Star Wars: Blogs | Rive's Uncharted Settlements | It's going to be much darker, much more character-based...

Rive's Uncharted Settlements

by: Rive Caedo

date posted: Mar 15, 2006 5:21 PM | updated: Mar 17, 2006 9:18 PM

It's going to be much darker, much more character-based...

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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◄Rive Caedo►
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	luuke.skywalker
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 5:55 PM everything the fans always wanted the prequels to be. That was the one sentence that jumped out to me too. And you summed it all up so very nicely. Extremely well done, mate.

	macewindu882 Don't Go All Chewie On Me!
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 7:12 PM Great blog. Let the show surprise us. Go dark. I second that.

	Son of a Bith The Cantina Corner
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 8:41 PM I'm sure the show will be dark, but like Joss said, it has to have some humor, which I'm sure it will have.

	Son of a Bith The Cantina Corner
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 8:50 PM "Darker, grittier." In George-speak, that translates as "Faster, more intense."

	Master_Kenobi17 Takin Over For Talon
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 10:12 PM You can't keep blowing up Death Stars for the rest of your life (unless you're Kevin J. Anderson). Ah, Rive. You and your refreshing bits of K.J.A. bashing. Oh how it lightens the heart and uplifts the soul.

Master_Kenobi17
Takin Over For Talon

date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 10:13 PM

I've been avoiding the subject of a Star Wars TV show. I really do have mixed feelings about it. People will lump it together with Star Trek. And the day of days will be upon us, and people in the streets of San Diego, New York, Miami, Washington, Berlin, Paris, London, Rome, Beijing, Tokyo, Moscow, Belgrade, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Athens, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Mexico City, Seoul, Bucharest, Vienna, Budapest, Lisbon, Madrid, Brussels, Cannberra, Baghdad, Ankara, Tehran (well, maybe not Tehran) will fear the end, and all will be like it was meant to be.

Maybe Joss will get to the 6 seasons worth of material and possible other 2 Serenity movies.

	macewindu882 Don't Go All Chewie On Me!
date Posted: Mar 15, 2006 11:02 PM Maybe Joss will get to the 6 seasons worth of material and possible other 2 Serenity movies. When did he say that?

	Rive Caedo Rive's Uncharted Settlements
date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 6:12 AM He didn't so much say that exactly... In fact he can't do it for sure unless someone funds him... But all the actors had to sign a contract for 3 movies, not 1. So if he gets funding he has the actors under contract for 2 more (Even Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass... Which I don't think they'd be using much )

	Sol Kassar Ramblings from the Detention Center (Startled)
date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 7:53 AM You need to have an arc. Diving into darkness with little lights of hope along the way. Even I don't think the show will be that clever. But hey, I'll give it a go around....as long as it doesn't interfere with 24

Marvolo7
Marvolo's Misanthropic Musings

date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 9:52 AM

Let me say first of all that I am very happy to hear this.

I think the era that we're looking at here gives the show a better opportunity to be like the originals. There is no Republic anymore, there's an empire. So please, give us smugglers, ex-Jedi, outlaws, or someone on the run! The originals had that constant sense of danger, where characters we actually care about were on the run and moving from one dangerous situation to the next.

Marvolo7
Marvolo's Misanthropic Musings

date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 9:52 AM

I'm gonna throw out another Joss Whedon quote.

"This show isn't about the people who made history; it's about the people history stepped on."

Like you said, Rive, these characters can't go launching attacks on the Death Star. And that, in my mind, is better. Who cares our protagonists take on the empire or some unheard-of, small-time bounty hunter on a backwater planet? It doesn't need to have grandiose and epic storylines to be a good show with compelling characters.

Oh, who am I kidding, I just want Firefly in the Star Wars 'verse. Or something like it

	DarthVicomte Vicomte's Blog Extravaganza (Now Defunct)
date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 1:48 PM Wasn't Lucas just quoted as saying, "Aside from a particularly deadly midget, this was the hardest show I have ever had to work on." No, that wasn't him...........

jkthunder
Seven Pieces

date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 2:03 PM

It's such an out of character statement for a high profile producer to come out and say without extreme reluctance...

Refreshing - yeah, I guess. Especially since theres a big difference in my wild imagination between the statements "no major film characters" and "all-new characters"

Bounty Hunters, almost doubtlessly imperial,...

Bounty hunters are only ever "Imperial" when theyre getting paid by the Empire. Otherwise they are usually freelancers. I would guess (and hope) there are some BH's working for private sources (like the pre-Imperial Jabba - Solo contract)

	jkthunder Seven Pieces
date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 2:10 PM Let the show surprise us. Go dark. Yeahhhhh. Thems was dark times, so its seems pretty natural the show would havta be sorta dark, grim, gritty. Wonder if they'll pick up some EU characters (still, I wonder that is)

Master_Kenobi17
Takin Over For Talon

date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 2:50 PM

But all the actors had to sign a contract for 3 movies, not 1. So if he gets funding he has the actors under contract for 2 more (Even Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass... Which I don't think they'd be using much )

Yea, I'm hopeful for the possibility as all the actors were in love with the show as much as Joss. I'd expect Alan and Ron back for flashbacks, like in "Out of Gas."

Rive Caedo
Rive's Uncharted Settlements

date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 3:26 PM

Bounty hunters are only ever "Imperial" when theyre getting paid by the Empire. Otherwise they are usually freelancers. I would guess (and hope) there are some BH's working for private sources (like the pre-Imperial Jabba - Solo contract)

Yes that's what I meant

I don't doubt the possibility of Hutt (paid) bounty hunters or such later on... But I figure they'll want to start the series off with a bang... Which means Bounty Hunters hunting Jedi. The Empire would be most interested in leaving an ongoing bounty for that.

	jkthunder Seven Pieces
date Posted: Mar 16, 2006 6:51 PM "character-based" sounds vague to me too. I mean of course there will be characters and the show will be about them! It just sounds sort of like fluff. I love Rick - I think he's great, and I respect that he's saying something even if its repetetive or redundant. I just want some gosh darn Hyperspace content - SOON!

Darth Rex0
So be it....

date Posted: Mar 17, 2006 9:24 AM

I'm still hesitant about this project. As you mentioned, there is sooooo much more screen time than in a movie. I'm really worried. Yes, it has the chance to be great and they finally acknowledged that the prequels lacked something. I think there just might have been too much story to tell for them in the prequels. Is this story really going to hold my attention for 20 some odd shows a year? I don't know and that is what scares me.

	macewindu882 Don't Go All Chewie On Me!
date Posted: Mar 17, 2006 12:42 PM "Aside from a particularly deadly midget, this was the hardest show I have ever had to work on." Ha ha. Nice reference, by the way.

	jkthunder Seven Pieces
date Posted: Mar 21, 2006 8:58 PM Okay after Dark Spork's blog I had to come over here... (from TFN) G.L. Now the television show I'm working on, the Star Wars television show, is 3D. R.C.When you said you were going to do Star Wars in 3D, do you mean in the old-fashioned 3D? G.L.Yeah, with glasses and everything.

	jkthunder Seven Pieces
date Posted: Mar 21, 2006 9:00 PM later... R.C. I have to say that when I saw Spy Kids 3D, the glasses kept slipping down my nose. G.L.Well, now they've got better glasses." # The Star Wars live action television show will feature 3-D ( you'll need glasses )

	Rive Caedo Rive's Uncharted Settlements
date Posted: Mar 21, 2006 9:03 PM Everything comes in cycles. We wore dorky 3-D glasses that made our heads hurt in the 80's Now we'll wear dorky 3-D glasses that make our heads hurt slightly less in the 00's. Wave of the future!

jkthunder
Seven Pieces

date Posted: Mar 21, 2006 9:03 PM

***UPDATED!

Scott writes in with this :

*The Star Wars live action television show will feature 3-D (you'll need glasses )

I think Lucas started out talking about the CGI animated series. Then in the middle of the Q&A, I think he started talking about turning A New Hope into a 3-D film (which he has said he'd do before and they've done to bits of the film already). I don't think the live action TV show will be in 3-D.

<---- tears of joy... *sniff*sniff*.... I need to be held!

Jejlep
Musings from the Maw

date Posted: Mar 21, 2006 9:40 PM

The whole '3-D thing' seems kinda gimmicky to me. Rather than distract us from product, why not just focus on putting together the best show possible? But, hey, if Lucas and Co. want to go ahead and render the original trilogy into 3-D, I'll be there. Is anyone familiar with Captain E-O (Michael Jackson), a great (yet campy) show that used to run at Disneyland? If Star Wars was anything like that, then we'd be in for a treat (I think).

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