV series as expensive as the Star Wars show will be.
Lucas has to target this at the non fan to make it work.
And the last two Star Trek films show that targeting the fans and having "the fans" call the shots is NOT a good idea.

 

No Animated!

 

"DON'T DUMB IT DOWN AND TURN IT INTO STAR TREK!"

What I meant by that statement was, don't have the same storylines every other episode and please don't have some cheesy effects like some of the STAR TREK shows have.

Having a live action STAR WARS series is chance to take made for T.V. effects to the next level. This show could make a huge impact on the small screen, just like it did on the big screen.

 

Really, do who wants the magic to end? If anyone would be disappointed by a lame show, it would be me, but I'd take a lame, sorry-I-turned-on-the-TV series to the lack of Star Wars all together.

 

"but I'd take a lame, sorry-I-turned-on-the-TV series to the lack of Star Wars all together.

And that is where a lot of us would disagree with you.
A lame TV show set in the Star Wars universe is still a lame TV show. I don't see any magic in that.
or are you sugessting that just because it is put out by Lucasfilms and has the words "Star Wars" in it it is automatically has quality???
I am not saying the TV show is going to be lame by any way, shape or form. But I also don't think it is automatically going to be good just because it is Star Wars. Just look at some of the Crappier EU stuff for proof of that/

As for the question that is the title of this thread...We will find out in about Two Years....

 

The OT? Was that a typo?

No, no typo. The OT, the Original Triology.
Doing things like adding to the Emperor's speech in ESB because we're too dumb to realize ESB Luke is the same as ANH Luke. Adding Hayden to RotJ because we're too dumb to know this Vader is the same Vader as RotS, etc.

And speaking of science, Star Wars has never had any attempt at science. Whilst a fair amount of Star Trek has some foundation in science

You're right about SW, they don't eexplain the technology to the audiance. Makes it a more intelligent and realistic movie that way. After all, how many people actually know how their computer works? Their car engine? The engineering requirements for every piece of equipment they use? Not many. Most people just use stuff without ever knowing (or caring) how it works.
You're wrong about Trek having a "foundation in science", though. Warp drive and transporters are every bit as absurd as hyperdrive and lightsabers.

And stop bashing Enterprise. It was the best series since TOS and DS9, it blew away TNG, the idiotic movies, and that joke Voyager.

Which episodes of the new BSG have you seen so far? Could you give a brief overview of why it sucks?

I've seen the inital mini-movie and maybe four or five of the season shows. I'm tempted to turn the question back to you and ask what exactly you think is good about it, but I won't.
Just to answer your question quick, since it's off topic: The O-BSG cylons were war droids, built by living beings that wanted the humans planets. Thus, the use of conventional tactics.
The new-BSG cylons are renegade droids fron the humans, and they don't like them. There's no reason in the universe they would resort to planting spys among the humans, or resort to sabotage. They fly that silly looking basestar into orbit, launch a few bacteria or virus bombs, come back in a year and take what they want without any humans alive to stop them.
It just gets worse from there. If you want to continue this(ie convince me I'm wrong) I suggest we take it to PM.

Can you think of any particular episodes when you say this? Are you referring to Enterprise?

Like all TV series, there are always episodes that are sub-par.

This confuses me. Do you want examples or no? Apparently any examples I could provide are going to fall into your "sub-par" catagory. As this is also off topic I suggest PM.

 

it would only work if lucas directed it and it was 1-2 hours long each episode like a minisereies, for example: Band of Brothers......and it only aired once a week

this way they can work on story lines and actually make it work instead of 30 min episodes where they have to put all of the story in that small of a space... they will lose so much story in a 30 min episode while in a 2 hour episode it could work...

 

Not if they're in parts like Doctor Who has been in the past.

Say four 45 minute episodes for one story?


Just hope the (beween III - IV) thing has lightsabers...

 

it would only work if lucas directed it and it was 1-2 hours long each episode like a minisereies, for example: Band of Brothers......and it only aired once a week

this way they can work on story lines and actually make it work instead of 30 min episodes where they have to put all of the story in that small of a space... they will lose so much story in a 30 min episode while in a 2 hour episode it could work...

First of all Lucas wont be directing maybe just a one shot if anything...

Secondly are you saying ESB and ROTJ didn't work? Lucas did not direct those.

 

Well, according to TFn's report:

"C3: Star Wars TV Show Info Recap

Posted By Britany on April 24, 2005
by Joshua Griffin

Here's what we've been told officially about the upcoming live-action TV series from Lucasfilm.

100 episodes
1 hour each
based on a spinoff character
Lucas will direct first season
write season one at one time
film season one at one time
takes place between ROTS and ANH "
http://www.theforce.net/holonet/story/C3_Star_Wars_TV_Show_Info_Recap_91637.asp

Also more at:
http://www.theforce.net/holonet/story/Variety_Talks_Star_Wars_TV_Shows_91784.asp

And some more info:
http://theforce.net/latestnews/story/Star_Wars_TV_Series_Headed_to_Australia_92158.asp

And Aayla Secura could be a character:
http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Aayla_Secura_Talks_Star_Wars_TV_Series_91649.asp

For those who feel it could only work if Lucas is involved, he will be.
And I think Star Trek lasted a long time before it "ran out of steam". So I don't think its anything to worry about. Enterprise was cancled, but thats the fifth series, Next Generation ran for 7 seasons, Deep Space Nine ran for 7 seasons, Voyager ran for 7 seasons, and Enterprise will have ran for 4 seasons. So not bad for something that started out as a spin-off of a cancelled 60s series.

And I said in another thread how an ongoing story worked out well during the Dominion War seasons of Deep Space Nine. They had self-contained stories and an ongoing threat. And managed to handle more mystical plots like The Prophets and Bajor, so television Sci-Fi audiences can handle it.

 

100 episodes as in the whole thing or the first season?

 

Good to hear I'm not the only one with serious reservations about this whole thing. Since I heard about it, I've been very leery of the concept.

I've loved the prequels personally, and I'm a big fan of the EU. Part of my hesitation comes from my love of the EU, because a 100 hours of brand new television leaves alot of room for making all sorts of new contradictions based on who is writing and filming it and their dramatic needs.

Also, the possibility of course is there for it just not being interesting or fresh and draggggggging out the concept ad naseum.

I'm not worried about production values or special effects so much... moreso storyline and continuity.

 

Has EU even covered much of the period between III and IV? Most of the EU stuff I've read all take place after VI, so the live-action show shouldn't pose any problem.

And in terms of continuity, we all know that EU can be trampled on at GL's will. What he says goes and that's all that really matters. If you enjoy EU, it shouldn't take away from your enjoyment of them...you've gotta know while reading them that it's not GL's vision, it's someone else playing with GL's ideas. So any contradiction shouldn't really take away your enjoyment.

I still have a hard time imagining a live-action show and I'm more looking forward to the cartoon (and still praying they don't go 3D with it). But I'll definitely watch it. I just hope that they don't leave out Jedi/Sith stuff that's so integral to the SW universe. I'll only watch a show with a bunch of blasters for so long...

 

100 episodes would be a nice thing. Hopefully each season will be one countinuous storyline.

As far as there being lightsabers, if it is based between ROTS and AHN, I dont see many uses for lightsabers. Unless they deicide add a few "last of the jedi" characters. But I have a feeling Vader will have some role in it, and he uses a lightsaber.

 

I am hoping for 5 seasons of 20 episodes! With an overlaying story arc. Season 1 being about running from the new empire then from then on about the building of the rebellion etc. Then in the last season being centred on the stealing of the Death Star plans. This would then lead nicely into the OT.

Then if that all went down nicely we would have 5 years or so of the Star Wars TV shows. Plus if with all the money GL would make, we could perhaps get him to do a live action after ROTJ.

 

What if Lucas deicides to make the show a spin off of STAR WARS. Something like "WATTO'S WACKY ADVENTURES". That's what they always seem to do when they put the STAR WARS universe on the small screen. Anyone remember that horrible EWOK movie? I know I do!!

 

If they know and love the Star Wars, that is fine. However, what is more important is that they UNDERSTAND star wars.

Uhm... No. If they are going to do this on TV, they needs something solid that fans can come to each week and enjoy.

I disagree. With the movie saga now complete, and with a 20-year gap between Episodes III and IV, we now have the opportunity to officially explore what happens in between.

I always hated cliffhangers. Ep V left you with a clear indication that there would be an Ep VI, and you really wanted to know how it would be resolved, but to end each episode with a "to be continued" would always leave the audience with the feeling that it was short-changed. Each movie leads into what comes after, but can effectively stand alone.

Hey! I happen to be a Star Wars AND Star Trek fan. I take exception to comments like this. With the exception of Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Enterprise, Star Trek has been very good entertainment. For the most part.

Now I believe that the Star Wars TV series needs to do like the movies and have the main character plotlines go all over the place. In Star Trek, all of the main characters are typically in one place dealing with one issue. In Star Wars, we have one group of characters doing one thing, another group doing something else, and yet another group doing a third thing. The "happy family" theme of Star Trek won't work in Star Wars. Oh, everybody may get to reunite from time to time, but then they go off again, and the character mix gets changed.

The danger would be to have too many plot threads going at once. That is what I think is wrong with Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series of novels. He has fragmented the story into so many pieces that it takes several books to touch on all of them and actually have them get somewhere. This was never really an issue with Star Trek, But for Star Wars, care must be take, because it is a big Galaxy, with a lot of potential for storylines and new characters.

one thread must not be given lesser importance than another thread. In Star Trek, there's the main plot going on and then there is a side-plot that usually involved a crew member's social life. In Star Wars, What Luke was doing was no less important than what Han and co. were doing. That must carry through to the TV series.

Oh, and it would be good if they don't mind killing off characters from time to time. Or at least remove them from the story. This sends the message to the viewers: Anything can happen. Expect unpredictable plot resolutions and transitions. In Star Trek, we pretty much know that nothing is going to happen to main characters (but if it's a guy in a red shirt that hasn't been in any episodes before, you know he probably won't be back next week). But in Star Wars, you never can tell. It was shocking that first time when seeing Ep V and Han got frozen, and Luke got his hand cut off, and Vader said "I am your father..." These things took me by surprise, and are, I think, a central part of what makes Star Wars "work".

Granted, this is all my opinion, and is not intended to make you feel robbed of your right to have your own.

-DO

 

Star Trek has not run past its prime. Frankly, I'm hoping that it won't be too long before the NEXT Trek series launches. The problem with Star Trek is its current Executive Producers, Rick Berman and Branon Braga. These two twerps have taken it upon themselves to reinvent Star Trek according to their own vision of it rather than to stay true to the vision Gener Roddenberry conceived of. Enterprise did not fail because people got tired of Star Trek. It failed because people got tired of Star Trek being Bermanized. The last of the series is, according to many Trek fans, the best, because Berman actually got the series back on track to revealing how the Federation comes together rather than going off on wild tangents. Good move, but too late in coming.

Gene Roddenberry's vision was always forward-looking. Berman's vision concerning enterprise was backwards-looking. It is my hope that the next series will take what The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager built and carry it forward.

Star Wars, as a series has the potential to be longer-lived than any Star Trek series. It's hard to run out of ideas for Star Wars. And Star Wars is dynamic enough that it should be easy and acceptable to reinvent the series if something proves to not be working. As long as plotlines in the series do not contradict the movies on terms of galactic events, then it will be fine on the continuity front.

Something that Rick Berman should have realized before he fathered the ******* known as "Enterprise"

-OR

 

I think a semi-anthology type series would work. For example, we'd follow one character on his/her adventures for a few episodes, then shift focus to another related character on his adventures, then another, then another. The season finales could tie these storylines together. The transitions between storylines would not have to be abrupt -- I think it would be more interesting if they flowed into one another. There would be the promise of a new engaging plot every few episodes, rather than a long plot which requires you to watch the series from the beginning to enjoy it.

EDIT: Come to think of it, some shows have already pulled this off. LOST comes to mind immediately. While there is one ongoing plotline, each character has their own unique strand of the story which can be told.

 

I will say this, GL has annoyed me for the last time with parts of E3, and if he has any major role beyond himself putting his name in the credits and stoping by once and a while, the series will stink.. big time.

GL, he's a good idea man, but don't let him near the directors chair.

 

No, it's not the directors chair, it's the editing room. To me, he takes out all of the good stuff. Sure, in some cases it does need to be edited, but then in some their not.

For the TV series:

Show a young Leia on Alderaan, maybe asking her adoptive father some questions about the past, like the Clone Wars or something.

Show a young Luke on the moisture farm. Use the same actors from the movies (Joel and Bonnie) as Owen and Beru. Show Luke as a hotshot pilot flying his T-16 killing Wamp Rats flying through Beggars Canyon and we get to see a young Biggs and his other friends growing up.

Have scenes at the end of the series, like cameos of Yoda, Obi-wan on Tatooine talking with young Luke, or Luke gets into trouble and Obi-wan helps him out or something like this.

Have Vader in the very last episode, killing the 3rd to last Jedi. We also get to see the Emperor talking with Vader via hologram. Have the Emperor TRYING to dissolve the Senate, have a cameo of Mon Mothma and Jimmy Smits.

We see Boba training himself (Kinda like Batman). Show him upgrading his weapons and Slave I. While also doing his first kill as a bounty hunter (cameo Jabba)

They can fill it with anything else, but that is what I want to see the most. There are a lot of stories to be told. It should be at least an hour long show, and twice a month or once a month, (CG effects).

What do you think?

 

It will work as long as we don't see Vader. Seeing vader would water down his character and it would be horrible. Leave his story well enough alone. Mention him, sure, talk about the dying jedi, sure. But to see him would be an absolute travesty.

"surely you must see it."

 

Ok, no Vader. What about Boba Fett? Should we leave that character alone as well? Keep the mystery, you know.

What do you people want to see?

 

What I would like to see in the live action series:

1. Vader hunting down the last of the jedi. (They hint at it in ROTS. With the whole "Lets turn off the becon", thing.)

2. Show how the Rebel Alliance got started.

3. Mabey show the whole backstory of Han Solo and Lando. (Thats a BIG mabey)

But from what I've heard and read. The series will have mostly new characters and few older ones. So it'll have all new storylines. Just it'll be based around the Empire era.