Are ‘Star Wars’ TV Shows Headed to ABC?

It was a long, long time ago that rumors began circulating about a Star Wars TV series, but the televised adventures in George Lucas’ galaxy are finally beginning to materialize, according to an ABC exec who has been working closely with The House of Mouse’s most talked-about acquisition, Lucasfilm Ltd.

“We’ve started conversations with [Lucasfilm]," said Paul Lee, president of the Disney-owned ABC Entertainment Group. “I have an inkling in my mind, but they have a lot on their plate.”

I suspect that the fate of Star Wars on TV will hinge on the success of this fall’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., an ABC series born out of Disney’s ownership of Marvel. If that show is a hit with general audiences as well as the vocal legions of Marvel geeks — many of whom are also Star Wars fanatics — then we might see a Star Wars TV show (or multiple shows) go into production long before Disney’s Episode VII hits theaters in 2015.

For Reuters’ full story, click here.

‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ TV Show Gets the Green Light!

Remember how excited we were when we learned that Avengers director Joss Whedon was working on a TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Remember how we all hoped it would focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, mercifully shortened to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Well, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and a host of other multimedia outlets this week, the top-secret government group headed by Agent Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson in the films) will be coming to ABC.

Although Whedon will co-write the pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D., he is not its showrunner. Given the fact that he’ll be wrangling Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and other Marvel luminaries in the Avengers sequel – set for release in 2015 – it’s safe to say he’ll have his hands full.

Since the series will revolve around S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents, it’s unlikely the films’ superheroic heavy hitters will be appearing very often if at all (fingers crossed for at least a handful of Nick Fury cameos). However, it’s entirely likely that we’ll be seeing plenty of Agent Maria Hill, played by How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders.  If you saw how amazingly she filled out a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in The Avengers, you know how awesome this is.

Depending on where this series is set chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we could also see Clark Gregg return as fan-favorite Agent Coulson. If it takes place after The Avengers, well, that could prove difficult.

For more on the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, head over to the L.A. Times website by clicking here.