Turner’s TBS is about to launch a new annual television tradition by presenting all six original Star Wars movies together on Thursday, May 4, also known around the world as Star Wars Day. TBS will present the original classics in order, rolling out the entire saga chronologically over 16+ hours. The marathon is set to kick off at 6:40 a.m. (ET/PT) with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and close with an 8:15 p.m. telecast of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, presented with limited commercial interruption.
Star Wars fans adopted the slogan “May the Fourth be with You” in recent years as a rallying cry to proclaim their love of the saga on May 4, a day which fans have designated to celebrate all things Star Wars. Lucasfilm, the film company that created Star Wars, has fully embraced the spirit of fandom that makes the day so special by spreading the word and showcasing fan activity through StarWars.com and the official Star Wars social media channels. TBS has debuted a promo for this Star Wars marathon, which you can check out below.
Turner is able to put together a Star Wars marathon thanks to licensing agreements announced in September with The Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox. The agreements grant TBS & TNT the exclusive linear basic cable and companion ad-supported on-demand rights to the original six films, as well as the network premiere windows for the recent blockbusters Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which hits theaters on Dec. 15; and the following two yet-to-be-released Star Wars films.
TBS’s plans to make its Star Wars Day marathon an annual television tradition similar to the network’s 24 Hours of A Christmas Story, Friends for Thanksgiving and Festivus for the Rest of Us marathons. TBS’s first-ever Star Wars Day marathon on Thursday, May 4 kicks off at 6:40 a.m. (ET/PT) with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, followed by Star Wars: Attack of the Clones at 9:25 a.m. (ET/PT), Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith at 12:20 p.m. (ET/PT), Star Wars: A New Hope at 3:10 p.m. (ET/PT), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at 5:40 p.m. (ET/PT) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at 8:15 p.m. (ET/PT).
TBS, a division of Turner, is basic cable’s #1 entertainment network with young adults and home to six of the most popular and critically acclaimed new comedies on cable, Angie Tribeca, The Detour, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, People of Earth, Search Party and Wrecked, as well as the animated hit American Dad! Upcoming comedies include The Guest Book, The Cops, Tarantula and Final Space. TBS also presents late-night comedy in the form of Conan, starring Conan O’Brien, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and will soon launch the competition series Drop the Mic, hosted by Method Man and Hailey Baldwin. In addition, the TBS lineup includes popular comedy hits like Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Bob’s Burgers, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl and 2 Broke Girls; blockbuster movies; and live coverage of Major League Baseball’s regular and post-season play, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and ELEAGUE, Turner’s eSports gaming league. Take a look at the new preview for the Star Wars Day marathon on Thursday, May 4.