See the original posting on Boing Boing
In my 90s childhood Star Wars obsession, I remember hearing a lot about the fabled NPR radio drama adaptations (read: “podcast”) of the original trilogy. They were supposed to be canonical, in-as-much as they were Lucas-approved stories that expanded on the familiar ones we already knew.
Now, someone has finally compiled them all on YouTube (although apparently you can find the MP3s on Archive.org as well). And wow, they are expanded the A New Hope radio drama is 13 hours long!
It’s quite a stark departure from the movies I’m used to. The first chapter focuses exclusively on Luke, and highlights his relationships with his friends at Tosche Station Cammie, Fixer, Deke, and the OG prodigal son, Biggs Darklighter (there’s a version of some of this material floating as a deleted scene, but it’s not nearly as expansive as this). Chapter Two turns more attention to Leia and her relationship with her father, as well as the information that lead them to the Death Star plans in the first place. It’s not even until the third chapter that we get to the opening scene of the movie (that’s as far as I’ve listened yet). It definitely conflicts with the newly established canon, especially Rogue One, but I’m enjoying the experience of re-discovering this world in a different format, with different and exciting details filling out the edges. I’m eager to find out what other ancillary characters might get more of a spotlight treatment here.
From the editor who posted these compilations on YouTube:
I have combined all episodes of the original radio drama using excerpts from John Williams’ original soundtrack and Ben Burt’s sound effects for a more seamless blending from one episode to the next.
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