# The Star Wars Two Hour Holiday Special (1978) In 5 Minutes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953 "2007-12-22T19:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/1 "2007-12-22T19:01:26Z")
Thanks to the following article and link on MSNBC: "The “Star Wars” gang, Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship, “The Star Wars Holiday Special” [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asnVcbWQ2cg) I had heard tell of this not-available-on-video debacle for years, but I’d never gotten to see if for myself until YouTube came along. What’s more, some guys from the sketch comedy group Late Night Explosion were nice enough to edit the entire two-hour special into a five-minute best-of sizzle reel that fits nicely into any Christmas stocking. It’s hard to say who were the biggest Christmas opportunists here because everyone involved likes to act like it never happened. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas has since been quoted as saying, “That’s one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it.” One of the show’s writers, Bruce Vilanch, remembers Lucas being more hands on: “It was between ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and George Lucas wanted to keep the flame alive,” the former “Hollywood Square” told the Combustible Celluloid Web site. “He pulled the story out of the vault… and the Wookiees were the central characters. Unfortunately, all the Wookiees can’t speak, so they’re tough to write for. So I said, ‘Well, we have to load this up with stars who sing and dance and do shtick to cover up that the story is about these walking carpets.’” And boy, did they. Jefferson Starship does a number and Carrie Fisher brings it home a ballad about “Life Day.” My favorite musical moment comes courtesy of Bea Arthur who plays a barmaid at the Cantina on Tatooine and sings “Goodnight, But Not Goodbye” to a roomful of boozed-up aliens. “I was asked to be in it by the composer of that song,” Arthur later told the Portland Mercury. “I had no idea it was even a part of the whole ‘Star Wars’ thing. I just remember singing to a bunch of people with funny heads.” God, I miss the ’70s." I was living in Europe when this was originally broadcast - and rarely have I been so happy to be so far away from an American television set. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/2 "2007-12-22T19:18:41Z")
I watched this for the first time just last night! Rifftrax came out with a riff for it, so we watched it with commentary, which made it bearable (but just barely). Now, I love bad movies–but this may be the worst television thing ever. It’s not hilariously bad except in places; it’s mostly boringly, painfully bad. But I recommend the Rifftrax, because that makes it better! ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/3 "2007-12-23T00:21:06Z")
I got a bootleg copy at a convention maybe fifteen years ago…and I still feel the dirt. Man that was hideous. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/4 "2007-12-23T13:20:59Z")
Fisher doesn’t so much “bring it home” as she does “stagger around on stage, stoned out of her gourd”. And, she was. She has admitted this in the past. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/5 "2007-12-23T13:50:21Z")
Mark Hamill looking like he’s been taking make-up lessons from Tammy Faye… Harrison Ford reduced to hugging Wookies… Carrie Fischer smiling the sweet sweet smile of someone who knows she’s too stoned to remember this cr\*p tomorrow… Good times, good times 😃 (And yes, I know Hamill’s make-up is to cover up recent injuries - it does that, but I think the injuries would have looked better!) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/6 "2007-12-23T23:02:22Z")
This makes me both sad and relieved that I have dial-up and can’t really enjoy “The You Tube” program. I going now, to look at Television. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/7 "2007-12-24T01:10:06Z")
I own a bootleg copy of it and forced a viewing upon Troy McClure SF a couple of years ago. I think he’s still insisting I owe him those 2 hours of his life. 😉 The copy I own included a whole mess of commercials from the 70s that was actually pretty awesome and almost made it worth it. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/8 "2007-12-24T01:36:29Z")
[QUOTE=psycat90] The copy I own included a whole mess of commercials from the 70s that was actually pretty awesome and almost made it worth it. [/QUOTE] Based on the RiffTrax description, the bootleg that they based their commentary on also has the commercials still in. I’m guessing there must be one copy that the bootlegs are sourced from with commercials still intact, including a news teaser for tips on how to fight the frizzies (which was later the inspiration for a running gag in a _South Park_ Christmas show). ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/9 "2007-12-24T01:47:05Z")
I should have clarified that post. There weren’t commercials throughout the special, it was cut and spliced, but at the end of the special there were a bunch of commercials for Star Wars toys, action figures, etc. added. They were pretty nifty. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/10 "2007-12-24T02:24:13Z")
I’m afraid. I’m very afraid. Because if something, or someone, doesn’t distract me soon, I’m going to watch this. And I know I’m going to be sad that I did. And the temptation is still growing… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/11 "2007-12-24T03:11:51Z")
Man, they took only the least sucky parts from the original to make that clip! It was almost … not painful. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/12 "2007-12-24T03:37:10Z")
That was almost tolerable. Almost. _gag_ ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/13 "2007-12-24T03:52:21Z")
**Qadgop** , **Ferret Herder** , you’re not helping. You’re giving ammunition to the little suicidal redneck in the back of my mind who does things like telling me that swimming The Channel would be a neat thing to try when drunk on a Normandie beach. Right now, he’s telling me that there’s no way that anything could be as bad as people are talking about. Of course, he told me the same thing about goatse, tubgirl, and lotus breats, too. This time I’m going to win over the bastard, dammit. Stop giving him ammo! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/14 "2007-12-24T04:00:01Z")
Holy crap. That was painful, no almost not about it. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/15 "2007-12-24T05:39:05Z")
Bah! Still to long. Maybe if they redid it starring bunnies. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/16 "2007-12-24T06:25:07Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] Of course, he told me the same thing about \ lotus breats, too. [/QUOTE] Goddamn it! I _had_ to google it. I’ve seen the Holiday special. I described it to several friends who have since expressed a desire to watch it with me some time, and I steadfastly refuse to do so until they get me drunk enough that it sounds like a good idea. Hasn’t happened yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/17 "2007-12-24T12:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] I’m afraid. I’m very afraid. Because if something, or someone, doesn’t distract me soon, I’m going to watch this. And I know I’m going to be sad that I did. And the temptation is still growing… [/QUOTE] Ask yourself one question: [Why would a wookie want to jerk off to Diahann Carroll?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=215821)😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/18 "2007-12-24T13:03:31Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Goddamn it! I _had_ to google it. [/QUOTE] I see that the phenomenon of that suicidal redneck in the back of one’s head is not something that is limited to me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/19 "2007-12-24T13:49:23Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Man, they took only the least sucky parts from the original to make that clip! It was almost … not painful. [/QUOTE] Those were the LEAST sucky parts?! ::shudder:: That was Art Carney, wasn’t it? ::shudder:: And that wookie looked like he had his head up Dianne Carroll’s… ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953/20 "2007-12-24T14:10:59Z")
Yes, it was bad. Even _really_ bad, I’ll grant you. But at least it had Boba Fett! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-star-wars-two-hour-holiday-special-1978-in-5-minutes/430953.md?page=2)