Spoilers. West Country comedian Justin Lee Collins is back, trying to reunite the cast of the original Star Wars trilogy, following similar specials on Grange Hill, The A-Team and Dallas. To be honest, he didn't have much luck this time: Harrison Ford was obviously not interested and Mark Hamill's agent ended up demanding $50,000 for an appearance!
Undeterred, JLC did get interesting interviews with Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C3-PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Warwick Davies (Wicket). I particularly enjoyed the tragic stories: the droid double-act of C3-PO and R2-D2 famously didn't get on -- with Daniels ignoring Baker by pretending to be having conversations with non-existent people! And David Prowse was ostracized by George Lucas after leaking details of Vader's death in The Return Of The Jedi.
JLC is a likeable oaf of a man, whose sheer enthusiasm and charm wins most people over (unless they're "protected" by agents and PR people who only communicate by curt phone calls, of course.) It was just too much to expect the majority of Star Wars actors to convene in London on the whim of a man-sized Ewok working for Channel 4. Only the British-based stars (Bulloch, Prowse, Baker and Davies) bothered to turn-up for the reunion party. Why? Well, it was a local get-together them, they were familiar with JLC from TV, and (let's be honest) those guys rely on Star Wars-related stunts to make a living.
Bring Back Star Wars was an enjoyable one-off, particularly if you still have affection for Lucas' original trilogy -- although it ultimately didn't reveal anything a geeky Star Wars fan wouldn't know already. But it was still fun to see JLC rush around with his crew; sitting in a car with a walkie-talkie, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting has-been leaving their hotel… and persuade them to chat (for the zillionth time) about a film they were involved with 30 years ago.
Next up for JLC? Fame and Star Trek. Of course.
14 September 2008
Channel 4, 9pm
Undeterred, JLC did get interesting interviews with Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C3-PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Warwick Davies (Wicket). I particularly enjoyed the tragic stories: the droid double-act of C3-PO and R2-D2 famously didn't get on -- with Daniels ignoring Baker by pretending to be having conversations with non-existent people! And David Prowse was ostracized by George Lucas after leaking details of Vader's death in The Return Of The Jedi.
JLC is a likeable oaf of a man, whose sheer enthusiasm and charm wins most people over (unless they're "protected" by agents and PR people who only communicate by curt phone calls, of course.) It was just too much to expect the majority of Star Wars actors to convene in London on the whim of a man-sized Ewok working for Channel 4. Only the British-based stars (Bulloch, Prowse, Baker and Davies) bothered to turn-up for the reunion party. Why? Well, it was a local get-together them, they were familiar with JLC from TV, and (let's be honest) those guys rely on Star Wars-related stunts to make a living.
Bring Back Star Wars was an enjoyable one-off, particularly if you still have affection for Lucas' original trilogy -- although it ultimately didn't reveal anything a geeky Star Wars fan wouldn't know already. But it was still fun to see JLC rush around with his crew; sitting in a car with a walkie-talkie, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting has-been leaving their hotel… and persuade them to chat (for the zillionth time) about a film they were involved with 30 years ago.
Next up for JLC? Fame and Star Trek. Of course.
14 September 2008
Channel 4, 9pm
