Star Wars (radio) - Star Wars: Return of The Jedi

Star Wars: Return of The Jedi

NPR's plans for a Return of the Jedi radio serial were put on hold when federal funding for NPR was dramatically reduced. However, NPR was never the producer of the radio series nor was it ever granted the rights to produce the radio adaptions nor did NPR fund any of the radio productions. Plans for a "Jedi" radio adaptation fell apart in the 1980s due to a disagreement (believed to be financial) between KUSC, Los Angeles (the producer of the two previous radio adaptations and to whom the rights were granted for production) and Lucasfilm. NPR was granted limited rights to air the two previous radio series because KUSC, Los Angeles provided the radio adaptations to NPR as part of NPR's National Program Service that allows any NPR member station rights to air the series as part of the annual dues already paid (rather than the 3rd party Extended Program Service where KUSC could have charged each station a fee for rights to air cutting out NPR). It was not until 1996 that a six-part adaptation of Return of the Jedi was made by Highbridge Audio, the company that had released the first two series on tape and CD.

Like the preceding series, Return of the Jedi expanded its story by incorporating new scenes, such as Luke Skywalker's construction of a new lightsaber. Also introduced in the storyline is a brief appearance of a dancer named Arica in the palace of Jabba the Hutt... a character whose true identity is that of popular Star Wars Expanded Universe character Mara Jade, established to have been present there in the Timothy Zahn-penned novel trilogy starting with "Heir to the Empire".

Scriptwriter Brian Daley died only hours after recording concluded; "additional material" was contributed by John Whitman, who introduced changes required for continuity with the newly developed plan for the prequels, as well as changes identified by the director and cast. The series was dedicated to Daley's memory.

The show's cast recorded a special "get-well" message for Daley after the author left the studio, unaware that he would never hear it. The message is included as part of the collector's edition box set.

The episodes are titled:

1. "Tatooine Haunts"
2. "Fast Friends"
3. "Prophecies And Destinies"
4. "Pattern And Web"
5. "So Turns A Galaxy, So Turns A Wheel"
6. "Blood Of A Jedi"