I obviously have no memory of watching this at the time, since it aired two days before my 1st birthday (and probably not aired in Norway at all). But I saw it for the first time some 10 years ago. On Youtube, I think. Glad I'm too young to have had this 'taint' my STAR WARS experience growing up.
Did the DROIDS cartoon ever make its way to Scandinavian shores?
As for The Holiday Special being strictly for the kiddies, why would they populate the special with all of those old performers? One would think the producers would contract the then-young-and-hip to be a part of what was then young and hip.
Instead, we were given Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Diahann Carroll, and Harvey Korman. Nothing wrong with them in other contexts, but for Star Wars?
I remember this being on TV in the background that year. I remember thinking, "What the hell is this?"
Has it ever been commercially released or repeated? I'm guessing it is on YouTube if nothing else?
Apparently there was some respected organization which conducted a poll as to what Christmas specials they should air, and the Star Wars one topped the list. The copy they ended up playing was the same less-than-HD copy seen in "collector circles." Lucas or Lucasfilm refused to provide a decent copy, or any copy at all.
IIRC this tale is told in "The People vs. George Lucas" documentary (starring Jeff Bond).
Was Lucas really hands off and had nothing to do with the special like he claims with Howard the Duck? Or was he just trying to save face? If true I guess he was to busy counting his new found millions like Scrooge McDuck to care.
George has made some mind boggling bad creative desicions AND some truly magnificent ones. For the latter, I will forever be grateful that he chose the great Al Williamson as artist for the second Star Wars comic strip (though I loved Russ Manning's comic, too), which I adored as a child and still do today.
Of course, no one talks about how George got it right with a mere newspaper comic strip, but I mention it at every opportunity.
Did the DROIDS cartoon ever make its way to Scandinavian shores? It is also garbage.
I kinda liked Droids and Ewoks way back when. I even had many of the action figures for the cartoons. I recently picked up the DVD, which only has a couple of episodes, but I admit it's been impossible to force myself through it.
As for The Holiday Special being strictly for the kiddies, why would they populate the special with all of those old performers? One would think the producers would contract the then-young-and-hip to be a part of what was then young and hip.
Instead, we were given Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Diahann Carroll, and Harvey Korman. Nothing wrong with them in other contexts, but for Star Wars?
They were probably trying to make a show the whole family could watch, from the kids to grandma to the family dog. Instead they made something no one wanted to watch. I don't think they even understood (or cared?) what Star Wars was or what aspect of it appealed to audiences.
They were probably trying to make a show the whole family could watch, from the kids to grandma to the family dog. Instead they made something no one wanted to watch. I don't think they even understood (or cared?) what Star Wars was or what aspect of it appealed to audiences.
I get that, so why not have young, hip icons like Leif Garrett play Luke's brother, or have then-journeyman actor Sam Elliott play Han Solo's disco-inclined brother, Curtis?
There were so many interesting possibilities left unexploited.
I get that, so why not have young, hip icons like Leif Garrett play Luke's brother, or have then-journeyman actor Sam Elliott play Han Solo's disco-inclined brother, Curtis?
There were so many interesting possibilities left unexploited.
I agree with you that there were many missed opportunities. Sam Elliot is for sure interesting, but I wonder if the SWHS would even have appealed to actors like him and Leif Garrett. I think a lot of people saw Star Wars as a kid's film back then, including many of the actors in it. Hip actors may have worried that a 'kiddie show' like SWHS might damage their careers. At the end of the day, casting was probably just a quick, easy business decision and a time slot filled; on to the next project. I don't want you to think I'm trying to excuse it, as you said it really is a shame.
Being 6 at the time, I doubt I'd be able to pick a dream cast. I'm not really aware of who was cool and up and coming in'78. I actually didn't see Star Wars until *after* Empire. Oh the shame, the horror! (I also have yet to make it to the end of the SWHS, for that matter.)
Here's my rundown of the headlining cast as it appeared: So for kids, they had the film's core cast and scifi setting, and probably felt that was sufficient. The other headliners (Arthur and Korman) were established popular comedians, as was Carney who would have appeal for an older generation. All three had comparable work behind them, and the bit parts and extras seem to come from a similar group, so it may be that the casting director had a preferred talent pool or agency that they liked working with. Jefferson Starship and Diahann Carroll were probably considered the cool hip draw for teens and young people. It was never meant to be art or have any appeal beyond the night it was aired, and I doubt much thought went into casting beyond that!
Maybe Carney, Carroll, Bea Arthur, and Harvey Korman were all somehow under contract to CBS (the network that aired the special) at the time?
It makes little sense to even pander to the older crowd aince Star Wars was viewed as a movie for children. I know jy parents and grandparents didn't care about Star Wars, and didn't know Mr. Spock from Dr. Spock. The Special preempted kid favorites Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk.
Having the likes of Donnie and Marie, The Bay City Rollers, Shaun Cassidy, and Leif Garrett wouldn't have made for a better special, except as a sad pop culture time capsule of 1978.
Where are all the FSM Star Wars experts? I thought you people knew everything about Star Wars history and could answer these questions with a DiMuccian flair!
Where are all the FSM Star Wars experts? I thought you people knew everything about Star Wars history and could answer these questions with a DiMuccian flair!
"In December 2018, a comedy play will be released about the special's production, entitled Special".
Whats this now?!
More detail in the article, but here's the main info:
'And now, to mark its 40th anniversary, there’s even a play about its making. "Everybody went into it with good intentions," said Andrew Osborne, author of "Special," a semi-factual retelling of how it all went down that opens at L.A.'s Theatre of Note on Dec. 14."'
Well, thanks to youtube, at least the cartoon is watchable without all the typical 70's TV dross surrounding it. As a 17-year old who actually knew everything that was on TV in those days (I used to read TV Guide like it were Newsweek), it just seemed the same-old-sameold with the occasional Star Wars bone thrown in. Frankly, similar to my reaction to Battlestar Galactica.
Anywho, here's the cartoon in proper aspect ratio....
I saw it at 9 years old, and it was quite a big deal at the time. This was many years before the films were available on VHS. I remember feeling quite let down & confused by what I saw. Strangely enough this was also the weekend of the Jonestown Massacre.
Well, thanks to youtube, at least the cartoon is watchable without all the typical 70's TV dross surrounding it. As a 17-year old who actually knew everything that was on TV in those days (I used to read TV Guide like it were Newsweek), it just seemed the same-old-sameold with the occasional Star Wars bone thrown in. Frankly, similar to my reaction to Battlestar Galactica.
Some thoughts...
(1) It's really cool the original actors reprise their roles for the animated short. (2) Harrison Ford sounded drunk, stoned or both while lending his voice to this. (3) Kinda weird how they used "Squash and Stretch" animation technique for R2. (4) I thought the background music was needle dropped from the OST. Sounds like original orchestration here. We need Star Wars Holiday Special COMPLETE! (5) Canadian company Nelvana did the animation. You can really make out the "French" illustration style. They also made the animated feature film "Rock and Rule".
Well, thanks to youtube, at least the cartoon is watchable without all the typical 70's TV dross surrounding it. As a 17-year old who actually knew everything that was on TV in those days (I used to read TV Guide like it were Newsweek), it just seemed the same-old-sameold with the occasional Star Wars bone thrown in. Frankly, similar to my reaction to Battlestar Galactica.
Some thoughts...
(1) It's really cool the original actors reprise their roles for the animated short. (2) Harrison Ford sounded drunk, stoned or both while lending his voice to this. (3) Kinda weird how they used "Squash and Stretch" animation technique for R2. (4) I thought the background music was needle dropped from the OST. Sounds like original orchestration here. We need Star Wars Holiday Special COMPLETE! (5) Canadian company Nelvana did the animation. You can really make out the "French" illustration style. They also made the animated feature film "Rock and Rule".
I agree with your points, particularly about Ford (2). I wondered what was up with him as well. In hindsight I wonder if he did it so deadpan the way he did the narration in Blade Runner (hated having to do it, so just made it as boring as possible out of spite).
Well, thanks to youtube, at least the cartoon is watchable without all the typical 70's TV dross surrounding it. As a 17-year old who actually knew everything that was on TV in those days (I used to read TV Guide like it were Newsweek), it just seemed the same-old-sameold with the occasional Star Wars bone thrown in. Frankly, similar to my reaction to Battlestar Galactica.
Some thoughts...
(1) It's really cool the original actors reprise their roles for the animated short. (2) Harrison Ford sounded drunk, stoned or both while lending his voice to this. (3) Kinda weird how they used "Squash and Stretch" animation technique for R2. (4) I thought the background music was needle dropped from the OST. Sounds like original orchestration here. We need Star Wars Holiday Special COMPLETE! (5) Canadian company Nelvana did the animation. You can really make out the "French" illustration style. They also made the animated feature film "Rock and Rule".
I agree with your points, particularly about Ford (2). I wondered what was up with him as well. In hindsight I wonder if he did it so deadpan the way he did the narration in Blade Runner (hated having to do it, so just made it as boring as possible out of spite).
(6) I forgot to add very weird Luke was flying a Y-Wing instead of an X-Wing.
