With his fifth cinematic outing due, the streamer are considering how to take Indiana Jones to the small screen (again).  

As the world of streaming churns through content at breakneck speed, plenty of companies are mining their back catalogues. With the viewer recognition that an Indiana Jones television series would bring, it’s no wonder that Disney and Lucasfilm are looking at their options.

News of these considerations has been broken by Variety, but how much is there to go on?

Movies

Indy has enjoyed four cinematic outings so far with Raiders of the Lost Ark kicking off the franchise in 1981. It was followed by a prequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) before Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) seemingly concluded a trilogy.

Then, in 2008, the series returned for the less well-loved Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Created by George Lucas, directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, there’s no doubting the attention these movies have, and continue to, receive.

Bringing us up to the present day, there’s a fifth movie waiting in the wings; while it still has no announced title, “Indy 5” is scheduled to release on June 30, 2023.

With Harrison Ford reprising the tole for the final time, the cast includes  Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen and Antonio Banderas. Spielberg has ceded the director’s chair to James Mangold (Logan), but remains an executive producer on the project.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

Disney and Lucasfilm’s musings would not be the first time Indy has come to the small screen though. In the 1990s, television viewers enjoyed two series (plus four TV movies) documenting the formative adventures of the young Indy; played at different ages by Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier, tales were bookended by an elderly incarnation (George Hall). Young Indy’s globetrotting adventures saw him meet historical characters as diverse as Theodore Roosevelt, Norman Rockwell, Al Capone and Mata Hari. To that end, the series welcomed an impressive roster of guest stars; Daniel Craig, Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Reeve, Timothy Spall and Catherine Zeta-Jones all appeared – as did Jon Pertwee and Colin Baker!

Harrison Ford even popped in for a brief cameo as a bearded Indy (he was filming The Fugitive at the time).

The future?

As to where a new television series might take the character, we have to wonder if we’re looking at a spin-off from the upcoming movie. Or perhaps another prequel series? Despite the streamer’s success with Star Wars and Marvel, exploring the stories of side-characters, how much is there to go on with an Indiana Jones television show, save for further adventures of the central character – presumably played by a younger actor again?

Then again, there might be a writer out there with a genius take. As long as there’s a whip, a fedora and snakes, we will doubtless be watching.

We’ll keep you posted on any news about the new Indiana Jones television series (as and when it happens).