Selects: Star Wars Holiday Spectacular

George Lucas was approached by TV executives to create a Star Wars TV special to keep audiences engaged before the release of the next film

George Lucas was approached by TV executives with the idea of a TV special to sustain audience enthusiasm for the Star Wars franchise before the release of the next film. This move was part of a broader strategy to keep the public interested in the space saga.

Lucas agreed to the project and provided the basic premise of focusing on the Wookiee home planet and Chewbacca's family

Lucas approved of the project and contributed the fundamental concept, which was to center the special on the Wookiee home planet. He envisioned it highlighting Chewbacca's family, thereby offering a more intimate look into the life of one of the series's beloved characters.

Lucas handed off the writing and production responsibilities to a team of experienced variety show writers and producers

After setting the premise, Lucas delegated the writing and production responsibilities to a team skilled in variety shows. They even hired a couple of writers from Shields and Yarnell, who were known for their ...

The Star Wars Holiday Special is remembered for its regrettable storytelling decisions, including extensive dialogues in Shyriiwook (the Wookiee language) without subtitles, out-of-place variety show elements, and a noteworthy animated segment.

The special featured extensive segments of incomprehensible Wookiee dialogue with no subtitles

After a brief opening scene, the special plunges the audience directly into the home life of Chewbacca's family on the planet Kazook, where they await Chewbacca's return for Life Day. Early on, it was decided not to subtitle any of the Wookiee dialogue, leading to roughly 10 minutes of incomprehensible Wookiee interactions. This left audiences puzzled, as they couldn't understand the unfolding plot. Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark mention that the participation of mime show writers was due to the Wookiees' indecipherable dialogue, necessitating an emphasis on physical comedy. The Wookiees, donning red robes in a stylized family portrait, contribute to the nonsensical visuals as well.

The special included numerous bizarre musical numbers and comedy sketches that felt completely out of place in the Star Wars universe

From the outset, musical numbers were woven into the special, reflecting the then-popular variety show format. The special included an array of offbeat sketches:

• A cooking segment with Harvey Korman in drag channeling a four-armed Julia Child, instructing Chewbacca's wife on making bantha stew.
• Chewbacca's son is captivated by an instructional video of Harvey Korman as an android.
• Bea Arthur, channeling her "Maude" character, is the proprietor of the Mos Eisley Cantina, delivering a musical performance during a lockdown.
• Art Carney stars as a trader and friend of Chewbacca's family, presenting Grandpa Itchy with a virtual reality device.
• A hologram chessboard sequence unfolds into a bemusing "Cirque du Soleil acid trip gymnast routine" that seems out-of-sync with the Star Wars narrative.
• Art Carney distracts an Imperial Guard with a performance of Jefferson Starship's "Light the Sky on Fire," incongruou ...

The "Star Wars Holiday Special" faced resounding criticism upon its release and has since become a notorious example of a franchise misstep.

The Star Wars Holiday Special was panned by critics and fans upon its initial airing, with many considering it one of the worst things ever broadcast on television

Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark discuss the infamously poor reception of the "Star Wars Holiday Special," describing it as one of the worst broadcasts in television history. They suggest it was patently bad to the point where it must be seen to be believed. The evident displeasure of actors like Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in participating in the special was pointed out by Bryant and Clark.

The special experienced a major drop-off in viewership during the second hour

The hosts explain that there was a drastic reduction in the number of viewers after the first hour, as evidenced by Nielsen ratings which indicate 13 million viewers initially tuned in, but significantly fewer continued watching in the second hour. They elucidate that after an animated segment featuring Boba Fett at the end of the first hour, many viewers chose not to continue with the special.

The special has bec ...

George Lucas' relationship with the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special" is complex and marked by his attempts to distance himself from it.

Lucas' limited involvement yet evidence of input

The narrative strongly suggests that Lucas was not deeply involved in the day-to-day creation of the special, delegating much of the work to a team of experienced TV professionals. However, contrary evidence highlights that Lucas was not as disconnected from the production as he later claimed.

Assertions of hands-off approach contradicted

George Lucas was working on "Empire Strikes Back" during the holiday special's production and had little awareness of the progression of the special's production until it aired, fitting his then-style of being hands-off. Yet, discrepancies in his own accounts raise questions about his extent of involvement. In a 2005 interview, Lucas stated that the special didn't have much to do with him, and he barely recalled which network aired it or who produced it. This contrasts with his 1987 comments where he mentioned the potential release of the special on video cassette and a 2007 contemplation to include it as a DVD bonus.

Lucas' disapproval and the special's persistence

Active displeasure toward the special

Despite his hands-off claim, it's evident that Lucas knew more about the special than he lets on and has expressed strong distaste for it over the years. He showed his disapprov ...