Only 7,500 of these deluxe sets of this special NPR-produced, dramatization of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were produced. When this series was first broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981, it generated the largest response in the network's history: 50,000 letters and phone calls in a single week, an audience of 750,000 per episode, and a subsequent 40-percent jump in NPR listenership. This landmark production, perhaps the most ambitious radio project ever attempted, began when Star Wars creator George Lucas donated the story rights to an NPR affiliate. Writer Brian Daley adapted the film's highly visual script to the special demands and unique possibilities of radio, creating a more richly textured tale with greater emphasis on character development. Director John Madden guided a splendid cast—including Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, reprising their film roles as Luke Skywalker and the persnickety robot C-3PO—through an intense 10-day dialogue recording session. Then came months of painstaking work for virtuoso sound engineer Tom Voegeli, whose brilliant blending of the actors' voices, the music, and hundreds of sound effects takes this intergalactic adventure into a realm of imagination that is beyond the reach of cinema. Topps Light Side Edition MP3 included for the bonus audio—interviews, radio promos, and “The Making of Star Wars for Radio” documentary The Star Wars Radio Drama The Star Wars Radio Drama is a 13-part (5hr51m) radio serial first broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981. It was adapted by Brian Daley from the 1977 film, and directed by John Madden, with music by John Williams and sound design for Lucasfilm by Ben Burtt. The program expands the storyline by adding a great deal of back story. Examples include Princess Leia's acquisition of the Death Star schematics; Luke Skywalker using his binoculars to observe the movie's opening battle and trying to convince his friends at Tosche Station of what he saw; a skyhopper race that results in Luke's vehicle being damaged (seen in the movie in the background of his Tatooine garage); Han Solo's encounter with Jabba the Hutt's agent, "Heater"; Vader's interrogation of Princess Leia; and Admiral Motti's attempts to convince Grand Moff Tarkin to leverage the Death Star as a political tool. All this material was released on tape. Many of the actors involved in the movie were unavailable to reprise their roles. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels returned to reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker and C-3PO respectively. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Ann Sachs as Princess Leia Organa Perry King as Han Solo Bernard Behrens as Obi-Wan Kenobi Brock Peters as Lord Darth Vader Anthony Daniels as C-3PO Keene Curtis as Grand Moff Tarkin John Considine as Lord Tion Stephen Elliott as Prestor – more widely known as Bail Organa David Ackroyd as Captain Antilles Adam Arkin as Fixer Kale Browne as Biggs Darklighter David Clennon as Motti Anne Gerety as Aunt Beru Thomas Hill as Uncle Owen David Paymer as Deak Joel Brooks as Heater John Dukakis as Rebel Stephanie Steele as Cammie Phillip Kellard as Customer No. 2 The supporting cast included James Blendick, Clyde Burton, Bruce French, David Alan Grier, Jerry Hardin, John Harkins, Scott Jacoby, Meshach Taylor, Marc Vahanian, John Welsh, and Kent Williams. It was recorded in 1981 at Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood, California. When the series was re-issued on NPR several years later, it was retitled The New Hope (as opposed to the official alternate title, A New Hope), keeping in line with the subtitles of the episodes of the original trilogy films. Episode One - A Wind to Shake the Stars Episode Two - Points of Origin Episode Three - Black Knight, White Princess and Pawns Episode Four - While Giants Mark Time Episode Five - Jedi That Was, Jedi to Be Episode Six - The Millenium Falcon Deal Episode Seven - The Han Solo Solution Episode Eight - Death Star's Transit Episode Nine - Rogues, Rebels, and Robots Episode Ten - The Luke Skywalker Initiative Episode Eleven - The Jedi Nexus Episode Twelve - The Case for Rebellion Episode Thirteen - Force and Counter Force The Empire Strikes Back Radio Drama The success of the first series led to a 10-part, four hour 15 minute series based on the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, again written by Daley and directed by Madden. The series debuted on NPR on February 14, 1983. Like the preceding series, The Empire Strikes Back expands on the movie's story by incorporating new scenes. Examples include an Imperial attack on a Rebel convoy set before the film's opening scene and a tense conversation between Solo and Skywalker while the two are stranded in the Hoth wastelands. National Public Radio's promoted the series in part by getting Craig Claiborne to create his version of Yoda's rootleaf recipe, which the Jedi Master serves Luke in the hut on Dagobah. The recipe ran in magazines and newspapers across the country. Cast: Billy Dee Williams reprised Lando Calrissian, and John Lithgow played Yoda at the same time Madden was directing Lithgow in the play Beyond Therapy. Hamill and Daniels returned to voice Skywalker and C-3PO. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Perry King as Han Solo Ann Sachs as Princess Leia Organa Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian Bernard Behrens as Obi-Wan Kenobi Brock Peters as Lord Darth Vader John Lithgow as Yoda Anthony Daniels as C-3PO James Eckhouse as Beta Peter Friedman as Dak Ron Frazier as Deck Officer Merwin Goldsmith as General Rieekan Peter Michael Goetz as Ozzel Gordon Gould as Veers Paul Hecht as The Emperor Russell Horton as 2-1B James Hurdle as Controller Nicholas Kepros as Needa David Rasche as Piett Alan Rosenberg as Boba Fett Jay O. Sanders as Imperial Pilot Don Scarino as Wedge Ken Hiller as Narrator The supporting cast again included David Alan Grier and also included Sam McMurray, Steven Markle, Stephen D. Newman, John Pielmeier, Geoffrey Pierson, Gary Tacon, and Jerry Zaks. It was recorded in 1982 at A&R Studios, New York City Episode 1 - Freedom's Winter Episode 2 - The Coming Storm Episode 3 - A Question of Survival Episode 4 - Fire and Ice Episode 5 - The Millennium Falcon Pursuit Episode 6 - Way of the Jedi Episode 7 - New Allies, New Enemies Episode 8 - Dark Lord's Fury Episode 9 - Gambler's Choice Episode 10 - The Clash of Lightsabers The Return of the Jedi Radio Drama 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 adaptation used many of the original radio cast, though Joshua Fardon took over as Luke and Arye Gross replaced Billy Dee Williams as Lando. Ed Begley, Jr. was the voice of Boba Fett and Edward Asner, speaking only in Huttese, voiced Jabba the Hutt. The only actor who starred in all the feature films as well as all three radio dramas was Anthony Daniels. Joshua Fardon as Luke Skywalker Perry King as Han Solo Ann Sachs as Princess Leia Organa Anthony Daniels as C-3PO Bernard Behrens as Obi-Wan Kenobi Arye Gross as Lando Calrissian Edward Asner as Jabba The Hutt Paul Hecht as The Emperor John Lithgow as Yoda Brock Peters as Lord Darth Vader Ed Begley, Jr. as Boba Fett Samantha Bennett as Arica David Birney as Anakin Skywalker Peter Dennis as Moff Jerjerrod David Dukes as Bib Fortuna Peter Michael Goetz as General Madine Ian Gomez as Salacious Crumb Martin Jarvis as Barada Jon Matthews as Wedge Natalia Nogulich as Mon Mothma Mark Adair Rios as Admiral Ackbar Yeardley Smith as 9D9 Tom Virtue as Major Derlin Ken Hiller as Narrator The supporting cast included Rick Hall, Andrew Hawkes, Sherman Howard, Karl Johnson, John Kapelos, Ron Le Paz, Joe Liss, Paul Mercier, Steven Petrarca, Jonathan Penner, Gil Segel, Nia Vardalos and Ron West. Episode 1 - Tatooine Haunts.flac Episode 2 - Fast Friends.flac Episode 3 - Prophesies and Destinies.flac Episode 4 - Pattern and Web.flac Episode 5 - So Turns a Galaxy, So Turns a Wheel.flac Episode 6 - Blood of a Jedi.flac Bonus Track - Comments from Anthony Daniels During the Recording Sessions.flac Bonus Track - Comments from Joshua Fardon During the Recording Session.flac Bonus Track - Comments from Perry King During the Recording Sessions.flac Bonus Track - Comments from John Madden During the Recording Session.flac Bonus Track - Speederbike Chase, Dialogue Only.flac Bonus Track - Speederbike Chase, Complete.flac Bonus Track - National Public Radio Membership Spot, 'comlink'.flac Bonus Track - National Public Radio Membership Spot, 'Fair Compensation'.flac Bonus Track - "A Message for Brian" Star Wars A New Hope - Original Radio Drama, Topps Light Side Edition The collector’s MP3-CD edition of the Star Wars Original Radio Drama includes all 6 hours of the program as well as over 30 minutes of rare bonus audio—interviews, radio promos, and “The Making of Star Wars for Radio” documentary.” Episode One - A Wind to Shake the Stars Episode Two - Points of Origin Episode Three - Black Knight, White Princess and Pawns Episode Four - While Giants Mark Time Episode Five - Jedi That Was, Jedi to Be Episode Six - The Millenium Falcon Deal Episode Seven - The Han Solo Solution Episode Eight - Death Star's Transit Episode Nine - Rogues, Rebels, and Robots Episode Ten - The Luke Skywalker Initiative Episode Eleven - The Jedi Nexus Episode Twelve - The Case for Rebellion Episode Thirteen - Force and Counter Force Bonus Track - The Making of Star Wars for Radio Bonus Track - A Suite of Additional Music Recorded for Star_Wars - The Radio Drama Bonus Track - Star Wars Promotional Spot Number 1 Anthony Daniels Bonus Track - Star Wars Promotional Spot Number 2 Ann Sachs Bonus Track - Star Wars Promotional Spot Number 3 Mark Hamill