Star Wars Spin Offs
Apart from the six movies that we all now about, there are several spin off TV films and series which might have passed you by:
Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO - A fun cartoon series, tells the story C3PO and R2D2 years before they joined the Rebel Alliance and teamed up with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. As it turns out, their lives were no less hectic as they became involved in battles versus gangsters, pirates, the Empire and on one occasion Boba Fett.
The Great Heep - A 1986 animated TV film. Considered by most as a sequel to the Droids TV show, as it also follows the two droids' adventures, but it actually takes place between episodes 9 and 10 of the Droids cartoon series.
Ewoks - Another animated TV series, which was aired at around the same time as Droids. Set on the on the forest moon of Endor, Ewoks followed the adventures of Wicket W. Warrick and his friends as they help the adults protect the village from their enemies like Morag the Tulga Witch and their rival species, the Duloks.
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure - A feature length TV film following Wicket and friends as they help two shipwrecked human children to find their parents.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor - A sequel to Caravan of Courage, again made for TV, but with slightly better production and for some reason Wicket can now speak English!
Many people think this both of the Ewok films are just cheap movies made to capitalize on the popularity of the Star Wars films, they were, but they aren't too bad if you remember 1) They were made for TV. 2) It was 1984, and 3) They are intended for children.
Star Wars: Clone Wars - A 2003 animated television series set during the raging conflict between the Separatists and the Galactic Republic. (Which all happens between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A new CGI animated film set for release in August 2008. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are summoned to search for Jabba the Hutt's son, who has been kidnapped by a band of renegades.
The film will also lead in to the weekly animated TV series of the same name. Which will follow also follow the adventures of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and also feature C-3PO and R2-D2.
One spin off that you might not have heard about is The Star Wars Holiday Special - A 2 hour TV special that George Lucas wishes had never been made! A series of musical numbers, celebrity cameos, comedy routines and other variety-show acts loosely themed around a Star Wars plot. Easily the most notable segment is an animated cartoon featuring the pre-Empire Strikes Back debut of Boba Fett.
It's a shame that I didn't have a show like Clone Wars to embrace when I was young. No, all I had was Ewoks and Droids. It was OK for the time, but it surely didn't break any ground!
I was also going to list the Star Wars video games, but I think I will do so separate post as there are far too many to list here!
Links:
Official Star Wars: The Clone Wars website