Holiday Special > News

November 29, 2007

George Lucas talks about the Special's release - in 1987!

We've added a new old quote from George Lucas given during the 10th Anniversary Star Wars Convention in 1987, as printed in Starlog magazine. See the Text/Quotes section here for details.

November 17, 2007

Happy 29th Anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special!

It's been a long time since the last update here, and we apologize for the 9-month break... but there has definitely not been a lack of interesting news this year, and we'll be filling you in on all of that very soon. Watch this space for updates.

It may be the 30th anniversary of Star Wars this year, but 29 years ago today the Star Wars Holiday Special aired on TV in the US for the first and last time ever, bringing eager young viewers a mixture of joy and confusion as the spectacle unfolded itself on their screens. I can still remember my younger brother and I sitting on my grandparents' floor in front of the television that night, and the excitement I felt when it all came to life before me. It may have been a strange take on Star Wars, but it was Star Wars nonetheless. And that toy commercial! Boy did I want all those toys.

Tonight may just be the right night to sit back and watch that thing again, whether it be with a bag of popcorn or a bag of tomatoes at your side!

February 11, 2007

Big news here, folks...

Hasbro to release the first official Holiday Special figure

Yes, you heard that right, and Rebelscum.com has the photos to prove it here (second and third rows from the bottom). This upcoming figure is part of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary collection, and it's Boba Fett from his debut appearance in the Holiday Special cartoon, complete with his twin-pronged weapon. Here's what the Character Profile text says on the back of the Animated Debut: Boba Fett package:

The first appearance of Boba Fett was in an animation short in the Star Wars Holiday Special, whose first and only airing was on November 17, 1978. In the cartoon, Fett's clothing and armor are brighter, more colorful, and much less battle-worn than how they will appear in The Empire Strikes Back. While he still wears his jet backpack, he carries a twin-pronged weapon instead of his now-trademark blaster.

There have been other figures released that were unofficially right out of the Holiday Special (the red Snaggletooth, for instance), but this time it's official and stated right on the package. Let's hope 2007 and the 30th anniversary of Star Wars bring us some more such surprises.

December 12, 2006

It's time again for Life Day in Star Wars Galaxies!

And it's about time we talked a little more about the online multiplayer game Star Wars Galaxies. With the recent addition of the Rage of the Wookiees expansion, you can now not only wander around various planets like Tatooine and Corellia in the regular game, but also actually visit the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk and see those gargantuan trees for yourself. What's more, you can choose to play a Wookiee character as well if you want. It doesn't get much more immersive than that.

Every year around this time, Star Wars Galaxies celebrates Life Day. And in doing so, they award Life Day-themed gifts to players. This year has some particularly good loot, with items such as a Life Day Bunting, Life Day Wreath, a Decorated Mini-Wroshyr Tree, and a Life Day Incense Burner. Additionally, you can also receive one of five different Wookiee paintings, some featuring Wookiees wearing Life Day Robes or presenting Life Day Orbs to each other. This is without a doubt the biggest implementation of the Holiday Special's established story elements into modern Star Wars usage yet. Get a look at the official SWG site here.

For those who have never played Star Wars Galaxies: it's worth trying out at least once, if for nothing more than just to see the fantastic scenery and experience the feeling of walking, riding, or flying through vast stretches of territory that's a part of a very familiar universe. There's a lot more to it than that with all the missions and battles and so forth, but just that is enough to impress you enough get you started. Plus, there's the added bonus of visiting Wookiee tree houses on Kashyyyk. So what are you waiting for?

Believe it or not, starwarsholidayspecial.com receives no compensation from the Star Wars Galaxies people for this review. We just like the game a whole lot.

November 17, 2006

Happy Life Day

Guess what, folks? It's the 28th anniversary of the Holiday Special's original airing. Only 2 more years until the big 30. So for this occasion, we'd like unveil our new Features section of the site just in time to bring you the...

Urban Legends of the Star Wars Holiday Special

Over the years, many rumors, truths, and half-truths have sprung up around the infamous Holiday Special. The internet has done much to spread these around far and wide. Today, we take a look at some of the Urban Legends surrounding the Star Wars Holiday Special... and tell you whether or not they hold any weight. Go here to see what we're talking about... and we guarantee you'll probably learn a thing or two you didn't know before.

September 21, 2006

Okay, it's been too quiet for too long on the Holiday Special front, and we've been looking for an excuse to update the News section for a while now. Well, here it is...

Weird Al buys a bootleg Holiday Special

"Weird Al" Yankovic always comes up with the goods. In his latest video for "White & Nerdy", the Star Wars Holiday Special makes a cameo appearance when Al makes a back-alley deal, exchanging money for a VHS tape of... you guessed it. Catch the video on YouTube right here. Rather funny.

February 12, 2006

Conan O'Brien airs Holiday Special clips, vexes Harrison Ford

On Wednesday, February 8th, Conan O'Brien shocked the world by dropping a bombshell on Harrison Ford during his appearance on the show: he asked him about the Star Wars Holiday Special. Harrison pretended to be very disturbed by this, especially when Conan threatened to roll a tape clip from it--which he then did! The whole interview segment was hilarious, and probably marks the first time since 1978 that any of the Special has been aired on regular (non-cable) TV.

Thanks to all of you who wrote in to notify us about the show.

January 2, 2006

Free Holiday Special screening with fan commentary

Happy New Year! We've received word that a sketch comedy troupe from New York called "A Dan Amongst Dans" (who are also very big Star Wars fans) will be screening "The Star Wars Holiday Special", as well as providing fan commentary, for free at a coffee house called "The Muddy Cup" in Staten Island, New York this Friday, January 6th at 8 pm. Check out their website here for more info and directions.