What would happen if you took the single most important and influential pop culture phenomenon of the 1970's—'Star Wars'—and married it with the most shameful and embarrassing TV genre of the same decade—the variety show? The answer is 'The Star Wars Holiday Special', a two-hour long mistake that actually manages to be worse than its legendary reputation.
Awful skits and musical numbers make up half of the show, while the framing device—Chewie's family dealing with everything from Art Carney to Imperial officers—make up the rest. It's equal parts sad and embarrassing to watch pros like Carney, Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman helplessly swimming against the current of awful material they're given. Original Star Warriors Ford, Fisher and Hamill don't fare much better as they half heartedly reprise their iconic roles. Only the brief animated segment, featuring the debut of Boba Fett, is worthwhile.
Some things are so bad that they're good. 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' is an instance where bad really is just bad.
Awful skits and musical numbers make up half of the show, while the framing device—Chewie's family dealing with everything from Art Carney to Imperial officers—make up the rest. It's equal parts sad and embarrassing to watch pros like Carney, Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman helplessly swimming against the current of awful material they're given. Original Star Warriors Ford, Fisher and Hamill don't fare much better as they half heartedly reprise their iconic roles. Only the brief animated segment, featuring the debut of Boba Fett, is worthwhile.
Some things are so bad that they're good. 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' is an instance where bad really is just bad.