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Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

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Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Genre
Based onStar Wars
by George Lucas
ShowrunnerMichael Olson
Voices of
ComposerMatthew Margeson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes36 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • James Waugh
  • Jacqui Lopez
  • Josh Rimes
  • Michael Olson
Running time24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseMay 4, 2023 (2023-05-04) –
present (present)
Related
Star Wars: The High Republic

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is an American animated children's television series created for the streaming service Disney+ and the television network Disney Jr. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and follows a group of younglings as they learn to become Jedi Knights during the High Republic era, centuries before the main Star Wars films. The series is produced by Lucasfilm Animation and Wild Canary Animation, with Michael Olson as showrunner and Elliot Bour as supervising director. It is the first full-length animated Star Wars series targeted at young audiences.

The series stars Jamaal Avery Jr., Emma Berman, Juliet Donenfeld, Dee Bradley Baker, Jonathan Lipow, and Piotr Michael. It was announced in May 2022, with Olson and Bour already attached to the project. Casting was revealed in February 2023. Six shorts were released on YouTube ahead of the series premiere, before also becoming available on Disney+.

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures premiered on May 4, 2023, and was positively received, with critics praising the show for being an engaging first Star Wars experience for young viewers. The second season premiered on August 14, 2024.

Premise

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Set during the High Republic era, centuries before the events of the main Star Wars films, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures follows a group of younglings as they learn the ways of the Force, including compassion, self-discipline, teamwork and patience, to become Jedi Knights.[1]

Episodes

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Main article: List of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
Shorts6April 26, 2023 (2023-04-26)[a]
125May 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)February 14, 2024 (2024-02-14)
Shorts6August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02)
2TBAAugust 14, 2024 (2024-08-14)TBA

Cast and characters

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  • Jamaal Avery Jr. and Jecobi Swain[3] as Kai Brightstar: a Jedi youngling who hopes to follow in the footsteps of Jedi Master Yoda and become a Jedi Knight[4]
  • Emma Berman as Nash Durango: a pilot who is friends with Kai and the other younglings, and teams up with them to go on adventures[4][5]
  • Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, a Pantoran Jedi youngling who is Kai's best friend[5]
  • Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, a Pooba Jedi youngling who is Kai's other best friend[5]
  • Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, a droid friend of the younglings[5]
  • Piotr Michael as Yoda, a Jedi Master[5]
  • Nasim Pedrad as Zia Zanna, a human female Jedi Master who serves as a teacher to the Jedi younglings studying on planet Tenoo[3]
  • Trey Diaz Murphy as Cyrus Vuundir / Taborr Val Dorn, a prince of Vuundalla and a pirate[3]
  • Marcus Scribner as Bell Zettifar[3]
  • Justine Lee as Lina Soh, Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic[3]
  • Liam O'Brien as Estala Maru, a Jedi Master[3]
  • Gunnar Sizemore as Wes Vinik, Jedi Master Zia's new Padawan[6]

Production

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Development

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Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, the first full-length animated Star Wars series targeted at young audiences and their families, was announced at Star Wars Celebration in May 2022. It is set during the High Republic era, centuries before the events of the main Star Wars films, which was already being explored through a series of books and comics at the time. The series was announced by executive producer James Waugh, executive producer and showrunner Michael Olson, supervising director Elliot Bour, and consulting producer Lamont Magee.[1][7] Lucasfilm's Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes are also executive producers.[4] Waugh said the creative team were aware that the series could be the first introduction to Star Wars for some children. Though they wanted the "characters, tone, and the life lessons" in each episode to be aimed at the younger audience, they also wanted to stay true to the expectations of people familiar with Star Wars.[5]

The series' second season was produced by Lucasfilm in collaboration with Wild Canary while Icon Creative provided production services. Lamont McGee also joined as consulting producer for the series.[6]

Casting and voice recording

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At the D23 Expo in September 2022, Jamaal Avery Jr. and Emma Berman were announced as cast in the series' lead roles of Kai Brightstar and Nash Durango, respectively.[4] In February 2023, it was announced that Juliet Donenfeld was cast as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, and Piotr Michael as Yoda.[5] In January 2024, Marcus Scribner, Justine Lee and Liam O'Brien were announced as new cast members for the roles of Bell Zettifar, Republic Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh and Jedi Master Maru for the final batch of the first season episodes released on February 14, 2024. In addition, JeCo Swain was announced to be playing Kai Brightstar alongside Avery Jr.[3]

The actors recorded their lines remotely with the screenwriters and showrunners bringing together their voice performances at the studio. Baker, who voiced a non-English speaking character Nubs, said his fellow protagonists Kai and Lys reinforced what their friend was saying in the series in a similar way to the relationship between Han Solo and Chewbacca. Baker also recorded multiple options for Nubs' lines for the showrunners to select for each scene. Since the series was aimed at the preschooler demographic, the showrunners ruled out the use of subtitles for Nubs' vocalizations.[8]

In June 2024, Gunnar Sizemore was cast as Wes Vinik, Jedi Master Zia's new Padawan for the second season.[6]

Music

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Matthew Margeson was hired to compose the score for the series by late July 2022.[9]

Release

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Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures premiered on the streaming service Disney+ and the television network Disney Jr. on May 4, 2023, Star Wars Day.[5] The first two episodes premiered at Star Wars Celebration Europe on April 8, 2023.[10] Three animated shorts introducing the characters of the series premiered on the Disney Jr. YouTube channel on March 27, 2023,[2] with an additional three releasing by April 24,[11] before all six were released on Disney+ on April 26.[2]

Six more episodes were released on Disney+ and Disney Jr. on August 2, 2023;[12] further episodes were released on November 8,[13] with the final six episodes being released on February 14, 2024.[3] The first season consisted of 25 episodes.[12]

An additional set of shorts were released on August 2, 2024,[14] while the second season premiered with its first half on August 14.[6]

Reception

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Viewership

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According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures ranked as the fifth most in-demand series on Disney+ during the week of January 16-22, 2023.[15] It ranked second among the most in-demand breakout shows, achieving 23.1 times the average series demand during the week of April 29-May 5, 2023. This represented a 69% increase in demand from an earlier period.[16]

Critical response

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Arezou Amin of Collider gave the series an "A" rating, stating that it "captured the Star Wars spirit for younglings of all ages". She described the main cast members as being relatable to children and praised the series for relying on a character-focused approach, which explored new characters as opposed to depending on long-established characters to advance the story.[17] Brett White at Decider gave the series a positive review, describing it as a "fun show and a fine introduction to Star Wars" for the preschooler demographic. While noting its low stakes plots, White praised the series for emphasizing life lessons and described the action sequences as "feeling like Star Wars" rather than a "preschool approximation" of the franchise.[18]

Accolades

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Award Year Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
TCA Awards 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Carmen Italia, Jacqui Lopez, Richard Marlis, Michael Olson, Josh Rimes, James Waugh, Jeannine Hodson, Shea Wageman, Brenda Dewet, Jennifer Rogan and Lamont Magee Nominated [19]
Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2023 Outstanding Preschool Animated Series Carmen Italia, Jacqui Lopez, Richard Marlis, Michael Olson, Josh Rimes, James Waugh, Jeannine Hodson, Shea Wageman, Brenda Dewet, Jennifer Rogan and Lamont Magee Nominated [20]
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program Matthew Margeson Nominated
Outstanding Main Title and Graphics Elliot Bour, Ranjit Dighe and Bill Breneisen Nominated
Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program Danielle Altura, Zachary Bulman, Pamela Cabrera and Petrus Gammelgard Won [21]
Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program Fil Brown, Melissa Ellis, Heather Olsen, David Bonilla, John “J” Lampinen and Robbi Smith Won
Kidscreen Awards 2024 Preschool Programming – Best New Series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Won[b] [22][23]
Golden Reel Awards 2024 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Animation Heather Olsen, Robbi Smith, David Bonilla and John "J" Lampinen (for "The Young Jedi/Yoda's Mission") Nominated [24]

Tie-in media

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An accompanying digital series, titled Fun with Nubs, was released from June 14, 2024.[14]

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Nubs Loses his Lightsaber"June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
While chomping on a juicy fruit, Nubs loses his lightsaber, which rolls down a hill into a nearby river. A fish-like flitterpod steals it. Nubs uses a vine to retrieve his lightsaber and lands in a bush.
2"RJ Repairs the Firehawk"June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
While traveling in space, the Crimson Firehawk is hit by an asteroid. Nash sends RJ-83 outside the starship hull to repair the damaged cables, restoring the ship's systems. A second asteroid hits the ship but the two decide not to worry about it.
3"Nubs Cleans Up"June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
Following meal at the Tenoo Jedi Temple's cafeteria, Nubs spots two spots which he uses a dish clop to mop up. Nubs spends the whole night cleaning the cafeteria for spots and faints from exhaustion at breakfast time.
4"RJ Needs a Tool"June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
RJ-83 attempts to retrieve a drill from a high shelf in Nash Durango's garage. After several failed attempts, the astromech droid uses a stack of boxes to reach the drill. Though he retrieves the drill, he is left with a big mess.
5"Nubs Tries to Meditate"June 21, 2024 (2024-06-21)
While meditating at the base of giant Tenoo tree, Nubs is disturbed by a large green bird. After several attempts to shoo the bird away, Nubs makes peace with the bird and lets it rest on his head.
6"RJ Goes For A Swim"June 28, 2024 (2024-06-28)
While helping Nash to repair the Crimson Bolt on the banks of Kublop Spring's river, RJ-83 drops a drill into the river. He dives underwater to retrieve it and has to fight off fish-like flitterpods and crustaceans. Following his adventure, he drops the drill again and has to dive back into the river.
7"Nubs Gardens"July 5, 2024 (2024-07-05)
While tending to his garden plot at the Tenoo Jedi Temple, Nubs discovers that a rodent has been stealing several carrot-like vegetables. Following a pursuit, Nubs catches the creature and decides to share a carrot with it.
8"RJ Fixes the Speeder"July 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
RJ-83 makes four failed attempts to repair Nash Durango's landspeeder. On the fifth attempt, RJ-83 manages to repair the speeder's repulsorlift system only to crash when he presses the accelerate button.
9"Nubs and RJ Dance"July 19, 2024 (2024-07-19)
RJ-83 repairs the subspace radio aboard the Crimson Firehawk. RJ-83 and Nubs dance to an upbeat tune from the radio. RJ-83 accidentally changes the tune while swinging his appendages. Nubs has trouble keeping up with the new moves.
10"Nubs Can't Stop Sneezing"July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26)
While walking with RJ-83 through a patch of flowers, Nubs experiences an allergic reaction. RJ-83, who is unaware that he is covered with pollen, attempts to help his friend but his intervention makes the situation worst. Realizing that RJ-83 is covered in pollen, Nubs bathes him in a pod. The two celebrate together.

Notes

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  1. ^ These shorts were released earlier on YouTube, and then released together on Disney+.[2]
  2. ^ Tied with SuperKitties

References

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  1. ^ a b Rosario, Alexandra Del (May 28, 2022). "Disney+ Bolsters 'Star Wars' Lineup With Younglings Series 'Young Jedi Adventures', Animated Anthology 'Tales Of The Jedi'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c McCall, Kevin (March 27, 2023). "First Three 'Young Jedi Adventures' Shorts Arrive on YouTube". Collider. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Returns with New Episodes". StarWars.com. January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Petski, Denise (September 10, 2022). "'Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures': Jamaal Avery Jr & Emma Berman Cast In Disney Preschool Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Leite, Marcelo (March 19, 2023). "Disney Bumps Up Star Wars Animated Series Release Date". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Jenkins, Carolyn (June 11, 2024). "'Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures' Season 2 Gets an Exciting Update". Collider. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "SWCA 2022: Gather Your Younglings for the Young Jedi Adventures Series". StarWars.com. May 27, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Richau, Amy (August 14, 2024). "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures' Dee Bradley Baker on Creating a Voice for Nubs". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Matthew Margeson to Score Disney Junior's 'Young Jedi Adventures'". Film Music Reporter. July 20, 2022. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  10. ^ "Plan Ahead with the Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 Panel Schedule". StarWars.com. March 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Star Wars [@starwars] (April 24, 2023). "Incoming transmission! A new Young Jedi Adventures short is available now. Watch Taborr's Pirate Showdown and all six shorts on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b StarWars.com Team (July 13, 2023). "Explore New Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Episodes This Summer". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm Ltd. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "New Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Episodes Coming Soon". StarWars.com. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Returns for Season 2". Starwars.com. June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Animated Series 'Scavengers Reign' & 'Hazbin Hotel,' Hybrid 'Ted' Lead Their Platforms' Most Popular Titles". Animation Magazine. February 1, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Wads, Andrea (May 10, 2023). "'Citadel' Soars to No. 1 Among Hottest New Shows | Chart". TheWrap. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Amin, Arezou (May 4, 2023). "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures' Review: Slice-of-life stories for Younglings (and Younglings at Heart)". Collider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  18. ^ White, Brett (May 4, 2023). "Stream It or Skip It: "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" on Disney+ gives preschoolers their own Grogu in Nubs". Decider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  19. ^ Cordero, Rosy; Pedersen, Erik (June 30, 2023). "TCA Awards Nominations: 'Succession', 'The Bear' & 'The Last Of Us' Lead; HBO/Max Laps Field With 20 Noms". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  20. ^ "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Honored with 5 Children's & Family Emmy Nominations". StarWars.com. November 2, 2023. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  21. ^ Schneider, Michael (December 17, 2023). "Children's & Family Creative Arts Emmys 2023 Full Winners List: Netflix, Disney, 'Sesame Street,' Jack Black and More". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  22. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (December 20, 2023). "Disney dominates the 2024 Kidscreen Awards nominations". KidScreen. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Dickson, Jeremy (February 5, 2024). "BREAKING NEWS: Announcing 2024's Kidscreen Awards winners". KidScreen. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  24. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 16, 2024). "Motion Picture Sound Editors Reveal 2024 MPSE Golden Reel Nominations; 'Oppenheimer' Leads Movie Field". Deadline. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
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