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[Music starts]
When Star Wars made it’s debut in 1977,
it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon,
and evolved into a symbol of pop culture during
the 1970s and 80s, even beating out the 1975
blockbuster Jaws as the highest grossing film
of all time.
And in 1978, while Star Wars mania was in
full effect, CBS announced a 2 hour Star Wars
Holiday variety special, which would be the
first official spinoff of the sci-fi adventure.
 
And while initially envisioned as the next
great TV holiday classic with plans to spawn
a new line of merchandise, the end result
is often regarded as not just the worst Star
Wars spinoff of all time, but one of the worst
television specials ever created.
[Intro sound effects of vault opening]
[TV clip: “It’s Luke Skywalker! Did you
bring the force?”]
[“You better believe it. The Los Angeles
police force!”]
Adapting Star Wars for television in a variety
style format wasn’t a new concept, as several
other popular shows at the time included Star
Wars themed segments and bits, which in turn
boosted the film’s ticket sales massive
numbers even further.
So when Star Wars director George Lucas and
the film’s distributor were pitched this
Holiday Special idea, they immediately saw
it as a win win scenario.
As it could help keep the momentum going for
the sci-fi adventure until the release of
the Empire Strikes Back, and could also reach
a wider national audience, while offering
a chance to produce a new line of merchandise
based on the special’s new characters.
[Clip: “The Star Wars early bird certificate
package. New from Kenner.”]
So development went ahead, with George Lucas
deciding to recycle one of his abandoned ideas
from Star Wars: A New Hope, in which according
to a 1980 interview, the film would have began
on the planet of Kashyyyk in the home of a
family of Wookies, with the story of Star
Wars being told to a wookie child by his parents.
And by late May, the initial story treatment
was completed, which centered around Chewbacca’s
family on the wookie homeward of Kashyyyk,
which had been chosen to host that year’s
annual galactic celebration of Life Day.
In a plot involving the search for Chewie’s
son Lumpy after he wonders away from home,
and the imperials trying to sabotage a starship
on it’s way to the celebration containing
wookie representatives from all over the planets.
And aside from cameos and a small number of
variety show elements, the special would also
include an animated segment tied into the
plot, featuring the first on screen appearance
of Boba Fett, who had evolved from an early
concept of Darth Vader as a bounty hunter
and the stormtroopers signature black and
white color scheme.
BTS clip: “The concept of Boba now is going
to be multicolored fellow. There going to
actually have different colors, basically
blue and green, sort of light, muted colors.”
After the initial concept and outline was
created, despite earlier reports, Lucas had
very little involvement beyond the initial
treatment and character backgrounds, as he
was deeply involved with the pre-production
of the Star Wars Sequel: The Empire Strikes
Back.
And it’s from here where the once promising
Star Wars special turned to the dark side,
as by the 4th draft of the script, with the
exception of revolving around Chewbacca’s
family and the celebration of Life Day, practically
every aspect of the story had been changed
and reworked by a number of additional writers,
making it less a Star Wars story with variety
show elements, and into a remarkably unfunny
and overlong variety show forced into the
Star Wars universe.
[Movie clip: “Come with me.”]
And despite hesitation from the cast of Star
Wars who found the script ridiculous, with
convincing from George Lucas and contractual
obligations, they reluctantly agreed, and
filming of the Star Wars special began in
July of 1978, and was the most expensive television
production at the time, with a budget of a
little over 1 million dollars.
And despite a few hiccups, which included
the loss of the films initial director, fainting
costumed actors due to a lack of oxygen, and
having to place wookie extras under red cloaks
as there was no budget for full wookie costumes,
filming went according to schedule, and was
wrapped a little over a month later.
[Clip: “Cut! Perfect!”]
Jump ahead to the days leading up to the Star
Wars holiday special’s November 17th airing,
as while the initially planned new line of
merchandise never went beyond prototypes,
Boba Fett was revealed during a parade a few
months prior.
And there was plenty of hype for the first
official spinoff of Star Wars, which included
various forms of print and television advertisements,
and was anticipated to become an annual holiday
airing by CBS.
And when the show finally aired the Friday
before Thanksgiving, nearly 13 million people
tuned in to watch The Star Wars Holiday Special.
But as they soon find out, this would be one
of the most bizarre television viewing experiences
imaginable.
From the opening titles alone, you know you’re
in for an interesting time, as it consists
of bizarre teases and phrasing that would
make any viewer watching in 1978 do a double
take.
[Movie clip: “That’s it, I’m turning
back.”]
[wookie noise]
[“I know your family’s waiting.”]
[wookie noise]
[“I know it’s an important day!”]
Titles aside, the special began normal enough
with Han Solo and Chewbacca attempting to
get to the wookie homeworld of Kashyyk in
time for the Life Day celebration.
[Clip: “The Star Wars Holiday Special.”]
From here we’re introduced to the returning
cast of Star Wars, as well as Chewie’s family,
which include some of the creepiest looking
wookies ever put on screen, as well as the
other special guests of this holiday special.
But it’s once we enter Chewie’s home and
meet his family, who desperately want him
back in time for Life Day, it quickly becomes
clear that this will be a truly unique experience,
as we’re subjected to 10 solid minutes of
Wookie dialogue and interactions with no subtitles,
[wookie noises]
including a projected acrobatic sequence that
only adds to it’s unusualness.
[music playing]
After the first of what would be many bizarre
and overlong sequences, it becomes a relief
when Luke Skywalker makes his appearance,
in which Mark Hammill attempts to bring as
much life into the script as humanly possible,
and tries to reassure the Wookie’s  that
Chewie will make it home.
[clip: “Come on Mala, let’s see a little
smile. Come on.”]
[wookie noise]
[“There. That’s better.”]
The story then continues with an introduction
to Saun Dann, a local trader who’s role
was expanded from the initial treatment in
order to bridge the gap between the long periods
of Wookie speech.
[TV show clip: “You’re wondering when
that shaggy carpet will arrive at your home.”
wookie noise]
And unfortunately, also serves as a source
of the writer’s many attempts at humor.
[Clip: “Besides shaving and hair trimming,
it’s guaranteed to lift stains off clothing,
faces, and hands. Cleans teeth, fingers, and
toenails. Washes eyes, pierces ears, calculates,
modulates, and second base life rhythms, and
can repeat the entire imperial penile code
all 17 volumes, in half the time of the old
XP2. Just the thing to keep you squeaky clean.”]
We then get a cameo from Darth Vader, who
orders search efforts to be made to seek out
members of the rebel alliance, in the only
cameo that ties directly into the plot.
But perhaps feeling that the story was becoming
too traditional, from there we’re treated
to a cringy comedy sketch with mama wookie
and a cooking show.
[Clip: “Stir. Whip. Stir. Whip. Whip. Whip.
Stir. Beat. Stir. Whip. Stir. Whip. Whip.
Whip. Stir. Beat.”]
And after checking in on Han and Chewie still
trying to outrun the imperials, Saun Dann
arrives to the wookie household to bring gifts
and reassure the family that Chewie will make
it home.
[sad music playing]
[Clip: “Why all the long, hairy faces? I
made it through the imperial patrol, didn’t
I? If I made it, Chewie and Han will.”]
And in a bit of foreshadowing that features
the longest onscreen opening of a box.
[music playing]
We see that Lumpy has been conveniently given
a transmitter, which you’ll find out why
later.
What follows is by far the show’s most strange
and questionable segments, as despite the
device appearing in the initial treatment
as way to display images of what a wookie
finds important to his life, leading to Chewbacca’s
sense that his son was missing, it was changed
to this:
[Clip: “I thought you might like this. It’s
one of those…it’s a real…it’s kind
of hard to explain…it’s a…wow, If you
know what I mean.”]
And while it starts out innocent enough, the
concept of the show being intended for a family
audience quickly goes out the window.
[Clip: “Yes. I can feel my creation. I’m
getting your message. Are you getting mine?]
[wookie noise]
[“Excited, aren’t we?”]
But wait, it gets worse.
[Clip: “I find you adorable. I’ll tell
you a secret. I find you adorable. I find
you adorable. I find you adorable.”]
And evolves into a musical number.
[singing]
Perhaps feeling that even the biggest Star
Wars fan would be on the verge of changing
the channel, we finally get a cameo from Princess
Leia, who is working on…something with C3PO,
and much like Mark Hammil’s Scene, Carrie
Fisher works with what she has to the best
of her ability, in a scene that also has no
impact on the story.
[Clip: “Look, I know I can count on you
to take care of my friends until their leader
returns. You’ll do that for me, won’t
you?”]
[“Yes indeed, ma’am. That’s what I’m
here for.”]
[wookie noise]
The plot finally moves forward, as we see
that Han and Chewie have successfully made
it to Kashyyyk, in which the two share a special
moment.
[Clip: “Did I ever let you down?”]
[wookie noise]
[“I feel the same way about you too, pal,
and your family.”]
Unfortunately, while the family hears the
sound of a ship landing thinking it’s the
duo, it turns out to be imperial soldiers,
[wookie noise] with the officer demanding
the house to be searched, for a possible member
of the rebel alliance.
And we are again subjected to the writer’s
attempt at humor.
[Clip: “Your identification.”]
[“Huh?]
[“I said…your identification.”]
[“Oh, identification, yes. It’s a very
important thing, identification. I never leave
the shop without my identification. It’s
very important just in times like this. I
just found my identification. I think it’s
in my pocket there.”]
Before long, by way of another shoehorned
and unrelated plot point to the overall story,
[Clip: “Will you get on with it?”]
we get another forced, but thankfully halfway
decent musical performance, which in the initial
treatment would have been used earlier and
spared you from this.
[Weird dialogue]
One musical performance into an already overstuffed
mess later, the imperials bring everyone but
the young wookie to search upstairs, with
the officer again giving what can only be
an attempt at developing a trademark for future
Holiday Specials.
[Clip: “We don’t want to have to hurt
anyone.]
[snapping]
[Alright, finish the search of the residence.”]
Finally, we get one of the shows highlights,
a two part animated story, in which the cast
of Star Wars voice their own characters featuring
the debut of Bobba Fett.
[Clip: “I have made contact with the rebels
and all is preceding as you wish, Darth Vader.”]
[wookie noise]
[“What is it now?”]
After the imperials finish searching upstairs,
the officer cynically makes a point that they
trashed the young wookie’s room, so Lumpy
does some cleaning, and and unknown to the
imperials, or the audience, gets an idea,
and begins watching a painfully long and painfully
unfunny instructional video.
[Clip: “This is the first thing you’ll
need. Please be careful not to hurt yourself
on the sharp edges. Ouch.”]
While Lumpy continues to build the device,
the imperials suspend the search to watch
a completely random supposed live broadcast
that is required to be watched by all imperial
personel called “Life on Tatoiine”,
And while fun to see more of the iconic Star
Wars location and it’s characters, it ends
up being another painfully unfunny and rather
boring comedic sketch, revolving around one
of the Golden girls as a bartender, and a
man’s attempts to seduce her.
[Clip: “I wasn’t desperate. I wasn’t
begging, whining, ruffling, sniffling. I just
came in here for a drink and I found a lot
more.”]
[“Um.”]
This is interrupted by another imperial broadcast,
within this imperial broadcast, regarding
a curfew being set in place, but as her customers
refuse to leave, we get another musical number.
[singing: “It’s not the end, friend. If
you’re a friend, friend.”]
After this seemingly inconsequential 13 minute
segment, that appears in the original treatment
as an actual part of the stories plot, Lumpy’s
transmitter is unexplainably able to impersonate
an officer who conveniently calls off the
search, leaving behind a single stormtrooper
who discovers the young wookie’s device.
[wookie noise and music playing]
One hilariously awkward chase sequence later,
Chebacca and Han arrive just in time to save
the day, and give us the Star Wars traditional
Wilhelm scream.
[music playing]
The special wraps up, with heartwarming moments
from Han, as he bids the family farewell,
with the reuniting of Chewie and his beloved
wookie wife, using literally the same shot
seen only seconds earlier.
[music playing]
After yet another unintentionally cringy attempt
at tugging on the heartstrings, we get a final
appearance of San Dan, who reports the stormtrooper
robbed them and took off.
But rather than corroborate the story with
the imperial leader, somehow this is enough
to convince him.
We then finally get to witness the Life Day
celebration, which makes about as much sense
as anything you would expect at this point,
as while the gathering was explained through
exposition in the original treatment, the
writers felt the time better spent for moments
like this.
[Clip: “We can have a good time, can’t
we?”]
[wookie noise]
We also get a final reuniting of the cast
of Star Wars, in which you can actually see
Harrison Ford look off screen for his lines,
with a delivery about as wooden as his days
as a carpenter.
[Clip: “All of you are an important part
of my life, pal. I’m glad I could be here.”]
Thankfully, Carrie Fischer owns the over sentimental
script and delivers a legitimately, while
a bit corny, relevant and heartwarming speech.
[Clip: “No matter how different we appear,
we’re all the same in our struggle against
the powers of evil and darkness.”]
And as a rumored part of the reason she agreed
to do the show, Carrie Fischer gives by far
the best musical performance of the entire
program.
[singing: “We celebrate a day of peace,
a day of harmony.”]
Chewie then reflects on the events from A
New Hope, and the Holiday special ends with
the wookie family gathered together to enjoy
their Life Day meal.
After the holiday special aired, while it
garnered some positivity, it was mostly met
with strong dislike from Star Wars fans, critics,
and the public alike.
And despite initial plans, it’s November
17th original airing is the only one it has
ever been given.
[Clip: “It all started in 1978 when I let
people make a Star Wars TV special without
me.”]
[“The holiday special? I remember.”]
[“It came out so bad. I hate it. I hate
it. I hate it. I hate it!”]
[“George, George.”]
Unsurprisingly, the special was never official
released, with only some loosely related pieces
of merchandise ever being produced.
And aside from the countless number of bootlegged
versions made from the original 1978 airing,
few, if any, legitimate copies exist outside
the original print, which has only been screened
for a handful of private audiences.
With the cartoon portion featuring Boba Fett
being the only part of the Star Wars holiday
special to be officially released.
[Clip: “George won’t let anyone have it,
but I did the voiceover for some of the, you
know, the Star Wars discs or whatever, so
I made it a condition that he would give me
the Star Wars Christmas special.”]
At the end of the day, those involved do what
they can with the script, and it’s obvious
that the show could have benefited from less
cooks in the creative kitchen.
And while it’s easy to write off the first
Star Wars spinoff as a travesty or one of
the worst television productions ever made,
In more than one instance, the holiday special
had an influence on future Star Wars films
and higher quality spinoffs, with it’s legacy
now being solidified into pop culture.
[Clip: “Have you seen it? Like have you-“]
[“Uh no, I was there, man. I didn’t have
to see it.”]
For some it’s a guilty pleasure, whether
as so bad it’s good, or genuine affection
for it’s ambitiousness and attempt at expanding
the Star Wars universe.
So for better or worse, the Star Wars holiday
special continues to remain a source of entertainment
and nostalgia.
Thank you all so much for watching, I wanted
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Expanded series, exclusive to the Yesterworld
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So what about you? Have you seen the Star
Wars Holiday Special for yourself? I’d love
to hear your thoughts, opinions, or memories
down below. Thanks for watching. Like, retweet,
and share, and I’ll see you next time.
https://youtu.be/Gb1igJuKGo4
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