Air Date: Friday, November 20 at 9:00 on Cartoon Network.

In pursuit of Poggle the Lesser, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli descends deep into the catacombs of Geonosis, where she uncovers an even greater threat to the galaxy.

When Luminara disappears while tracking the Geonosian warlord, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a platoon of clone troopers in search of her. Following her trail, the heroes descend deep into the lair of the grotesque Geonosian queen – Karina the Great – where they discover that the hive is alive and teeming with undead defenders.

Though the episode finds Luminara confronted by agents of evil deep within the darkest bowels of Karina’s underground nest, actress Olivia d’Abo saw her character’s strength reflected by the grave nature of the circumstances. Rather than succumbing to despair, Luminara embodies the teachings of the Jedi Order even in desperate times. Despite her thoughtful and meditative nature, she is nonetheless a dedicated protector of peace and justice – and a formidable warrior when called to action. Faced with the potential escape of her quarry, she doesn’t hesitate to follow Poggle into the heart of darkness. Devoted to her noble cause even at the risk of life and limb, she is the quintessential Jedi Master – brave, strong, sage and selfless.

“Luminara is a Jedi, so she’s always going to have that ability to focus and remain calm,” says d’Abo “I’m thrilled to be playing a role that requires such wisdom and strength; it is really empowering.

Despite Luminara’s seemingly desperate plight, d’Abo relished the opportunity to tap into imagination and celebrate the creative spirit of the “galaxy far, far away.”

“The themes and characters in the [live-action] films have had such a major influence on me and everyone I know,” says d’Abo. “As a child, Star Wars allowed me to fall into another world that was more vivid, more defined, more authentic and so much more exciting. There’s nothing lightweight about the philosophy of the films, and I am finding that The Clone Wars series is just as timeless.”

Though perhaps best known for her role as Kevin Arnold’s older sister in TV’s The Wonder Years, d’Abo boasts a career that has included such iconic genre properties as Conan the Destroyer, Green Lantern: First Flight and Ultimate Avengers.

“I love science-fiction, the fantasy genre, and comic books,” she says. “They tend to stand the test of time because of their marvelous content; these kinds of projects will always capture people’s attention by providing far-away settings we’d like to escape to. I’ve been really lucky with all my roles and projects because I have an innate understanding of what they require. I just jump in and make them my own.”

Photo:
Jedi Master Luminara Unduli sets off in pursuit of Poggle the Lesser in “Legacy of Terror,” an all-new episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premiering at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, November 20 on Cartoon Network. TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Air Date: Wednesday, November 4 at 8:00 on Cartoon Network

Impossible odds. An impregnable fortress. A battle like nothing you’ve ever seen.

It’s the start of a four-part story arc when Anakin, Ahsoka and Ki-Adi-Mundi lead a landing party to destroy a droid factory that Poggle the Lesser has rebuilt on Geonosis, but things go terribly awry when Separatist gunners shoot down the Republic ships. Despite heavy losses, Anakin and Ki-Adi-Mundi must rendezvous in time to destroy the enemy factory before it can begin production.

Featuring far more intensity than has been seen previously in THE CLONE WARS series, the action-packed episode pushed the limits of Lucasfilm Animation’s production processes, showcasing the depth and breadth of the animated “galaxy far, far away” in ways that hadn’t been possible before.

“Internally, we just keep getting better and better,” says Dave Filoni, supervising director of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. “There’s no way we could have done something like this in the first season. We just didn’t have the assets to populate a battle this big, but we’ve learned so much and we’re still learning. It’s pretty amazing to be able to do something so theatrical and ambitious.”

Previsualization is just one of the tools which has helped Filoni and team realize their wildest cinematic ambitions for the series. Rather than using conventional 2D storyboards, the show’s previsualzation is all done in the computer. This provides an opportunity for directors to work within a three-dimensional environment, blocking the action, the rhythm and the pacing with a fully cinematic depth of field. Originally pioneered by George Lucas during production of the classic live-action trilogy, “previs” is a technique which allows directors to visualize scenes before they are filmed – or, in the case of THE CLONE WARS, before they are animated.

“George [Lucas] wanted ‘Landing at Point Rain’ to be as intense as any live-action movie about the assault on Omaha Beach,” says Brian Kalin O’Connell, the episode’s director. “In order to give it that sense of frenetic intensity, we needed to be able to have a fully populated background. This episode was a challenge to our studios and is a testament to what we were all capable of doing in Season Two. George challenged us to make something big and didn’t let us deliver anything that didn’t raise the bar for the whole series. This episode was filled with challenges but I am really happy with how it turned out. It’s non-stop, in-your-face action, and I hope the fans like it.”

Trademark information for Star Wars: The Clone Wars images: TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Here’s a list to get you started. Or, you can watch the show then come back here to see how many you caught on your own.

— After Cad Bane escapes from the Resolute, Anakin angrily holds his arms behind his back and storms off. This is a foreshadow/echo of Darth Vader’s similar action at the end of The Empire Strikes Back after the Millennium Falcon escapes from his clutches.

— When Admiral Yularen says “No! Lock them all down, hurry!” it is a reference to C-3PO’s line in A New Hope, as he frantically admonishes R2-D2 to shut down the trash compactors aboard the Death Star.

— The holographic mobile hovering over the Gungan toddler’s crib includes a colo clawfish, an opee sea killer and a sando aqua monster, the three massive underwater beasts that attack Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s submarine in The Phantom Menace.

—The Jedi shuttle’s design shares features with several classic ships – its cockpit is quite similar to the Millennium Falcon, and it changes orientation in flight just like Boba Fett’s Slave I and the Rebel B-wing fighter. Its shape, though, is based on a background cruiser barely seen in Attack of the Clones.
In a gambit later used by Han Solo and Luke Skywalker aboard the first dreaded Death Star, Cad Bane disguises himself in trooper armor to escape notice and slip past security.
— Anakin Skywalker and Chancellor Palpatine share a private meeting in this episode, as they also do in Episode II and Episode III. The fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu would prefer to keep the Chancellor out of Jedi affairs is a thread that continues powerfully in Episode III.
— When Mace Windu slides under a slamming blast door and snatches his lightsaber at the last possible moment, it is an action reminiscent of Indiana Jones’ iconic hat-grab from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
— Mustafar is, of course, featured prominently in Revenge of the Sith, but Darth Sidious’ secret installation in ‘Children of the Force’ is a different location than the mining facility from the live-action saga – although the architecture does share similar shapes and lines.
— Cad Bane attacks Ahsoka Tano with a wrist-launched lariat similar to the devices used by Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones and Boba Fett in Return of the Jedi.
— Jan-Gwa City closely resembles the bubble city of Otoh Gunga seen in The Phantom Menace, except that it is only partially submerged in a lake.

‘Children of the Force’ airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network.

Trademark information for Star Wars: The Clone Wars images: TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Against Anakin’s vehement wishes, Padmé is recruited to investigate a fellow Senator – and former love interest – suspected of conspiring with the nefarious Banking Clan. A conflict as divisive as the Clone Wars has a way of turning hearts and minds, and she finds that even old friends may have new agendas. Meanwhile, Anakin must watch powerlessly from the shadows as his lady love willingly and deliberately courts the affections of another man….

While a relationship forged in the heat of war may be a crucible of heightened emotions, according to Catherine Taber – voice of Padmé Amidala – it is this fiery dynamic between two strong personalities that fuels the series’ heart and keeps THE CLONE WARS interesting.

“I think the relationship is just fun to watch,” says Taber. “We try to incorporate some of the things that are inherent to all deep love relationships – like jealousy and the little struggles for power, as well as those inside jokes that can only really exist between two people who know and trust one another. I want people to feel that when Anakin is in the mix, it is the only time when Padmé loses focus. In fact, I think it makes her uncomfortable, and she feels she has to prove – to herself – that her top priority is the Republic. I personally believe that, underneath it all, her primary allegiance would be to Anakin – but I don’t think she’d ever admit it.”

A departure from the epic battles and fierce fighting which has become a hallmark of THE CLONE WARS, “Senate Spy” explores an altogether different side of the conflict, focusing instead on the delicate political machinations as they play out behind the scenes of the swashbuckling space opera.

“Dave [Filoni] and the team have said from the beginning that they wanted to show the Star Wars Saga from different perspectives, and this episode is a great example of that,” says Taber. “I love the epic battles, of course, but here we have a chance to follow the mystery, the politics and the intrigue. These slow-burn political ‘battles’ are really driving the whole war effort. Dave actually had me watch [Alfred Hitchcock’s] Notorious before we started working on ‘Senate Spy.’ He wanted me to see the way the pressure builds – especially when love is involved. It’s a very different kind of danger than what we’ve seen in THE CLONE WARS. I really love that about the series; we are trying to give the Star Wars audience – old and new – something special.”

Trademark information for Star Wars: The Clone Wars images:
TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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ABC has given a full season order to the new series FlashForward

Syfy gives birth to a new baby, Ghost Hunters Academy will premiere on November 11 with Ghost Hunters pros Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango teaching trainees how to hunt.

Cartoon Network has launched the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Game Creator which allows you to play as a series character, select a vehicle and build your own part of the Clone Wars universe, which you can then share with others via CartoonNetwork.com.

FLASHFORWARD – ABC’s “FlashForward” stars Dominic Monaghan as Simon. (ABC/BOB D’AMICO)

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Air Date: October 9 on Cartoon Network

As STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS launched its second season, ruthless bounty hunter Cad Bane was wreaking his maliciously distinctive brand of destruction upon the heroes of the Republic – but he was merely a pawn in the greater game for galactic supremacy. In the thrilling conclusion to the events set in motion by Bane’s treachery, the ultimate architect of evil emerges to threaten the “Children of the Force.”

After outwitting his Jedi foes and escaping with the Holocron, bounty hunter Cad Bane sets into motion the next stage of his nefarious assignment: to find Force-sensitive younglings and take them to Mustafar for Sith training.

But Bane is merely the instrument of evil, a deadly distraction to occupy the Jedi while the true source continues to plot from the shadows. While he has been glimpsed in previous episodes – and in his seemingly benevolent double-role as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic – Darth Sidious emerges in “Children of the Force” as a direct threat to the galaxy’s future.

“He’s all the hidden secrets most of us have,” says Ian Abercrombie, who provides the smooth and silvery voice of the Janus-faced Sith Lord. “Palpatine is the face, and Sidious is the dark soul. When people are that bad, they cannot change. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know that Sidious is always there and that he will take over. Evil often does.”

For Abercrombie – perhaps best known for comedy roles such as Seinfeld’s doddering Mr. Pitt – providing the voice of THE CLONE WARS’ central villain has been a delicious departure – and a unique career challenge.

“Somebody told me once that when you play a villain, you must try to find a redeemable quality,” says Abercrombie. “I haven’t found it. He’s cold and completely shut down. So, in my head, it’s stillness; he’s very precise. He’s authoritative, he knows everything that’s going on, and so often he’s pulling the strings. It’s difficult to play, but it’s also interesting, because you can’t predict what he’ll do. I love it.

While embodying the evil of such an iconic character may be new to the venerable British actor, the Star Wars universe itself was not – though he could not have predicted that he’d be portraying the subversive driving force of that “galaxy far, far away.”

“It’s quite something, as they say. I was at the very first screening in May 1977 at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The first Star Wars movie ever! I can’t even believe it, because I never stand in line like that,” he recalls. “But someone sold me on it, and that’s why I did. I never imagined I’d be a part of it. It’s an actor’s dream, playing something bigger and larger than yourself. You can have a field day.”

And with the outcome of the Clone Wars a foregone conclusion and his character’s triumph inevitable, Abercrombie can let his dark side run rampant and have a field day, indeed.

Trademark information for Star Wars: The Clone Wars images:
TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Led by the brutally ruthless Cad Bane, bounty hunters and merciless mercenaries hijack the series’ spotlight in “Holocron Heist” and “Cargo of Doom,” the one-hour premiere of which airs tonight at 8:00 on Cartoon Network.

Here’s what the network has to say about the return of this popular animated series.

Introduced in the first season’s explosive finale, Bane returns for more mischief and mayhem – and he’s bringing his impressive arsenal to bear on the very heart of the Republic itself. Hired to infiltrate the Jedi Temple and steal a valuable Holocron – an ancient memory storage device – Bane won’t let anyone stand in his way. And when Ahsoka is assigned to Jedi Archive guard duty as punishment for disobeying orders, her seemingly mundane duty places her directly in the path of Bane’s objective…

“If you saw last season’s finale, you know that Cad doesn’t have a problem strolling right into the lion’s den. He’s bold and he’s fearless, and that’s really going to stir up a lot of trouble for the Jedi,” said Dave Filoni, supervising director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “These episodes really recall the spirit of adventure that I’ve always loved about Star Wars. There’s a big war going on outside, but the focus of the conflict is much more intimate and personal. And when you throw someone like Cad into the mix, the stakes are raised. It’s intense and a lot of fun.”

The character of Bane has allowed the Clone Wars team to recapture their love of the original films, something made possible by Bane’s conceptual roots that date back to George Lucas’ original vision of Star Wars.

“The concept [for Cad Bane] actually dates back all the way to the first film, which drew inspirations from all sorts of genres, including westerns,” says Lucas, creator and executive producer of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “When it came time to introduce the idea of a ruthless bounty hunter type for the series, it was a natural fit. He’s a classic gunslinger – mysterious and also merciless. It’s been a thematic part of Star Wars since the beginning.”

Following the classic Star Wars trajectory established by the original trilogy, season two of Star Wars: The Clone Wars deepens the story of the conflict itself, exploring heretofore unseen aspects of the war. Much in the way that The Empire Strikes Back was able to add depth and complexity to the classical archetypes established in A New Hope, Rise of the Bounty Hunters peels back layers to reveal complexities and intensity only glimpsed in the series’ first season. Cad Bane and his cadre of bounty hunters are on-hand to ratchet up the action…and the artists at Lucasfilm Animation are only happy to follow suit!

Trademark information for STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS images: TM & © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Starsky & Hutch’s favorite snitch, Huggy Bear, makes his first appearance as a futuristic bounty hunter in Season Two of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Okay, so I’m kidding about the Huggy Bear part, but you have to admit, that’s one pimp bounty hunter! He’s really Cad Bane and he’s going to make some noise in the new season which beings on October 2 at 8:00:

Here’s what Cartoon Network has to say about it:

Fierce battles, expanded storylines and ground-breaking animation raise the stakes in Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Rise of the Bounty Hunters. The lives of the Jedi become more complex as secret and forbidden relationships are revealed and a new breed of villain enters to take advantage of the wartime turmoil. Season two introduces these lawless rogues into the fray along with a host of new characters, locations and creatures. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Star Wars universe, The Clone Wars is bigger, bolder and more intense than ever before.

Sounds like something worth watching. Mark your calendars — October 2nd on Cartoon Network.

Image: Merciless Bounty Hunter Cad Bane leads his droids to battle the Jedi in the second season of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premiering on Friday, October 2nd at 8pm e/t on Cartoon Network. TM & ©2009 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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G4 will be airing an exclusive broadcast of the Lucasfilm panel. In addition, Attack of the Show hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn will join Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet for an insider look at the Star Wars universe, with never-before-seen footage and a LIVE table read of an exclusive new Clone Wars script.

Lucasfilm will also use this years Comic-Con to launch their new Star Wars Stories Project. The project is designed to be an enormous archive of fan memories delivered as video testimonials. Fans at the convention will have a chance to record their stories at the Lucasfilm pavilion throughout the weekend. But if you can’t attend, you can upload your fan story at the new G4 Comic-Con website.

That’s 5 full hours of Comic-Con coverage on G4TV starting at 2:00 pm ET on July 25th.

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Here in California we go all out for the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. For me, Cinco de Mayo means mariachi bands, cold margaritas, and Star Wars in Spanish. So I’m saying thank you, boy, to Lucas Film and Cartoon Network for making my holiday complete.

Starting on May 1, you can watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in Spanish over at StarWars.com. This marks the first time these shows will be broadcast in a foreign language online and we say, hooray and ole!

Also to commemorate the holiday – which celebrates the Mexican army’s 1862 defeat of invading French forces – StarWars.com will feature an assortment of related content highlighting the Mexican Star Wars fan experience, as well as kid-friendly cultural activities, crafts, Spanish-language multimedia and more.

In addition to the holiday-themed activities of StarWars.com, Star Wars: The Clone Wars will also be available for viewers to re-experience on TV, as well. Beginning May 1, Cartoon Network will premiere Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded, a full slate of 22 enhanced episodes from the series’ first season. Using text windows to provide in-the-moment insights into all aspects of the sweeping galactic conflict—from trivia to background on characters and storylines—Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded will unlock the secrets of the series and provide a unique look at a “galaxy far, far away.”

So mark your calendar and get ready for a fiesta the likes of which the universe has never seen when Star Wars: The Clone Wars go South of the Border.

Graphic courtesy of LucasFilm

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