Over a year after the series was first announced, Disney and Lucasfilm have finally confirmed a premiere date for Star Wars: Rebels, the first series since Disney bought Lucasfilm.

As previously announced, the hour-long series premiere will debut on the main Disney channel first to give it the widest possible audience. The episode, titled Spark of Rebellion, will air on Friday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. ET.

Next, the first regular half-hour episode will premiere on Disney XD on Monday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.

Spark of Rebellion will also air on Disney XD on Monday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. It will also be available as a stand-alone DVD in stores on Oct. 14 and can be downloaded online for purchase on Oct. 4 through various online stores.

In addition, those with access to Disney Channel On Demand and the network’s app will have early access to Spark of Rebellion on Sept. 29.

The series was created by Clone Wars vet Dave Filoni, with X-Men: Days of Future Past’s Simon Kinberg and Carrie Beck. Freddie Prinze Jr., Steve Blum, Vanessa Marshall, Jason Isaacs, David Oyelowo, Tiya Sircar and Taylor Gray headline the voice cast. Rebels takes place in the years between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope.

In other Star Wars news, Rian Johnson, who will take over the main episodes from Episode VII director J.J. Abrams, said that the new films feature more practical effects. That’s good news for everyone.

image of Dave Filoni courtesy of Scott Kirkland/INFphoto.com