# First time Star Wars was on broadcast TV. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103 "2018-12-14T05:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/1 "2018-12-14T05:00:47Z")
As Star Wars post number 87,943, I’m hoping this one hasn’t been covered yet. Anyone remember the first time Star Wars aired on broadcast TV? It was on CBS and they made a major event out if it, during commercial breaks showing interview snippets from cast members and fans, some who talked about seeing the original dozens or hundreds of times in the theater. (The fans, not the actors.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/2 "2018-12-14T05:04:40Z")
It was the first movie shown on Pay TV in Canada, too. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/3 "2018-12-14T05:29:01Z")
yep I remember that it was on a Saturday night ….then around xmas nbc had esb in much of the same manner but I dont think rotj was ever shown ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/4 "2018-12-14T05:57:06Z")
I believe the first American broadcast network of\*\* Star Wars\*\* was in February 1984 on CBS. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/5 "2018-12-14T06:19:00Z")
I don’t remember if it was the first broadcast, but I remember being able to stay up until the first commercial break. I seem to recall only watching up to Luke staring at the twin suns. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/6 "2018-12-14T17:01:40Z")
We taped it! Us kids must have watched it 500 times. I haven’t seen that recording in 30+ years but remember some clips with Mark Hamill and a commercial for a C3PO breakfast cereal (C3POs?). The cassette is probably still at my parents. I should get it digitized. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/7 "2018-12-14T17:18:30Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > We taped it! > Us kids must have watched it 500 times. Who shot first? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/8 "2018-12-14T17:38:11Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Who shot first? Han, by G-d. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/9 "2018-12-14T18:31:34Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > The cassette is probably still at my parents. > I should get it digitized. Yeah, you should. If nobody else has already done it, those commercial segments would be really interesting to see again. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/10 "2018-12-14T19:03:49Z")
I think the first time I saw Star Wars was from that broadcast, I wasn’t living in the US at that time and someone who had recorded it brought it over. I vaguely remember that there were commercials, but I think I we fast forwarded through those. //i\ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/11 "2018-12-14T19:10:04Z")
We also taped a TV broadcast, but it was after 1984. USA network on cable(does that even exist anymore) aired all three all the time. It was our source of a VHS version for a long time and we wore those tapes out. It’s how many people grew up with it. Fond memories, really. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/12 "2018-12-14T20:58:24Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > We also taped a TV broadcast, but it was after 1984. USA network on cable(does that even exist anymore) aired all three all the time. > > It was our source of a VHS version for a long time and we wore those tapes out. It’s how many people grew up with it. > > Fond memories, really. Yup, [USA](https://www.usanetwork.com/) is still around. While a lot of their programming is reality shows and NCIS re-runs, they’re the home of a couple of well-regarded original series, including Mr. Robot and Suits (and, previously, Psych and Monk). I had a similar VHS tape of all three SW films, though I recorded it from HBO, so I didn’t have to deal with the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/13 "2018-12-14T23:54:32Z")
It was a huge deal when it first aired on HBO too. I remember my Mom let me stay home from school to watch a 9 am showing that they did before the “official” one that night. ETA: it may have been Showtime not HBO. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-time-star-wars-was-on-broadcast-tv/826103/14 "2018-12-15T01:36:10Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yup, [USA](https://www.usanetwork.com/) is still around. While a lot of their programming is reality shows and NCIS re-runs, they’re the home of a couple of well-regarded original series, including Mr. Robot and Suits (and, previously, Psych and Monk). They’re showing _It’s A Wonderful Life_ tonight, for fans of that movie.