The Hollywood Reporter recently ran a lengthy article by James Hibberd exploring the state of Star Wars under Disney, looking at how the films, shows, and other material have performed over the past decade. While the article wasn’t really aimed at a bunch of unreported news, there were a few tidbits sprinkled in throughout. The most notable was in the paragraph about Skeleton Crew, premiering on Disney+ in early December.
Hibberd wrote this:
“The creators have strongly suggested the show will be another one-and-done limited series, but Lucasfilm is considering Skeleton Crew a series (unless its ratings decide otherwise).”
This is the first we’ve heard of Lucasfilm’s interest in making further seasons, which cannot be assumed in the streaming age any longer. The Acolyte was recently not renewed, nor have there been second seasons of The Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi. So what once was commonplace – planning a multi-season run on a show – has become far more uncertain, which makes this report worth noting.
It’s especially worth noting since, it seems, there’s a difference in how it is being promoted versus how it is being seen internally. A lot of it depends on how the series performs, so the decision won’t be made anytime soon. On the one hand, this would seem to suggest that Lucasfilm is quite pleased with the series and the new cast of characters, and even if this show doesn’t continue, there have been rumors of spin-offs from it (yes, the idea of spin-offs from spin-offs is ironic).
Again, there was a time where this wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary for a TV series, where a second season would be assumed unless a ratings disaster bombed it. But those days have changed in the streaming era, so hearing this about a show is actually pretty refreshing. If there are more stories to tell, I’m glad that it sounds like Lucasfilm is keeping open the possibility of telling them. But the best way to evaluate whether a series should continue is not just ratings (though they have to be a factor), as the future of Star Wars will be bleak unless Lucasfilm learns not to immediately cater to whatever the loudest fans on the internet say. A good way to start doing that would be to begin planning on giving shows the time to actually find their footing, establish characters, grow audiences, and keep growing over time – which, in most cases, will require multiple seasons.
Whether that happens with Skeleton Crew or not remains to be seen, but I’m glad to hear that Lucasfilm is considering it.
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