ABC and Lucasfilm in talks about Star Wars TV shows

[DigiFluid]

ABC Executive: We're In Talks With Lucasfilm About Star Wars TV Shows

ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee briefly mentioned ongoing discussions about Star Wars TV show projects at the 2013 Television Critics Association press tour. IGN's Eric Goldman reports:

I asked Disney president Paul Lee about the possibility of Star Wars on ABC. While Lee wouldn’t give any specifics, he did say, “I certainly have a glint in my eye. They have a lot on their plate when you look at the features that they’re planning on rolling out for the next few years, but we’ve started conversations with them.”

Lee isn't kidding when he says that Lucasfilm's portfolio is already quite full. Between the sequel trilogy and the interspersed spinoff films, Star Wars movies are set to dominate Lucasfilm's attention for the next six or seven years. What role would (or should) a TV show have in the new sequel trilogy-dominated era of Star Wars? Would it be more successful as a tie-in to the sequel era or as a standalone project in another time period entirely? These are some of the questions that Lee and his fellow Disney-ites at Lucasfilm will have to consider.

It's worth noting that ABC and Lucasfilm have collaborated in the television world before. ABC aired The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles for twenty-four episodes from March 1992 to July 1993 despite middling ratings. The series received 27 Emmy nominations and 12 wins. As Steve Sansweet reminds us, "[t]he ABC executive who made that decision was Robert Iger--now the head of Disney."

[thekillman]

why does this give me a "milking it" feeling?

[DigiFluid]

why does this give me a "milking it" feeling?

Cooking With Jar Jar?

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

The Young Han Solo Chronicles.

[mandogater]

It wouldn't mind them doing something that takes place a few 1,000 years before Episode I. They have so much history they could fill in more for us.

I'm just worried that too much Star Wars at one time could kill the franchise.

[Sp!der]

I like the idea to have more Sci-Fi again on TV and wether its being called Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate or Battlestar Galactica, some space-based show on TV would be awesome.. and if it's based in the Star Wars Franchise, why not?

[thekillman]

I like the idea to have more Sci-Fi again on TV and wether its being called Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate or Battlestar Galactica, some space-based show on TV would be awesome.. and if it's based in the Star Wars Franchise, why not?

I don't mind it either, it just looks like they want to brainwash us with Star Wars. I think outputting a TON of starwars at once is just gonna dry up enthusiasm pretty fast.

[Looney]

Is anyone forgetting that this is Disney's Star Wars, aka what toys and merchandise can we spin out of the money we spent on this property? I wish I was looking forward to new Star Wars material, but "won't someone please think about the children." like Disney is doing. I have a feeling we are in for a lot of Episode I type material in the near future. In all my years of wondering what might come after Return of the Jedi, having Disney at the helm may have been a worse case scenario for me. (Who am I kidding?! There are so many other worse case scenarios. Michael Bay I am looking in your direction.)

[Spimman]

Depending on how large the time gap is between Episode VI and the new Episode VII I could see the potential for a cool tv series in the gap between these films. Especially if the gap was 20-30 years, but at the same time it could be wierd having continuity with the actors throughout the flm franchise, but different actors playing the same (current) roles on tv.

Not sure why everyone is complaining about Disney trying to make money. If it wasn't profitable we wouldn't get more Star Wars...ever.

[DigiFluid]

Oversaturation....

Star Wars releases have traditionally been few and far between, so they were enough of a novelty to still be 'ooh, something new.' With a film planned for every year from 2015 on, the TV series Rebels set to start up fall 2014, Detours waiting in the wings, and now apparently possibly one or more TV series on ABC....could very well quickly turn into 'oh lord, not more Star Wars!'

[mandogater]

Oversaturation....

Star Wars releases have traditionally been few and far between, so they were enough of a novelty to still be 'ooh, something new.' With a film planned for every year from 2015 on, the TV series Rebels set to start up fall 2014, Detours waiting in the wings, and now apparently possibly one or more TV series on ABC....could very well quickly turn into 'oh lord, not more Star Wars!'

The bolded part is what REALLY scares me.

[Epideme]

Sadly though, I think I'd watch a young Han Solo getting into trouble. Would be so much better than most of the crap I've seen before.