George Lucas wants to bring a live-action “Star Wars” series to television by autumn 2006. The good guys at the Inland Empire Strikes Back Web site have been chatting up some insiders up at Lucasfilm, and they’re all talking about who should be its showrunner, and some of those guys think it should be “Jersey Girl” mastermind (and avowed “Star Wars” geek) Kevin Smith.

Read the piece here.

Now, something tells me these Lucasfilm employees are likely production designers or effects mavens and perhaps not the big decision-makers up that way. Would Lucas hand it over to Smith? Would the man who created “Chasing Amy” and “Dogma” be a strong choice to inherit the “Star Wars” saga? Or any ongoing televised drama? What “Star Wars” needs is someone who knows how to create and develop strong characters. Personally I’d hire Ira Steven Behr, who did an amazing job running “Deep Space Nine” once upon a time. Or “Firefly’s” Tim Minear. Or “Buffy’s” Jane Espenson. And I’d drop a huge pile of cash in the laps of “Authority”/”Global Frequency” creator Warren Ellis and “Wanted” creator Mark Miller to help. Well, it’s fun to think about. But, in truth, whichever network gets the show will probably make Lucas hire one of the “CSI” showrunners or something.