First off, I want to thank Rick McCallum for being the only current voice for Star Wars TV... Even if he is just saying the same stuff over and over. I don't really blame him of course. The basic idea and theme is probably all they have so far

Secondly I want to apologize to any of you that have read my other rants on Star Wars TV because this one will be taking largely the same direction... They'll probably continue to do that until I have some actual plot points and production information to talk about!

Here's the relevant info I'll be talking about...
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"[The Star Wars TV show's] not going to happen probably for another year and a half while we develop scripts and everything else. But it's fantastic; we've got some incredible writers. It's going to be much darker, much more character-based, and I think it's going to be everything the fans always wanted the prequels to be. They'll be one-hour episode. It takes place between Episodes III and IV. It's going to be all-new characters, maybe a few bounty hunters in there to start the series off."
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I'm going to give a moment of silence for Rick seemingly acknowledging unprompted that the majority of fans didn't get what they wanted out of the prequels. It's such an out of character statement for a high profile producer to come out and say without extreme reluctance... Refreshing in my opinion whether you agree with that viewpoint or not.

This is also our first official (possible, maybe, sorta, kinda, might be) plot point. Bounty Hunters, almost doubtlessly imperial, confirmed to be a possibility. This has been rumored almost since the very first announcement but I think this is the first official word.
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The main point here is the much darker and more character based. He's said this before; I'm glad he's saying it again though.

Is it fun to see the Empire get it's Death Star(s) blown to bits? Is it fun to see Anakin zip out of the Trade Federation cruiser as it explodes? Is it fun to see Han dodging imperial star fighters?

Sure it is! I'm sure we'll be getting plenty of that mind you... At least the dodging star fighters part. We've seen all the rest though. That and it doesn't fit this time period. The Empire is firmly in place for two decades. This ain't a happy 'verse. To really convey the atmosphere that would follow up the ending of Episode III... It needs to be dark. Star Wars has emotional highs and lows.
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Episode IV:

Wow! A big spaceship chasing a little spaceship! Ooo lasers!
"Uncle Owen?! Aunt Beru?!" *dramatic music*
Prepare to make the jump to lightspeed!
"Ben? Ben? NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
*Last TIE fighter blows* "We did it!"
"Luke, they're coming in much faster this time. I can't hold them!" *BOOM*
"Great shot kid that was one in a million!"
"Oh no, R2! You can repair him can't you?"
Medals given to humans, Wookiees get to growl in public

Episode V:
Wampa!
"I found them, repeat I found them!"
"Imperial troops have entered the base!"
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Anyway, you get the idea.

This is a TV show though. It's closer to 100 hours of footage, not 10. If you let your heroes jump to light speed every time they get in trouble it becomes a formula. People catch on to the formula if they're smart and they stop watching because it's the same show with a different villain of the week.

You need to have an arc. Diving into darkness with little lights of hope along the way.

What if Han had been killed instead of frozen? What if the first Death Star wasn't blown up? And if you really want to push it, what if the camera hadn't cut away as the menacing droid came into Princess Leia's cell to "discuss the location of your hidden rebel base"?

Sure it'd be depressing as hell until you eventually bring it back into brighter material... But it's sure interesting!

I suppose the creator of Firefly can sum it up better than me.
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"Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." - Joss Whedon

However I suppose I should also bring up another quote from Whedon.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the road less traveled by and they CANCELLED MY FRIKKIN' SHOW. I totally shoulda took the road that had all those people on it. Damn." - Joss Whedon
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Sorry Joss.

Star Wars has a built in audience (unlike Joss had for Firefly) and has never exactly been known for following "the norm". It had an epic classical soundtrack in an age of disco (and continued that in the day of... Whatever you kids are listening to these days). It was a space movie 2 decades after they had passed their "prime". Etc.

Is it up for doing a bit of a television revolution to? Bringing a dramatic Sci-Fi presentation to an audience of thousands upon thousands in an era of reality shows and American Idol? It could be the first to do that successfully... Assuming they don't move Battlestar Galactica over to NBC from the Sci-Fi channel and it continues to prosper... Which it deserves mind you.

This era of Star Wars, between Episode III and IV, is simultaneously the most restricted and unrestricted timeframe within Star Wars. You can hardly touch any of the main characters. Most from the Prequels are suffering an unfortunate case of death. Most from the Classics are still in space-diapers or playing hoverball with their pals. You need new characters and they can't go about destroying the Empire... So you need for them to either get kicked around by the Empire or have small-time swashbuckling adventures from here to the Outer Rim. Personally I think both is the best option. Variety is the spice of life. You can't keep blowing up Death Stars for the rest of your life (unless you're Kevin J. Anderson). Let the show surprise us. Go dark.
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