The long running era of the Saturday morning cartoon has officially ended, but no one can stop you from fulfilling your true weekend calling. Cartoons and Saturday mornings were made for each other and no one can tell us otherwise. It is to that end that we maintain vigil, bringing you animated selections each Saturday morning until the internet dies, or until we run out, good thing there’s always reruns.
“Star Wars: Droids” Episode 1.1 “The White Witch” (7 out of 10) Based on characters created by George Lucas; Directed by Ken Stephenson and Raymond Jafelice; Written by Peter Sauder; Starring Anthony Daniels; Original air date: September 7, 1985.
“Star Wars: Droids” follows the adventures of C3PO and R2D2 in the nineteen years between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.” The series opens with 3PO and R2 having been dumped overboard by a crooked master along with other stolen goods. 3PO finds himself in a barren desert of acidic salts while packages rain down around him, he struggles to locate R2 in the rubble.
After R2 emerges from beneath a pile of salts they encounter a pair of land speeders piloted by a racing team, Jord and Thall, who become their new masters. After they embark the four of them take off accidentally crossing into a restricted zone and are pursued by seeker probes.
These events are observed by a mysterious rebel spy named Kea Moll who, moments later, saves 3PO from certain death, unbeknownst to him.
3PO is recovered and he and R2 are taken back to a garage with the racers. Thrall leaves the garage for a moment with the droids and Jord is kidnapped by a pair of muscle droids. When Thrall returns he finds his garage ransacked and Jord missing. Kea emerges and tells him the details while also offering her help.
Thrall, 3PO, and R2 head for the hidden base of gangster Tig Fromm, along with Kea, to rescue Jord. Navigating a series of tunnels and work shafts Thrall and R2 manage to avoid capture and rescue Jord with some help from Kea and 3PO. The five of them escape the compound destroying a substantial portion of Fromm’s base and droid army.
Like “Star Wars: Ewoks” the show seems to be a light caricature of the live action characters. While R2 maintians his quiet dignity and stoic expression, 3PO seems clumsier than ever and the villains are inept idiots, though none of this seems out of place for a children’s cartoon.
Overall “Droids” earns a seven out of ten, the characters and universe of “Star Wars” never gets tired and any peek into that story is welcome, especially one that offers an easy introduction to kids because after all, aren’t cartoons all about the kids?
“Star Wars: Droids” ran for 13 episodes between 1985 and 1986.