When The Star Wars Holiday Special first aired on CBS on November 17, 1978, it was quickly considered a disaster for the relatively new Star Wars franchise. Surprisingly, this poorly received special didn’t completely ruin the series, despite only being shown once. However, it’s still significant for a few reasons. It actually introduced some elements that have stuck around in Star Wars lore, and it was the very first spin-off story from the original films.
What’s so bad about it? And why does it have some of the silliest costumes ever seen in Star Wars? Let’s explore the first question. As for the second, it’s simple: The Star Wars Holiday Special was made on a very tight budget.
What Is The Star Wars Holiday Special About?
George Lucas wasn’t heavily involved in The Star Wars Holiday Special, though the basic idea of focusing on the Wookiees originated with him. Once the special began production, Lucas was occupied with other projects and CBS was given considerable creative freedom with the characters.
As a huge Star Wars fan, I always found it interesting how George Lucas really wanted the Wookiees to be the stars of the Holiday Special. That’s why the story centers on Chewbacca and Han Solo traveling to Chewie’s home planet, Kashyyyk, to celebrate this thing called Life Day. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Star Wars adventure without some trouble – they’re chased by Imperial Star Destroyers, making the trip to see Chewie’s family – who, let’s be honest, aren’t exactly the most impressive creatures in the galaxy – a real challenge.
The story jumped between what was happening on the Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca’s home planet, Kashyyyk, introducing his family: his father, Itchy, his wife, Malla, and his son, Lumpy. Itchy was a questionable name, but ‘Lumpy’ was likely enough to make viewers change the channel.
When Stormtroopers come looking for Chewbacca at his family’s house, Malla and a helpful trader named Saun Dann cleverly distract them with a meal and a performance – a video of the band Jefferson Starship. Meanwhile, Lumpy builds a device that tricks the Imperials into believing their commander is ordering them to return to base.
But one stormtrooper figures out Lumpy’s plan and starts chasing him. The chase ends with the stormtrooper colliding with Han and Chewbacca, who have just arrived. Han cleverly trips the stormtrooper, causing him to fall over a railing—a less violent solution that likely avoided issues with broadcast standards for a family-friendly show.
The special ends with a Life Day celebration, and we finally see Leia – though there’s a quick scene with Luke and R2-D2 at the beginning. Leia gives a speech about hope and peace, then starts to sing. Chewbacca then remembers events from Star Wars: A New Hope, and the audience is shown clips from that original movie, almost as a reminder of how much better it was compared to this special (if they managed to watch it all).
It’s Not Entirely Without Merit
Both Kashyyyk and the Life Day celebration have appeared in other Star Wars stories since the original Holiday Special. Life Day was mentioned in the first episode of The Mandalorian, and Kashyyyk was featured in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Plus, a small holographic circus toy that Lumpy uses in the special later showed up in the first episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
Honestly, the highlight of the whole special – and really, the only good part – is when the stormtroopers show up at the house. They ask Malla to distract little Lumpy while they search for Chewbacca, and she puts on a cartoon to keep him busy. That cartoon, called “The Faithful Wookiee,” is where I first saw Boba Fett – he instantly became my favorite bounty hunter in Star Wars! It’s kind of crazy to think he was added to just one scene in Star Wars: A New Hope after the Holiday Special originally aired.
Even dedicated Star Wars fans don’t need to watch The Star Wars Holiday Special – in fact, it’s not even worth recommending. However, there’s one segment worth seeing: “The Faithful Wookiee,” which is available on Disney+ as Star Wars Vintage: Story of the Faithful Wookiee.
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2025-11-17 18:43