
Celebrate Life Day with Paul, Jason, and special guests Matt Gourley (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend) and Eden Sher (The Middle) as they discuss the infamous 1978 CBS TV film The Star Wars Holiday Special. They talk about Chewbacca being a bad father, the Diahann Carroll virtual reality porn, Harvey Korman being truly committed in all of his “comedic bits,” and so much more. Happy Life Day from HDTGM! (Ep. #126 Originally Released 12/25/2015)
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Eden Share
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Paul Scheer
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Matt Gourley
Now it's time for have a good time.
Paul Scheer
Celebrate some failure, not just be a hater.
Matt Gourley
Cause you know you wonder how did this are made? Let's wallow in the mediocrity of subpar art. Perhaps we'll find the answer to the question how did this get Made?
Paul Scheer
Hello people of Earth and welcome to how did this Get Made? Our holiday edition. Normally we do movies on the podcast. We are doing something different today. We are focusing on a 1978 CBS television special that was made around Christmas time focusing on Star Wars. If you have not seen it, I urge you right now to stop what you're doing and check it out. But now that you have all this warning in front of you, I now would like to introduce my co host live from New York, Jason Mantzoukas. Hey ho in New York right now.
Jason Mantzoukas
In New York City Celebrating Life Day.
Paul Scheer
Yes. So excited. As the listeners of the show know, June does not celebrate Life Day and is very anti Life Day. So she is not here. But we have some amazing guests joining us.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, does that mean that June is part of the Empire?
Paul Scheer
I'm just saying that June is brought up Imperial and doesn't really celebrate kind of Wookiee celebrations.
Matt Gourley
Does she celebrate the war on Holot on Life Day?
Paul Scheer
I don't want to talk about what she does. Yes, I mean, she believes that obviously that, you know, I don't want to tell you. Look, there's a lot of things going on with June and her beliefs and we keep them very separate. So you just heard Matt Gourley, who is joining us and I would say the maker of so many great podcasts, but also a true Star wars fan from way back.
Matt Gourley
I had to have seen this on tv. I have vague recollections of it. I would have been five when this was on, so there's no way I missed it. But then I was given a bootleg copy of this in the early 90s, which I treasured and it had all the commercials intact. So this thing has been with me my whole life.
Paul Scheer
And you know her from the middle. Please welcome Eden Share. Now, you're a newer Star Trek con. Oh, sorry, Star wars convert, right?
Eden Share
Yes. I only. I just saw the originals, like a year and a half. I didn't. I don't even remember like actually seeing the second one. I feel like I watched it but didn't like actually watch it. But yeah, I just saw them like a year and a half, two years ago. But then I saw the new one.
Paul Scheer
I love it. Yeah, well, I love the new one. There's so much to talk about. But this special. This is crazy because I got a DVD of this when I was a kid and I was like, whoa, this is crazy and weird, but I never watched the entire thing really at all. Really?
Matt Gourley
No, it's impossible. It's impossible to sit through it all at one time.
Eden Share
Did people. You got it. People gave it as gifts for it, as a thing.
Paul Scheer
It was. Well, here's a little bit of the backstory and it's all kind of a little bit documented. I'm gonna kinda give you my version of it. This was made. George Lucas says he had no involvement in it, but it has come out that he has had involvement in it. He had watched the dailies every day and he had asked for this to be about Wookiees on the planet of Kashyyyk because he Wanted to get into this in the Star wars world. So he was a little hands on. And then he also gave it to these writers like Pat Proft, who wrote Airplane, A Naked Gun, and of course, Bruce Valanche. Who? TV's Bruce Valanche.
Jason Mantzoukas
Classic Valanche. There's so many classic Valanch bits in.
Paul Scheer
This, and none of them seem to have watched Star wars at this point that this was being made. So you have writers who are not versed in the Star wars universe writing a special for Star Wars. But there are a lot of interesting things we'll get into that kind of connect to the Star wars canon. But yes, this is a failed thing. And George Lucas has gone around and said if he had a sledgehammer in the time, he would go around and destroy every single existing copy of this.
Matt Gourley
I'm pretty sure he has both of those now.
Paul Scheer
But I think the Internet has saved the Star wars holiday special because you can't get it anywhere. It's not on dvd. You can't download it. No one wants you to see this, and they shouldn't, because it is. I mean, it's next level crazy. I mean, it really is garbage.
Eden Share
It is not garbage.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's garbage. And I watched this. I did watch this when it came out. I remember it well.
Paul Scheer
To me, this is like the thing that's so crazy about it is. It is. Your main characters are Wookies who don't speak English and are not subtitled.
Eden Share
God, I would.
Jason Mantzoukas
The entire thing is in Wookiee except for the people that come into the Wookiee's life who are all TV and like, Broadway stars from, like the 1950s.
Paul Scheer
I mean, Art Carney. I mean, Billy Arthur.
Jason Mantzoukas
Harvey Corman.
Matt Gourley
Harvey Corman. Twice.
Paul Scheer
Three times.
Matt Gourley
Three times, right?
Paul Scheer
Yeah. It's insane.
Matt Gourley
So let's talk about that. Because if they were household names, it was only because of Star wars. Were they doing this to stay in the good graces of Lucas for the next parts of the trilogy. How did this happen?
Eden Share
Or were they getting paid? Were they getting paid a ton? Like, how much money did CBS put into this?
Paul Scheer
I mean, I don't imagine it was a lot because when you look at it, it looks terrible. Yeah, it looks like a soap opera.
Jason Mantzoukas
Awful.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, yeah. They didn't put it on the screen.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, it's not there. And I feel like every character or every actor that was involved, like, seems that they were there begrudgingly. No one wanted to be here for sure.
Matt Gourley
This special is summed up by the initial showings of the Three stars. So you get, right in sequence, Luke, who's wearing strange amount of eyeliner.
Eden Share
Yeah, that's one of the things with a little girl. I wrote down Mark Hamill little girl.
Matt Gourley
And then it cuts directly to Harrison Ford, who does a really reluctant nod to camera. And those things, I think, sum up this holiday special completely. You know, what you're in for.
Paul Scheer
And it seems to me, like, this connection to Chewbacca's film. If we just wanna even talk about, like, thematically, like, I don't think that, like, I don't know if Luke has the best relationship with Chewbacca's family, but he does in this.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like, everybody knows Mala, Itchy and Lumpy.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. And. And there are, like. There's a certain point where they call Carrie Fisher and she's like, look, I. I don't want to tie up the line. Can you just put Chewbacca on the phone? Which even get Carrie Fisher, who's like, I don't want to talk to Lumpy and Mala. Let's get the main guy in. But, like, his name is Chewbacca.
Jason Mantzoukas
Okay, that I get.
Matt Gourley
Why.
Jason Mantzoukas
Why did he name his son Itchy and his father named Lumpy?
Matt Gourley
I can answer this because I had the Wookiee storybook that went along with this.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my God.
Matt Gourley
So Itchy, Lumpy and Mala are all nicknames. So they're really long. Like, Malawarru Rump is her real name.
Paul Scheer
Okay.
Matt Gourley
It's like. It almost gets like.
Paul Scheer
Do you feel like this was made retroactively after someone described it had to be to.
Matt Gourley
Yeah. Justify. It had to be. There is something I noticed this time through, right in the beginning, when it cuts to the first ad that I think also may answer some questions about where the American public was.
Paul Scheer
Oh, yeah, please.
Matt Gourley
The first ad is for General Motors, and their slogan is. I wrote it down. Transportation to serve people. People building transportation to serve people. That is. Couldn't be more literal. And there's nothing catchy about that. And I think that these. Making this probably are dealing with that public that would eat that up. People building transportation to serve people. That's just people building cars. That doesn't mean. Doesn't mean your company's making anything good.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's basically trying to explain, like, how did this car get here?
Paul Scheer
Somebody made it.
Jason Mantzoukas
Don't worry. People built it.
Matt Gourley
But it also goes to. That there was no car competition. Like, foreign imports were just starting to happen. Because the original commercials are like, every third commercial is a union commercial, too.
Paul Scheer
Well, yeah, because I remember. I think on the Cop that I watch for this. The commercial is like a guy like, I'm Ted Baker, and I work. I make these cars. And he just talks about his day of making Fords. And he's like. He's like, I like the welding the most because it's a real art. Okay.
Eden Share
I actually want to know, though, how was the reception of it when it originally aired?
Paul Scheer
Well, it only aired once, so that should tell you anything. Christmas. It seems like it will air a million times. I mean, Lucas did buy every copy of it so no one can air it again.
Eden Share
Wait, is that true true? Or is that.
Paul Scheer
That is true true. Lucas did buy every single copy, so, yeah, he could. So, yeah, the master copies. So it can never be broadcast. I want to just show the lackluster performance right off the top. This is Han and Chewie as they are kind of flying into Life Day. And you could just tell it was like, one take only. That's it. I'm turning back.
Matt Gourley
I know your family's waiting.
Paul Scheer
I know it's an important. All right, we'll give it a try.
Matt Gourley
Essential coordinates won't jump above.
Paul Scheer
I'll get you back there in time, pal.
Matt Gourley
Trust me.
Paul Scheer
So that's a little bit of Ahan. And I'm going to light speed. The sound effects are actually louder than the actual dialogue. They're just going through the motions. And I just love, though, it just. It grounds this world in a way that I don't want it grounded. Like, it's like, why? Like, I don't think of Chewbacca having a family, nor do I want Chewbacca to have a family. Oddly.
Matt Gourley
Right?
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Because it also implies that Han Solo is keeping him away from his family year after year, and he only gets to go home once a year.
Eden Share
That's what I was thinking. I was like, is Life day. Is that the one time? Is that the one time he goes home?
Matt Gourley
This also brought up a question for me. In the new Star wars movie. I won't spoil anything, but it does harken back to something to this, that Chewbacca can see his family.
Paul Scheer
Well, Chewbacca is a bad dad. I mean, that's what I'm learning right away. He's a deadbeat dad.
Jason Mantzoukas
He's a total deadbeat dad, off fighting in the Rebellion while his family is home getting terrorized by stormtroopers and Imperial guards.
Matt Gourley
But he's clearly sending a lot of money home because they have a nice house. I would live in that house.
Paul Scheer
That's a very nice house. But I mean, but I will Even take it one step back. He's barely in the. I wanna say the Republic. I'm sorry, the Rebellion. The Rebellion. He's barely in the Rebellion. Cause he's just a smuggler. I mean, he gets caught up in the rebellion. Yeah, right.
Matt Gourley
Good point.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So before this, Chewbacca's just hanging out with his buddy, just shooting around the galaxy with a gun. Just like he's a bad dude, a bad dad. Like he only recently has really stepped it up. And also, I mean the other thing too, which is really insulting, I guess, but I guess they credit R2D2 and C3PO as R2D2 and C3Po. They do not call them by their actor names. Even though there are people inside those suits. But yet Darth Vader is James Earl Jones. Yeah.
Matt Gourley
And Anthony Daniels did the voice.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Eden Share
What do you mean they credit.
Paul Scheer
And that terrible opening credits. Like with Hans, you know, like with R2D2 and C3PO. And then when Darth Vader came on, it was James Earl Jones. So interesting.
Matt Gourley
Never noticed.
Paul Scheer
Even though James Earl Jones was technically not in the special, he was only in reused footage from the Star wars movie. There's so much to talk about here. They're in a nice mid century modern house. They are.
Eden Share
With felt. There's a green. What is the. The floor is Just felt.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, well, you know, they're bookies. So they have soft feet already and they are just even. They're just.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, they're walking carpets. They don't really need such. In terms of carpets.
Eden Share
How high up are they and how do they actually get down? Because a stormtrooper was killed by falling off.
Paul Scheer
Oh, huge.
Jason Mantzoukas
They straight up murder someone in this.
Paul Scheer
They murder somebody in the worst fight of all time. Harrison Ford, like his choreographing of this fight is like dodge to the left, dodge to the right. And the guy just literally just jumps over a ledge. Han Solo not giving a shit. Like, he's like, yeah, I'm here.
Jason Mantzoukas
Then.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
Then they walk inside and it's like, hey, that guy's not going to get give us any trouble anymore.
Paul Scheer
Ha ha.
Jason Mantzoukas
Because we killed him.
Matt Gourley
It was a way for them to do a family friendly kill because it was just a fake out. It's not his fault he fell off the balcony.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, Han Solo just went a little bit to the left and a little bit to the right. He just zigzag and zagged him. This whole special is really basically people watch or wookies watching tv.
Matt Gourley
No shit.
Eden Share
Yes. The whole thing. It almost Seemed like every. Also, like, it was just broken up into all these segments. They have so many devices to watch TV on, and, like, it's like every one of those was just kind of killing time. Like, this is the whole special. What, are you stalling?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, they really are just. They're just killing time for the next thing to happen. And they have more. Like, they have ipods. They have, like, TVs, they have iPads. There's not one device.
Jason Mantzoukas
Do you have a virtual reality porno?
Matt Gourley
Wait, I mean, before we even get into it, because I have so much to say about that.
Jason Mantzoukas
I could just talk about that alone.
Matt Gourley
Maybe we should just get to it, because to me, that is the reason that a podcast like this should exist. And it wasn't like I was saying, how did this get made for this whole thing? I understood why this special got made. But that five minutes, how did that happen? It is the single most baffling moment of television history that I have ever seen.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's absolute insanity.
Paul Scheer
According to the producer and director, Mitzi Welch, the scene with Diane Carroll was intended to be softcore porno that would pass the censors.
Matt Gourley
It's a joke, right? Like, they knew what they were doing.
Paul Scheer
I think they had to, because it's like, take a listen to Diane Carroll. Just who. If you've not seen the special, and I really would recommend that you watch, like, 15 hours of Thomas the Tank instead of this, because it would be easier to get through. But take a listen. This is how Diane Carroll sounds. And you'll just a couple of seconds to get the idea. I know you're searching for me.
Eden Share
Searching, searching. I am here. My voice is for you alone.
Paul Scheer
I am, I am found in your eyes only. I exist for you. I am in your mind as you create me. Oh, yes. I can feel my creation.
Eden Share
I'm getting your message. Are you getting mine?
Paul Scheer
Ew. So basically, Lumpy the grandfather is in a virtual reality headset. By the way, this show is very. I mean, it's kind of like the Jules Verne of specials.
Matt Gourley
It really is predicting is made out of, like, a salon hair dryer.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
And he's. By the way, he's watching this porno in the middle of the living room.
Matt Gourley
And he's gumming himself. Like, his mouth is moving so uncomfortably.
Eden Share
I have nothing. I did not understand what was happening. I thought I was watching. I watched half of it, like, before I went to sleep, and then half of it in the morning, and I was pretty sure that that was, like, part of my dream going into it, I was exactly.
Matt Gourley
How do you know what's real and what's not?
Paul Scheer
It's so bizarre because, I mean, she's singing and performing from. Not that it's unusual, but I also thought it was odd that Lumpy, the old grandfather, likes humanoids. Like he is plenty weird.
Matt Gourley
Plenty.
Eden Share
I thought that with the cooking show also, I was like, why? I don't know if I was really hung up on this. Why are these Wookies watching a cooking. Why isn't there a Wookiee? Why is there a human?
Paul Scheer
Well, that's the thing about all Star wars, to me, that kind of gets me. Here's a planet full of Wookiees. So if you think of Earth as the comparison, even within our Earth, there are so many different subcultures here, they're just shipping it out to humanoids. You have a planet and there's a line in here where Han Solo is like, ah, there's some traffic. We're gonna land on the north side of the planet. Yeah, that. That would be like me going like, oh yeah, I gotta get home to California. I'll land in China, we'll figure it out. Like, there's no sense there. That that would make it simpler to get home.
Matt Gourley
The simple answer is they're like, well, we already know we really want to do 30 minutes of Wookiees just talking to each other with no subtitles. We should put some humans in there for something.
Paul Scheer
No subtitles. And really the first. I would say 10 minutes. Doesn't even have 13.
Matt Gourley
Yes.
Paul Scheer
Doesn't even have a human to tell you what's going on. It's just a wiki.
Jason Mantzoukas
I started to lose my mind. I was like, what, What? What's going on? What are we doing here? Is this what we're doing? Is this the whole thing?
Paul Scheer
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Matt Gourley
Yeah. This is bigger than in the films.
Paul Scheer
Way bigger.
Eden Share
It scared me. It actually scared me when they. Like when they started. Oh, my God. When he tore apart the stuffed animal. Yeah, it actually frightened me.
Matt Gourley
But there's something that's the part I.
Jason Mantzoukas
Remember from when I was a kid watching it was when they trash Itchy's room. I was like, I remember very powerfully being super upset and scared by that.
Paul Scheer
Well, it was even scary for me to watch it now because it's like, why is this stormtrooper going into this kid's room to basically just break shit? Like just destroying this kid's room.
Eden Share
I definitely thought that there was gonna be. I thought there was like a buildup to the stuffed animal. Like I thought he was gonna find something in it.
Matt Gourley
Yeah. And he didn't.
Eden Share
He just broke it for the helmet.
Matt Gourley
The thing that's more unsettling to me though is that you have Nazis, but then you have the 70s aesthet. And so there's like an Imperial Guard Nazi with a whisk broom mustache. That is so off putting when he tears up Lumpy's room. Oh, God.
Paul Scheer
Well, it's so weird because it's like they're trying to make so many statements and none of them work. Because the other thing is too. The whole premise is they're waiting for Chewbacca to get back and the Imperial Forces are like, where's Chewbacca? But it's not like he's hiding something. But they act as if they're hiding this. This seven foot tall giant Wookiee. Like, why would they need to break stuff in the. It's like he's very apparent when he's around. And they also, when he does finally get back to them, they Gotta keep Chewbacca far away from them because his costume's so much better than their costumes that they cannot put them in the same shot. Like one looks like you got at a costume shop and one's like a Hollywood costume.
Jason Mantzoukas
I found the Itchy the Little Boy costume to be very unsettling.
Matt Gourley
Isn't Itchy the grandfather and Lumpy's the kid?
Eden Share
Or do I know Lumpy was the kid, but I don't.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, Itchy. Itchy's the old man. Right? Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Thank God.
Paul Scheer
Got it.
Eden Share
I also disag. I agree and disagree about Lumpy being unsettling the costume. I loved him so much. So much. He's my favorite character.
Matt Gourley
He somehow manages to look like Gary Coleman in some way.
Paul Scheer
I just want to know what was going on in that little kid's mind too. Because, like, that kid. There's a child.
Matt Gourley
It was a woman in there.
Paul Scheer
Oh, it's a woman.
Matt Gourley
And a man plays Mala weird.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, I did not know that.
Jason Mantzoukas
So is Chewbacca gay?
Matt Gourley
That's a female Wookiee played by a male human.
Jason Mantzoukas
Got it. Got it.
Paul Scheer
I also.
Jason Mantzoukas
That would be an amazing reveal.
Paul Scheer
I would love a gay Chewbacca. No spoilers for Force Awakens, but maybe you'll get it.
Matt Gourley
Like, this whole time, he's just hoping for something with Hannah.
Paul Scheer
That's why he stays away from his wife for so long. He's like, I can't go back there. I'm not myself. I need to be out here.
Matt Gourley
His literal beard.
Paul Scheer
I wrote down this. Of one of the many things that they watched. They watched Cirque du Soleil or a version of Cirque du Soleil. And I wrote down bad. Cirque du Soleil is good. Good. Cirque du Soleil is great. Medium. Cirque du Soleil is unwatchable. And that's what this is. It's not quite Cirque du Soleil. And. And it's so boring to watch. And who is this appealing to? Bad.
Eden Share
I want to Like. Okay, So I just want to make sure this came out. This was only after the first one.
Paul Scheer
Yes. 1978. It came out.
Eden Share
So they had. Because when I watched that Cirque du. So I wasn't quite like. I'm not super familiar with all Star Wars. So I was. I know this chessboard thing. I've seen it. That's what they do. They have things on it, like games, whatever.
Paul Scheer
Is.
Eden Share
This is the Cirque du Soleil thing. Is that something that happens?
Paul Scheer
Like an app?
Matt Gourley
Like another actor you thought it was in the movie or something.
Eden Share
Oh, yes. I was like, is this just something that they weren't quite sure was gonna be part of the universe? They were testing something out.
Matt Gourley
Oh, my God.
Paul Scheer
Like the other things that they could do in the Millennium Falcon. All right, guys, Gonna take us a little time in our warp speed to get there. So let's just. I'm sorry.
Matt Gourley
Cue up the mamanchance. Let's go.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my gosh. It's so weird. Everything about it. We can get into Art Carney. Art Carney.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, my God.
Eden Share
Is he the creepy white guy?
Paul Scheer
He is the creepy. Well, he's like the traitor. Yeah, the Trader Joe, who is supposed to be Lando Calrissian.
Matt Gourley
What?
Paul Scheer
Apparently, Lucas came up with the idea for Lando as being this traitor who had an outpost on a Wookiee planet. And so this was like, we introduced Boba Fett later on. Supposed to be the introduction of Lando Calrissian. Oh, wow.
Matt Gourley
I didn't know that.
Eden Share
And was this also then, was it the introduction of Boba Fett? Yes, because he wasn't in the first one.
Paul Scheer
He was not in the first one.
Matt Gourley
This was followed up by this. If you collected the action figures, you could send in proofs of purchase and get a Boba Fett before he came out in the movie. And then, of course, the big scandal where his rocket fired and apparently choked a child. So they recalled it. And you can't get the rocket firing Boba Fett.
Paul Scheer
I didn't know that he choked a kid.
Matt Gourley
Well, that was the room. I think it was actually the Cylon toy that did it. But because of that, they recalled or I think never produced the actual firing one. And I remember getting it, or this kid in kindergarten got it first, and he's like, it doesn't launch like they said. And I went, no, that's a lie. Give it to me. And I had to, like, fully inspect it. Like, you're missing the button or something. It was gone.
Paul Scheer
Well, I also like that Boba Fett, the action figure, can kill. Like, that's a great assassin. If you're even your toy. Can kill a kid. Yeah. Yeah. That's the one to be reckoned with.
Matt Gourley
Sleep well.
Eden Share
That seems weird to me, though, to introduce like, that. Then this special was, like, weirdly really important.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, it could have been great. It should have been great. Somebody involved with Star wars should have been involved in it, I guess. I think they gave him, like, a lot of table scraps, like, and, yeah, there'll be a Boba Fett. And this Lando guy. And there's.
Jason Mantzoukas
Now I'm just imagining if they went to Cloud City and it was Art Carney that greeted them when they landed the ship.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my God.
Jason Mantzoukas
Get out of here, you Art Carney. I feel like both Art Carney and Bea Arthur, I felt so bad for them because all of the Star wars jargon and names felt so unnatural coming out of their mouths. Yeah, like the. The scene where Bea Arthur is the cantina bartender and goes around begging every customer to leave.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my God. By name.
Eden Share
Why they leave also.
Jason Mantzoukas
And yet I feel like she memorized all this nonsense.
Matt Gourley
And I feel that Harvey Korman, on the other hand, fully committed to it and just went 100% in.
Paul Scheer
Basically, Harvey Korman's doing performance art. Because I would even argue that Harvey Korman's not even like, first of all, that cantina scene is like. Is part cabaret.
Matt Gourley
It's all cabaret. All cabaret. Which was so conflicting for me as a child, going, I know this is Star wars and I'm drawn to it, but I can't stand this. Cause I hated musical numbers as a kid.
Paul Scheer
Well, I mean, again, like, I'm just. You kind of see all the influences. It's all bad. But Harvey Corman comes in as this, like, lovelorn guy who drinks out of a thing in his head, yet he.
Matt Gourley
Still has a mouth.
Paul Scheer
He still has a mouth still fully humanoid, but he just pours drinks in his head. And he comes in as this, like, lovelorn guy who wants to, like, be with Bea Arthur. And again, I'm thinking, for what child is this, like this sad, like, romantic, like this drunk coming and going to the bartender like, I love you. I love you. Let's be together.
Matt Gourley
So sad, I think, because the writers were all seasoned variety show writers. So they went, let's plug in the old guy at the bar sketch in here and just get it done. We gotta kill two hours.
Jason Mantzoukas
To me, Harvey Cormill, it feels. It feels everything. It feels like an old fashioned. It doesn't feel at all modern or current. It feels old fashioned, like an old variety show in that way. And that's. Those are all the games they're playing with all the appropriate actors.
Eden Share
But it wasn't funny.
Paul Scheer
No. It had no joy to it. It was almost melancholy. The whole special is upsettingly sad. It's like, all right, a family's being tortured. This woman is being like, everybody who owns a store is being shut down by these Nazis. And like, you know, like. And no one's. There's no Joy. And even in the end, when they finally get to life Day, it seems like a somber holiday as well.
Matt Gourley
They take the cantina theme, which is the happiest music in Star wars, maybe next to that Ewok song.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Turn it into some kind of minor key cabaret dirge. And it's incredible.
Paul Scheer
And then they're just, you know, the Mos Eisley Cantina, which is very like, like weirdly described why they're even watching it. And they're like, no, you'll watch a live feed from another planet. So, all right, so are we watching like a webcam inside Mos Eisley Cantina that's being broadcast on like satellite television? Like, I don't even understand how we're getting there. But again, we gotta say. Why would we. Yeah, why would you? They say that, like, Mos Eisley is like the hive of scum and villainy. It would be like.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
You would never put a webcam there to broadcast across the universe.
Eden Share
Well, I guess. Cause they were trying to somehow like get them in trouble. Cause they then they got shut down. And a lot of the whole thing kind of doesn't have a point, obviously. But actually, what was the point of having that there?
Matt Gourley
Why did we not kill in time? There were so many instances where I literally said out loud, take your time. Holiday special. Take your time.
Paul Scheer
It's a two hour special that could probably have been really good at like a 30 minute. Okay, a great 30 minutes.
Eden Share
I had a question also. I really didn't understand for the cartoon part.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Eden Share
What, like, was this fiction or what was he watching?
Paul Scheer
I had the same problem. Cause Lumpy or. Sorry. Yeah, Lumpy or what? The kid is watching his dad in a cartoon. So that's weird. And he seems affected by it. So I don't know if like Chewbacca has commissioned a buddy who's an animator to like show him his adventures, but like. But he literally is. Is freaked out at a certain point. Oh, my dad's in trouble.
Matt Gourley
In some ways, this is like so David Lynchian in an absurdly brilliant way. Who, by the way, was the original choice for Return of the Jedi director.
Paul Scheer
Oh, really?
Matt Gourley
Yes. He turned it down.
Paul Scheer
That would have been great.
Matt Gourley
I know.
Paul Scheer
And the original Return of the Jedi.
Jason Mantzoukas
And then made Dune.
Paul Scheer
Well, Return of the Jedi was supposed to be on a whole planet full of Wookiees, but then they simplified it and made it Ewok. But I think for maybe marketing purposes, I'm sure somebody, J.W. rinzler can get in here and describe that to why that happened. But this was the original conception. Like, oh, my gosh, it's so bizarre, because that makes no sense at all while he's watching his dad. And if they did want to watch his dad, I could get them going like, oh, that's why they're delayed. Maybe that's why they're delayed. But we see in the very beginning that they're not delayed because of that. They're just kind of just fighting. They're just randomly just fighting.
Jason Mantzoukas
Do you think that was the cartoon made as a way of, like, championing these great figures of the rebellion?
Matt Gourley
Oh, I think you guys are giving it too much thought. Like, I don't think that was put in there. I think it was. Seriously, we have this cartoon to market. This action figure. Find a way to fit it in and just know that I'm not gonna check up on this. So do it however you want. My name's George Lucas.
Paul Scheer
You know, we did actually. Our guy Blake Harris is writing a very good oral history. You can check it out on Slash Film. If you're bored here on Christmas and you're listening to this on Christmas, head on over to Slashfilm and read the oral history of this. Because actually, the director of this special was the guy who directed the Elvis comeback special.
Matt Gourley
Oh, my God.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So he has, like, some real chops. But here none of them are on display at all. But they made a drama. A drama holiday special for children.
Jason Mantzoukas
This really was intended a Star Wars Holocaust special.
Paul Scheer
Shoot. Imagine if Anne Frank was with wookies, and you would get the Life Day special.
Matt Gourley
Can we talk about Princess Leia for a second, please?
Paul Scheer
Oh, my gosh, yes.
Matt Gourley
When they call her on the screen and she gets up from her desk, which she's no doubt sitting behind, because she doesn't want to stand up, just physically. She gets and walks towards the camera. Has to sort of lean on the desk a little bit to make it the full way. She does that thing that actors do when they don't know their lines and they take a very, like, meaningful breath. And she would pause between each of her lines while she would think of her line. And then her. I rewound it. Did you guys catch this? Her line, I think, is, I don't want to tie up the channels. But she says, I. I don't want to tire up the channels.
Paul Scheer
That, by the way, I want to even talk about how they even get her on the view screen. They get her on the view screen. The view screen is like X's and O's. Like, literally just like, xx, oh, oh, oh, oh, xxxt. Okay, we got the transmission. Like, they didn't even try to do anything. Like, weird alien language, just X's and O's. This is not even a first draft. This is like a draft where people pulled pages out of a garbage can. And it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that one. Oh.
Jason Mantzoukas
This is a show that features a full length cooking segment about how to make bantha.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
That is, step by step, an actual cooking program.
Matt Gourley
Bantha loin.
Paul Scheer
And I was gonna say, with that cooking program, there's no real joke in this thing besides the fact that the guy has multiple arms. And if you took that away, it's just a cooking segment that Harvey Corman's really committed to.
Jason Mantzoukas
Boring cooking segment.
Eden Share
But it's manic. I wasn't super bored. I was mostly confused, but I was compelled because it was like, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin. Wood, spin, wood, spin, spin. And then other hands came in.
Paul Scheer
Wait, let's even play a little bit of Harvey Corman saying, spin, spin, whip, whip, whip, whip. So. And on the count of one.
Matt Gourley
Stir, whip, sir.
Paul Scheer
Whip, whip, whip, stir.
Matt Gourley
Stir, whip, sir. Whip, whip, whip, stir. Come on, faster.
Paul Scheer
Altogether now.
Eden Share
Cooking can fun.
Paul Scheer
Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir, stir, whip, stir. Whip, whip, whip, stir. Having fun.
Eden Share
Having fun.
Paul Scheer
All right, coming along nicely.
Matt Gourley
Now step three.
Paul Scheer
That is for kids. Enjoy it, kids.
Matt Gourley
He has in his voice the fear of a man who knows this is not funny and just will not stop for fear of. Of hearing the silence.
Jason Mantzoukas
Went home every night and wept. He has to say, having fun. Having fun. Just to tell you that they're having fun.
Paul Scheer
Well, like, isn't it known? I remember this from the Howard Stern interview with Carol Burnett, like, that Harvey Korman was kind of like a jerky diva at certain points. And, like, he left the Carol Burnett show and was, like, always an asshole to people.
Matt Gourley
He was the Chevy Chase of Carol Burnett show.
Paul Scheer
Exactly. So, like, I feel like this was his chance to be like, you know what? I got asked to do the Star wars holiday special. I don't need you Carol Burnett writers. I'm gonna go off and do my own thing. And then left to his own devices, this is what Harvey Corman did. And I'm sure they gave him 100% creative license to do whatever, because he does seem into it. He is out of everyone, is not phoning it in at all.
Matt Gourley
I think he understands that Star wars is now a phenomenon where maybe some of those other people don't, you know, what did they tell Diane Carroll, like we're gonna have you sensually talk to the camera right now. I want to know what they told her more than I wanna know who killed Kennedy. How that went down that day on the set. I would pay no amount of money for.
Paul Scheer
Well, you know, here's an interesting thing too, just for those people out there wondering. This is canon Star Wars Holiday special. Like if you exist, it exists in a world like everything in the Star wars universe, there are like things that are canon, things that are not. So a lot of the books have now been excised. That's not canon. But this is in the world. Like so technically, if you were to build something you can reference that this all happened.
Matt Gourley
I think Lucas is just not kicking it out of canon because he didn't ever want to admit it was in canon. The minute he kicks it out of canon, that will legitimize it.
Paul Scheer
Right? So by not mentioning it. Yeah, this is, I mean, oh my gosh, there is. I guess I'm so curious why Lucas refused to. I mean that's a bold move. And that's like a 70s move too. No, they'll speak in Wookiee and that's that. America's gotta get with the program. Like that is not fun for anyone. Cuz we're really just watching a family waiting. It's like a Truman show with Wookies. But the boring parts of Truman Show.
Jason Mantzoukas
No, it's waiting for Godot is what it is.
Paul Scheer
It is.
Matt Gourley
It really is.
Paul Scheer
It is. I also want to talk about Ark Carney's code. So he's in front of the Imperial Troopers and his code language for what Chewbacca is. I hope you. I got that large furry package in for you, but it might be delayed. Like, it's like everyone knows what he's talking about. This trooper should be a little bit quicker on the update.
Eden Share
And also I'm pretty sure he said something about. He said something by hand. Made by hand Solo.
Paul Scheer
Oh, right. Yeah, that was the bad code. Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Like, yeah, you could say she made it by hand Solo.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So I guess he just runs like a little like shop.
Matt Gourley
He's a traitor and family friend. This is it takes a village. Now they call it Imperial Guards.
Jason Mantzoukas
He says, I just thought I'd show you some of the stupid stuff Wookiees purchased from me.
Paul Scheer
Anyway, I guess some of the interesting things that Wookiees purchase are miniature fish tanks.
Matt Gourley
Sure.
Paul Scheer
Like, it was so like, and I guess that's a joke. Like hey look, it's a miniature fish tank that you can Keep in your pocket.
Jason Mantzoukas
But do Wookies have pockets? Guys? Do Wookiees have pockets?
Matt Gourley
Like marsupial pouches?
Eden Share
Yeah, yeah. Like kangaroos? Yeah, yeah.
Paul Scheer
I was actually thinking, what if I've seen them.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, he hasn't seen them pull anything out of their pockets.
Paul Scheer
What if Chewbacca's like, bandolier is just full of miniature fish tanks? I thought it was bullets. It's just miniature fish tanks in there.
Matt Gourley
From every life day he has.
Paul Scheer
Oh, thank you for. Oh, he likes the miniature fish tank.
Eden Share
I was also a little confused about then, like, the. What is it? Ubiquity. Like, the common. Like, this is just Life day is just a Wookie holiday.
Paul Scheer
I imagine so.
Eden Share
But everyone respects this. Everyone is like, this is a big deal.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, we know. Well, I feel like Chewie's probably always talking about life day, his life day memories. But, yeah, they always are. Like, I guess they're like. I guess in the middle of, like, the Rebellion, you know, Chewbacca's like, hey, guys, I'd love to kind of do the Death Star stuff or whatever, but I gotta make it home. I gotta, like, can I take a holiday weekend? Like, Chewie's, like, leaving the Rebellion. It seems like, like, Luke's working on his TIE fighter. Princess Lee is doing something else. And by the way, Luke seems. I don't know, Luke working on that TIE fighter. I had a lot of questions about that, too.
Eden Share
I just want to know where. And I guess this was for Leia also where they all look like, you know when, like, you're in line for Disneyland and like, Patrick Warburton comes on and tells you, like, he's in that room or something, like working on a fake plane or something, and talks to you. That's the kind of room that it felt like that Luke was in. Where were they?
Paul Scheer
It's one shot, no close ups. Like, they literally walked them in, gave them their costume, and got eyeliner on. Mark Hamill for sure. And they said, let's go. Mark Hamill looks younger in this than he does in Star Wars. And this is, I guess, before the car accident where he got the scar on his face that then is now part of the world of Star Wars. But it's like. Like that. It was crazy to see how young he looked. And also, you're right, it is like that Aerosmith rock and roll roller coaster. Like, hey, you guys are here. Jump on board. Then you can come to our show too, you Wookies. Amazon Five Star Theater presents real customer reviews performed by professional Second Opinions reader Tall John Shear Today's Review A Scented Spice Candle I was gifted the kitchen spice candle at a Christmas bazaar this past year and seeing that my life is surrounded by odd smells. I'm a mortician. I decided to bring it to work. This candle masks the smell completely. My workspace is tolerable. Again. I am recommending this to all my colleagues and friends. This candle literally masks the smell of death. 5 stars Technologic 80 this has been another Amazon 5 star theater performance. I don't know where they got this idea for an ad campaign, but it's really smart. Whatever you're thinking for this holiday, find the perfect gift on Amazon. Running out of contact lenses can be stressful. Trust me, I know. I always wait for the last second and then I gotta put on those weird old glasses. You know, the ones that just stay in that drawer. No 1-800-contacts offers an easy online prescription renewal process, ensuring fast access to replacement lenses. With free shipping. The company delivers doctor prescribed contacts directly to customers doors without the need to leave the home. For over 30 years, 1-800-contacts has been the leader in online contact lens delivery with millions of contacts in Stock and their 247 customer support is there if you ever need help, day or night. I love 1-800contacts. I have been a 1-800-contacts user for my entire contact life. Yeah, you see, I keep my prescription on file, I send it in, it comes to me. I always have the right amount of contacts at home. They're never out of them. 1,800contacts is the only way to get your contacts because getting contacts doesn't have to be a hassle. Let 1, 800 contacts get you the contact lenses you need right now. Order online at 1-800-contacts.com or download the free 1-800-contacts app today. Which is great. Chime is changing the way people bank. Forget about overdraft fees, minimum balance fees and monthly fees. It's the new way to build credit history history with your own money and get rewarded every single day. Chime is not just smarter Banking it's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.combonkers that's chime.combonkers. chime is a financial technology company, not a bank banking services the secured Chime Visa credit card and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay ELIG requirements apply and credit limit ranges between $20 and $500 optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime+status only. Otherwise, 1.00% APY applies. No minimum balance required. Chime card on time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms. And there's no resolution to the blockade. The whole threat of the whole episode is like, oh, there's a blockade around Kashyyyk or Kazuk as it's referenced here. And then, like, they get there and Han's like, it's a little traffic. We'll go around. Like, they don't fight. They don't do anything.
Eden Share
Oh, is that all it was? Or were there also people after them, though?
Matt Gourley
They were looking for rebels, right?
Paul Scheer
Yeah. But then they say that they put a blockade around the planet and that would be the blockade. That they just kind of just go, oh, we'll just go here. We'll make a. We'll turn this block instead.
Matt Gourley
It's almost as if they didn't put a lot of thought into this thing.
Eden Share
Or they were on. So, like, all of the drugs.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
How weird was it when Art Carney arrived at the house, at Chewbacca's house and, like, made Mala give him a kiss?
Eden Share
Yes. And a little kid.
Matt Gourley
There's so much Wookiee human crossover.
Jason Mantzoukas
Really pushy about getting a kiss from Mala, which I thought was real creepy.
Paul Scheer
That's a real Lando move. Yeah, he wanted. Yeah, he was all up in Leah's junk, too.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's true.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
And then Jefferson Starship. We should talk about that.
Eden Share
I felt so stupid. I was like, this is. I know. This is a famous band. Who is this? How did they get this? Why? Why?
Paul Scheer
Why Jefferson Starship in this? I mean. Yeah, it's like, who were they? I mean, they got out easy. I mean, I think Diane Carroll and Jefferson Starship got out easy because they.
Matt Gourley
Just had to do what they do.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, they just put on costumes.
Eden Share
I'm pretty sure, though, I couldn't tell. Did they have them singing? Was the microphone. Did they try to make it look like a lightsaber?
Matt Gourley
Yeah, it was all glowing. All their instruments were glowing. Do you think that they were chosen solely because their name was Starship for this?
Paul Scheer
Oh, I bet you I didn't even realize that.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, it led me to think, too, that when they went from Jefferson Airplane to Starship, that is the coolest band reboot name, I think.
Paul Scheer
I didn't even realize that that's crazy. Yeah. Jeff Smear played the Jefferson Starship. Yeah.
Matt Gourley
They lost grace and went like, we're going to the stratosphere. You know how we can top losing the whole draw of this band? We're going to space.
Paul Scheer
So crazy. Oh, my God. Yeah. Jefferson Starship just performs again. In one of the many points in the show where someone watches entertainment. We have someone watching a circus. We have someone watching VR porn. We have someone watching Jefferson Starship. We have a lot of cartoons. Oh, and in the cartoon, it's voiced over by this guy. Now in Star Trek, it's like, captain's log, Star Date. So and so in this, there's another guy who's like, rebel log. You know? And it's like, who is this guy that's narrating this? Wouldn't it be like Chewbacca or, like Luke Skywalker?
Matt Gourley
There's so much watching of TV in this show that it leads me to believe someone's watching me watch this. Every time I watch it.
Paul Scheer
I have to say that while Harrison Ford must have been bummed because his character's most closely connected to the character they based the entire special around, which means he has to be in it more than anyone. He does sell it at certain points.
Matt Gourley
He does. Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Like when he says he looks at Chewie real lovingly, he's like, you're like family to me. And then they all say how they can't make Life Day, but yet then they're all there at the end, at Life Day, and Chewbacca's in his red smock, which I think is amazing.
Eden Share
Wait, like the robe?
Paul Scheer
The robe? I'm sorry. Yeah, the robe, yeah.
Eden Share
But just making sure that Those were so weird.
Paul Scheer
So I think it was only to cover up the fact they didn't have enough costumes for the rest of these people, because you don't even see the other Wookies. You just see red things. And I don't understand what life Day is like. Life Day. They hold an orb in their hand, Then they're transported away. But then they're back.
Matt Gourley
But, yeah, they walk. Where were they? Outer space. They walk into a sun or something.
Paul Scheer
Ayahuasca is like. But then they're around.
Jason Mantzoukas
Then they're around, like, a big, giant tree base. But they're in space. Guys, I think they might be on Pandora.
Matt Gourley
Oh, my God. When Leia sings at the end, Han and Luke have looks on their face that remind me of when my family holds hands and pray at Christmas, where you're just. You feel like, is someone watching me? Right now I've gotta be respectful, but it's so uncomfortable.
Paul Scheer
Well, there's something also interesting in here. Right before they start to sing, like C3PO and R2D2 drop a very big bomb on everyone in the Star wars world, where they basically say, I wish we were human so we had feelings.
Matt Gourley
And could be credited as humans in the credits.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. And then so you understand that they are not human. And then Leah sings. I want to just play a little bit of Leah's Life Day song so we'll hear a little bit of R2D2 and C3PO lamenting their. Their non sentient being.
Matt Gourley
It is indeed true that at times like this, Arto and I wish that we were more than just mechanical beings and we're really alive so that we could share your feelings with you. Chewbacca. Chewbacca, we were so relieved to hear you were all right.
Paul Scheer
All of you are an important part of my life, pal. I'm glad I could be here.
Matt Gourley
This holiday is yours. But we all share with you the hope that this day brings us closer to freedom and to harmony and to peace. No matter how different we appear, we're all the same in our struggle against the powers of evil and darkness. I hope that this day will always be a day of joy in which we can reconfirm our dedication and our courage. And more than anything else go our love for one another.
Paul Scheer
Here you go.
Matt Gourley
This is the promise of the tree of life. This is what it is.
Paul Scheer
Just do a couple seconds of this.
Matt Gourley
Celebrate a day of peace. A day of. To the tune of Star Wars.
Paul Scheer
Oh, you're right.
Matt Gourley
It is a day of joy. We all essentially together, joyously.
Paul Scheer
And now I'm further confused because they all join up there. They're all meeting up on Kashyyyk to have like a Life Day party. It doesn't seem like it's for them. It seems like this is purely a Wookiee thing. And yet she's saying how this is like galvanizing the forces of the rebels, but it's not. I don't get it. Seems like it's Christmas, right? It's supposed to be like Christmas.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
It shouldn't be like a.
Eden Share
It was weird. Weird moral. Preachy. Just like stuck on there.
Paul Scheer
This song at the end is like, nothing about this would be fun. Nothing about it is fun. This is like a somber side story of the Star wars world. Even at the end of Star Wars. Oh, whoops.
Jason Mantzoukas
They're the only non Wookies there. I feel like, why does Chewbacca get to bring friends.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, well, that's. Again, I feel like Chewbacca's the outcast of the Wookiee planet. First of all, you're fucking deadbeat dead. Then you bring all your friends over to her life day. Come on, man.
Matt Gourley
And your friends take over our celebration and make speeches.
Eden Share
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Why is Leah singing at the Wookiee celebration?
Eden Share
I was like. If you're like, I get it. If it's like, okay, oh, we want. Because we don't want to end it. We want it to be English. But they didn't care about that for all the rest of the movie, so why wouldn't they have, like, get the credit, get. Get Chewie to make the big speech.
Paul Scheer
And by the way, I would have been very excited at the end of, like, Return of the Jedi where they had the Yubnub song. Like, that's all not English. And that's Ewok singing. Like, let's have something like that. That seems like a celebration song. Like, but nope, it's like, let's give this old. Not old. Let's give this white lady a chance to sing. Like. And I just feel like she's not an entertainer. She's a. She's a princess and a. And a rebel leader. She's not known for her singing prowess.
Matt Gourley
Ah, but Carrie Fiser.
Jason Mantzoukas
No, that. That's Bea Arthur.
Matt Gourley
Yeah. Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
Bea Arthur gets to sing her song. That's really where it's at.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my God. Bea Arthur. Like, you know, they have to fill up that cantina full of, like, all these different creatures. And the. The laziest version is that giant rat on the side like this. Oh, yeah. It's like, yeah. And a big rat. She'll talk to that big fucking rat.
Jason Mantzoukas
Then B, you're gonna go from this guy here, and you're gonna go. And you're gonna sit next to the big rat, and then you're gonna sing this part. Like, the blocking of that alone must have made her want to kill herself.
Paul Scheer
Shot in, like, one day. Probably the worst. One day. Terrible craft service. They're just sitting there, miserable. Bea Arthur only agreed to do it. She never saw Star wars either, but her grandkid or something was a big fan of it, so that's why she jumped in. And apparently the cantina day was an entire day. But the actors in the alien costumes began to pass out due to lack of oxygen. So there are oxygen tanks on set because of that.
Matt Gourley
Does it say where this was shot? Like, this could have been. It probably was. Or CBS Radford or that Television City.
Eden Share
I think at the end it did say something about I should have rewound, but, like, shot at, like, Burbank.
Paul Scheer
Of course.
Matt Gourley
I'm sure every variety show ever made was shot in Burbank. I'm certain of that. That's amazing. There so close to us. That all happened so close to us. There should be a memorial or some kind of plaque or something.
Paul Scheer
But could you imagine doing the Force Awakens special now like this? Like, what would be the. It would be like the one to one ratio. It would be like. I don't know what it would be. I mean, it would be like the girl. Like two broke girls come in. They work in like a Jakku diner or something like that.
Matt Gourley
Absolutely. Ava Longoria.
Jason Mantzoukas
Two broke girls are too young.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Oh, you're right. It would have to be like they're too young.
Jason Mantzoukas
It would have to be like Ed o'.
Matt Gourley
Neill.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like Doris Roberts and Ed o'. Neill.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. You know, the producers turned down Robin Williams from being in the special. CBS didn't like him, so they turned him down. So Robin Williams could have been in the Star wars holiday season.
Matt Gourley
Would he have been the Harvey Corman part?
Paul Scheer
I imagine he had to have been the Harvey Corman part.
Matt Gourley
Yeah. And was Mork and Mindy wasn't on yet at this point. Right. 78, was it?
Paul Scheer
I feel like he might have. No, probably not. Yeah. They would have loved to have had him if he was. Yes. I mean, that would have been great just to see Doris Roberts doing a song at, like, whatever that character. The Maz character's cantina in the Force Awakens.
Eden Share
Did we talk about the instructional video?
Paul Scheer
Oh, no. That was so another Harvey Korman performance art piece. This is like, what is going on here?
Matt Gourley
Now that I actually liked. It was so absurd and almost in a Tim and Eric way, whether they meant it or not. Yeah, I was riveted by that. And I don't know exactly why, but it's so interesting.
Paul Scheer
The child's computer equipment is broken and he's gonna repair it. So he puts on an instructional video to show him how to repair his laptop. And it's Harvey Korman yet again as another character. This one is like a. I mean, you guys can describe a robot.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, but did they do that after the fact where they just went. Well, we didn't have any jokes in the first place, and he didn't really do anything. Let's tweak with the editing. Was that always planned?
Paul Scheer
Again, I don't even understand the Logic behind it. Because the idea would be like, this is an instructional video. So why would they even release it if the robot malfunctioned? Unless the robot only comes alive when they're doing it. There's not even a logic there.
Matt Gourley
Well, I thought it was the playback that was malfunctioning, but don't trust me on that.
Jason Mantzoukas
It was like. Like skipping and jumping.
Paul Scheer
Oh. But I thought that Harvey Corman was also falling down at certain points too, because he.
Eden Share
You know what? I think you're right. I think it was after the fact. Because there was no. Not that people were reacting appropriately or that Wookies were reacting appropriately, but, like, there was no acknowledgement that it was like. There was no. Like. Like, Lumpy was like, oh, no. Like, it's messing up. Just totally, totally normal. So after the fact, they were like, we gotta make it interesting.
Paul Scheer
We got. I mean. And they really did. That wouldn't be amazing if that was one of Tim and Eric's editor's grandfathers worked on this.
Matt Gourley
Or they're like, we have to make this funny or this special isn't gonna work. Cause everything else is right in the pocket. We nailed it. This is the one thing.
Paul Scheer
They also reuse footage from Star Wars a handful of times to a degree. Yeah. Okay. I am watching it right now. Harvey Korman falls down. So it's not playback. He literally falls and his head hits the table and he's like. He's malfunctioning. He's shorting out.
Matt Gourley
That's crazy.
Paul Scheer
Why not just put him in the room with them and then you just have a funny robot performance? I guess no one was gonna get on that Wookiee set.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
It was only broadcast once. We talked about that. Anything else that we may have missed that. I know that there's so much to talk about, but I. Oh, this is an issue that I always have. Mala is making wookie ookies, which are Wookiee cookies. But that's an issue that I have because we don't call em, like, human ookies. I don't understand why you.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, cookies. A cookie's a cookie.
Paul Scheer
Exactly. They don't have to have the name of the species before it. You wouldn't call them. Yeah. Like. Yeah, they were called Wookieukis.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
He's like, are you making some of those Wookieukis?
Matt Gourley
We're making some human ramen over here.
Paul Scheer
I did feel like R. Carney would have fucked up.
Jason Mantzoukas
It makes it sound like they're made of Wookiee. Maybe they're Cannibals, which would make Wookiees cannibals.
Paul Scheer
I do want to go back to. Do you think that Ark Carney did have an affair with Mala? Could that have happened because the way he wanted to kiss her, blame her.
Matt Gourley
For, you know, I mean, a. For. Because Chewbacca's gone, but also Art Carney. What a catch.
Jason Mantzoukas
And then when Chewbacca gets back, the sexual chemistry that is between. The sexual tension between him and Mala is palpable.
Eden Share
Why didn't they actually kill? It almost happened. And then they hugged. I wanted to see that Wookie kiss so bad.
Jason Mantzoukas
I think their mouths can do that.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
There's no way.
Paul Scheer
Again, I feel like I want to get into. I want to go deep into Chewbacca's life. Couples therapy, why Mala's upset with him. Like, what is going on?
Eden Share
I feel like maybe that was a little bit of the intention. Like, if it went over well, maybe they would have made, like, a TV series off of it.
Matt Gourley
Oh, I think you probably.
Paul Scheer
Oh. I mean, I feel like they did make these Ewok specials eventually, like, later on, which we were going to maybe focus on, but they're just actually too boring. But this. And this at least, is a train wreck. But, yeah, like, they're. I mean, I think that, like, imagine if Lucas directed the second one. This is what he wanted. He wanted to focus on Wookies like this. Like, the Empire Strikes Back could have had a giant chunk of just Wookiee. Just boring. Wookiee takes the most interesting character, the most, like, beast, like, character, and just, like, makes him the most domesticated. There's an oven in there. They have, like, a nice oven and furniture. There's nothing. There's nothing Wookie about it. It's just nice. It's like, yeah, Wouldn't you like to see what the equivalent of a Wookiee chair is?
Matt Gourley
The only difference between a Wookiee and a human family is that they don't speak English and most of their house is made of wood. That's the only difference.
Paul Scheer
Which you could say for a lot of Italians, that's.
Jason Mantzoukas
Wow, really going hard at Italians again.
Paul Scheer
I mean, or anyone who, like, where is IKEA from?
Jason Mantzoukas
Don't try and backtrack on this now.
Matt Gourley
No, they're not notoriously hairy. You have to stay Mediterranean to make this work.
Paul Scheer
What else? Anything else that you saw that worth bringing up?
Eden Share
I was just gonna say that the part that I really did get emotional when Lumpy, when he's putting back together the stuffed animal, I really. I felt for him. And all of the inserts, they had random inserts really close up of a lot of their faces. And the ones at the end of Mala almost crying.
Paul Scheer
Oh yeah.
Eden Share
Were so. They were like. I was like, aw. And then I couldn't. I burst out laughing. Cause they were so absurd.
Matt Gourley
I got emotional when he had to clean his room because they showed the entire process and it just brought me back to when I had to clean my room.
Paul Scheer
I don't know if it's like being a new dad on some level, but I do get emotional with. With things with sons and dads did get a little bit. Like there was a moment I was like, oh. I'm like I'm feeling this. Because it was. It was like, you don't wanna see a kid get beat up and tortured and treated poorly by this stupid Imperial.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh my God, that's amazing. I really.
Paul Scheer
Just.
Jason Mantzoukas
The thing that I wanna remind everybody of is that in the middle of all of this, they murder a storm kid. And everybody appears to be un. Unfazed.
Eden Share
And our crony, when he goes and when they're like, where is he? He lies and says that he was robbed and that then he. Whatever, he fled. But he's so incriminating himself. The guy, they will so quickly find out, no, he was thrown off of this thing.
Matt Gourley
For all of the distrust that the Empire has throughout this entire special. In that one sentence that they're like, okay, good enough for me. Let's wrap this up. You got it, buddy.
Paul Scheer
Makes sense that our stormtrooper just defected out of no reason. And on Kashyyyk, like in this Wookiee planet where he'll stick out like a sore thumb. I did wanna.
Jason Mantzoukas
I guess that guy robbed a bunch of Wookies and took off for the forest. Cause that's what stormtroopers do.
Matt Gourley
Oh.
Paul Scheer
There's two things I didn't even talk about. The first of all, I just briefly just wanna mention the long and tender on like, I guess, you know, one of the Imperial soldiers has like an antenna that is, I would say like 3ft CB antenna. Yeah, CB antenna. Which I loved. Just like the technology should be a little bit more advanced than that. We're flying spaceships around.
Matt Gourley
I mean, they have pocket aquariums for crisis.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. We're calling up Leah across the galaxy. We're getting a live stream to Mos Eisley's. We don't need. We don't need this long antenna here anymore. And then the other thing that I want to talk about is so at the end Chewbacca and Han get there. They kill a stormtrooper, and Chewbacca's kid jumps into whose arms first? Han.
Matt Gourley
Han Solo. That's right.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. The kid jumps in like, again, proving Chewbacca's a bad dad. The first person he goes to.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's only something a new dad would notice.
Matt Gourley
That is the takeaway from this special.
Paul Scheer
Chewbacca, he's a bad dad. That is now canon.
Matt Gourley
Yes.
Paul Scheer
Obviously that was our opinion about the film. But there are other people out there with another opinion. It is now time for second opinions. Make no mistake, this movie blows.
Matt Gourley
And we have now reached the best.
Paul Scheer
Part of the show.
Matt Gourley
Paul Sheer and the gang, they had their say, but there are people out there that feel a different way.
Paul Scheer
Let's check out these five star reviews coming from Amazon. We'll try to figure out what is going on. Okay. When I watched this when I was a young kid, I loved it because it was a Star wars show. I wasn't a critic. Now that I'm older, I suspect this was created by people under the influence of drug culture in the 70s, using Star wars characters to tell a story. If you can see and accept this, this show is very good. Entertaining, creative in its own way. Unique. Leonard Maltin, five stars. Well, I guess, yeah, if you accept drug culture in the 70s, then that works.
Eden Share
I'd maybe agree with that. Sort of.
Paul Scheer
I think that they did weird shit here. I mean, it definitely. Like, no one's really into it in the five star reviews.
Eden Share
They're probably all enjoying it. Ironically.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, yeah.
Paul Scheer
This one, the Star Wars Holiday special is sadly a forgotten classic. The epic storyline is primarily concerned with Chewbacca trying to make it home in time for life day. But at its core, the film is a metaphor for the common man's attempt to make the world better for his family in the face of corrupt and uncaring people. Parallels to 1984 envisioned by the Empire occupying their house and manhandling their property. This classic also allows us insight into the supposedly gruff character of Han Solo, who reveals his tender side and his relations with Chewbacca and Chewbacca's family. His crying when Princess Leah sings the lyrics to Star wars main theme. Oh, wow. Five stars. I didn't realize that that would be like. That's the lyrics to the main theme. Yeah, I didn't know that.
Matt Gourley
This is written by like an Ayn Rand reader. That one where it's like the tyranny in 1984. That is like a tea party person.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, people liked it. People like this Would you guys recommend watching this at all?
Eden Share
Oh, yes, 100%.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Over a week at least.
Jason Mantzoukas
Especially right now.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, right now it's a good chance because it's the holiday season.
Matt Gourley
Watch it right before or after seeing the Force Awakens too. Just to see when what happens in that movie happens. It's good to reflect on.
Paul Scheer
It really is good to remember the important things here. And we didn't talk about, I think the best part, which was the cartoon.
Matt Gourley
Yeah, yeah, good.
Eden Share
I actually, I really, I enjoyed it. I also, I mean, there was no point they didn't get. It was like, oh, whoa. Like, like Boba Fett wasn't on our side. And then nothing happened.
Matt Gourley
It's solely to get the action figure marketed.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's it.
Paul Scheer
It's so crazy. Every resolution here is so quick. It's like Boba Fett's like, oops, see you later, suckers. And he just shoots out. This is like a world class assassin. He could have just gotten to a gunfight or anything. They basically like, we know you're a bad guy. He's like, oop, bye, bye.
Matt Gourley
He could have killed him at any time.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, yeah. Like Boba Fett's vision is a bad bounty hunter, but. Yeah, but it looks cool. And like, I almost would have preferred if the whole holiday special were these like little vignettes. Like these like cool little. Because that was like a cool adventure. So obviously you couldn't shoot Star wars, so why don't you just do them as cartoons?
Matt Gourley
It had that animation style like heavy metal or like the creep show interstitials where the people always are. They're always moving. Like.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Matt Gourley
Has that strange 70s, I don't know, like punk rock animation or something. That's really.
Eden Share
I also, I really enjoyed the way Harrison Ford was drawn.
Paul Scheer
Oh yeah.
Eden Share
It was so weird. He looked little tiny. They almost drew him like, like he was like high the whole time.
Paul Scheer
I wish, like, like, you know, it's so funny. Like Harrison Ford, I think, had so many issues with the Return of the Jedi. But I feel like this is back in the day where you could get your main cast of the biggest blockbuster of all time to do a TV variety special.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, yeah.
Paul Scheer
There is nothing else like that you will never see again. Like you could never even get the Lord. The Lord of the Rings, like Elfin Feast special. You would never see these characters out and about. Like they. People have a hard time even getting characters to do video game voices like, yet alone come on and act in like a multicam production of their Own shit.
Matt Gourley
The closest analog to this is they'll go on like a Jimmy Fallon and do a Star wars sketch or something like that. Or like Daniel Craig did one for Spectre. And that's the best you'll get out of the.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
And even there, what you'll get now, I think what you get more is like Daniel Craig has to do like a Heineken ad.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, right.
Matt Gourley
Or a funnier dive, you know, which.
Jason Mantzoukas
I feel like has the same level of embarrassment.
Matt Gourley
That's right. Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my gosh. Well, we'll never know what life day is officially.
Matt Gourley
Do we know when it is exactly?
Paul Scheer
I mean, look, it's a. We don't.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's Christmas, I think.
Eden Share
Do we know. Is it like, in the Star wars universe? Is the calendar the same as ours?
Matt Gourley
I mean, it literally can't be because ours is what, a lunar calendar based on our sun?
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So they don't have that. We know that it's not winter on Kashyyyk. Or maybe again, that's my issue with these planets. It could be winter somewhere. This could just be. He could live in the Miami version of the Wookiee planet. We don't know if it's winter. They didn't seem to have any decorations up for it.
Matt Gourley
But if we've learned anything from Star wars planets, it's one terrain per planet. All snow, all desert.
Paul Scheer
It's so bizarre. That's the laziness of Star Wars. Just like one.
Matt Gourley
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
It would be so cool if Star wars was on one planet. That would make a lot of sense. Like, oh, different islands. Yeah, yeah. Nope, just all different planets. This is the island planet. This is the desert planet.
Jason Mantzoukas
This is the floating planet.
Paul Scheer
Well, that was the Star wars holiday special. We are glad that you guys beared with it with us. I mean, I'm glad I watched the whole thing. And it's unique. You'll never make anything this wrong and this awesome off ever again.
Matt Gourley
It has a certain beauty.
Paul Scheer
I can't wait to show this to my child as the first introduction to Star Wars.
Matt Gourley
This is what everybody loves.
Paul Scheer
And thank you to everybody for listening. Also, a big thank you to Avril Halley who does all of our clip pulling. She has an amazing site called Movie Bitches. Also, a big shout out to Nate Kiley, Marisa Zeitz, Cody Scully, everybody here at Earwolf for making this show. And we thank you and wish you a very, very happy life day or whatever holiday you celebrate. See you in the new year. Bye. Bye. Hey, this is Jeff Lewis from Radio Andy Live and uncensored. Catch me talking with my friends about my latest obsessions, relationship issues and bodily ailments. With that kind of drama that seems to follow me, you never know what's going to happen.
Eden Share
You can listen to Jeff Lewis Live at home or anywhere you are. Download the SiriusXM them app for over 425 channels of ad free music, sports, entertainment and more. Subscribe now and get 3 months free offer details apply. Come to DSW for the shoes. Stay for the fun. Because let's be honest, if shoe shopping isn't fun, are you even doing it right? So go ahead, try something new. Try something different, good different different. Try something that feels like you, you know the real you. And then definitely brag about it later because at DSW you've got unlimited freedom to play. Find the shoes that get you at prices that get your budget at DSW stores or at dsw.com. let us surprise you.
This special matinee episode of How Did This Get Made? dives into the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), widely considered one of the strangest, most derided artifacts in both Star Wars and television history. Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, Matt Gourley, and guest Eden Sher assemble to dissect every baffling creative choice, supremely awkward moment, and accidental gem lurking within this legendary disaster. Their goal isn't just to hate-watch; it's to celebrate and interrogate the weirdness, lament the missed opportunities, and laugh at everything that makes the special so unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
"He had asked for this to be about Wookiees on the planet of Kashyyyk because he wanted to get into this in the Star Wars world. So he was a little hands on." (Paul, 04:46)
"I am here. My voice is for you alone. I exist for you. I am in your mind as you create me." (Diane Carroll, 16:22)
“I exist for you. I am in your mind as you create me. Oh, yes. I can feel my creation.” (Diane Carroll, as played during commentary)
The group agrees: The Star Wars Holiday Special is an excruciating but compelling cultural artifact. More than a misfire, it’s a fascinating window into the excess, ambition, and utter cluelessness of 1970s network television. It’s also the stuff of comedy gold—if you have the patience to endure it and the willingness to see its flaws as features.
Final word:
"You'll never make anything this wrong and this awesome off ever again." (Paul, 71:07)
For specific bits of interest, jump to:
Happy Life Day from the HDTGM crew!