Young Indy Chroniclers

THIS ADVENTUREActress Maria Howell, who played jazz singer Goldie in Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues and Young Indiana Jones and the Scandal of 1920, joins The Young Indy Chroniclers to look back on the second acting job of her career.Her first two acting jobs set the bar high, first working for Steven Spielberg on The Color Purple, and the second for George Lucas on the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Learn of her memories of recreating the 1920s Chicago blues scene, acting with Jeffrey Wright and Keith David, and adventures in the acting trade in the States and overseas. All this and more on this week's episode of the Young Indy Chroniclers! Subscribe for new episodes of The Young Indy Chroniclers every two weeks. Bonus and early-access episodes are available on Patreon at patreon.com/YoungIndyChroniclers. Late pledges for our documentary, George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age, are still open at kickstarter.com/projects/georgelucas/george-lucas-the-lost-golden-age.#YoungIndyChroniclers #YoungIndianaJones #YoungIndy #GeorgeLucas #StarWars #IndianaJones #MariaHowell #TheColorPurple

THIS ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel are joined by Talking Bay 94 host, Brandon Wainerdi. Brandon Wainerdi, host of the Star Wars interview podcast Talking Bay 94 and a writer for Star Wars Insider, StarWars.com, ILM.com, and Fangoria, joins The Young Indy Chroniclers to talk about growing up with George Lucas’s work.Wainerdi traces his path into Indiana Jones through a 2001 issue of Star Wars Insider celebrating the 20th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark. He recalls the homemade Young Indiana Jones short film he once made starring his little brother, and describes finally working through the full series on DVD from his college library. The conversation moves to why Indiana Jones never built the same kind of fandom as Star Wars, why the prequel era’s visual effects artists deserve far more credit than they’ve received, and why he considers The Phantom Menace the purest George Lucas movie ever made. He names Daredevils of the Desert and Transylvania, January 1918 among his favorite Young Indy episodes. He also shares the lesson he learned from an early interview with visual effects legend Phil Tippett, which was to stop steering a guest toward the story you want and actually listen. The conversation closes with what he’s writing now, including his two DK Star Wars encyclopedias.00:00 Intro03:04 Meet Brandon Wainerdi: Host of Talking Bay 9408:31 How Brandon Discovered Indiana Jones and Young Indy17:05 Why Indiana Jones Never Became as Big as Star Wars24:51 Watching the Full Series in College27:56 Dial of Destiny, Arabic, and the Great Circle31:34 Young Indy and George Lucas’s Legacy41:03 Why George Lucas Made Young Indiana Jones43:35 The Movies That Hooked Brandon for Life51:56 Reappraising the Prequels’ Visual Effects58:29 Favorite Episodes: Daredevils of the Desert and Transylvania1:08:10 What Brandon’s Working On Now1:10:30 Advice From Interviewing Phil Tippett1:12:52 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find BrandonSubscribe for new episodes of The Young Indy Chroniclers every two weeks. Bonus and early-access episodes are available on Patreon at patreon.com/YoungIndyChroniclers. Late pledges for our documentary, George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age, are still open at kickstarter.com/projects/georgelucas/george-lucas-the-lost-golden-age.#YoungIndyChroniclers #StarWars #IndianaJones #TalkingBay94

THIS ADVENTURE! Assistant director Terry Bamber joins The Young Indy Chroniclers to trace a career that began on the set of You Only Live Twice as a nine-year-old and eventually landed him three episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, including the show's single trip to India. Bamber describes growing up the son of a film industry veteran, training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before trading acting for assistant directing, and getting pulled onto Young Indy through a recommendation from unit production manager Charles Salmon. He walks through the India shoot's tight budget and crash course in local religion, then recounts the Kenya production, which ended with a joke call sheet and a handful of incidents that meant he wasn't invited back, though he's quick to note he wasn't always the one at fault. Family stories thread through the conversation, from his father's work with Charlie Chaplin and on the early Bond films to a chaotic 101 Dalmatians shoot involving thirty sleeping puppies and a runaway Borzoi. Bamber also shares a run of James Bond stunt stories, including the Die Another Day ice chase and his own cameo as a snow-covered 007 impersonator, before weighing in on AI filmmaking, the industry's long hours, and the footage from Young Indy still sitting in his garage on aging videotape.00:00 Intro03:01 Meet Terry Bamber: A Childhood on Bond Film Sets15:08 Landing the Job on Young Indiana Jones19:38 Filming India: Religion, the Ganges, and Corey Carrier32:11 Kenya and a Tomb Raider Connection33:49 Ireland, Phantom Train of Doom, and a Cut Scene in a Bond Film39:27 Dad's Carry On Films and a Chaotic 101 Dalmatians Shoot47:48 The Joke Call Sheet and Not Being Asked Back 50:11 AI, Green Screens, and Why Location Filming Still Wins56:48 Zulu, Young Catherine, and a Star Wars Connection59:27 Ball of Death: Shooting Abroad Before the Internet1:06:18 Bond Stories: Die Another Day and a Note From Barbara BroccoliSubscribe for new episodes of The Young Indy Chroniclers every two weeks. Bonus and early-access episodes are available on Patreon at patreon.com/YoungIndyChroniclers. Late pledges for our documentary, *George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age*, are still open at kickstarter.com/projects/georgelucas/george-lucas-the-lost-golden-age.#YoungIndyChroniclers #JamesBond #YoungIndianaJones #TerryBamber

THIS ADVENTURE -- The Young Indy Chroniclers are BACK for SEASON 4 of the podcast. And the timing couldn't be better. As we premiere this episode, so too do doors open on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California.A special treat for long time Lucasfilm fans came with the announcement that the Lucas Museum would feature a selection of episodes from the unreleased Star Wars: Detours TV series. This series, which involved such names like George Lucas, Seth Green, Seth MacFarlane, Rachel Bloom, Ahmed Best, Billy Dee Williams, and many others, was buried by Disney after the purchase of Lucasfilm, and has gone unseen for fourteen years. Now, at last, this final chapter of George Lucas's Star Wars legacy can be enjoyed. On today's show, Peter & Daniel are thrilled to be joined by Brendan Hay, who served as Head Writer for Star Wars Detours, and worked full time at Skywalker Ranch for nearly three and a half years on the project. At long last, his adventures on the series will see the light of day. Subscribe for new episodes of The Young Indy Chroniclers every two weeks. Bonus and early-access episodes are available on Patreon at patreon.com/YoungIndyChroniclers. Late pledges for our documentary, *George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age*, are still open at kickstarter.com/projects/georgelucas/george-lucas-the-lost-golden-age.#YoungIndyChroniclers #YoungIndianaJones #StarWars #StarWarsDetours #GeorgeLucas #LucasMuseum #BrendanHay

THIS SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE ADVENTURE! Peter and Daniel take a look back at their epic release of the first look video for the upcoming feature-length documentary, "George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age." The adventure is just beginning with the documentary, with so much more left to accomplish, and an April release date looming on the horizon. Find out how you can support the documentary and the Chroniclers by visiting their kickstarter. PLUS! The Chroniclers update you on some changes to the Young Indy Chroniclers PATREON, where the adventure doesn't stop in-between seasons. And also can't help but touch on the latest news out of Lucasfilm and the status of the film industry. All that and more on this special bonus episode of the Young Indy Chroniclers! #YoungIndy #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #StarWars #GeorgeLucasTheLostGoldenAge

THIS SEASON FINALE ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel recount their epic journey to SKYWALKER RANCH. In December, Peter and Daniel were kindly invited to a special screening of the Director's Cut of "Attack of the Hawkmen" by the legendary Ben Burtt. Ben cleared his entire day for us. While at the Ranch, we filmed our interview with Ben for our documentary George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age. We also spent hours in his office — a working space that doubles as his private museum of film history — watching never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from Young Indiana Jones, including second unit reels, blooper reels featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Daniel Craig, and test footage shot by George Lucas himself on a handheld camcorder. Then, in the evening, Ben screened his personal director’s cut of Attack of the Hawkmen — running over two hours and including a significant amount of never-before-seen footage — for an audience of Lucasfilm employees, family and friends. Almost certainly the first time the episode has ever screened in a full-size theater.But perhaps the most extraordinary thing we saw was Ben’s first cut of Beersheba, Palestine 1917 — the episode that would eventually become Daredevils of the Desert, featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Daniel Craig. This version is dramatically different from anything fans have ever seen — a completely different ending, a different set, no romance between Indy and Maya, and the Turkish spy subplot given far greater prominence. It reveals, for the first time, just how extensively the show’s episodes were reshaped between first cut and final broadcast. Back George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age on Kickstarter! Support the Young Indy Chroniclers on Patreon! #YoungIndianaJones #YoungIndy #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #Lucasfilm #BenBurtt #SkywalkerRanch #FilmHistory #BehindTheScenes #YoungIndyChroniclers #FilmPodcast #StarWars #AttackOfTheHawkmen #CatherineZetaJones #DanielCraig #SoundDesign #FilmNerd #CinemaHistory #TVHistory #90sTV #IndyPodcast #WilhelmScream #SeasonFinale

THIS ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel welcome back Lucas Seastrom for an in-depth conversation about the episode Benares: January 1910. We trace the remarkable real-life story of Jiddu Krishnamurti — the Indian boy discovered on a beach in Adyar by occultist and Theosophical Society leader Charles Leadbeater, groomed alongside fellow candidate Hubert Van Hook as the next World Teacher, and who, in 1929, stood before thousands of followers and told them to stop following him. We explore the extraordinary relationship between Krishnamurti and Annie Besant — the British suffragist and President of the Theosophical Society who became his legal guardian — and why George Lucas was drawn to this story. We also discuss how Krishnamurti's philosophy echoes throughout Lucas's entire body of work — from Young Indiana Jones to Star Wars to The Phantom Menace — and why this episode may be essential viewing before any rewatch of Temple of Doom.We also discuss the remarkable event that brought all three of us together at Skywalker Ranch — the 30th anniversary screening of Attack of the Hawkman, organized by Ben Burtt, and almost certainly the first time a Young Indiana Jones episode has ever been projected in a full-size theater for an audience. We discuss what it was like to see the newly remastered 16mm and 35mm footage on the big screen at the Stag Theater — and why it confirmed that this series deserves a full HD restoration.Plus: Lucas Seastrom shares exciting news about the brand new partnership between Lucasfilm and the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, bringing original lesson plans based on the Young Indiana Jones historical documentaries into classrooms.Support the Young Indy Chroniclers on Patreon! Support the Young Indy Chroniclers new documentary project, George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age. #YoungIndianaJones #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #Lucasfilm #Krishnamurti #AnnieBesant #CharlesLeadbeater #FilmHistory #BehindTheScenes #FilmPodcast #TVHistory #StarWars #PhantomMenace #TempleOfDoom #JosephCampbell #SkywalkkerRanch #BenBurtt #FilmNerd #CinemaHistory #ClassicTV #90sTV #IndyPodcast #FilmAnalysis #HistoryPodcast #GeorgeLucasFilms #YoungIndy

THIS ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel do a deep-dive commentary on Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode Demons of Deception — featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from sound editor Laird Malamed, who worked on the series firsthand at Lucasfilm.Demons of Deception is a unique entry in the Young Indiana Jones canon — an amalgamation of two separate first-season episodes, both set during WWI in September and October 1916, just as a young Indy is finding his footing on the front lines. We break down both halves in detail: the Mata Hari storyline directed by Nicolas Roeg and written by Carrie Fisher, and what makes this episode such a pivotal moment in Indy's moral development as a character.Laird shares candid stories from the production — including real on-set tension between Sean Patrick Flanery and his co-star that actually bled into their performances, the unique challenges of cutting sound for a heavily dialogue-driven episode, and what it felt like to work on a show where George Lucas genuinely cared about quality at every level. We also reflect on the broader legacy of Young Indiana Jones — a series that attracted A-list directing talent, tackled serious historical subjects, and never quite got the audience it deserved. Support the Young Indy Chroniclers on ⁠Patreon⁠.Support George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age on ⁠Kickstarter⁠.The true story behind George Lucas's most important chapter is now being told with George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age documentary. Learn more about how to support on kickstarter.#StarWars #YoungIndianaJones #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #Lucasfilm

THIS ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel sit down with Young Indy script supervisor, Hilary Momberger-Powers. Starting her career as a voice actor on numerous Peanuts specials as the character of Sally Brown, Hilary shifted career-focus to script supervising in the late 1980s. Her credits include some of the biggest franchise-films and TV shows of all time, taking her all over the world. In her early days, she worked on the third season of Young Indiana Jones, and was there for some of the pivotal moments of the series.Please consider supporting the show and the upcoming Documentary production, George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age. Subscribe to The Young Indy Chroniclers for more deep dives into Young Indiana Jones, George Lucas, Lucasfilm history, and the untold stories behind iconic productions.Support the Young Indy Chroniclers on ⁠Patreon⁠. Support George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age on ⁠Kickstarter⁠.The true story behind George Lucas's most important chapter is now being told with George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age documentary. Learn more about how to support on kickstarter. #StarWars #YoungIndianaJones #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #Lucasfilm

THIS ADVENTURE Peter and Daniel present a special look back at the earliest episode of Young Indiana Jones -- the original broadcast cut of The Curse of the Jackal. Joining for this discussion is Anthony King of the Force Ghost Conversations podcast, and a special appearance by Dan Madsen, author of the original behind the scenes book for The Young Indiana Jones TV series. Featuring Old Indiana Jones lecturing hooligans on a museum school trip, the original two-part structure connecting Egypt 1908 and Mexico 1916, and a completely different edit to both episodes -- this commentary for The Curse of the Jackal is not to be missed. Subscribe to The Young Indy Chroniclers for more deep dives into Young Indiana Jones, George Lucas, Lucasfilm history, and the untold stories behind iconic productions.Support the Young Indy Chroniclers on Patreon. Support George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age on Kickstarter.The true story behind George Lucas's most important chapter is now being told with George Lucas: The Lost Golden Age documentary. Learn more about how to support on kickstarter. #StarWars #YoungIndianaJones #IndianaJones #GeorgeLucas #Lucasfilm