You should be watching Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge if you have any love at all for 1990s game shows like Legends of the Hidden Temple. But, more importantly, you should be watching Jedi Temple Challenge because of the way it encourages kids to learn from every experience and grow from those challenges. With the coronavirus pandemic still going on outside, the number of choices available to audiences are quite high. At every turn, there's a new program backed by some platform or another. It can be easy for both you and the kids in your life to settle into the easy routines of what you usually watch.
Well, over on YouTube, you can catch the first two episodes of the Star Wars show. The rounds toward becoming a Jedi Knight are A Test of Strength, A Trick of the Mind, and Courage in the Jedi Temple. Each one focuses on the skills that will help the kids not only with finishing their lightsabers but also in life as well.
There is a lot of focus on teamwork in the series and Ahmed Best made sure to encourage the young padawans at every turn. There is some playfulness in the delivery, but the roots of successful teamwork are all there. Communication, cooperation, and understanding the situation at hand are all key. Of course, there was a time that many believed that Best would have never been in this position as the former voice of Jar Jar Binks. He told StarWars.com's Kristin Baver about it this week.
"I never thought that I would be asked back, to be honest," Best shared. "I was very pleasantly surprised. What really made me say yes was the fact that this was breaking new ground in the Star Wars universe. I think what's the most important about the representation of someone like Kelleran Beq as far as being a person of color and the leader of this Temple — kind of like the Dean of Jedi — is it breaks down what's possible. It breaks down what you can do, and creates just a brand new world of possibilities out there."
"It's always been kids who have been my favorite Star Wars fans," Best added, "and to be able to give back to kids is something special… The thing I think that makes Jedi Temple Challenge kind of special is the fact that there really are no losers. This whole idea of being in the temple is this idea of work and continuing to work to improve and get better."
"So when a team didn't finish a challenge, it wasn't because they weren't good enough," Best explained. "They just needed to go back and train and get better and work harder…. When it came to the kids who couldn't solve a puzzle or were the last to put their lightsaber together, I loved the moment of being able to tell them, 'Look, this is just the beginning of your journey.'"
You can catch episodes one and two of Jedi Temple Challenge on Star Wars Kids' YouTube.
Have you checked out the show yet? Are you enjoying it? Let us know in the comments!