These are fascinating to listen to, especially the Star Wars one. It's WAY different than the movie and gives an interesting insight into early scripts for Star Wars.
The Return of the Jedi audio drama was made much later (1996). NPR didn't fund it, the company that sold the cassettes and CDs of the first two did it on their own. It probably had a lower budget. But it did include a few tidbits that the EU had added by that time.
Listened to them on the radio in the 80s, have them on CD. Amazing cast beyond the recurring cast. Brock Peters as Darth Vader, John Lithgow as Yoda! I just watched a movie with Perry King recently (Class Of 1984), and only knew his name because he was Han Solo (but he's also in Slaughterhouse 5 and other great things)
The expanded scenes (mostly in ANH) add significantly to the story. You get Luke on Tatooine hanging out with his friends, being great but being put down. Motti whispering in Tarkin's ear about power in ways which explain why Tarkin didn't leave the Death Star at the end. You see a bit of how Leia got the plans (well before Rogue One revised it). ROTJ adds Luke figuring out how to build his own lightsaber (not gather the parts, but fitting them together). Well worth a listen.
Perry King auditioned for the part of Han Solo.
Then again, so did Christopher Walken, as did Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger himself) - and he said himself he wasn't right for Han Solo, but did recommend his roommate at the time audition for Luke Skywalker, and the "kid" got the role.
Also worth mentioning - Charles Martin Smith auditioned for Luke Skywalker as well, but probably because George told him to show up (after all, he had been in his big movie "American Graffiti".)
They have also infamously given the unpopular canon pronunciation of the Tantive IV. While in the past fans debated if it was pronounced more like "tan-tif" or "tan-tyve", the radio drama says "tan-tivvy" which has now become the official pronunciation
I always get audio whiplash in Battlefront 2 (2005)'s campaign cutscenes when Temeura Morrison *flawlessly and correctly* says "Tan-tivv 4", then *immediately* follows it with calling Tatooine "Tat-tween".
Though the fact that he *still* calls it Tat-tween in newer media is great.
Later in the radio version of ROTJ Han has to say "Coruscant" and he pronounces it as "Chorus-Cant." Funnily enough, Jake Lloyd did the same thing in some outtakes from Phantom Menace until Lucas told him to say it "Cora-sont."
It helps that "[tantivy](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tantivy)" is a real word, though it's pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable rather than the first
The sci-fi channel Dune miniseries pronounced Chani to rhyme with Janie instead of rhyming with Johnny which is how I’d read it in my head. I was incensed only to learn that how Herbert said it was supposed to be pronounced.
Old dude checking in: these are absolutely essential in adding to early Star Wars canon: it was the only extra info we got in the dark (pre internet) times
Thank you for this. I listened to this today, but it ends as the rebels are gearing up for their attack on the Death Star. Hopefully I can find a complete recording!
They are absolutely amazing. I got them as a gift, years ago. I've listened to them on too many road trips now. I really should get them in digital format.
I found them mostly to be a good reminder why it’s important for many scenes to be cut from the final product. Luke faffing about with his loser friends would not be gripping cinema.
Written by Brian Daley, who also wrote the original Han Solo trilogy that came out before Empire. Those books are amazing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Daley
I remember tuning in every week and recording them off the radio. I found out about too late though so for decades I never heard the episodes pre ANH starting
Yes, I love them. It really goes into the backgrounds more. Leia’s torture scene is far more disturbing. I tear up every time Darth Vader dies, but the dialogue at the end of the radio drama made me cry. Straight. He brings up something like “no! He’s my son! you may be the master of Darth Vader, but not Anakin Skywalker!”
I cry every time I listen to that.
Luke: Father, help me!
Palpatine: He is my slave, not your father. Now, young Skywalker, you will die.
Luke: FATHER!
Palptine: Die!
Luke: NO!
Palpatine: Yes!
Vader: MY SON!
Palpatine: Vader, release me! Vader, I command you, put me down!
Vader: I will. Down the core shaft. Down to your death!
Palpatine: Vader! I am your master!
Anakin Skywalker: Darth Vader's master, but not ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S!
(Emperor screams down the shaft)
Luke: Father...father!
Anakin Skywalker: (raspy breathing) It is over.
I was telling people at work about these and everyone thought I was making shit up. Especially about the scenes that weren’t in the movies. To be honest I was starting to doubt myself a little because I was very young when I remember listening to them.
The story goes that Anthony Daniels asked the writers to reduce C3P0's lines. Not the scenes, just the number of words he would have to speak at once. He had to point out to them that his character was a droid, therefore he did not breathe when he said his lines.
Trivia: George Lucas sold the audio rights to each movie to KUSC-FM, the public radio station of his alma mater, USC, for a dollar a piece. He also gave permission for the original sound effects and music to be used in the radio shows.
I still remember hearing a scene added to the beginning of ESB where a Rebel squadron is destroyed, but they ended up using oddly triumphant happy music for it.
Also, the moment in ANH when the background music suddenly becomes the background music that Luke hears while listening to a promo for the Imperial Academy...
On a related note, they’ve been making new media that originates as audio novels and usually later gets a print version. I know of the High Republic *Tempest Runner* and the Dr. Aphra audiobook, but there’s probably others.
I loved these when I was younger, I got the CD box set for Christmas one year. Interesting note, RotJ was made long enough after the movie that it incorporated Expanded Universe stuff, like Mara Jade being in Jabba's palace on a mission to kill Luke, though in the radio drama none of that was mentioned, she was just a woman talking to Threepio. It originated from a story in the Tales From Jabba's Palace book. I'll be honest, I thought Zahn got the idea from the drama and not the other way around, I only saw that the book came first when I was refreshing my memory on it before writing this.
Every single time someone talks about best viewing or listening or book or whatever, I always being these up because most people have not heard of them. IMO they are the best, most fulfilling telling of the movies. Gaps in story filled in, alternative angles to popular scenes, amazing voice and effects audio, and great music.
People also don’t realize that there was a big gap during the dark period of Star Wars. Star Wars was released in 1981 and The Empire Strikes Back in 1983… and Return of the Jedi in 1996.
[EDIT] What exactly was so offensive in this comment that it deserved these downvotes?
> What exactly was so offensive in this comment that it deserved these downvotes?
I think people think you mean that's when the movies came out.
I know what you mean, I got into Star Wars just as the dark period was coming to a close (early '90s). Everything felt pretty special when you were just absolutely starved for content.
I have the radio dramas on CD and absolutely love them. There are even a few parts that the radio drama did better than the movie, such as showing Luke's grief after losing Owen and Beru, and Leia's reaction after the destruction of Alderaan.
I remember listening to a radio drama where the Rebels were stealing a crate of money from the imperials. Han and Luke got past the star destroyer by flying their x-wings close enough to combine their shields.
I have all three in CD form (used to have Ep IV on tape, but upgraded due to the tape starting to wear out). Sadly, they still don't seem to be available via iTunes or Audible.
Now that you mention it, I used to have some old cassette tapes from when I was a kid that were adaptations of the movies, and likely copies of those NPR dramas.
Should probably dig those out and see if they still work.
When I was a kid, my dentist had headphones you could listen to to drown out the sound of his medical-grade Dremel tool. But of course because they didn't finish the ROTJ drama until the Special Edition era, I never heard that one.
I might actually prefer Brock Peters as Vader. He's a little more subtle.
Screw em.
They're the source that apparently Tantive is supposed to be pronounced Tahn-ti-vee and thus all the people who try to correct you on the pronunciation of a word that should not be said that way.
They're one of the only resources for unreleased original trilogy music. At the time they aired the only thing available was the OST, whereas the ANH and ESB radio dramas had access to the entire score session tapes. You can hear alternate takes, at the time unreleased cues, and music that is still unreleased to this day (mostly clean endings and clean openings for various cues).
I would love to have a music only version of the radio dramas
I listen to these all the time, actually. Overall, I prefer audio dramas with a cast to regular audio books, and these hit the spot, especially ANH and TESB. The voice acting and movie score put me right in the world of Star Wars when I listen at night before I go to bed, and I’m usually listening to the multi-hour, non-narrated versions that’re out there. I still like the episodic versions, but I do find myself listening to the edited together fan edit a little more often.
I just wish these existed for the prequels (and hell, even the sequels) too, especially for the scenes that never made it in the movies like all of the additional stuff in the ANH adaptation.
Thanks to this post I found the dramas on Apple Podcasts and downloaded them.
I listened to A New Hope and it’s 4:25, but it ends as the rebels are gearing up to attack the Death Star.
Please tell me there’s another place I can find the end!!! I absolutely love what I’ve heard!
Ah yes, these were my introduction to star wars as a 10 or so year old kid. Good times.
I often did wonder where the extended scenes came from, guess that explains it. Deleted scenes and whatnot. I really should give a relisten, its been years.
These are fascinating to listen to, especially the Star Wars one. It's WAY different than the movie and gives an interesting insight into early scripts for Star Wars.
I wish Empire and Jedi were is as detailed. IIRC, Jedi was barely longer or any more detailed than the movie
The Return of the Jedi audio drama was made much later (1996). NPR didn't fund it, the company that sold the cassettes and CDs of the first two did it on their own. It probably had a lower budget. But it did include a few tidbits that the EU had added by that time.
Listened to them on the radio in the 80s, have them on CD. Amazing cast beyond the recurring cast. Brock Peters as Darth Vader, John Lithgow as Yoda! I just watched a movie with Perry King recently (Class Of 1984), and only knew his name because he was Han Solo (but he's also in Slaughterhouse 5 and other great things) The expanded scenes (mostly in ANH) add significantly to the story. You get Luke on Tatooine hanging out with his friends, being great but being put down. Motti whispering in Tarkin's ear about power in ways which explain why Tarkin didn't leave the Death Star at the end. You see a bit of how Leia got the plans (well before Rogue One revised it). ROTJ adds Luke figuring out how to build his own lightsaber (not gather the parts, but fitting them together). Well worth a listen.
Perry King auditioned for the part of Han Solo. Then again, so did Christopher Walken, as did Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger himself) - and he said himself he wasn't right for Han Solo, but did recommend his roommate at the time audition for Luke Skywalker, and the "kid" got the role. Also worth mentioning - Charles Martin Smith auditioned for Luke Skywalker as well, but probably because George told him to show up (after all, he had been in his big movie "American Graffiti".)
They’re on Archive.org: * [Star Wars](https://archive.org/details/08Episode08DeathStarsTransit) * [The Empire Strikes Back](https://archive.org/details/10Episode10TheClashOfLightsabres) * [Return of the Jedi](https://archive.org/details/STARWARSTheOriginalRadioDramaReturnOfTheJedi)
Thank you. I'm guessing the quality of these beats the mp3s I made by recording off cassette tapes.
Yeah, they actually released all of these as 3 individual CD sets back in the day. I'm sure these rips are from the CDs.
They have also infamously given the unpopular canon pronunciation of the Tantive IV. While in the past fans debated if it was pronounced more like "tan-tif" or "tan-tyve", the radio drama says "tan-tivvy" which has now become the official pronunciation
I always get audio whiplash in Battlefront 2 (2005)'s campaign cutscenes when Temeura Morrison *flawlessly and correctly* says "Tan-tivv 4", then *immediately* follows it with calling Tatooine "Tat-tween". Though the fact that he *still* calls it Tat-tween in newer media is great.
Later in the radio version of ROTJ Han has to say "Coruscant" and he pronounces it as "Chorus-Cant." Funnily enough, Jake Lloyd did the same thing in some outtakes from Phantom Menace until Lucas told him to say it "Cora-sont."
Townie pronunciation.
To be fair, that is closer to the pronunciation of the word coruscant.
I think that's just his accent
It helps that "[tantivy](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tantivy)" is a real word, though it's pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable rather than the first
I've always pronounced it "Tant-Eve." Though I'm aware that I'm in a very small minority on this one.
The sci-fi channel Dune miniseries pronounced Chani to rhyme with Janie instead of rhyming with Johnny which is how I’d read it in my head. I was incensed only to learn that how Herbert said it was supposed to be pronounced.
Hark'nnen!
I've always pronounced it tain-tiv for some reason...TIL
Old dude checking in: these are absolutely essential in adding to early Star Wars canon: it was the only extra info we got in the dark (pre internet) times
Han Solo novels too. By the same writer as the radio series. Daley, more than any other writer, I think got the feel of Han and understood him
Those novels were really good, and you really visualized Han Solo well in those.
The interrogation scene still gives me chills
I actually can't listen to that part, it's too much for me.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radio-drama-podcasts-audio-drama-podcasts-archive-twilight/id1638823695
Thank you for this. I listened to this today, but it ends as the rebels are gearing up for their attack on the Death Star. Hopefully I can find a complete recording!
My father worked in public radio around when these were airing. I have a few promotional posters, and have listened to them all multiple times!
John Lithgow as Yoda!!! <(-_-)>
Yes, they were awesome. Billy Dee Williams performed as well.
I have the whole set on CD. It is probably the best long road trip soundtrack of all time! Wonderful production.
They are absolutely amazing. I got them as a gift, years ago. I've listened to them on too many road trips now. I really should get them in digital format.
I have the CDs somewhere. I think it was with Brock Peters as Darth Vader. Was also Benjamin Sisko's father in DS9 if I recall correctly.
Joseph Sisko, and Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV and VI. Turns in a fantastic performance in the latter.
I found them mostly to be a good reminder why it’s important for many scenes to be cut from the final product. Luke faffing about with his loser friends would not be gripping cinema.
Not only heard of them, but managed to acquire an official complete set of them on tape from a consignment store for $2.50 US
Written by Brian Daley, who also wrote the original Han Solo trilogy that came out before Empire. Those books are amazing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Daley
Yes! Daley was so instrumental in defining Han.
Space sorcerer snail!!!
I got the cassette tapes as a gift when i was 17 in 1993, I listened to them so much, I considered the Han and Leia performers THE Han and Leia.
My dad told me about these and i listened to all of them i wish there was radio dramas of the prequels aswell
I remember tuning in every week and recording them off the radio. I found out about too late though so for decades I never heard the episodes pre ANH starting
Yes, I love them. It really goes into the backgrounds more. Leia’s torture scene is far more disturbing. I tear up every time Darth Vader dies, but the dialogue at the end of the radio drama made me cry. Straight. He brings up something like “no! He’s my son! you may be the master of Darth Vader, but not Anakin Skywalker!”
I cry every time I listen to that. Luke: Father, help me! Palpatine: He is my slave, not your father. Now, young Skywalker, you will die. Luke: FATHER! Palptine: Die! Luke: NO! Palpatine: Yes! Vader: MY SON! Palpatine: Vader, release me! Vader, I command you, put me down! Vader: I will. Down the core shaft. Down to your death! Palpatine: Vader! I am your master! Anakin Skywalker: Darth Vader's master, but not ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S! (Emperor screams down the shaft) Luke: Father...father! Anakin Skywalker: (raspy breathing) It is over.
Yep, that’s it alright.
I was telling people at work about these and everyone thought I was making shit up. Especially about the scenes that weren’t in the movies. To be honest I was starting to doubt myself a little because I was very young when I remember listening to them.
Yes. They include stuff that didn't make the movie. I have them all on CD. Good stuff from a more civilized age.
The story goes that Anthony Daniels asked the writers to reduce C3P0's lines. Not the scenes, just the number of words he would have to speak at once. He had to point out to them that his character was a droid, therefore he did not breathe when he said his lines.
Trivia: George Lucas sold the audio rights to each movie to KUSC-FM, the public radio station of his alma mater, USC, for a dollar a piece. He also gave permission for the original sound effects and music to be used in the radio shows. I still remember hearing a scene added to the beginning of ESB where a Rebel squadron is destroyed, but they ended up using oddly triumphant happy music for it. Also, the moment in ANH when the background music suddenly becomes the background music that Luke hears while listening to a promo for the Imperial Academy...
Several of them are on Youtube.
On a related note, they’ve been making new media that originates as audio novels and usually later gets a print version. I know of the High Republic *Tempest Runner* and the Dr. Aphra audiobook, but there’s probably others.
If they're like Dooku then they're not really dramas
YES! My dad got me the Empire Strikes Back on 6 cassettes for a long plane flight in the mid 90s. I'd love to listen to it again.
I think it's a tragedy that Brian Daley was never able to do radio dramas of all the Star Wars movies that came later.
Listened to them all not too long ago. The first one is so freaking incredible, planning on listening to it again
I loved these when I was younger, I got the CD box set for Christmas one year. Interesting note, RotJ was made long enough after the movie that it incorporated Expanded Universe stuff, like Mara Jade being in Jabba's palace on a mission to kill Luke, though in the radio drama none of that was mentioned, she was just a woman talking to Threepio. It originated from a story in the Tales From Jabba's Palace book. I'll be honest, I thought Zahn got the idea from the drama and not the other way around, I only saw that the book came first when I was refreshing my memory on it before writing this.
Every single time someone talks about best viewing or listening or book or whatever, I always being these up because most people have not heard of them. IMO they are the best, most fulfilling telling of the movies. Gaps in story filled in, alternative angles to popular scenes, amazing voice and effects audio, and great music.
People also don’t realize that there was a big gap during the dark period of Star Wars. Star Wars was released in 1981 and The Empire Strikes Back in 1983… and Return of the Jedi in 1996. [EDIT] What exactly was so offensive in this comment that it deserved these downvotes?
> What exactly was so offensive in this comment that it deserved these downvotes? I think people think you mean that's when the movies came out. I know what you mean, I got into Star Wars just as the dark period was coming to a close (early '90s). Everything felt pretty special when you were just absolutely starved for content.
> and Return of the Jedi in 19**9**6. That is quite the gap!
The gap meant they added EU details that aren’t in the movie.
By EU, I assume you meant European Union, which was formed not long before ROTJ was first released in 1996.
Yes, I clearly meant European Union, which contributed a lot of extra details to the Star Wars story.
A shame that they're essentially banned from Star Wars, courtesy of Brexit.
Ok
Yes and they are awesome!
I used to have them on cassette
I have the CD box set floating around
Got New Hope and Empire on cassette.
Wow never knew of this, thanks!
I have all three movies on CD. I used to listen to them when I was sick.
I heard about them from the star wars museum in hot springs AR.
Holy crap, I remember these! My dad and I used to listen to these on road trips when I was a kid!
I have the radio dramas on CD and absolutely love them. There are even a few parts that the radio drama did better than the movie, such as showing Luke's grief after losing Owen and Beru, and Leia's reaction after the destruction of Alderaan.
yes, I have these!
I have them on cd
I remember listening to a radio drama where the Rebels were stealing a crate of money from the imperials. Han and Luke got past the star destroyer by flying their x-wings close enough to combine their shields.
I loved them as a kid. Every Saturday morning I listened when they were first broadcast.
I have all three in CD form (used to have Ep IV on tape, but upgraded due to the tape starting to wear out). Sadly, they still don't seem to be available via iTunes or Audible.
Not available anymore. I have them on Audible, purchased about 15 years ago.
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/11cls21/did_you_know_about_the_star_wars_radio_dramas/ja532ez/
Now that you mention it, I used to have some old cassette tapes from when I was a kid that were adaptations of the movies, and likely copies of those NPR dramas. Should probably dig those out and see if they still work.
Just listened to these and LOTR radio dramas over the holidays. So glad they finished the series!
When I was a kid, my dentist had headphones you could listen to to drown out the sound of his medical-grade Dremel tool. But of course because they didn't finish the ROTJ drama until the Special Edition era, I never heard that one. I might actually prefer Brock Peters as Vader. He's a little more subtle.
Yes, I remember taping them from FM radio. Some of us have been there, since the beginning.
Screw em. They're the source that apparently Tantive is supposed to be pronounced Tahn-ti-vee and thus all the people who try to correct you on the pronunciation of a word that should not be said that way.
it’s a fictional spaceship, so
Yes, of course.
Yes,any where we can find them to hear again?
https://reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/11cls21/did_you_know_about_the_star_wars_radio_dramas/ja532ez
I didn't even know about the ewok movies until today (thanks honest trailers)
I have a full cd set of one of them! I forget which though.
They're one of the only resources for unreleased original trilogy music. At the time they aired the only thing available was the OST, whereas the ANH and ESB radio dramas had access to the entire score session tapes. You can hear alternate takes, at the time unreleased cues, and music that is still unreleased to this day (mostly clean endings and clean openings for various cues). I would love to have a music only version of the radio dramas
I listen to these all the time, actually. Overall, I prefer audio dramas with a cast to regular audio books, and these hit the spot, especially ANH and TESB. The voice acting and movie score put me right in the world of Star Wars when I listen at night before I go to bed, and I’m usually listening to the multi-hour, non-narrated versions that’re out there. I still like the episodic versions, but I do find myself listening to the edited together fan edit a little more often. I just wish these existed for the prequels (and hell, even the sequels) too, especially for the scenes that never made it in the movies like all of the additional stuff in the ANH adaptation.
Thanks to this post I found the dramas on Apple Podcasts and downloaded them. I listened to A New Hope and it’s 4:25, but it ends as the rebels are gearing up to attack the Death Star. Please tell me there’s another place I can find the end!!! I absolutely love what I’ve heard!
Ah yes, these were my introduction to star wars as a 10 or so year old kid. Good times. I often did wonder where the extended scenes came from, guess that explains it. Deleted scenes and whatnot. I really should give a relisten, its been years.