The Empire Strikes Back (radio)

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Esb-radio — A publicity poster for *The Empire Strikes Back*

The Empire Strikes Back was a ten-part radio adaptation of the original film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. The radio drama first aired on National Public Radio in the United States on February 14, 1983.^[1]

It is the second series of the expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy, and lasts for a total of five hours. It was produced and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse as a follow-up to the success of the first radio series, Star Wars (1981).

The series was made with the full cooperation of George Lucas, who donated the rights and allowed the use of sound effects and music from the films. As with other Star Wars Legends material, only material matching what was featured in the original film is considered canon, but many elements of the story first featured in the radio broadcasts were later referenced in other Legends stories.

Like the first radio drama, The Empire Strikes Back was written by Brian Daley and directed by John Madden. Billy Dee Williams reprised his role as Lando Calrissian, and John Lithgow played Yoda.

The radio dramatization is published by HighBridge Audio. The radio drama's original script was published in The Empire Strikes Back: The National Public Radio Dramatization in 1995.

Cast

Luke Skywalker .... Mark Hamill
Lando Calrissian .... Billy Dee Williams
Han Solo .... Perry King
See Threepio (C-3PO) .... Anthony Daniels
Princess Leia Organa .... Ann Sachs
Yoda .... John Lithgow
Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi .... Bernard Behrens
Lord Darth Vader .... Brock Peters
Beta .... James Eckhouse
Dak .... Peter Friedman
Deck Officer .... Ron Frazier
General Rieekan .... Merwin Goldsmith
Admiral Ozzel .... Peter Michael Goetz
General Veers .... Gordon Gould
The Emperor .... Paul Hecht
Two OneBee .... Russel Horton
Controller .... Jame Hurdle
Captain Needa .... Nicholas Kepros
Admiral Piett .... David Rache
Boba Fett .... Alan Rosenburg
Imperial Pilot .... Jay Sanders
Wedge .... Don Scardino

Additional voices:

Narrator .... Ken Hiller

Episode list

1. Freedom's Winter
2. The Coming Storm
3. A Question Of Survival
4. Fire And Ice
5. The Millennium Falcon Pursuit
6. Way Of The Jedi
7. New Allies, New Enemy
8. Dark Lord's Fury
9. Gambler's Choice
10. The Clash Of Lightsabers

Synopsis of Expanded Universe scenes

Unlike the first Radio Drama, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back follows a narrative much more closely aligned with the original film on which it is based. There are some small segments of action or dialogue which may be highlighted as treatments of Expanded Universe material, but the overall narrative does not diverge substantially from the original plot.

Episode V opens with the battle of Renegade Flight over Derra IV, during which Commander Narra is killed.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's apparition to Luke Skywalker in the Hoth snowstorm takes Luke by surprise—the dialogue suggests that this is the first time Luke has seen the spirit of Obi-Wan.

Expanded dialogue reveals the rivalry and power struggles between Admiral Ozzel and Captain Piett.
- In addition, the scene where Vader executes Ozzel for his blunder was expanded to reveal the Dark Lord chose to kill Ozzel instead of merely punishing him for his actions due to anger at his uselessness, and viewing mere punishment against him as pointless.

Expanded dialogue reveals Captain Needa begging Vader not to kill him after apologizing for losing the Millennium Falcon in the Hoth asteroid field. Vader goes on to remark that Needa is inept. This changed Needa's portrayal, as he had previously witnessed Vader's execution of Ozzel for improper tactics. Needa's willingness to accept responsibility for failure portrayed him as a man of integrity and principle. Begging Vader for his life lessened this gesture. Vader's assessment of Needa's ineptness being added also changed this interaction somewhat. It is likely that the dialogue was added to make clear to the audience what had happened, as no visual medium was present to portray Vader's execution of Needa.

We learn something of the background of 2-1B and how the medical droid once served in an Imperial medical facility.

At the climax of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber duel against Darth Vader in Cloud City, Luke audibly announces his decision to jump off the gantry into the service shaft, leaving the listener in no doubt that Luke intended to kill himself rather than join Vader.