What are the WORST Holiday Specials You Have Seen? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 12-23-2009, 12:21 AM

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

This is the absolute worst, hands down. You do not understand how bad it is. It's The Room without the jokes. It's a bizarre variety show in which Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and the rest try to get Chewbacca home to his planet for Life Day, which is the studio's whoring attempt to cash in on the creations' pop appeal by shoving them into a holiday show with Bea Arthur. (I will not even begin to unpack the segment about virtual reality Wookiee porn.) It aired only once, and has never been put on video or DVD. But thanks to the webby intertubes, it will never die.

Mr. Television · 12-23-2009, 12:45 AM

I remember that show.

steevo · 12-23-2009, 11:52 PM

I have a bootleg copy of this special, and it is a version that is dubbed by Rifftrax, which is Mike Nelson and cast from Mystery Science Theater 3000 doing their treatment of it. It is actually quite funny and the only way I could sit through this myself.

Here's a couple of clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q8NxxbEFio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ldAs...eature=related

Retro4Life · 12-23-2009, 11:56 PM

Ehh, if you were 13 (like I was) you were so hungry for new Star Wars material you really didn't care how illogical or calculated it was. It had the original cast and it introduced Boba Fett (in cartoon form) and it featured more than one Wookiee.

As a holiday episode (it was a Thanksgiving thing, not a Christmas one) it may have bombed, but I ate it up.

JamesG · 12-24-2009, 08:53 AM

The internet critic "Nostalgia Critic" just put up his review of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

Check out the hilarious video here - http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vid...ic/15087-swchr

angiefan · 12-26-2009, 08:07 PM

The Town that wasn't. It's about this greedy boy named Jeremy Creek,who wants toys,and he doesn't want to share his toys with anybody,when Christmas comes Santa sends the toys to a place named Jeremy Creek. It's a stupid cartoon. The Star Wars Holiday Special doesn't sound too bad.It needs to be on dvd.

Retro4Life · 12-26-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesG

The internet critic "Nostalgia Critic" just put up his review of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.

Check out the hilarious video here - http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vid...ic/15087-swchr

Call me insane but I got a kick out of watching the clips again. I guess it's always kind of easy in retrospect, as an adult, to go back and rank on something cheesy like this (and make no mistake, it was cheesy). But were any of us that discriminating (or jaded) when we were 13? And this dude who's reviewing it is probably so young he was never able to see it as a kid; that's the perspective (and audience) I'm sure it was intended for.

I'll grant you the scope, the deeper themes and drama of the movie are pretty much gone but as I said, at that time the very presence of the original cast in SOME kind of threadbare story about the holidays (even a Wookiee holiday!) were enough to enchant me.

70s show watcher · 12-26-2009, 08:40 PM

the winner for me hands down is skinflint a country christmas carol starring mel tillis dont get me wrong i like mel but this special give s new meaning to the word cheesey

Torgo · 02-22-2010, 02:36 PM

I have a bootleg DVD of this...Yes, it's bad. But it's hilarious, and brings back nostalgia( I was 8 when it aired and loved it)

Bea Arthur sings, Harvey Korman in drag, creepy grandpa wookie.

The DVD also includes the Star Wars Muppet Show ep, a collection of Kenner Star Wars commercials, behind the scenes gallery, production sketches, script.

Plus it is the first time you got to see Boba Fett

The animated sequence was done by the animation company Nelvana- who would go on to do the animated series Droids and Ewoks.

As bad as it is, it's 10 times more entertaining than The Phantom Menace.

TMC · 02-23-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

This is the absolute worst, hands down. You do not understand how bad it is. It's The Room without the jokes. It's a bizarre variety show in which Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and the rest try to get Chewbacca home to his planet for Life Day, which is the studio's whoring attempt to cash in on the creations' pop appeal by shoving them into a holiday show with Bea Arthur. (I will not even begin to unpack the segment about virtual reality Wookiee porn.) It aired only once, and has never been put on video or DVD. But thanks to the webby intertubes, it will never die.

Don't forget that the first ten or so minutes were made up of Chewbacca's wife, dad and son talking to each other. The only problem was that they're Wookies (therefore, can't speak English), and yet the producers forgot to add subtititles.

There's also Carrie Fisher looking high on coke, Mark Hamill looking like Dorothy Hamill with all of that pancake makeup (apparently, Mark hiding facial injuries that he suffered from a car accident in between filming A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back), and a clearly embarrassed Harrison Ford phoning in his performance.

Torgo · 02-23-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

and has never been put on video or DVD.

It has, many many times...just not officially.

TMC · 12-04-2015, 10:51 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/ar...ials-past.html

From 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special to 1988’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special.

MrCleveland · 12-08-2015, 08:23 AM

I made a tape with all the bad Christmas specials and movies, it's called "Awseomely Bad Christmas"!

The tape features...

A Pac-Man Christmas
He-man Christmas
Star Wars Holiday Special
Smurfs Christmas Special
'Tis the Season to be Smurfy
It Happened one Christmas starring Marlo Thomas and Orson Welles.

I may make another bad Christmas tape soon...

12-23-2009, 12:21 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	What are the WORST Holiday Specials You Have Seen? The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) This is the absolute worst, hands down. You do not understand how bad it is. It's The Room without the jokes. It's a bizarre variety show in which Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and the rest try to get Chewbacca home to his planet for Life Day, which is the studio's whoring attempt to cash in on the creations' pop appeal by shoving them into a holiday show with Bea Arthur. (I will not even begin to unpack the segment about virtual reality Wookiee porn.) It aired only once, and has never been put on video or DVD. But thanks to the webby intertubes, it will never die.
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

12-23-2009, 12:45 AM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	I remember that show.
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12-23-2009, 11:52 PM	#3
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,476	I have a bootleg copy of this special, and it is a version that is dubbed by Rifftrax, which is Mike Nelson and cast from Mystery Science Theater 3000 doing their treatment of it. It is actually quite funny and the only way I could sit through this myself. Here's a couple of clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q8NxxbEFio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ldAs...eature=related
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

12-23-2009, 11:56 PM	#4
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Ehh, if you were 13 (like I was) you were so hungry for new Star Wars material you really didn't care how illogical or calculated it was. It had the original cast and it introduced Boba Fett (in cartoon form) and it featured more than one Wookiee. As a holiday episode (it was a Thanksgiving thing, not a Christmas one) it may have bombed, but I ate it up.
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12-26-2009, 08:07 PM	#6
angiefan happy labor day! Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 15, 2006 Location: grand blanc,michigan Posts: 618	What are the worst holiday specials you have seen? The Town that wasn't. It's about this greedy boy named Jeremy Creek,who wants toys,and he doesn't want to share his toys with anybody,when Christmas comes Santa sends the toys to a place named Jeremy Creek. It's a stupid cartoon. The Star Wars Holiday Special doesn't sound too bad.It needs to be on dvd.

12-24-2009, 08:53 AM	#5
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,188	The internet critic "Nostalgia Critic" just put up his review of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. Check out the hilarious video here - http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vid...ic/15087-swchr

12-26-2009, 08:40 PM	#8
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	the winner for me hands down is skinflint a country christmas carol starring mel tillis dont get me wrong i like mel but this special give s new meaning to the word cheesey

02-22-2010, 02:36 PM	#9
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,044	I have a bootleg DVD of this...Yes, it's bad. But it's hilarious, and brings back nostalgia( I was 8 when it aired and loved it) Bea Arthur sings, Harvey Korman in drag, creepy grandpa wookie. The DVD also includes the Star Wars Muppet Show ep, a collection of Kenner Star Wars commercials, behind the scenes gallery, production sketches, script. Plus it is the first time you got to see Boba Fett The animated sequence was done by the animation company Nelvana- who would go on to do the animated series Droids and Ewoks. As bad as it is, it's 10 times more entertaining than The Phantom Menace.
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12-04-2015, 10:51 PM	#12
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,997	Recalling past Christmas specials http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/ar...ials-past.html From 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special to 1988’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special.

12-08-2015, 08:23 AM	#13
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,234	I made a tape with all the bad Christmas specials and movies, it's called "Awseomely Bad Christmas"! The tape features... A Pac-Man Christmas He-man Christmas Star Wars Holiday Special Smurfs Christmas Special 'Tis the Season to be Smurfy It Happened one Christmas starring Marlo Thomas and Orson Welles. I may make another bad Christmas tape soon...
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