Yes, I’ve mentioned this TV abomination before, but what the heck. After the success of Star Wars, anyone who had anything to do with it tried to make an extra nickel from it. This included not only George Lucas, but TV execs at CBS. Together, they foisted the “Star Wars Holiday Special” on the public in November, 1978.
Yes, I eagerly watched this the one and only time it was broadcast. Even as an 8 year-old steeped in the misery that was 1970’s popular culture, I could tell that this was just plain Not Right. Still, it was Star Wars in a world desperately clamoring for more Star Wars. Plus it was the very first introduction to Boba Fett. But that couldn’t save it from what t really was… a dreadful 1970’s variety show wearing Star Wars costumes. Perhaps the best reaction to it came from Carrie Fisher her own self, who has said that she starts playing the Holiday Special during parties when she wants the guests to leave.
When last I brought it up three years ago, the Holiday Special was available on YouTube only in scattered and incomplete chunks. Recently complete versions had been uploaded… watch ’em quick, because Disney doesn’t like this practice and gets YouTube to take ’em down. I suggest downloading them and burning DVD’s, to put in pride of place next to your fourteen different formats of Star Wars in VHS, Betamax, Laserdisk, SelectaVision, DVD, BluRay, with the original editions, directors cuts, Special Editions, Japanese Edits and what all else.
And because why not, here’s the RiffTrax (i.e. MST3K) version: