The Star Wars Radio Dramas: Brian Daley and the Serialization That Saved NPR

By 1977 National Public Radio (NPR) was in trouble, plagued with too little funding and declining ratings. The phenomenal success of the creative scandal caused by the original Star Wars radio drama in 1981 gave NPR the needed ratings, publicity, and boost in donations that kept it afloat at exactly the time it was threatened the most. Most importantly, Star Wars brought a new audience to NPR. As it did in theaters, where George Lucas's films redefined movie making, so too did NPR's Star Wars, forever change the artistic world of radio drama. That a radio network, dependent exclusively on audio for its format, would find a lifeline in one of the most visually dynamic movies ever released is the stuff of irony. Utilizing new interviews with creatives such as Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Ann Sachs (Princess Leia), Perry King (Han Solo), and director John Madden, and archival research, this book tells the story of how an unlikely alliance of academics, radio executives, Lucasfilm employees, actors, and behind-the-scenes artists banded together, despite the obstacles, to create a unique and consequential work. In turn, it is also the story of how writer Brian Daley was the fulcrum who made it all possible.