Underrated Adventure TV Show With 78% RT Score Helped Make Star Wars What It Is Today

9 hours ago 5

Published Jun 2, 2026, 9:45 PM EDT

Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who frequently covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, horror, and superheroes. Their specialty is onscreen book adaptations. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.

They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review for Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer.

In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.

Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.

At Denver Fan Expo 2026, Star Wars actor Matthew Wood revealed the underrated and short-run TV show that helped lay the foundation for the prequels. ScreenRant was the official media partner of the convention, and I attended many exciting panels on behalf of the website, including “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord panel with Sam Witwer, Vanessa Marshall, David W. Collins, and Matthew Wood.”

The Phantom Menace introduced the most exciting non-OG villain, Darth Maul, who is the lead of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. The second movie led to the best Star Wars animated show, Clone Wars. Without the prequels, we arguably wouldn’t have Rogue One, Andor, or Skeleton Crew. They’ve really excelled when it comes to Star Wars TV shows. Even The Mandalorian and Grogu, which had the worst Star Wars week 2 drop-off at the box office, will appeal especially to younger fans.

I can hate the midichlorians and the uncomfortable relationship between Padme and Anakin while still giving credit where credit is due. Most of the best parts of modern Star Wars trace back to the prequel trilogy, which wouldn’t have been possible without the deeply underrated action-adventure TV show created by George Lucas, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Was The Proving Ground For Star Wars’ Prequels

Sean Patrick Flanery as Young Indiana Jones

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, set long before the Indiana Jones movies' timeline, follows the titular character as he travels the world, experiences new cultures, and meets historical figures. The show originally alternated between Young Indy, between the ages of 8 and 10, and Young Adult Indy, between the ages of 16 and 21. Throughout his life, he meets Tolstoy, John Ford, Al Capone, and so many other iconic figures. Old Indy would bookend the episodes, as if he were telling the story of the episode to his grandchildren.

However, they re-edited the show after its original run, putting the stories in chronological order and adjusting their length to match that of TV movies. They also took out the Old Indy segments and renamed the show The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. Ultimately, the show was deeply important to the development of Star Wars. During the Maul panel, Matthew Wood explained that the show was essentially the movies’ proving ground. He said this:

“It was 100% George Lucas just knowing that he was going to make Star Wars movies again. This was in 1990. And, um, he's, he had foreseen that he was going to make the prequels, and he wanted to make sure the technology was going to be there for him.  So we were literally inventing it at the ranch. I mean, we, for sound editorial, picture editorial, all the visual effects, stuff that we did, and so we had this show called Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, they made. I got to work on that one, and that was sort of how we tested to get ready for the prequels.”

Just because The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles was a tool for the prequels doesn’t mean the show isn’t without its own merits, though. Obviously, the show has fantastic sound effects, impressive recreations of historical locations, and strong visual effects. That was a big part of why it helped out the Star Wars prequels. Additionally, the stories are incredibly well written, balancing the entertainment with the educational value. Although there are a few problematic elements by modern standards, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles has aged surprisingly well.

The two main actors who play Indiana Jones, Sean Patrick Flannery and Corey Carrier, did an awesome job taking on young versions of the popular character. What’s more, it’s fun to watch them back three decades later, as the show featured frequent appearances from actors who are now extremely famous. Unfortunately, Disney+ pulled the show from streaming, but it is available to rent or purchase on VUDU and Amazon. Whether you're looking for nostalgia or wanting a great TV show to watch as a family, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones is well worth the money.