I clearly remember this and how bad it was. Loyal fan that I was, I watched the whole thing. And given the long droughts, see below, between movies for a grade schooler was frustrated it was never aired again. I needed a Star Wars fix even if it was a lousy one.
One thing, however, that needs to be kept in mind, is that in 1978, VCRs had only recently hit the market and Hollywood had yet to release movies on video (and, was, in fact, vigorously attempting to have the recorders banned just as they've done with every advance in recording technology over the last 40 yrs). Shocking as that may seem to those under 30, in those antediluvian days, there was no way to see a movie except in a theater or when it hit Network Movie of the Week night.
Thus, you couldn't simply run out to a store and buy a copy of Star Wars to enjoy at home. And for 7 yr olds having to wait 3 years to see "The Empire Strikes Back" might as well have been 3 decades. (The closest you could get to having a copy of the film was an audio only LP version/8-track tape that was had been heavily edited to fit the time constraints of vinyl. And we played that 8-track until it demagnetized.) So ANY Star Wars related TV show was a God-send. Of course, no one counted on it totally sucking. Which was obvious even to those of us in 3rd grade. (My 4 years old brother was too young to care.) Today, at age 39, I can only laugh when I think about this. I can well-imagine Lucas' embarrassment that this craptastic disaster can't be round-holed.
The thing I've never understood is how he ever allowed it to be broadcast in the first place. Given his famous fastidiousness about tweaking the movies until he gets them "perfect" -- apparently an ever diminishing mirage on the horizon since neither he, nor Spielberg, seem content to leave well-enough alone (see "E.T.").
Did Lucas not bother to screen this thing? It's hard to believe that he did. On the other hand, given some of the absolute garbage he's allowed the Star Wars logo and characters to appear on over the years (merchandise which is estimated to have brought in $13 BILLION and counting and that's NOT adjusted for inflation), maybe this piece of Bantha poodoo is not so surprising after-all.
Still, it would be nice to have a DVD of this, if only for the unintentional hilarity. But Lucas doesn't have much of a sense of humor ("Howard the Duck" anyone?) and the Star Wars franchise has made him a billionaire many times over. Given the fact he's rarely missed an opportunity to capitalize on it, it's more than a little surprising that there hasn't been an official release.
I guess it goes to show that South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker have overestimated Lucas' greed. There are places even the great one won't go to pad his bank account.
One thing, however, that needs to be kept in mind, is that in 1978, VCRs had only recently hit the market and Hollywood had yet to release movies on video (and, was, in fact, vigorously attempting to have the recorders banned just as they've done with every advance in recording technology over the last 40 yrs). Shocking as that may seem to those under 30, in those antediluvian days, there was no way to see a movie except in a theater or when it hit Network Movie of the Week night.
Thus, you couldn't simply run out to a store and buy a copy of Star Wars to enjoy at home. And for 7 yr olds having to wait 3 years to see "The Empire Strikes Back" might as well have been 3 decades. (The closest you could get to having a copy of the film was an audio only LP version/8-track tape that was had been heavily edited to fit the time constraints of vinyl. And we played that 8-track until it demagnetized.) So ANY Star Wars related TV show was a God-send. Of course, no one counted on it totally sucking. Which was obvious even to those of us in 3rd grade. (My 4 years old brother was too young to care.) Today, at age 39, I can only laugh when I think about this. I can well-imagine Lucas' embarrassment that this craptastic disaster can't be round-holed.
The thing I've never understood is how he ever allowed it to be broadcast in the first place. Given his famous fastidiousness about tweaking the movies until he gets them "perfect" -- apparently an ever diminishing mirage on the horizon since neither he, nor Spielberg, seem content to leave well-enough alone (see "E.T.").
Did Lucas not bother to screen this thing? It's hard to believe that he did. On the other hand, given some of the absolute garbage he's allowed the Star Wars logo and characters to appear on over the years (merchandise which is estimated to have brought in $13 BILLION and counting and that's NOT adjusted for inflation), maybe this piece of Bantha poodoo is not so surprising after-all.
Still, it would be nice to have a DVD of this, if only for the unintentional hilarity. But Lucas doesn't have much of a sense of humor ("Howard the Duck" anyone?) and the Star Wars franchise has made him a billionaire many times over. Given the fact he's rarely missed an opportunity to capitalize on it, it's more than a little surprising that there hasn't been an official release.
I guess it goes to show that South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker have overestimated Lucas' greed. There are places even the great one won't go to pad his bank account.