The Star Wars Radio Dramas: Brian Daley and the Serialization That Saved NPR - Paperbackby Maria Jose Tenuto (Author), John Tenuto (Joint Author) By 1977 National Public Radio (NPR) was in trouble, plagued by too little funding and small audiences. The phenomenal success of its adaptation of Star Wars as a radio drama in 1981 gave NPR the needed ratings, publicity, and boost in donations that kept it afloat at exactly the time it was threatened the most. Most importantly, Star Wars brought a new audience to NPR. As it did in theaters,