Star Wars The Acolyte starts filming. Spurs questions.

New Star Wars series The Acolyte has begun filming in the UK.

Directed by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), the show is described as thus:

The Acolyte is described as “a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

This is a show that has been in development for a while. Having watched Star Wars product for my entire life, it seemed unlikely I wouldn't press play on this when it lands on Disney+, but with my enthusiasm for all things Star Wars at a high thanks ro the very good Andor series, this new show has my attention. Especially as it seems to be taking a more adult approach to the franchise, a la Andor.

But is that a good thing? Like Doctor Who 100% is, Star Wars should be for children. What is the right mix of adult and family Star Wars product? Produce too much adult Star Wars and you lose the interest of the kids (Generation Ani), but produce too much kiddie fare and Generation Han Shot First starts getting antsy/opinionated.

With Andor in the mix, it does feel like Disney+ is starting to work out where that balance lies. But does The Acolyte tip the balance of the force in the wrong direction?

Should Star Wars even be catering to me at this point? Or should I instead be watching a dark science fiction show about space bureaucracy that doesn't feature the trappings of the galactic empire? We all know the answer to that, regardless of what my heart tells me.

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery debuts on Netflix Dec 23.

Documentary Branson debuts on HBO Dec 1.

Kindred debuts on Hulu Dec 15.

First published in 1979, “Kindred” focuses on Dana James, a young Black aspiring writer living in Los Angeles with her husband Kevin Franklin. While in the process of moving, Dana abruptly finds herself tossed between the modern day and 1815 Maryland during the Antebellum period of the South. During her journeys to the past, she struggles to survive while trapped at a plantation owned by the wealthy Weylin family and ends up uncovering shocking secrets about her own family history.

That's it for today. Apologies to anyone who feels this email is a bit later than usual - I now live in a place that doesn't do daylight saving time. And I'm okay with that.