i wouldn't say owen and beru as PT characters would shrink the universe at all. i'd say having tatooine/coruscant/naboo featuring at the centre of galactic affairs every five minutes shrinks the universe!

i think both dagobah and tatooine should have had similar treatments in the PT, both temporary hideouts like the asteroids or hoth in ESB. so when we see them in later on its almost like a planet cameo.

a trivia question to people wiser than me - was tatooine actually named tatooine in the original STAR WARS (ie in a screenplay or novel)? i think the name is first mentioned on screen in ESB, and then i assumed linked to the desert world in ROTJ. 10 points to the winner.