The real George Lucas is one of the most impactful filmmakers in cinema history. However, he is also behind the internet's coolest talk show, The George Lucas Talk Show, to a certain extent. This show is equal parts hilarious, weird and entertaining. Admittedly, it's not the real Lucas hosting the show; rather, he's played by comedian Connor Ratliff and is accompanied by Griffin Newman as Watto.
Although the show doesn't feature the father of Star Wars himself, The George Lucas Talk Show still mines big laughs from the charming eccentricities of his personality.
The show didn't originate online; it first ran for six years as a live show at the Upright Citizens Brigade, holding a small cult following. It then moved to streaming on May 2020, with episodes airing on the PlanetScum Twitch channel; these are later archived on their YouTube channel. Each Sunday, fans can tune in to this hilarious show and watch as "George Lucas," "Watto" and various guest stars jabber on about miscellaneous topics.
Ratliff does an excellent job of playing Lucas, with his appearance including Lucas' white hair, fluffy beard and round glasses. He also incorporates the quirks and lovable oddities of the filmmaker, capturing Lucas' dialect and mannerisms. Ratliff's rendition of Lucas makes the audience feel as though they might be watching the actual Lucas host a dry-humored talk show.
Newman's Watto, however, doesn't quite pull off the exact look of the Toydarian junk dealer. His costume looks like a knock-off version of Watto and is reminiscent of a costume one might throw together last minute for a Halloween party.
Attached to his nose is a blue elephant-like snout, and his head is frequently covered with different objects. For example, in the episode The George Lucas Talk Show: Episode III - Askew of the Views After Show with Chris Gethard, he wears a strange helmet, which is fastened to his head by bright green duct tape. In another episode, The George Lucas Talk Show All Day Star Wars Movie Watch Along Part 1 - The Phantom Menace, he wears what looks like a bright blue swim cap. He also sports some fly-looking wings and a blue spandex suit.
Griffin attempts to speak in Watto's accent and adds in his rough, rattling cough here and there. His characterization of Watto, while quite weird, is very comical.
The George Lucas Talk Show has taken on many topics and hosted a variety of guest stars. The most notable episode they had was their all day Star Wars marathon, where they filmed themselves watching and commenting on every Star Wars movie without stopping. They stayed up for thirty hours straight, staying in character the entire time. Various guest stars joined them at different points during the marathon. Their thirty hour Star Wars marathon was not only meant to be a piece of entertainment, but it was also an act of goodwill, as the marathon raised funds for the unemployed UCBNY staff.
The George Lucas Talk Show is entertaining and humorous, giving fans a quirky version of a George Lucas caricature. Ratliff plays the character of Lucas so well that audiences feel as though they're really watching the filmmaker host his own talk show. The George Lucas Talk Show proves that "George Lucas" is the internet's coolest and weirdest talk show host.