Star Wars Live Action TV Series May Be Headed To ABC, Fresh Details Arrive

[Brendon Connelly]

Now that the big Lucasfilm deal has closed, the honchos at Disney-owned TV network ABC are to sit down and look at the TV projects in the Lucas pipeline, decide what they might do with them.

We know there's already a well-developed TV series, something with whole binders full of scripts but apparently quite expensive to produce. Rick McCallum was grilled about it for years.

ABC's Paul Lee has told EW that he's going to consider this oft-discussed show, amongst other options of how to best get Star Wars onto TV.

Now, I've known for so long that Battlestar Galactica's Ron Moore was involved in the Star Wars TV show and that I wasn't meant to tell anyone it just seems odd to see EW toss this info casually into their story. Maybe it became public knowledge while I was napping. Have... any other writers been named while I wasn't looking?

The project was commissioned by longtime Lucasfilm producer Rick McCallum, who enlisted writers such asBattlestar Galactica?s Ron Moore and swore them to NDA secrecy on the plot details... Sources say the live-action series centers on the story of rival families struggling over the control of the seedy underside of the Star Wars universe and the people who live within the subterranean level and air shafts of the metropolis planet Coruscant (the Empire?s urban-sprawl-covered home planet). A bounty hunter may be the main character. The time period allows for all sorts of potential appearances from classic figures from the Star Wars universe.

Much of the material developed for the show is reflected in the setting, designs and even characters of the upcoming Star Wars:1313 videogame. It's a 1313 image at the top of this story.

I wouldn't guess the videogame's cannibalism will be too much of a problem, but more likely to cause some issues are the new feature films. These most likely wouldn't have been conceived when the TV show was in active development, and there could be some clash in the material. Potentially. Lee thinks it comes down to how Lucasfilm want to position these separate pieces on the board:

We got to a point here with Marvel, a very special point, where we?re in the Marvel universe, and very relevantly so, but we?re not doingThe Avengers. ButS.H.I.E.L.D.is part ofThe Avengers. So maybe something oblique is the way to [approach theStar Warsuniverse] rather than going straight head-on at it.

If SHIELD shows that a movie-TV crossover can work, and I'd expect it will, then I think we can bank on lots of Star Wars TV coming our way. Rejoice?

[Comedian]

I think the TV series could very easily work and not be disruptive to the movies at all. In fact, if you set the TV series in between episodes 3 &4 as I had heard it was going to be, it seems perfect...

[NielsVanEekelen]

Ron Moore on Star Wars. That's the kind of magic combination--like Joss Whedon on Marvel--that just seems to good too be true.

[Top Ten Jesus]

Sounds frickin awesome to me. Let's do it! I'm not one to walk away from anything Star Wars.

[_OM_]

Sources say the live-action series centers on the story of rival families struggling over the control of the seedy underside of the Star Wars universe

...And once again, Lucas & his cronies rip off Frank Herbert and the Duniverse. Jabba the Harkonnen, anyone?

Ron Moore on Star Wars.

"No. Really. There's this plan that explains why Palpatine exterminated all the Jedi. Honest. It's in the Series Bible. Here, I'll show you half a page just so you know it exists..."

[mfolwell]

Ron Moore on Star Wars. That's the kind of magic combination

Well, one of the biggest problems with Battlestar Galactica was the poorly defined spiritual magic stuff in an otherwise science-fiction universe, in Star Wars the poorly defined spiritual magic stuff is part of the appeal of the otherwise science-fiction universe. The only thing he's missing is a playful (or cheesy) sense of humour -- maybe he does have one, but I never spotted it in what I saw of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Roswell, Battlestar Galactica, Virtuality and Caprica (I do have fond memories of GvsE, which did have a sense of humour, but they're so vague that I don't want to give him too much credit only to find out his episodes were po-faced).

[StarCruncher]

I think the TV series could very easily work and not be disruptive to the movies at all. In fact, if you set the TV series in between episodes 3 &4 as I had heard it was going to be, it seems perfect...

I like that idea, but I'd like a post-Jedi series even better. It would be a synergistic opportunity to lead in to the new movies if they could get the show started fast enough.

But definitely count my vote towards a tangential connection to the SW universe so we can have characters that will truly be at risk and we can see changing circumstances.

[NielsVanEekelen]

What I would really like is a post-RotJ X-Wing show, which BSG more than any other show has proven is possible on TV, SFX-wise. But all the talk and rumors about the live-action show has always set it in between the two (current) movie trilogies.

Well, one of the biggest problems with Battlestar Galactica was the poorly defined spiritual magic stuff in an otherwise science-fiction universe, in Star Wars the poorly defined spiritual magic stuff is part of the appeal of the otherwise science-fiction universe. The only thing he's missing is a playful (or cheesy) sense of humour -- maybe he does have one, but I never spotted it in what I saw of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Roswell, Battlestar Galactica, Virtuality and Caprica (I do have fond memories of GvsE, which did have a sense of humour, but they're so vague that I don't want to give him too much credit only to find out his episodes were po-faced).

Post-midichlorians, don't you think everyone would be happy with less definition to and explanation for the Force?

And most of the shows you mention definitely had their funny moments--even BSG.

[ewokpelts]

I expected to see this type of story here eventually....ABC is owned by Disney. LFL is owned by Disney. Makes perfect fucking sense. Disney/LFL/ABC jointly have the resources to put this series out right, and since it would be so in-house, it can be positioned to run for years(barring a massive flop in the ratings).

[Clavius]

Myself I'd watch the hell out of a Star Wars show. To me if they had the show based just after Jedi but not use obviously any of the main characters it could work. Have it follow I dunno two or three aspects all connected somehow. The political aspect, commoner aspect, and of course the bad guy aspect would all be followed and show how are all dealing with the death of the Empire. Also it would help be a lead in to the upcoming movies. Dunno still having my pipe dream that the future 3 movies will focus on the next generation of kids from Leia and Luke (not together you sick freaks ) and this would allow the movies to just ignore having to waste a good chunk of a movie explaining everything.