A brief history of the infamously terrible ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’

George Lucas’ “Star Wars” saga stands as the most dominant pop-culture franchise of the last half-century. ​​The space western has permeated virtually every medium, from film and video game to slippers and theme parks. But one piece of “Star Wars” memorabilia is notably absent from the canon: the resoundingly panned, time-immemorially terrible “Star Wars Holiday Special.”

To memorialize that which filmmaker George Lucas has made every effort to erase, Stacker has done the difficult, at-times-unpleasant work of compiling a brief history of the ever-campy, 1978 TV variety show. The special’s plot centers on Chewbacca’s family, awaiting his return to the planet of Kashyyyk. While the family waits, and the Empire stalks the rebels, viewers gain an inside view of Wookiee family life. The (perhaps unintended) high point of the whole fiasco is the short cartoon midway through the special when the world is introduced for the first time to Boba Fett.

Following the staggering, instant success of “Star Wars: A New Hope,” Lucas’ attention and time were elsewhere—notably on work for “The Empire Strikes Back.” While he was looking the other way, production of the TV special went sideways, churning through two directors while Bea Arthur crooned in a cantina, Jefferson Starship performed a reasonably good song about UFOs, and Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill popped in for regrettable cameos. The star power was strong—Harvey Korman features in three roles including one as a Julia Child-inspired alien chef preparing “Bantha Surprise” with his myriad arms—but even that wasn’t enough to save what for all ostensible purposes ought to have been a slam dunk.

The show, which is unavailable for streaming and can not be found on professionally sanctioned DVD or VHS (though you’ll have no trouble finding pirated versions online and as DVDs in their entirety), has served as the butt end of many jokes in the decades since its release. Namely, Carrie Fisher quipped that she put the holiday special on at parties as a way of enticing her guests to leave at the end of the night. Lucas famously attempted (and failed) to destroy all hard evidence of the special’s existence altogether.

Keep reading to discover everything you could possibly ever want to know about the “Star Wars Holiday Special.”

May 25, 1977: ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’ debuts to a stunning, surprising reception

The runaway success of “Star Wars: A New Hope” made Lucas’ brainchild the highest-grossing movie in history, nudging out 1975’s “Jaws” and grossing $775 million. The film wasn’t surpassed until 1982’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” “A New Hope” came complete with a unique lexicon, mythology, and intimidating potential for merchandising.

June 16, 1978: ‘Jaws 2’ released

Small-budget films with quick turnarounds like the James Bond series enjoyed enormous popularity in the ’60s and ’70s, but big-budget franchises and sequels were virtually nonexistent. That changed with “Jaws 2,” which made nearly $200 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. The sequel was the definition of big-budget, exceeding the original “Jaws” budget by more than four times.

July 1978: Lucas funds production of ‘Empire’ with his own money

The first run of “A New Hope” ended July 20, 1978, and was re-released the following day in response to demand. The return engagement netted $10.1 million in three days. Meanwhile, George Lucas was already nearly a year into plans for “Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back.” To retain creative control over the sequel, Lucas funded “Empire” with his own money.

It was a risky move unlike any that had been tried before in movie history—particularly as the budget exceeded “A New Hope” by more than 150%.

1978: Fears mount that ‘Star Wars’ characters won’t hang on

As costs mounted for “Empire,” fears grew that the “Star Wars” universe and its characters wouldn’t maintain a hold on public consciousness long enough for the franchise’s sequel to make a splash in the box office. With little precedent for sequels being promising ventures, ideas began to form for a way to maintain the relevancy of “Star Wars” while gaining new fans in the process.

Summer 1978: CBS pitches a variety hour

Variety shows were among the earliest offerings of television, gaining steam throughout the ’30s and ’40s and enjoying explosive growth during the Golden Age of television. By the ’70s, major networks had canceled many variety shows that appealed to more rural demographics in favor of catering to wealthier parts of society. Most variety shows had ceased production by the end of the decade, which adds to the mystique of why CBS went ahead and pitched Lucas on a variety show centered on the Star Wars universe to be broadcast around the Thanksgiving holiday—and why the famed filmmaker jumped at the opportunity.

Getting “Star Wars” stars and other celebrity household names proved to be a separate challenge: Harrison Ford was particularly difficult to convince; and Bea Arthur, who played the cantina’s bartender, later said she only agreed to participate because her youngest child was a diehard fan of “A New Hope.”

Lucas hands over a simple-if-ill-fated concept

With Lucas preoccupied developing “Empire Strikes Back,” CBS took the reins on production of the “Star Wars Holiday Special.” The caveat would be the death knell for the operation: an insistence by Lucas that the storyline center on Wookiees—namely, Chewbacca’s family. The film creator offered up a six-page treatment for the special.

Lead writer Bruce Vilanch, who later admitted to copious drug use during the screenwriting process, objected to focusing entirely on creatures who grunt unintelligibly without subtitles. Lucas was apparently firm, and the storyline moved forward.

A chaotic production ensues

Director David Acomba made it through a small handful of titular scenes—including the cantina and Jefferson Starship’s performance—before departing the production and being replaced by Steve Binder.

Mayhem on set was second nature—from characters passing out during the cantina scene due to lack of oxygen inside the masks and Mark Hamill having to wear almost comical makeup to disguise scars from his recent car accident to an entire scene in which Chewbacca’s father, Itchy (Paul Gale), watches—on primetime TV the week before Thanksgiving, no less—a holographic adult film.

Nov. 17, 1978: ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ premieres

With a plot full of holes and a handful of celebrities begrudgingly taking part, the “Star Wars Holiday Special” made its debut. For his part, Lucas was mortified and successfully halted the show’s broadcast in most territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. At one Star Wars convention, Lucas famously said, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.”

Ratings nosedive halfway through

The “Star Wars Holiday Special” drew in roughly 13 million viewers nationwide, failing to rate among Nielsen’s Top 10 for the night and losing out to shows including “The Love Boat” and a Pearl Harbor miniseries called “Pearl.” Nielsen data further shows that the largely plotless special hemorrhaged ratings about an hour into the show and immediately following Boba Fett’s debut.

The show was never rebroadcast.

Decades later, the special is the stuff of legend

For all of Lucas’ attempts to buy and destroy every master copy of the production, and the ongoing embarrassment of almost every actor who took part in the production, nothing could stop the “Star Wars Holiday Special” from living on in infamy.

Modern-day plugs—from podcasts like “Stuff You Should Know” to Disney+’s adoption of “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” interlude cartoon featuring Boba Fett—have contributed to enshrining the “Star Wars Holiday Special” into our cultural fabric. Interviews with cast members have only added to the intrigue: In 2006 as a guest on “Conan O’Brien,” Harrison Ford claimed to have never seen the special and wouldn’t admit it ever happened.

Meanwhile, “The Empire Strikes Back” was released May 21, 1980; it stands as the 11th-most successful of the “Star Wars” movies.

#1 summer movie the year you graduated high school

Movies have been a defining part of the summer experience for several decades now, with the modern summer blockbuster pioneered by Steven Spielberg in 1975. With his seminal summer horror film “Jaws,” Spielberg changed the filmmaking landscape. Though prosperous, Hollywood had still been in something of a transitional period following the studio system and Hollywood’s Golden Age. But after “Jaws” and the introduction of the “movie brats,” a core group of emerging American directors including Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Brian De Palma, and Francis Ford Coppola, the American film industry entered an exciting era defined by ambition, creativity, and soaring box office sales.

Summer is an exciting time in Hollywood, when big-budget movies with wide appeal are often released. It means school’s out, and viewers can frequent the theater chains in droves. This summer is an especially critical one for the movie industry. COVID-19 is no longer a global emergency. Now’s the time for these planned blockbuster movies to show their mettle. If revenues clear $4 billion in domestic box offices, Hollywood can officially claim a return to a pre-pandemic normal.

Do you remember the film that defined the last summer of your high school years? Stacker compiled Box Office Mojo data on summer movies dating back to 1975 and listed the #1 film at the box office for each summer, defined as the first Friday in May through Labor Day weekend. Check out our list to see which iconic film took over the box office the summer you graduated.

1975: Jaws

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $391,037,321
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $69,725,376
– Box office share in calendar year: data not available

A New England tourist town becomes tormented by the presence of a bloodthirsty shark. The sheriff wants the beaches closed, but the mayor fears the loss of revenue, so it’s up to a marine biologist and an old ship captain to rid the town of the beast for good. “Jaws” had a notoriously troubled production, in part because it was the first major film to be shot on location on the ocean.

1976: The Omen

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $323,119,814
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $60,922,980
– Box office share in calendar year: data not available

There’s something not quite right about Damien, adopted by an American diplomat and his wife after the stillborn death of their baby. A prescient warning from a priest and a series of deaths sends Robert Thorn down a rabbit hole to figure out whether he adopted the Antichrist. “The Omen” spawned a horror franchise that includes three sequels and a 2006 remake, with a prequel currently in development.

1977: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $627,424,546
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $125,989,616
– Box office share in calendar year: data not available

The first film in George Lucas’s epic trilogy introduces us to hero Luke Skywalker, who must team up with a cocky pilot, his hairy sidekick, and two droids in order to save Princess Leia and the entire galaxy from the evil Darth Vader. Due to troubled production and budgetary issues, many who worked on the film, including Lucas himself, believed it would be a failure.

1978: Grease

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $740,263,410
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $159,978,870
– Box office share in calendar year: data not available

Good girl Sandy Olsson has a romantic summer fling with greaser Danny Zuko after she transfers to America from Australia. And while opposites attract, the two high school kids’ dueling cliques would rather see the lovers torn apart. The popular musical starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta spawned a sequel as well as a prequel series currently airing on Paramount+.

1979: The Amityville Horror

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $359,441,846
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $86,432,000
– Box office share in calendar year: 15.6%

Something horrible happened in the Amityville house, and now it’s coming for father George Lutz and his entire family. It turns out the home was the site of a brutal massacre as well as once the home of a Satanist. The film’s score composed by Lalo Schifrin was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

1980: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $563,901,886
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $153,961,603
– Box office share in calendar year: 22.7%

In this thrilling sequel to “A New Hope,” intrepid jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker must journey to the planet Dagobah to learn the ways of the Force from Master Yoda. Meanwhile, the Force’s dark side pulls him into a climactic lightsaber battle with Darth Vader. For this second film in the original trilogy, Lucas handed the directing reins over to Irvin Kershner, who also directed the John Carpenter-penned “The Eyes of Laura Mars” and “RoboCop 2.”

1981: Superman II

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $359,154,650
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $108,185,706
– Box office share in calendar year: 15.7%

While saving the world from a terrorist plot, Superman accidentally frees the Kryptonian villain General Zod and his henchmen — and they’re headed straight to earth. Superman must rise to the occasion, even after deciding to hang up his cape in favor of a normal life. “Superman II” screenwriter Mario Puzo may be better known as the author and Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” and the two films’ eponymous source novel.

1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $746,445,461
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $238,646,109
– Box office share in calendar year: 18.4%

Stranded on earth, the gentle alien E.T. befriends a young boy and his siblings. But when E.T. falls ill and the government catches wind of his existence, it’s a race to get E.T. on the first spaceship back to his home planet. “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” was only the second feature film role for a very young Drew Barrymore.

1983: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $700,395,952
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $231,117,020
– Box office share in calendar year: 17.9%

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of Jedi Luke Skywalker, who must fight against the cruel Jabba the Hut and his own father: the evil Darth Vader. His friends in the Rebel Alliance, including Princess Leia and Han Solo, battle against the Galactic Empire on the forest planet of Endor. While Richard Marquand directed the film, Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg, and David Lynch were all considered.

1984: Ghostbusters

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $546,428,253
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $188,058,969
– Box office share in calendar year: 13.2%

“Who you gonna call?” This is the classic film where a group of ex-university professors in New York City team up to fight a scourge more maddening than rats or cockroaches: supernatural forces. But when they accidentally come upon a portal to another dimension, the Ghostbusters are forced to save the entire city.

1985: Rambo: First Blood Part II

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $407,966,358
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $145,393,330
– Box office share in calendar year: 11.1%

This sequel to the iconic film sees John Rambo in jail when he’s offered a way out by his former boss. If he travels to Vietnam and finds American POWs, his criminal record will be cleared, but everything changes when the woman he loves is killed by American forces. The director George P. Cosmatos also directed the acclaimed Western “Tombstone.”

1986: Top Gun

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $357,342,120
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $129,766,727
– Box office share in calendar year: 10.6%

Hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is sent to the Fighter Weapons School, where his cocky attitude and recklessness create problems with the other students. As Maverick competes to be the best fighter pilot in his class, he also fights for the love of his instructor, Charlotte Blackwood. The film’s appeal is so long-lived that 2022’s sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” ended up outperforming the original film at the box office.

1987: Beverly Hills Cop II

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $408,217,214
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $153,665,036
– Box office share in calendar year: 10.7%

Everyone’s favorite Detroit cop, Axel Foley, returns to L.A. in this hilarious sequel with a brand-new case to crack. Foley is tasked with pinning down a series of robberies dubbed the “alphabet crimes,” which leads him to an illegal weapons dealer. “Beverly Hills Cop II” received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for the song “Shakedown.”

1988: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $329,557,605
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $129,121,385
– Box office share in calendar year: 8.7%

When private eye Eddie Valiant is hired to scope out a potential cheating scandal, Valiant finds the alleged other man dead, and the finger is being pointed at the husband: star toon Roger Rabbit. Valiant is then tasked with bridging the worlds of toons and humans to find the man’s real killer and clear Roger’s name. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” received four Academy Awards: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and a Special Achievement Award.

1989: Batman

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $580,832,988
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $238,559,567
– Box office share in calendar year: 13%

Tim Burton’s classic take on the Caped Crusader sees the city of Gotham besieged by a grinning madman known only as “The Joker,” who takes full control of Gotham’s criminal underworld. In this new evil, Batman finds his greatest opponent and must save the city while concealing his true identity and protecting the woman he loves. Before Michael Keaton was eventually cast as Batman, a number of actors were considered for the role, including Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Tom Selleck, Charlie Sheen, and Harrison Ford.

1990: Ghost

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $281,466,635
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $121,842,426
– Box office share in calendar year: 6.9%

When a banker is unknowingly double-crossed by his corrupt friend and murdered over a dubious business deal, he becomes a spirit in between planes of existence. But while he’s dead, he discovers what happened to him, and he seeks help from a psychic to get justice and protect his lover. “Ghost” was directed by Jerry Zucker of the Zucker Brothers comedy directing duo, who along with Jim Abrahams was responsible for such classics as “Airplane!” and “Top Secret!”

1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $405,852,493
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $183,122,792
– Box office share in calendar year: 10.8%

Eleven years after the events of the first “Terminator” film, young John Connor becomes the target of a killer T-1000 robot that’s been sent from the future. But another robot from the future, a T-800, has been sent to protect him, and Connor, alongside the robot and his mother, must go on the run in order to save humanity from a robot uprising. “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” earned four wins at the 64th Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Sound, and Best Makeup.

1992: Batman Returns

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $343,221,979
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $159,559,854
– Box office share in calendar year: 9.3%

In this sequel to Tim Burton’s classic take on Batman, the Dark Knight returns as Gotham finds itself overtaken by a mutant, sewer-dwelling man known as “The Penguin” and his goons. The Penguin has teamed up with corrupt businessman Max Shreck to get rid of the Bat once and for all, accompanied by Shreck’s former assistant-turned-Catwoman, Selina Kyle. After the box office failure of “Batman Returns,” Burton was replaced with Joel Schumacher, but Schumacher’s two “Batman” films fared far worse.

1993: Jurassic Park

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $661,525,662
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $316,609,010
– Box office share in calendar year: 15.2%

Billionaire John Hammond has cracked the code for bringing dinosaurs back to life and decides to create a new kind of zoo to show them off to paying customers. Disaster, of course, ensues. A paleontologist, a paleobotanist, and a mathematician must keep people safe in the facility after an accident forces Hammond to learn just what happens when you play God. “Jurassic Park” employed groundbreaking fusions of CGI and animatronics to literally bring prehistoric creatures to life.

1994: The Lion King

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $531,457,560
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $260,978,278
– Box office share in calendar year: 12.1%

Young lion cub Simba is next in line for his father’s throne, but King Mufasa’s malicious brother, Scar, has other plans. After luring both Mufasa and Simba to a stampede of wildebeests, only Simba makes it out alive, and he eventually must journey home to take back his kingdom. Timon and Pumbaa voice actors Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella were starring together in “Guys and Dolls” on Broadway and initially wanted to play hyenas together, but they had such good comedic chemistry it was decided they were better as the meerkat and warthog team.

1995: Batman Forever

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $358,884,387
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $181,180,518
– Box office share in calendar year: 8.3%

With Val Kilmer taking over from Michael Keaton, Batman returns for this third sequel to take on two new villains: The Riddler and Two-Face, whom he must defeat with the help of his trusty new sidekick, Robin. In addition to Kilmer, “Batman Forever” boasts a star-studded cast, including Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, and Drew Barrymore.

1996: Independence Day

– Inflation-adjusted domestic gross: $542,549,057
– Unadjusted domestic gross: $281,937,276
– Box office share in calendar year: 12.4%

A group of disparate people seemingly connected by fate are what stands between the Earth and total annihilation by an alien insurgence. With millions already killed and the rest of the world at stake, a counterattack is planned for the Fourth of July. In 2016, a sequel to “Independence Day” was released, titled “Independence Day: Resurgence,” and director Roland Emmerich would like to continue the series as a franchise.

Netflix

March arrived quietly and then detonated. Over the past two weeks, Netflix dropped a long-awaited Peaky Blinders film, a second season of the best live-action anime adaptation in years, a Rachel Weisz limited series, and a Bob Odenkirk action sequel — plus a Duffer Brothers horror show landing Thursday. If your watchlist hasn’t been touched since January, this is the weekend to fix that.

Here are ten things on Netflix right now worth your time.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Netflix

Film | Dropped March 20

Four years after the series finale, Tommy Shelby is back. It’s WWII now, which means the stakes got considerably higher than Birmingham gang turf wars. Cillian Murphy, fresh off his Oscar for Oppenheimer, returns to the role that made him a household name. Creator Steven Knight wrote the film specifically as a cinematic continuation, not a cash-grab epilogue. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 92% rating based on 71 reviews (at the time of writing). It dropped today, which means you can watch it before anyone spoils it.

ONE PIECE Season 2

Netflix

Series | Dropped March 10

In its first four days, the show pulled 16.8 million views, reaching number one in 43 countries. Critics handed it a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, a major jump from Season 1’s 84%, and on Metacritic it sits at 80/100, on par with prestige titles like The White Lotus. Season 2 picks up with Luffy and the Straw Hats heading into more dangerous waters, and critics are calling it bigger and better than the first. If you haven’t started Season 1 yet, that’s good news: you have a whole weekend’s worth of TV ahead of you.

Vladimir 

Netflix

Limited Series | Dropped March 5

Rachel Weisz plays a college professor who becomes dangerously fixated on a younger colleague, and the whole thing unravels from there. Based on Julia May Jonas’s acclaimed novel, it’s sharp, uncomfortable, and intentionally provocative. The kind of limited series that exists specifically to make you argue about it afterward. Weisz is essentially a one-woman reason to watch anything she touches.

Nobody 2 

Netflix

Film | New to Netflix

Bob Odenkirk as an ex-assassin is still one of the more delightful premises in recent action cinema, and the sequel delivers more of it. It holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an 88% audience score. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is, which is exactly why it works.

Anatomy of a Fall 

Netflix

Film | New to Netflix

If you skipped this during its Oscar run, you made a mistake, and now you can correct it. On Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10, and the consensus calls it “a smart, solidly crafted procedural anchored in family drama, with star Sandra Hüller and director Justine Triet operating at peak power.” One of the best films of the decade so far, now finally streamable.

Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole

Netflix

Series | New Episodes Weekly

For the Scandi-crime crowd, this is the adaptation they’ve been waiting for. Harry Hole is one of crime fiction’s great antiheroes, a brilliant, tormented homicide detective going head-to-head with a corrupt colleague while hunting a serial killer. If The Snowman left a bad taste (it did, for everyone), this is the version of Jo Nesbø done right.

War Machine

Netflix

Film | Dropped March 6

Alan Ritchson fights a giant robot. That’s the pitch. It’s currently sitting at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics agreeing it’s a fun popcorn movie that delivers exactly what it promises. Sometimes that’s exactly what a Saturday afternoon calls for.

Virgin River Season 7 

Netflix

Series | Dropped March 12

It’s Netflix’s longest-running original series now, which is a fact that should tell you something. Season 7 debuted at No. 2 on the US chart and No. 3 globally, with Mel and Jack navigating newlywed life while the mystery of Charmaine’s disappearance pulls the town back into chaos. Not every weekend needs prestige cinema. Sometimes it needs 10 episodes of small-town drama in a place that looks like it was designed by someone who really loves rain and flannel. This is that show.

The Dinosaurs

Netflix

Limited Documentary Series | Dropped March 6

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, made by the Our Planet team, covering 150 million years of prehistoric life. It functions as ambient television that occasionally stops you mid-scroll to actually watch. Good for Sunday morning. Good for any morning, honestly.

The Plastic Detox 

Netflix

Documentary | Dropped March 16

This documentary follows six couples who embark on a plastic detox within their homes, examining what microplastics are doing to our health, from hormone disruption fueling a worldwide fertility crisis to increasing rates of cancer, early heart attack, and stroke. Directed by Louie Psihoyos, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind The Cove. You will look at a water bottle differently by the time it’s over. Whether that’s a good reason to watch or a reason to avoid it entirely is between you and your anxiety.