expanded universe (13. 931)

Via Kottke, we learn that beginning with Episode IV in 1981 and concluding in 1996 with the radio play version of Return of the Jedi, US National Public Radio produced and broadcast a dramatisation of the Star Wars saga for the airwaves. Not only did the programme for listeners that stretched out over fourteen hours—filmmaker George Lucas so enamoured by the idea he sold the NPR affiliate station of the University of California’s School (Lucas’ alma mater) of Performing Arts audio rights to the trilogy, including the film’s score and sound-effects for one dollar—reprise the familiar voices of Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Billy Dee Williams plus a cast of notables to pad out the dialogue and give voice to the non-speaking parts for the sake of the medium, like Ed Begley Jr as Boba Fett, Perry King (Harrison Ford’s understudy for the role) as Han Solo, Brock Peters as Darth Vader (Starfleet Admiral Cartwright in the original cast films and Ben Sisko’s father Joseph on DS9) and John Lithgow as Yoda, many scenes were limned with additional narrative and exposition, savvily securing thousands of younger audience members to the station’s content, and included material not used for the cinematic version, like Luke Skywalker’s backstory growing up on Tatooine and friendship with Biggs Darklighter and Leia Organa’s acquisition of the Death Star plans (no Bothians died to bring us that information—that was for Death Star II). The broadcast was presented in hour-long weekly instalments, with chapter titles like “A Wind to Shake the Stars,” “Rogues, Rebels and Robots,” “Force and Counter Force,” “Gambler’s Choice” and “The Jedi Nexus.” NPR received production assistance from BBC, in exchange for airing the series in the UK. Enjoy the entire trilogy at Open Culture at the link above.