When agents of the Empire pose a new threat, Obi-Wan Kenobi emerges after years of hiding.

The new Star Wars TV series is keen to stress that it’s the real deal right from the outset. From the ‘A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away…’ card to the four-minute recap from the prequel movies, the six-part show that’s set between Episodes III and IV is at pains to reassure us that this is proper Star Wars, complete with a John Williams-scored main theme.

It’s been 10 years since Kenobi took baby Luke to Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine, to hide the son of Anakin from the Imperials. The former Jedi is a shadow of his former self, suffering from the guilt of letting Anakin succumb to the Dark Side, and now ekes out his existence carving up chunks of fish and keeping as low a profile as possible. Hot on his heels are a trio of Jedi hunters – the Inquisitors – led by the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend, Homeland).

Kenobi refuses to engage when another Jedi reaches out to him, and it’s only when an old friend reaches out to him in a crisis that the Force awakens (!) in him. The first episode is devoted to Kenobi’s re-emergence, while the second follows him on his mission. And what a joy this is after the misstep that was The Book of Boba Fett.

Ewan McGregor has never been better as Kenobi, growing further into the role with each subsequent appearance in the series. While he doesn’t really look like Alec Guinness, he feels authentically Kenobi, having established his own take on the role over 20 years ago. As you’d expect, the show is littered with Easter eggs for the Star Wars fan, encouraging you to look out for familiar faces among the droids and the tech. I’m being deliberately coy about a certain plot point as it wasn’t something I was privy to ahead of viewing.

Of the Inquisitors, Sister Reva (Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit) is the most impressive, displaying some impressive moves in her quest to find Kenobi. Rupert Friend’s Grand Inquisitor is a ripe character, chewing the scenery, but he fulfils his role as a villain, crossing from the animated Star Wars Rebels into live action.

If I was to be picky, some of the CG is less impressive than you’d hope for in a production of this quality, and there’s more than one clunky chase/escape scene where contrivances save the day. That being said, it’s great to have the character back on the screen in a fun adventure and director Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian) delivers a no-nonsense series that’s worthy of the franchise’s name.

Verdict: Welcome to Star Wars Episode III.V, where the interest level is definitely skewing more towards that of the original trilogy than the prequels. 8/10

Nick Joy