So I am a bit of an optimist when it comes to the show.  I have read lots of speculation about the death of the show, but I cannot find hard evidence to support those assertions.  I listened to Filoni speak about the show 3 times and this is not a man who's job is finished.  Season 5 is essentially done and I imagine they are well into mapping out Season 6. Some of the images they showed us were 18 months old.  Filoni also mentioned a number of storylines that will develop in future years.  Of course, CN could cancel it and CW could come to an end, but I do not want to be fatalistic about it.  I think things are more positive than many believe. 

Would be nice to have solid info though either way.

I really don't think TCW is in any danger of going away at this point, because the people financing the show (George Lucas and Lucasfilm) have made it clear that shows are going to be produced regardless of ratings or outlet availability until they reach a point that, creatively-speaking, it is time for the show to end.  Everyone involved with the show from a production end, from Dave Filoni to the writers to the cast to GL himself, still seem excited about the show, the stories, and the characters, so its not like a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the crew is an issue.  Also, while 9:30 PM on Saturday nights might be the "death slot" for network television programs, 9:30 AM on a Saturday morning is (unless my childhood is to be disregarded) a pretty prime-time slot for kids' cartoon viewing, but I continue to watch the show online the following day due to Comcast being money-hungry monopolizing morons anyway, so time slots are irrelevant to my viewing habits anyway.

That said, I really don't know where all the doom-and-gloom in terms of ratings is coming from.  From what I can tell, fan reaction to the last season was overwhelmingly positive, and IMO, the show just keeps getting better and better from a story perspective (not to mention the animation itself, which looks amazing these days).  Even people who loathed the prequels (Simon Pegg, for example) seem to be really big fans of the show.  I hear "declining ratings" mentioned by people but I have yet to see any actual evidence to support their claims that "OMG THE SHOW IS DEAD!"

As for figures, I think the main problem I have is that they did a separate animated line (which I have collected from day one) to begin with.  While I do not have the negative view of the "realistic" versions that some do (I'm actually really excited to get some of the characters in realistic form; I'm hoping that Pre Viszla is on that short list), I am disappointed to see the animated line descend into seemingly 1990s Batman territory with endless versions of main characters, countless repaints, and a almost total lack of background characters and/or villains for said heroes to fight.  It certainly looks like Hasbro is doing everything they can to make the line fail in one way or another so they can move on to something else.

All this being said, three concurrent action figure lines for Star Wars is, and has always been, way too much product and confusion.  I've said it a million times, but stores see all three lines (even vintage) as one thing and as long as there is Star Wars on the pegs, either 20 Saga Legends/Movies Heroes Super Battle Droids, 20 Clone Wars Anakins and Obi-Wans, or 20 Vintage Qui-Gons, they're not going to get/order more.

Keep calling with a sku/barcode...  worked for me.

Did that a couple of times too, with similar results ("It says our warehouse has them on order" or "It should be on the next truck next week", quickly followed up the following week with "It should be on the next truck next week"). 

Isn't collecting supposed to be fun?  Maybe I need to just quit altogether, because I'm annoyed more than anything these days.  When you have some websites (not this one, obviously) where people imply you should stop asking Hasbro about distribution issues this year because such questions have "reached a saturation point", despite us still not getting a clear answer about if and when figures are actually going to make it to retail, you kind of lose interest and hope.

Oh well, they're just toys in the end scheme of things, and Hasbro is doing their best to help me save money.

I know this is something of a reach, but if anyone can help me out, it's the wonderful JDers (blatant ass-kissing).  Anyway, is there anyone going to Celebration VI this weekend who would be willing and/or able to help me complete a "champagne" U-3P0 from the 2009 ESB Legacy Droid Factory wave?  I already have all four limbs and only need 1 each of the following pieces:

-1 x champagne U-3P0 head
-1 x champagne U-3P0 torso

This is the last figure I need to complete that particular line, and it's been driving me particularly nuts these last few years.  With Hasbro doing a Droid Factory swap meet of sorts at the con, I was hoping that, if those particular parts are available, someone could help me out.  I have a ton of different Droid Factory parts from 2008-2010, including some harder to find parts like BG-J38 limbs and head to trade, or I can buy the parts outright.

So, if you can help me out, please don't hesitate to PM me.  Thank you!

Don't know if this is the place to post this, but the rumors of the "Legends" assortment being discontinued in Walmart's planogram definitely seems to be referring to the DTF wave of figures and not Movie Heroes.  I hit two different Walmarts this morning that had just "completed" their resets, and there were pegs for CW (2-4), Vintage (2-4), and MH (2-4) in each store.  And, in proving what we have been saying for years, Walmart, instead of actually clearancing the DTF figures off the pegs, had stocked each of the 6-12 pegs full of DTF figures.  I guess it's a good thing that the last vintage wave are official internet exclusives (as opposed to the rest of the year, which has been internet exclusive for all intents and purposes), because there's no way that Walmart is getting anything new now.  All three assortments (theoretically) were at 9.96 in the new reset here, as well (Vintage had, oddly enough, been lagging behind at 8.96 for a few months).

It seems waves 2 and 3 went up between last night and this morning with a lot selling out already. 

I was able to get an order in for the listed-as-"in-stock" Imperial Navy Commander I needed, as well as a second Luke Hoth, early this morning (around 7:45 AM), so hopefully it will actually be shipped to me.  First time I've placed an order with HTS since before last year's SDCC fiasco, so I don't know if completing an order for items listed as being in-stock guarantees you will actually get said items.

One would hope that part of Hasbro trying to correct the horrid situation at retail would be to keep individual figures in stock and available on HTS until Droid Factory hits.  Again, here's to hoping that is the case. 

Checked my Target on the way into work this morning and the Star Wars section was pretty much identical to how it has been for the last 7 months, with the only thing missing being the SW TFs.  There was one empty peg for the 3 packs, but nothing had been put out (or it had been put out and had already been cleaned out).  The figures on the pegs were the same old, same old from the last few months (tons of Movie Heroes covered in dust, 4 each of animated Anakin and Mace, also covered in dust, and vintage Dofine, NRG, Vos, and Quadinaros, also, again, covered in dust). 

Given that my Target only restocks when they do a reset, period, I'm not expecting anything new to show up in any assortment. 

01.  Princess Leia in Boussh Disguise (SA resculpt)
02.  Bib Fortuna (SA resculpt)
03.  Yak Face (SA resculpt)
04.  Ishi Tib (Jabba's Palace)
05.  Sim Aloo
06.  Admiral Piett
07.  Ree Yees (SA resculpt)
08.  Emperor Palpatine (SA resculpt with Throne)
09.  Mon Mothma (SA resculpt)
10.  Wortt (the outdoor Jabba's Palace "watchdog")