The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
November 17, 1978Release Date
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
November 17, 1978Release Date
Plot.
Where to Watch.
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Peter Mayhew
Chewbacca
Mark Hamill
Luke Skywalker
Carrie Fisher
Princess Leia Organa
Harrison Ford
Han Solo
Paul Gale
Itchy
Anthony Daniels
C-3PO
James Earl Jones
Darth Vader (voice)
Bea Arthur
Ackmena
Art Carney
Saun Dann
Paul Kantner
Holographic Band Member
Diahann Carroll
Mermeia Holographic Wow
David Freiberg
Holographic Band Singer
Marty Balin
Holographic Band Singer
Craig Chaquico
Holographic Band Member
John Barbata
Holographic Band Member
Harvey Korman
Krelman / Chef Gormaanda / Amorphian instructor
Mickey Morton
Malla
Paul Gale
Itchy
Patty Maloney
Lumpy
Jack Rader
Imperial Guard Officer
Stephanie Stromer
The Great Zorbak (Holographic Gymnast)
Michael Potter
Imperial Guard Officer
Wazzan Troupe
Holographic Tumblers
Yûichi Sugiyama
Ringleader
Claude Woolman
Imperial Officer (wallscreen)
Lev Mailer
Imperial Guard #1
David Prowse
Darth Vader
Don Francks
Boba Fett (voice) (uncredited)
Alec Guinness
Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mary Ann Hay
Dancer (uncredited)
Linda Hoxit
Teenage 'Wookie' (uncredited)
Steve Binder
Director
Gary Smith
Executive Producer
Mitzie Welch
Producer / Writer
Joe Layton
Producer
Jeff Starsh
Producer
Pat Proft
Writer
Rod Warren
Writer
Ian Fraser
Music
Leonard Ripps
Writer
Bruce Vilanch
Writer
Ken Welch
Producer
Dwight Hemion
Executive Producer
Brian Bartholomew
Art Direction
Garrett Lewis
Set Decoration
Bob Mackie
Costume Design
Verne Langdon
Makeup Artist
Michael Lorenz
Makeup Artist
Media.
Details.
Release DateNovember 17, 1978
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 37m
Content RatingPG
Genres
Wiki.
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special that originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. It is set in the universe of the sci-fi-based Star Wars media franchise. Directed by Steve Binder, it was the first Star Wars spin-off film, set between the events of the original film and the then-unreleased sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980). It stars the main cast of the original Star Wars and introduces the character of Boba Fett, who appeared in later films.
In the storyline that ties the special together, following the events of the original film, Chewbacca and Han Solo attempt to visit the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk to celebrate "Life Day". They are pursued by agents of the Galactic Empire, who are searching for members of the Rebel Alliance on the planet. The special introduces three members of Chewbacca's family: his father Itchy, his wife Malla, and his son Lumpy.
The program also features the rest of the main Star Wars characters, including Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, all portrayed by the original cast (except R2-D2, who is simply billed as "himself"). The program includes footage from the 1977 film and a cartoon produced by Toronto-based Nelvana featuring the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Scenes take place in space and in spacecraft including the Millennium Falcon and a Star Destroyer; segments also take place in a few other locales such as the Mos Eisley cantina from the original film.
The special was extremely poorly received, and has never been rebroadcast nor officially released on home video. It has become something of a cultural legend due to the underground quality of its existence. It has been viewed and distributed in off-air recordings made from its original telecast by fans as bootleg copies, and it has also been uploaded to content-sharing websites. In contrast, the animated segment that introduced Boba Fett was positively received and, in 2021, was released on Disney+.