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It was the most extremely anticipated consequence of 1978 . It promised a new Star Wars story indite by George Lucas and several new characters , with a few melodious Book of Numbers thrown in for merriment . When 13 million hoi polloi thirstily tuned into CBS to watchThe Star Wars Holiday Specialthe Friday before Thanksgiving , they were shock - but not in a good style ! It has live on in infamy ever since .
Despite having " Episode IV 1/2 " above its title crawling , take a leak it a canonical gain to the Skywalker saga , it manifest more as a variety show than a Star Wars adventure . It focused on Chewbacca and his category celebrating Life Day , a Wookiee holiday for giving thanks , with visits from the original cast , Imperial patrol , bizarre new aliens , and Bea Arthur . For decade , The Star Wars Holiday Specialexisted only in bootlegged VHS copies , but thanks to the genius of the cyberspace , you may find high - caliber copies of it uncommitted on Youtube . Lets see if you ’re an uber fan with 10 thing you did n’t know aboutThe Star Wars Holiday Special .
IT WAS AN UNUSED PLOT GEORGE LUCAS ALREADY WROTE
The bill of exchange for the originalStar Warswent through several different adaptations before George Lucas settle on the story interview got in 1977 . Something that was cut from the secret plan was a tale Lucas had thought up in 1973 , involving the major planet of Kashyyyk and a family of wookiees .
In this adaptation , the tarradiddle of Luke , Han , and Leia taking on the Evil Empire as part of the Rebel Alliance was being told to a Wookiee child by its parents . finally the child , known as Chewbacca ’s son Lumpy , would wander aside from home force his famous furry father to find him in clock time for Life Day aka Wookiee Christmas .
THE TRADER WAS ALMOST LANDO
In Lucas ’s former draft ofStar Wars , a character reference like Lando Calrissian already existed . finally , when he realized the story was too large to be hold in one picture , he wroteThe Empire Strikes Backand Lando was introduced in that film , but he was based on the loquacious dealer we see inThe Star Wars Holiday Special .
He was mean to have a good heart , but ever watchful for mode to make a buck , including gambling . Some of these trait were later pass on to Lando who , before his days as an administrator of Cloud City , was a moon-curser partnering with Han Solo .
JAMES EARL JONES FINALLY GOT CREDIT FOR VOICING VADER
There have been rumors for some clock time that James Earl Jones did n’t want any deferred payment for voicing Darth Vader inStar Wars , feeling that it would take away respect for the animalism of David Prowse ’s performancein Vader ’s costume . If you look for his name in the destruction credits of the 1977 film , you wo n’t see his name bring up anywhere .
He did finally meet a CRT screen credit however for lending his booming baritone horn toThe Star Wars Holiday Special . It marks the first clip he was recognized for his share to the Star Wars Universe , which continue inThe Empire Strikes Back .
IT WAS THE DEBUT OF BOBA FETT
Casual Star Wars fans may believe that the bounty Orion Boba Fett first appeared inThe Empire Strikes Back , but his debut in the Star Wars Universe was actually inThe Star Wars Holiday Special . He appears specifically in the special ’s only liven succession .
Initially , Boba Fett ’s Mandalorian armor was going to resemble the black and ashen color scheme of regal stormtroopers , but Lucas later on decided on a multi - colored look , especially given that he would be appearing in a very colorful animated dowry of the show .
IT CONTAINS A WEAPON FROM THE MANDALORIAN
Jon Favreau hasincluded all sorts of Easter Eggs for Star Wars fansin his unbelievably popular seriesThe Mandalorian . The larger-than-life space westerly , exclusively available on Disney+ , postdate a lone Mandalorian in the Outer Rim several year afterReturn of the Jedi .
One of the main weapons the Mandalorian uses in the serial will look intimate to Star Wars fan that commemorate the animated chronological sequence involve Boba Fett . The forked Amban sniper rifle is utilized as both a long reach weapon , a combat weapon , and as a way to listen in on conversation . There ’s even a mention of " Life Day " in the first episode !
THE CANTINA BAND MEMBERS ALMOST PASSED OUT
For the unexpected and raucous musical sequence in the Mos Eisley cantina , the band fromStar Warswas rounded up to perform . Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes , the bald-pated - headed Bithsfrom the film once again played " insane About Me , " over and over again .
With the silicone polymer masks and the gloves on the musicians as they played , a full day of shot was hard work . This meant that the musicians were prostrate to feel so lightsome head and woozy that an oxygen armored combat vehicle needed to be passed around between takes to prevent them from passing out .
KENNY BAKER WASN’T INSIDE R2-D2
Though Kenny Baker had famously fit himself inside the R2 - D2 costume inStar Warsand brought life to the plucky astromech droid , he was n’t inside the R2 - D2 that appeared inThe Star Wars Holiday Special . or else , R2 - D2 was played by a member of the airscrew work party using a outback controller .
The budget for the special was notoriously downcast , as certify by the State Department of the sets , the costume , and the amount of matte paintings that stand up in for locating . astonishingly , they were still able to get Han , Leia , Luke , C-3PO and Chewie to be played by the original cast , despite their distrust about the abysmal script .
CARRIE FISHER AGREED TO DO THE SPECIAL IF SHE COULD SING
Think that the idea for Princess Leia to sing was just the midi - chlorians mold some inventive writer?Carrie Fisher herselfinsisted that she be earmark to sing somewhere inThe Star Wars Holiday Special , so the hymn " A Day To Celebrate " was written for her .
While Fisher ’s singing is an unexpected high spot of the particular , you may cringe when you realize the melody that the lyric poem go to . Yes , that ’s the Star Wars main theme vocal by John Williams , but instead of a triumphant Mar , it ’s a slushy Life Day Christmas carol .
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ANNUAL EVENT
In the dialogue with George Lucas and twentieth Century Fox , CBS decided ahead of its 1978 vent thatThe Star Wars Holiday Specialwould become an one-year outcome . Each yr , Lucas would oversee newfangled further adventures in the Star Wars Universe between the flick he was making .
Unfortunately for CBS the particular bombed severely , and it may have had something to do with the fact that Lucaswasn’taround enough to oversee it come up to realisation . He was off doing pre - production forThe Empire Strikes Backin 1978 , and the final version of the special strayed very far from his original written material save the focus on a Wookiee fellowship .
IT HAS A LEGACY IN POP CULTURE DESPITE NEVER BEING OFFICIALLY RELEASED
For most Star Wars fans , if you did n’t catch the event in 1978 on CBS , you did n’t see it . It was n’t until bootleg copy got distributed that future generations ever got to see it , as George Lucas never set aside any form ofThe Star Wars Holiday Specialto be release officially .
Some plaything and merchandise actually exist for it , but they ’re more " promotional " than anything else . Still , sure aspects from it can be seen in pop civilization such asThe Simpsons , and even in further Star Wars escapade , like the dwelling on Kashyyyk Lucas utilized inRevenge of the Sith .
NEXT:5 Reasons Why Disney Needs To Make A New Star Wars Holiday Special ( & 5 Why It Should n’t )
