When The Force Awoke
John Madden was “making movies with the lights turned out” by releasing the incredible NPR Star Wars radio drama. With the help of Brian Daley, this never before tried extended series of the original trilogy was an instant sensation and starred Mark Hamill (who Madden proclaimed as a “natural” in radio drama) and Anthony Daniels of C-3P0 fame. Other stars included Ann Sachs as Princess Leia Organa and Perry King as Han Solo (a film role he lost to Harrison Ford, but ended up playing the swashbuckling Solo longer in the extended series than Indy himself).
As The Force Awakens breaks all box office numbers known to humanity, have a listen to NPR’s remembrances of when radio drama sparkled after a low fizzle for decades in That Time NPR Turned ‘Star Wars’ Into A Radio Drama — And It Actually Worked!
And they are some of my favorite audio dramas ever.
Ours too!