This little TV series may not have made it onto your radar if you’re not in the habit of watching Cartoon Network—but it’s a must-see if you’re a “Star Wars” fan! Now the 20 three-to-five-minute episodes of this “micro-series” are being released on DVD March 22, so you can catch them all together.

Directed by Cartoon Network’s Genny Tartakovsky (whose credits include network hits “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “The Powerpuff Girls”), the Emmy Award-winning animated series bridges the gap between “Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones” and the upcoming final installment of the franchise, “Revenge of the Sith.” The Jedi Knights and the Republic’s clone army battles against the droid forces led by Sith Lord Count Dooku. Not only does “Clone Wars” provide a look at the heroic adventures of favorite characters Anakin and Obi-Wan, it also introduces one of the big baddies from Episode III (General Grievous) and some other characters that never made it to celluloid.

The format means that there’s more emphasis on action than plot, but it still helps fill in plot gaps that will help to enhance your viewing of the overall “Star Wars” story arc. Fans are raving about the cartoon, which many had to watch in 5-minute installments over the course of several months—some even call it better than the recent two movies. Volume I clocks in at 69 minutes and ends with a cliffhanger, and Volume II, we can only hope, is forthcoming. Like all “Star Wars” DVD releases, there are plenty of cool extras to make the purchase more palatable. Here, we get behind-the-scenes featurettes, teasers for the upcoming film, a playable level of Xbox’s “Star Wars: Republic Commando” video game, storyboards and concept art.

‘Course, it’s all a cheap attempt to get us excited about “Episode III,” which (finally) opens in May 2005. But that’s fine by us! Also, more episodes of “Clone Wars” are set to air on Cartoon Network, so keep an eye out for them on your local cable network. And may the Force be with you.