George Lucas’s obscureStar WarsTV shows and movies of the 1980s demonstrate that the franchise has always appealed to a broad range of viewers. For decades, theStar Warsfranchise has grown well beyond its initial status as a game-changing epic science-fantasy film series. With two main continuities, a prequel and sequel trilogy of films, and a plethora of non-movie properties,Star Warshas become a massive transmedia franchisewhose stories often tackle dark and complex subject matter, yet it is easy to lose sight of its original target audience.
TheStar Warsfranchise remained relatively strong even in the years followingReturn of the Jedi. The stories of the original trilogy heroes continued in Marvel’s classicStar Warscomics, while George Lucas would serve as the executive producer of two animated shows – one focusing on C-3PO and R2-D2 and the other starring the Ewoks of Endor – and the co-writer of two movies set on Endor. These properties have somewhat fallen into obscurity by now, but they kept theStar Warsfranchise alive after the original trilogy and expanded the lore of theStar Warsgalaxy.
Lucas' TV Shows Were Aimed At The Next Generation
Notably,all four of these properties are intended for younger audiences. The two animated shows –Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3POandEwoks– centered on the franchise’s most kid-friendly characters, giving the former a hefty amount of slapstick comedy and the latter moral lessons.Caravan of Courage: An Ewok AdventureandEwoks: The Battle for Endorwere a bit darker (particularly in the latter’s case), yet they too told simple fairytale-like stories about a shipwrecked family stranded on the Forest Moon of Endor.
Star Wars: The 10 Most Memorable Scenes From ‘Ewoks: The Battle For Endor’
Following Return of the Jedi, Star Wars fans were gifted with Ewoks: The Battle For Endor, a movie filled with its fair share of memorable scenes.
The spinoff films and cartoons were aimed at the next generation of potentialStar Warsfans, who perhaps might not have been ready to handle the heavier subject matter of the original trilogy quite yet. Yet, like the original trilogy films themselves, these properties were not completely inaccessible to olderStar Warsviewers. All four properties notably establish and connect to lore from theStar WarsExpanded Universe (now the alternate Legends timeline)and, more importantly, remain respectful to key cinematic characters – and arguably better than more recentStar Warsproperties at that.
The Battle for Endorfeatures the first live-actionNightsister of DathomirandDroidsincludes a Clone Wars-era BL-series Battle Legionnaire droid.
Star Wars Should Be About Welcoming In The New…While Building On The Old
One of theStar Warsoriginal trilogy’s strongest elements is that the films are ostensiblymade for younger viewers while respecting the intelligence of older viewers– so much so that a massive portion ofStar Warsviewership is composed of adults. Of course, many of theStar Warsfranchise’s most memorable properties are aimed at older audiences, but it is important to remember that the franchise as a whole is intended for an all-ages audience. TheStar Warsmovie and TV properties of the 1980s serve as reminders that the franchise must continue to strike this delicate balance.
July 31, 2025
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
