Few movies have reached the iconic status of the original Star Wars trilogy. A long-shot science fiction project that was rejected by multiple Hollywood studios, Star Wars (and its creator George Lucas) defied the skeptics and became one of the biggest pop culture phenomena of all time. Now VH1 is working with Lucasfilm to produce the ultimate oral history of the Star Wars years, When Star Wars Ruled the World. Timed to coincide with the DVD release of the original trilogy on September 21, 2004, this hour-long documentary will take viewers back to those rapturous moments when the whole world wanted to wield a light saber.

The show begins in the mid-1970s as George Lucas struggles to find a way to make his dream project a reality. Relive the incredible and unlikely impact of the first Star Wars movie, the sudden fame of unknowns like Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, and the way fans around the world fell in love, first with the movie and then with the action figures, pillow cases, C-3PO cereal and everything else they could – and did – line up to buy. Manufacturers could hardly keep up with the demand for anything and everything Star Wars (swamped by clamoring fans, the official Star Wars toymaker, Kenner, at one point had to settle for selling vouchers for yet-to-be-made action figures.)

The show will also chronicle the immense anticipation for the first Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back and the build-up to the climactic Return of the Jedi that had fans traveling hundreds of miles to visit the gates of the movie’s set. Along the way, we will highlight the cultural impression made on millions of fans by Star Wars icons like Darth Vader, Ewoks, and Yoda, and lines like “I am your father,” “That’s no moon. It’s a space station,” and, “May the force be with you.”

INTERVIEW LIST:

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia

Harrison Ford – Han Solo

Anthony Daniels – C-3P0

Kenny Baker – R2-D2

Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca

Billy Dee Williams – Lando Calrissian

John Williams – Composer

Gary Kurtz – Producer on first two Star Wars movies

Kevin Smith – Director / Superfan

Frank Oz – Yoda

Ming-Na – Superfan

Ken Ralston – Visual Effects

Alan Ladd Jr. – Fmr. President, 20th Century Fox

Irvin Kershner – Director, Empire Strikes Back

Jeremy Bulloch – Boba Fett

Warwick Davis – Wicket the Ewok

Daphne Zuniga – Actress, Spaceballs

Nicole Miyamoto – Superfan

William Miyamoto – Superfan

Mike Schiffbauer – Superfan

Ben Burtt – Sound