What was the the second Star Wars film? Surely, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’? Well you if you think so, then you would be wrong!
‘Star Wars’, or as it became titled, ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ was a massive success and work was going slowly filming the ‘second’ film: ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. Due to delays, Director George Lucas was worried, with the expected release date being put back to 1980, that the young fans who loved the film and characters may have moved on to something else in the three year gap.
So, he met with writers, producers and directors at 20th Centry Fox and CBS and signed off on allowing them to do a TV movie, to be called ‘Star Wars: The Holiday Special’ (AKA The Star Wars Holiday Special). Directed by Steve Binder, ‘The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, on November 17, 1978, on the U.S. television network CBS from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm (Source: Website, Wikipedia).
The main cast are all there. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Kenny Baker (R2D2) and Antony Daniels (C3PO). ‘In the storyline that ties the special together, Chewbacca and Han Solo visit Kashyyyk, Chewbacca’s home world, to celebrate Life Day. Along the way 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, though these names were later explained to have been nicknames, their full names being Attichitcuk, Mallatobuck, and Lumpawaroo, respectively (Source: Website, Wikipedia).
Bizarrely, this is listed a Science-Fiction comedy/musical (Yes, really!) and features singing from The cast but also from Jefferson Starship, Bea Arthur and Diahaan Caroll. There is also an animated section. Don’t ask me why! Though that section is best known for introducing Boba Fett.
The film has only ever been shown once and has never been repeated. George Lucas says he ‘bitterly regrets signing off on the film and (I) would destroy every single recorded copy of the TV broadcast, if possible‘ It has never been released in any format and Lucas says it never will be.
You can find various ‘recorded’ versions from the original showing on various US channels on that evening. Some with adverts, some without. As you can imagine some are even sixth or seventh generation copies on VHS and the quality gets even worse. Those copies are now being transfered to DVDr and are sold on Ebay vary rarely.
IMDB rating is as poor as 2.9 and rightly so. Reading most reviews it would seem that this is one to avoid (I haven’t seen it). Not that there is much chance most of us will ever get to see it, but an interesting discussion point that there were FOUR films in the initial run of Star Wars, not three.
1000 FILMS TO WATCH 
Very interesting Brett. At the risk of being shot at dawn, I have never really got into the Star Wars films, no doubt due to my natural luke warm attitude to science fiction. I am the first to acknowledge the technical skills in making such films, it’s just that I can only take so many monsters and alien populations in one film. And the words “science fiction comedy musical” really do tempt me to reach for the bottle of gin!
Don’t worry Steve, I am not a Star Wars fan at all. In fact i have only seen IV, IX & III. I do like Science Fiction, i won’t lie. I am more of a Star Trek, Stargate and Doctor Who fan. As you said, while we have to recognise the place Wars has in cinematic history, the idea of sitting thorugh a film described the way it was, no thanks! I do love little things like this, hence why i posted it and no doubt despite all I just said, if I find it cheap enough on Ebay one day, then i may buy as the film fan in me, and my curiosity, makes me want to force myself to see it!
First three Star Wars were good, but it always had a tendency to schmaltz, and I can’t quite forgive the Disney style happy ending of Revenge of the Jedi. Empire Strikes Back undoubtedly the best (it’s got THAT line in it). The latter three were just plain tedious and hideously over-CGI’d. I hold out little hope for the next trilogy being in Disney’s hands.
The less said about Jar Jar Binks the better
Interestingly, I have seen a recording of The Holiday Special on Ebay recently for around £6. If it comes around again at that price I may well have to get it for curiosity sake!!!!