Inspired by the creative minds at @starwarstuff on Twitter, Small Screen Star Wars is back with more podcasting goodness. This week’s theme is Star Wars Oscars (not to be confused with Star Wars AT the Oscars, where John Williams owns). Julian and Rachel pick the best of the best from across Star Wars on film (and television of course). Who’s the best Star Wars director? What is the best lightsaber duel? The best droid? (spoilers, there’s only 1 correct answer for this. I’m sorry, but we don’t make the rules) Tune in to find what is OBJECTIVELY (subjectively) the best stuff in Star Wars!

We of course also encourage you to write in with your list! What do you think is the best of the best in Star Wars? Email us at towerofbabblepodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

Categories and Winners
Best Film
Julian:
- The Last Jedi
Rachel:
- Empire Strikes Back
Best Director
Julian:
- Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi)
Rachel:
- Dave Filoni (The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian)
Best TV Series
Julian:
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Dave Filoni and George Lucas)
Rachel:
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Dave Filoni and George Lucas)
Best Actor
Julian:
- Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
Rachel:
- Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan)
Best Actress
Julian:
- Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa)
Rachel:
- Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa)
Best Scene
Julian:
- Binary Sunset (Episode IV)
Rachel:
- “No I am your Father” (Episode V)
Best Performance
Julian:
- James Earl Jones (Darth Vader)
Rachel:
- Ray Park (Maul)
Best Lightsaber Duel
Julian:
- Ahsoka vs Maul (The Clone Wars S7)
Rachel:
- Maul vs Obi-Wan (Episode I)
Best Jedi
Julian:
- Yoda
Rachel:
- Yoda
Best Villain
Julian:
- Darth Vader
Rachel:
- Darth Maul
Best Score
Julian:
- Binary Sunset/Force Theme
Rachel:
- Duel of the Fates
Best Romance
Julian:
- Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla
Rachel:
- Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla
Best Friendship
Julian:
- Han and Chewy
Rachel:
- R2D2 and C3P0
Best Droid
Julian:
- R2D2
Rachel:
- R2D2
Best Planet
Julian:
- Kashyyyk
Rachel:
- Lothal
Best Cinematography
Julian:
- The Last Jedi (Steve Yedlin)
Rachel:
- The Mandalorian (Greig Fraser)

Apr 15, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 3 & 4

Now that the premiere is out of the way, the team at Lucasfilm Animation can focus on driving the story forward with authority. The pacing is much improved this week as time feel more evenly dispersed across the characters. There's a greater concentration on characters who can wield a lightsaber and it's appreciated. No shade to the crime syndicate storyline, but we've kind of seen all that already (it was quite literally a 'Clone Wars' arc). The action remains strong while taking another step forward with lightsaber duels joining the mix. Plus, the fast cutting from last week seems to have been dialed back, which is appreciated as it provides more clarity in action scenes. For example, Devon's engagements with Maul are gripping, and with the additional time provided to Master Daki, the stakes feel ratcheted up. Kevin Kinner's music remains a highlight, the illusions to the Anakin vs Obi-Wan Mustafar theme was a particular highlight. In general, there is still room for more character growth, especially with characters not named Maul, who really can't/won't change - but happy to proven wrong! This show feels like it's in full swing already, which is good because next week things look to be really heating up as we hit the half way mark. Julian and Rachel unpack it all!

Apr 9, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 1 & 2

It's been some time since we've been able to sink our pointy teeth into a meaty Star Wars animated project. Since the finale of 'The Bad Batch' all the way back in May of 2024, all we've had to tie us over were anthology installments of varying quality. Praise the Force, that wait is finally over with the release of 'Maul: Shadow Lord', the latest full length series from Lucasfilm Animation. The series marks another technical leap forward for the animation studio, taking their patented visual style and adding another layer of detail and artistry that jumps off the screen. The story follows the titular, Maul shortly after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, he's looking for revenge and the series wastes no time dropping us right into the thick of things (3 car/speeder chases in 40 mins is impressive). And while we know much of Maul's criminal dealings (and most of the rest of his life actually), the introduction of a new Padawan into the mix, another apprentice-to-be for Maul, adds a layer of intrigue to an otherwise underworld focused story. Join Julian and Rachel as they unpack Chapter 1: "The Dark Revenge" and Chapter 2: "Sinister Schemes", in intricate detail.

Apr 8, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Slap Shot (1977) - Review + Commentary Track

In honour of Matt strapping on the goalie pads again for the first time in many years (and not completely pulling his groin), it only made sense to revisit the classic hockey comedy, 'Slap Shot' from 1977. This isn't the first time seeing the movie for either Julian or Matt but it's been a long time so there are plenty of questions still to answer. Here's a few examples: How well shot are the hockey scenes? Does the movie feature more or less actual hockey than 'Heated Revelry'? Does the plot and/or humour hold up all these years later? All these questions are answered in time, but we're also trying something new this month. Instead of a traditional movie review, Julian and Matt decided to go a layer deeper and add a full commentary track for the movie as well. So enjoy the full review, which takes place, before, during, and after the movie itself, and sync up your own copy of the movie (there's a countdown before we start) to get the full experience!

Mar 20, 2026

Bonus Episode - 2026 Oscars Recap

Matt and Julian are back to unpack the results from last Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. While the show itself had few surprises (there was a tie though so that's something!), between Conan's bits, the winners, and the losers, there is plenty to discuss. Congrats to 'One Battle After Another', PTA and all the winners ('Sinners' probably deserved a better fate, but respect to MBJ for his ascension)! Plus, I still can't believe the bit about making Leo into a meme actually made another meme. Join us for the full deep dive!

Categories and Winners

Best Film

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Director

Julian:

Rachel:

Best TV Series

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Actor

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Actress

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Scene

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Performance

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Lightsaber Duel

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Jedi

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Villain

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Score

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Romance

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Friendship

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Droid

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Planet

Julian:

Rachel:

Best Cinematography

Julian:

Rachel:

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