More Than a Cult Classic: Remembering the ‘Star Wars Holiday Special'

MSN ^ | 5/4 | Paul Rose Jr.

[nickcarraway]

I was there. Sitting in my living room, waiting, tuned in to CBS on November 17, 1978. No Love Boat, Lou Ferrigno or Lynda Carter tonight – tonight was reserved for (epic trailer voice:) The Star Wars Holiday Special.

I clicked the TV dial all the way over to WHIO and sat down on the couch. On screen, they announced that the Incredible Hulk wouldn't be airing tonight and as the word SPECIAL spun around into multi-colors, the lights went down and the Millennium Falcon flew away from a dingy brown planet that looked a lot like Tatooine, its engines deafening.

Of course, the lights didn't go dim, and my parents had maybe a 24" tube TV with built-in speakers that crackled if you turned it up to loud. But I didn't care – I was returning to a galaxy far, far away.

[Army Air Corps]

I saw Hardware Wars when I was a kid, and I laughed so much that I cried. Chewchilla still makes me laugh.

[BradyLS]

That’s irony for you. Even if you saw it, you missed it.

[SamAdams76]

I remember watching that as a 16-year-old.

There was also a Star Wars themed Christmas album that was put out a couple of years later that featured a song called "What Can You Get A Wookie For Christmas (When He Already Has A Comb)?" by The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale.

It was a smash hit and all the radio stations played it during the Christmas season of 1980, once they were tired of playing John Lennon songs (he was shot earlier that month).

The lead singer of that song was none other than Jon Bon Jovi, his first professional recording.

Here is the song:

"What Can You Get A Wookie For Christmas (When He Already Has A Comb)?"

An absolute Christmas classic that should be in everybody's collection.

[Army Air Corps]

I try to watch it every year just for a good laugh.

[WoofDog123]

i was 6 or 7. absolutely taken by star wars. saw the ads for this special, so obviously I watched it.

and was very confused. not much of the stars, not much action, a weird cooking scene, a much weirder (later I understood borderline soft-porn) scene, and the a little action.

folks who haven’t seen it should, just to see how bad an IP could be mangled. it out-does Highlander II by a long way.

[WoofDog123]

I believe Lucas is on record supporting hardware wars, describing it as his favorite parody.

He openly supported MAD Magazine’s empire strikes out parody. They even published a letter from him, which at the time I assumed had to be a joke, but it was real.

whatever lucas’ faults, he had no trouble laughing at himself.

the holiday special was not something anyone laughed about in a good way.

[Theophilus]

Trust the Farce!

[Fresh Wind]

That’s hilarious! Thanks for the link!

[dirtymac]

My sincere apology. Thought you were a troll. There are so many of them around here.

Trouble with getting older is the loss visual acuity for small things like periods, etc.

[DCBryan1]

Ha...I turned 50....Sams/WalMart 125 glasses ain’t cuttin’.

THanks FRiend. ....and trust me, ask Laz, I can be an ass too....most of the time.

[dirtymac]

Just turned 75 on the 4th, 225 at Walmart just to read

Stay well, friend and stay away from sugar at all cost and most cards. Killers