How Star Wars Saved NPR: The Untold Story of the Star Wars Radio Dramas
About this episode
This episode explores how Star Wars radio dramas helped save NPR from financial troubles in the late 1970s.
In 1977, NPR was on the brink of losing its audience and its funding. Then came an unlikely lifeline: Star Wars. In this episode of Father Son Galaxy, we sit down with Maria Jose Tenuto and John Tenuto, authors of The Star Wars Radio Dramas: Brian Daley and the Serialization That Saved NPR, to unpack how a scrappy radio adaptation, turned a galaxy far, far away into a ratings phenomenon and helped rescue public radio in America. We dig into the USC connection that started it all, George Lucas's surprisingly modest asking price, standout performances from the new cast (including Brock Peters), and the emotional, 13-year road to Return of the Jedi's radio premiere.
People in this episode
Host: Kerwin Yarde
Guests: Maria Jose Tenuto, John Tenuto
Topics covered
- Star Wars
- NPR
- radio dramas
- public radio
- adaptation
- film history
Keywords
- Star Wars
- NPR
- radio dramas
- George Lucas
- Brock Peters
- public radio
- adaptation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NPR
Books & works: The Star Wars Radio Dramas: Brian Daley and the Serialization That Saved NPR, Return of the Jedi
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