Star Wars and Beyond to End (and Relaunch)
(source: Star Wars and Beyond, 09-28-05)
Bad news coming in from Robbie Chastain, host of Star Wars and Beyond. Here's the situation, straight from Robbie:
I've been actually thinking about this somewhat in various ways throughout a lot of the summer, and now at this moment I've come to a decision.
Star Wars and Beyond will end it's run of regular episodes with the release of Episode VIII on or around November 1. After watching the number of listeners dwindle down to almost virtually nothing, I simply don't have the personal energy or desire to continue with this show. For all that have helped and appeared on the show, I give you my deepest thanks. For all that have listened to the show and enjoyed it, I give you my deepest thanks.
However, this does not mean that SWAB is dead and buried. I am changing the show around. Observing the example that Jeff Roney has done (and he says he was inspired by my show) to do RoneyZone Radio, and talking to Nathan Butler about The Butlerniverse, I am now going to do what I had intended to do with this show. Yes, the show will still be called Star Wars and Beyond. Yes, we will still deal with some Star Wars topics, and I'm going to officially announce that I will begin regularly involving the fan film and fan fiction communities, as they get next to no exposure in fan audio. Well, I'm going to correct that. But getting back to doing that which was originally intended, this show is going to be much more off-topic than it has been. I'm going to talk about all kinds of different things, some sci-fi and some not. I'm going to talk about what I want, when I want. That will include Star Wars, but probably not as much. I also intend and hope that Rich will continue with the show, but I figure with a reduced schedule will hopefully ease his workload if he doesn't have to work for it as often as he has had to do, I know he's got a huge load on him so hopefully this will work well for him also.
Now, there will be an Episode IX, I'm just not 100% sure on when it will come out, as the show is going to go for an unspecified release schedule, but it will be out at the latest by sometime in January 2006, and I still plan to do the fan audio awards show in March, but it will hopefully be a better Star Wars and Beyond that hosts the awards than the one that has been sputtering throughout 2005.
Look for SWAB version 2.0 to debut with Episode IX, sometime between November 1 and . . . well . . . sometime.
We hope all fans of SWAB will join us in supporting the show during this transition. It sounds like the end of an era for SWAB, but the start of something that could be even better.
Star Wars and Beyond