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1[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_wars_holiday_special_s.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:320:It was a ''really'' [[BuryYourArt dark time]] for the Rebellion.]]
3->'''''Maxim'' magazine:''' Any plans for a Special Edition of the ''Holiday Special''?\
4'''Creator/GeorgeLucas:''' ''(hangs head)'' Right. That's one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it.
5
6''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' is a two-hour ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' TV "special" that was broadcast on Creator/{{CBS}} on November 17, 1978.
7
8The main storyline, set in 0 ABY (shortly after the original ''Franchise/StarWars'' film, ''Film/ANewHope''), takes place on the Wookiee home planet of "Kazzook" [[note]](the planet's name is Kashyyyk, which wouldn't be finalized until a year after the special aired)[[/note]]. While Creator/HarrisonFord (Han Solo), Creator/PeterMayhew (Chewbacca), Creator/CarrieFisher (Princess Leia), Creator/MarkHamill (Luke Skywalker), and Creator/AnthonyDaniels (C-3PO) all return, the special introduces three members of Chewie's family: his father Itchy (Paul Gale), his wife Malla (Mickey Morton), and his son Lumpy (Creator/PattyMaloney).
9
10The first 10-15 minutes are conducted almost entirely in Shyriiwook (the Wookiees' language that Han usually translates), with ''no subtitles'' whatsoever. The first actual English we hear after a while comes from a brief transmission from Luke Skywalker, under [[UncannyValleyMakeup layers of foundation]].[[note]]The makeup was actually to cover up scars on Hamill's face that he had incurred from a then-recent car accident.[[/note]]
11
12The basic idea linking the segments together is that Chewie is trying to get home for the big Wookiee holiday, [[YouMeanXmas Life Day]]. During the course of the film, we get updates from the ''Millennium Falcon'' as Han and Chewie race for "Kazzook" space. The catch is that they may not make it in time, as they're being pursued by agents of the Empire, who are also searching the planet for Rebel agents; meanwhile, [[ANaziByAnyOtherName several Imperial officers and stormtroopers]] show up at "Kazzook" to search Chewie's house.
13
14For the rest of the running time, various segments are interspersed throughout the special:
15* A musical number by rock band Music/JeffersonStarship shows up during the agents' search.
16* Ackmena (played by Creator/BeaArthur) performs a musical segment from the Mos Eisley Cantina as the Empire imposes a curfew on Kashyyyk, looking for Han and Chewie.
17* Itchy gets off on what can only be described as a VR porn disc starring Creator/DiahannCarroll. Provided to him by Saun Dann, a trader played by Creator/ArtCarney!
18* Lumpy watches a cartoon, "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee". (Despite Lucas' best efforts to disregard the ''Holiday Special''[='s=] existence, this segment is among the bonus features on the ''Star Wars: The Complete Saga'' Blu-ray boxset and ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' Ultimate Collector's Edition UHD set, and was eventually released on Creator/DisneyPlus.)
19* Lumpy watches the instruction disc for assembling a transmitter. Every step, from start to finish, is read by Dromboid, played by a robot-impersonating Creator/HarveyKorman. Not a ''robot impersonating Harvey Korman'', mind you.
20* Malla watches a cooking show starring Chef Gormaanda, played by a multi-armed and crossdressing Korman.
21
22It all ends with Han and Chewie making it home and defeating the Stormtroopers. Afterwards, the Wookiees [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext all don cult robes and hold glowing orbs as they walk into space and end up at the Tree of Life, where Princess Leia sings a song]].
23
24The ''Holiday Special'' is [[SeriousBusiness important]], at least to serious fans, for being the first film-length ''Star Wars'' story after the release of ''A New Hope'', as well as showing an expanded look at parts of the established universe. The program is considered ''Legends'' {{canon}} with regards to Chewie's family, including the celebration of Life Day. We also get some vague insight into the Imperial occupation of Kashyyyk (not mentioned in the films, but important to ''Legends'') plus a few other locales, such as a water planet known as [[SingleBiomePlanet Panna]]. It's also the first time the main characters visit Kashyyyk, though this is later disregarded when Leia goes there during ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'' and [[{{Retcon}} acts like it's her first time seeing it]] [[note]](although if Leia was as high as Carrie Fisher was during filming, Leia might not have remembered much of it anyway)[[/note]].
25
26The animated segment, which officially introduces BountyHunter Boba Fett -- and thus served as a mini-preview for ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' -- was likewise considered canon (it was the first big American assignment for Creator/{{Nelvana}} Studios, who went on to handle the later spinoff shows ''WesternAnimation/{{Droids}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Ewoks}}''). The special is also notable for being one of the first efforts by young makeup artist Creator/StanWinston, who later skyrocketed to fame by creating ''Film/TheTerminator'' and the dinosaurs of ''Franchise/JurassicPark''.
27
28[[KeepCirculatingTheTapes Finding copies on a legal basis is downright impossible]], as Creator/GeorgeLucas will ensure it won't get a home media release as long as he lives, though he apparently looks the other way when it shows up on certain video sites.
29
30Life Day was brought into the post-Creator/{{Disney}} buyout ''Star Wars'' canon via a brief mention in the first episode of ''Series/TheMandalorian'' in November 2019. The animated segment "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee" received an official release as an EasterEgg on ''The Complete Saga'' Blu-rays, and was also made available on Creator/DisneyPlus in April 2021. In December 2022, the Star Wars Website/YouTube channel released a Life Day themed AMSR video as part of a series.
31
32Then in 2020, Disney took it one step further by announcing a new Holiday Special... in animated form. That special, ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOStarWarsHolidaySpecial'', set after the events of the Sequel Trilogy and featuring a ''much'' more coherent (and explicitly non-canon) plot involving Rey time-traveling throughout the events of the movies, would premiere on Disney+ on November 17 of that year -- exactly 42 years after the original special.
33----
34!!''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' has examples of:
35[[foldercontrol]]
36
37[[folder:A-N]]
38* TheSeventies: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... the denizens are dressing in pure 1970s fashion.
39* AccentUponTheWrongSyllable: In a case of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, the Imperial Guard refers to Kashyyyk as "Kazzook".
40* ActorAllusion: Saun Dann (played by Creator/ArtCarney) excessively noodles with a device in exactly the same way Ed Norton did in ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', complete with an Imperial Guard yelling "Will you just ''get on'' with it?!" in the same way as Ralph Kramden.
41* AllThereInTheScript:
42** The script has translations for the Wookiees' howls, despite the special not subtitling them for some reason.
43** Malla, Itchy, and Lumpy's full names (Mallatobuck, Attichitcuk, and Lumpawarrump) are given in the script and other official canon sources of the time, not that it helps. The EU also had Lumpy changing from Lumpawarrump to Lumpawaroo (part of a Wookiee coming-of-age tradition), specifically so he could ''change his nickname'' to Waroo. Lucasfilm had an employee who literally got paid to retcon this stuff seamlessly, but he couldn't save ''that''.
44** Dromboid (the host of the transmitter assembly video) is only named in post-release canon sources.
45* AsYouKnow: Darth Vader's sole appearance basically serves as exposition explaining why the Empire is chasing Han and Chewie, as if it isn't blatantly clear to anyone with even cursory knowledge of ''Star Wars''.
46* BarFullOfAliens: The Mos Eisley Cantina, and we get to know the owner, too.
47* BilingualDialogue: For some reason, Luke can understand Shyriiwook (which was never seen in the movies), while Leia needs C-3PO to translate it for her.
48* BreatherEpisode: Could charitably be called this [[note]]([[ExiledFromContinuity at least while it was canon...]])[[/note]], as it came between the epic ''Episode IV'' [[note]](where the heroes have to stop a planet-destroying weapon)[[/note]] and the DarkerAndEdgier ''Episode V'' [[note]]("No... ''[[WhamLine I]]'' [[WhamLine am your father...]]")[[/note]], with this one being mostly Chewie's family preparing for the Life Day holiday and treating the Empire as if it were essentially an invasion of ants... [[{{Dissimile}} ants who are heavily armed and could kill the entirety of Chewie's family if they looked at them funny]], but still...
49* BroadStrokes: While Lucas is doing his best to make sure nobody knows it was made, many elements are accepted in canon... with the understanding that they happened during something that wasn't a crappy variety show. (Though see CanonDiscontinuity below for what Disney did with it.)
50* BrokenRecord: "Stir whip stir whip whip whip stir." Repeat ad nauseam.
51* TheCameo:
52** Vader appears for one scene, via a redubbed DeletedScene from ''Film/ANewHope''. Creator/JamesEarlJones also voices him for one line in the Boba Fett cartoon.
53** Leslie Schofield (who played Imperial general Mormadin Bast in the film) appears next to Vader in that same deleted scene.
54** Obi-Wan appears in the flashback montage towards the end, again via footage from ''A New Hope''.
55* {{Camp}}: And not the good kind, sadly, managing to scrape together the absolute worst of the variety show format and none of the good elements.
56* CanonDiscontinuity:
57** Thanks to what's considered canon in the new ''Star Wars'' universe under Disney, this special no longer counts to any degree. In spite of this, Malla and the rest of Chewie's family (though not explicitly named beyond the former) are referenced in later canon works meaning that they are still his family, and while concepts and ideas are free for use, it's pretty unlikely to go beyond a few basics.
58** As of 2015, the cartoon segment was explicitly de-canonized: in the Marvel ''Star Wars'' comic, we get to see Luke and Boba Fett meet, and there's no way it could be described as friendly.
59** Life Day is still part of the Disney Canon, since it gets briefly mentioned in [[Recap/TheMandalorianS1E1Chapter1TheMandalorian the first episode]] of ''Series/TheMandalorian'', with Mando's weapon similar to Boba Fett's weapon in the animated sequence.
60* CanonImmigrant:
61** Yes, that's really Chewbacca's family.
62** Ackmena has been used in some ''Star Wars'' books, such as helping free slaves in ''[[Literature/FateOfTheJedi Allies]]''. The Disney continuity expands her personality a bit: apparently she has a wife and is a somewhat harsh "landlady" for Kabe and Muftak (they live in tunnels under the Cantina).
63** In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', the Wookiee homes are faithful to ''Holiday Special'', albeit DarkerAndEdgier.
64** None other than Boba Fett himself, appearing in animated form two years before showing up in ''Empire''.
65** Life Day itself, as well as Saun Dann, made frequent appearances in ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalaxies'' and ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic''.
66** Boba Fett's Amban Phase-pulse Blaster was incorporated into ''Series/TheMandalorian'' as the titular character's main armament. The first episode also namedrops Life Day when a character is discussing plans to go visit his family for the holidays.
67** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zigzagged]] by ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. That film marks Kashyyyk's first officially canon appearance, but its design there only vaguely resembles how it looked in the holiday special. It's also notable that while Chewbacca appears during the Kashyyyk scenes in ''Sith'', his family is nowhere to be seen. Granted, Lumpy would probably not be born yet during the time frame of ''Sith'', but still.
68* CaptainsLog: The cartoon opens with a voiceover that says, "Starlog 3-24-1 from the bridge of the cruiser ''RS Revenge'', Captain Kazan reporting. We are awaiting the return of Captain Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca, who are long overdue on a delicate mission to acquire the mystical talisman which has been sought by our forces and by the Empire." Of course, starlogs are totally nothing at all like [[Franchise/StarTrek stardates]]!
69* CarpetOfVirility: Saun Dann's shirt shows off quite a bit of chest hair.
70* CelebrityParadox: Lumpy watches a cartoon about his father, Chewbacca. What makes it even weirder is that Chewbacca and his friends are all known members of the Rebellion, i.e. the enemies of the ''current ruling authoritarian regime of the galaxy''. [[FridgeLogic How exactly was this cartoon made and distributed under Imperial rule?]]
71* CharacterAsHimself: Though the opening cast call names Chewbacca and C-3PO's actors, R2-D2 is credited as playing himself. Creator/KennyBaker wasn't credited for the simple reason that he wasn't involved -- R2-D2 was operated entirely via remote control by Mick Garris, Lucas' receptionist.
72* ChristmasSpecial: Technically considered a Christmas special, though the word "Christmas" isn't used in the title and the show focuses around a fictional holiday instead. It actually aired a week before Thanksgiving.
73* CoolOldLady: Ackmena. There's a reason her segment is considered one of the few high points.
74* CoversAlwaysLie: That poster up there gives the impression that this is going to be an action-packed thrill ride, when the actual special is obviously a different story. Perhaps the most glaring of inaccuracies is the continued presence of ''the Death Star'' despite, you know, it being blown up at the end of ''A New Hope''.
75* CrossCastRole:
76** Chewbacca's son Lumpy is played by 3'11" tall actress Patty Maloney.
77** Conversely, Chewie's wife Malla is played by actor Mickey Morton.
78** Chef Gormaanda is one of three roles portrayed by Harvey Korman.
79* {{Crossdresser}}: Harvey Korman while hosting a cooking show.
80* DastardlyWhiplash: Luke is the only character who trusts Boba despite this.
81* DeadpanSnarker: Ackmena, alone of the cast. Which is saying something when ''Han Solo'' is also around.
82* DirtyOldMan: Fans might think that Itchy was one for watching the Mind Evaporator sequence (and as some fans note, with his family), but that Mind Evaporator thing originally belonged to Saun Dann, making him definitely this. Production materials for the sequence in the special even explicitly list him as being a "Dirty Old Man".
83* DudeLooksLikeALady: An extremely unfortunate side effect of the makeup job used to conceal Hamill's scars from his then-recent car accident. Did they really need to get mascara involved? In canon, the scars would be explained by the Wampa attack in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', but that doesn't happen until ''after'' this special.
84* DullSurprise: During Leia's Life Day song in the final segment, the footage briefly dissolves to Luke and Han. While Mark Hamill at least appears to be appreciating Carrie Fisher's singing, Harrison Ford is staring straight ahead and looks like he didn't know he was on-camera.
85* EarlyBirdCameo: Boba Fett is an antagonist in the animated cartoon, before his proper introduction in ''Empire''.
86* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Due to being made early in the franchise's history before many ideas and characterizations were set in stone, there's quite a bit:
87** Kashyyyk is referred to as "Kazzook", a spelling also used in Lucas' early notes for ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' (which was going to feature said planet); the "Kashyyyk" spelling was finalized in ''The Wookiee Storybook'' the following year.
88** Most noticeably, Boba Fett acts like a cackling DastardlyWhiplash here rather than the stoic NobleDemon he's famous for being.
89** Like in the original version of ''Film/ANewHope'', in-universe text is written in English rather than Aurebesh, except in the animated segment, but the alien text there doesn't match later depictions of Aurebesh either.
90* EpicFail: A Stormtrooper fighting Han ends up tripping on his own blaster and falling off a balcony to his own death.
91* EverybodyLaughsEnding: The animated segment ends with the characters all laughing after 3PO notes that Chewie knew there was something wrong about Boba: he didn't smell right.
92* EvilBrit: Averted for once. All the Imperial officers seen in the special have American accents as opposed to the British ones they sport in the actual films.[[note]]With the exception of Admiral Motti from ''Film/ANewHope'', that is.[[/note]] This probably has a lot to do with the fact that the original trilogy was filmed primarily in England whereas the holiday special was done in California.
93* EvilIsPetty: Ripping the head off a toy Bantha? Seriously?
94** Lord Helmet (the Imperial guard dressed just like the ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' character) strong-arming a groomer away from Saun Dann.
95* EvilSmellsBad: According to 3PO in the cartoon, Chewie knew there was something bad about Boba. His reasoning? "The bounty hunter didn't smell right."
96* ExactWords: "Lord Helmet" to Saun Dann about the groomer:
97-->"I'll take it."
98-->"And how will you pay?"
99-->"I said, 'I'll ''take'' it.'"
100* EyesAlwaysShut: Han in the animated short. Only opens them to do a sort of reverse winking and blinking.
101* FelonyMisdemeanor: The Stormtroopers ransacking Lumpy's room.
102* FictionalHoliday: The Wookiees' Life Day. Which was (until the Disney takeover) considered canon, despite the huge section of the fandom that wished otherwise. And as of ''Series/TheMandalorian'', Life Day is now canon again, and apparently is celebrated by more beings than just the Wookiees.
103* FlashbackBackBack: Chewbacca at the end, using clips from ''A New Hope''.
104* {{Foreshadowing}}:
105** In the animated segment, Boba Fett's attitude toward what he calls "lower life forms" foreshadows that he is not on the up and up, as he tells Luke he is.
106** The animated segment also contains some (unintentional?) forshadowing for ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''; Vader reminds Boba that he wants Luke brought to him alive. [[LukeIAmYourFather Now why would he want that?]]
107* ForTheEvulz: While searching the house for Chewie, the Stormtroopers make sure to go out of their way to completely trash Lumpy's room for no reason other than to be dicks.
108* FourFingeredHands: Everyone in the cartoon segment, despite the fact that they obviously all have five fingers when they're in live-action.
109* {{Gonk}}: Chewie's dad Itchy is just ''weird-looking'', even by the standards of this special. In contrast to every other Wookiee seen before or since, he has a prominent underbite, an extra-wide (and [[PerpetualFrowner omnipresent]]) frown, and a snub-nosed pug-like face that makes him look more like an excessively-hairy toad than a regular Wookiee. [[FromBadToWorse It gets even more unpleasant]] when he starts '''masturbating to VR porn''' in the middle of the living room.
110* IdenticalStranger: An unintentional example. Despite Moradmin Bast (a general aboard the first Death Star in the film) having been killed when the Death Star was destroyed, an identical officer is shown next to Darth Vader in a brief scene, complete with the same ranking plaque (due to it being a redubbed deleted scene from ''A New Hope''). Some people have theorized that the officer may have been a clone of Bast; Wookieepedia refers to him as an "unidentified Moradmin Bast look-alike".
111* InformedAbility: Vader tells Boba Fett he's "the best bounty hunter in the galaxy", but he does nothing in the short to merit such praise, and if Luke hadn't been TooDumbToLive, he'd have noticed Boba's DastardlyWhiplash behavior.
112* InterspeciesRomance: Krelman's interest in Ackmena, Itchy's "interest" in Mermeia, and one brief moment where Luke unintentionally appears to be flirting with Malla as he tries to get her to smile.
113* {{Jerkass}}: The Stormtroopers and Imperial officers here are unusually vicious and mean-spirited. Highlights include threatening to shoot people for being annoying, strong-arming shop owners for grooming products, closing a random bar for no reason, and tearing up a kid's room for shits and giggles.
114* KickTheDog: The Imperial trooper ripping Lumpy's stuffed Bantha's head off.
115* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Fisher went on record several times saying that she had absolutely ''no'' memory of ever taking part. Ford claims the same, although he doesn't have a known substance-abuse problem as an excuse, and may in fact be either lying or deliberately repressing the experience. When he claimed to have no memory of it on Creator/ConanOBrien's show, Conan mentioned he had a clip of the special ready to play. Ford, in an entirely uncharacteristic burst of expression, tried to strangle [[note]] jokingly [[/note]] Conan, but ultimately had to endure it. He could barely bring himself to utter a (probably sarcastic)"thank you" at the end.
116** In her book ''Wishful Drinking'', Fisher admits to having had electroshock therapy in the past, which has affected her memory, so that could also be a factor... and a bit closer to laser-guided amnesia than just drugs.
117* LighterAndSofter: It still has the lighthearted elements and bits of goofy humor present in the original film, [[ExaggeratedTrope but played up far, far more]] and with then-contemporary sitcom humor sandwiched in. The special has no pretense of a grandiose epic storyline, and the darker elements of the original film are downplayed.
118* MarsNeedsWomen: There's a '''very''' disturbing and inappropriate moment where Itchy watches what is essentially a holographic softcore porn tape featuring Diahann Carroll (while his daughter-in-law and grandson are in the room). And if his grotesque gyrating jaw is any indication, he's actively enjoying it, which could imply that he is '''''masturbating to it'''''. ''BrainBleach!''
119* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Gormaanda has been said by many sources to be a parody of Creator/JuliaChild.
120* TheNoseKnows: [=C3PO=] tells Luke that Chewy didn't trust Boba Fett from the start because he didn't smell right.
121* NotNowKiddo: When Luke receives a video call from Malla and Itchy, he repeatedly brushes off R2 trying to tell him that the engine they've been working on is giving off smoke.
122* {{Novelization}}: "The Faithful Wookiee" animated short was adapted into a ''[[Literature/LittleGoldenBooks Little Golden Book]]" in 2022.
123[[/folder]]
124[[folder:O-Z]]
125* ObviouslyEvil: Boba Fett. He's constantly one step away from breaking out into evil laughter, and yet Luke just blindly trusts him.
126* OffTheShelfFX:
127** For taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a lot of the tech in the Wookiees' family home looks extremely familiar.
128** The cockpit of the ''Millennium Falcon'' would do Creator/EdWood proud as well.
129** Store-bought candles were used as lighting in the ending scene, while the Wookiee extras wore Don Post Studios Chewbacca masks.
130* OverlyLongGag: Most of the "sketches" in the special go on for far longer than they need to, including:
131** Malla watching an alien cooking show, starring Harvey Korman, in drag, as a chef who instructs the audience to whip and stir their mix ad nauseam.
132** Lumpy assembling a transmitter with the aid of an instructional video, which we see ''in its entirety''. The "joke" is that Korman, as an [[http://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Amorphiian Amorphiian]] showing how to assemble the thing, gradually "shuts down" and collapses at its conclusion.
133* PokeThePoodle: Apparently, when it's not busy waging wars or blowing up entire planets, the ''[[EvilIsPetty evil]]'' Empire uses its time to shut down bars and break children's toys.
134* PoliceState: Kashyyyk is ruled by the Empire as one, which is why every home has [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour a two-way viewscreen]]. The Wookiees have learned to subvert the tech to their own needs, and have their own hidden screens.
135* PornStache: "[[Film/{{Spaceballs}} Lord Helmet]]" [[http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/starwars-holiday/19.jpg sports one]].
136* PunnyName: ''Gormaanda'' is the host of a cooking show, with a rotund figure and is heavily implied to be a BigEater.
137* RailingKill: A Stormtrooper trips and falls through the rail of the Wookiee treehouse -- complete with WilhelmScream, no less! Appropriate, given that the special's choreographer was none other than [[Film/SpaceMutiny David Winters]].
138* RansackedRoom: Lumpy's room after the Stormtroopers "search" it.
139* RealityHasNoSubtitles: The first chunk of the special is a family of Wookiees speaking to each other without subtitles nor with an English-speaking character to react to them.
140** Kudos to the actors in the Wookiee costumes, though -- you can mostly follow the conversation by their body language, though hitting the mute button helps.
141* RecycledInSpace: The Ackmena segment is ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' [-ON TATOOINE-]!
142* RubberForeheadAliens: Dear God, yes. Especially in the Cantina.
143* RunningGag: Every time Saun Dann starts getting annoying, a Stormtrooper shuts him up by pointing a gun straight in his face. Possibly the only ''intentional'' laughs to be had.
144* SaloonOwner: Ackmena, in what is generally considered one of the few remotely redeeming live-action scenes of the special.
145* SesameStreetCred: Jefferson Starship appears at one point for an impromptu musical number. Like many things in the special, it drags on a '''lot''' longer than necessary.
146* ShowWithinAShow: We see the cartoon because Lumpy's watching it. Now, why or how there would be cartoons about Rebels that depict the Empire as the villains, and evidently also depict actual and recent events... ah, screw it -- that's probably the ''least'' nonsensical thing in the special. That aside, characters watching TV or what have you makes up the meat of the special -- Malla watches a cooking show; the Imperial inspector watches a Jefferson Starship video; Lumpy watches a cartoon, a weird Cirque de Soleil-esque dance performance, and an instructional video; [[BreadEggsMilkSquick Itchy watches porn]]; and everyone watches Ackmena try to clear out the Cantina.
147* SixthRangerTraitor: In the animated segment, Boba Fett betrays Luke as they rescue Han.
148* SpaceClothes: Harvey Korman's are particularly notable... and terrifying.
149* StalkerWithACrush: Krelman, sort of, in the Cantina scene. He backs off when he realizes Ackmena has no romantic interest in him, but reappears when he realizes that she, too, is lonely.
150* StockFootage:
151** All of the space battles are lifted straight from the first film, as are some of the shots of Mos Eisley used at the beginning of the "Life on Tatooine" sequence (though a couple of them were cut from the film).
152** Vader's whole appearance in the special is a brief DeletedScene from ''A New Hope'' with his one line of dialogue redubbed. This, along with the different context, "cleverly" changes it so that he and an Imperial officer are talking about locating Han and Chewbacca rather than C-3PO and R2-D2. Also, said officer died on the Death Star, resulting in [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Unidentified_Moradmin_Bast_look-alike this]]. What's even more hilarious is how not-Bast's vocals don't match up with his lip movements.
153* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: Chewie's wife Malla is basically identical to him except for having slightly less hair on her snout and wearing what appears to be ''mascara''.
154* ThousandYardStare: Exhibited by a post-accident Mark Hamill, during the scene where Luke communicates with Malla over the TV screens. While he blinks several times, the way he gazes directly into the camera, wearing heavy makeup to cover his surgery scars, gives him the illusion of being a stoned model.
155%%** During Leia's Life Day song, there is a brief dissolve to Han, who is staring deeply into space with an expression that suggests Harrison Ford was deeply bored and didn't know he was on camera.
156* TooDumbToLive: The Stormtroopers are pretty stupid here, even by Stormtrooper standards. Particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} is when Han tricks a Stormtrooper into jumping over a balcony to his death by simply pretending to reach for a gun.
157* UncannyValleyMakeup: Hamill's makeup, which as noted was supposed to cover up scars from a recent car accident, ends up making him look more like a corpse prepared for the wake.
158* TheUnintelligible: The script has translations for everything the Wookiees said, but nowhere in the actual special. While the movies had Han helping the audience decipher Chewbacca's growls, the special includes several scenes of the Wookies roaring to each other with no context.
159* UnusualEuphemism: The VR machine described by Saun Dann as "Wow!" turns out to be a ''porn video''.
160* VerbalTic: In the animated segment, Boba Fett has the odd habit of ending most of his sentences with [[TermsOfEndangerment "friend"]].
161* VideoPhone:
162** Chewbacca's family uses one of these hidden in some kind of dresser to contact the other characters associated with the Rebel Alliance (Luke and R2-D2, Leia and C-3PO, etc.) to ask about Chewie and Han's whereabouts. In a separate instance, Malla contacts Saun Dann with a device that doubles as a television, which Saun refers to as a "wall screen".
163** In the cartoon segment, Boba Fett contacts Darth Vader by video phone. Amusingly, it appears Boba is using [[{{Zeerust}} a video pay phone]].
164* VillainsOutShopping: Hilariously enough, the [[Music/JeffersonAirplane Jefferson Starship]] [[{{Padding}} music video]] is triggered by... one of the Imperial troopers just sitting down and watching it, and looking like he's having a blast.
165* WilhelmScream: The Stormtrooper who [[RailingKill falls over the railing]]. At least the special keeps one proper ''Star Wars'' tradition.
166* WithLyrics:
167** Leia's Life Day carol, sung by a visibly strung-out Fisher towards the end, is the main ''Star Wars'' theme with words shoehorned in.
168** The song Ackmena sings is a slowed-down version of the song played by Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, with lyrics.
169* WretchedHive: One of the weirdest cases in which the ''TropeNamer'' is ''[[AvertedTrope averted]]''! No scum. No villainy. Only Bea and Harvey. It's actually a really nice place from what we see of it. Makes it even more inexplicable that the Empire [[PokeThePoodle randomly decides to shut it down]]. (On the other hand, it's noted to be part of a television show, so maybe the Empire closing things down was just a common plot point in in-universe fiction.)
170* YouMeanXmas: Life Day. Although the special aired in mid-November, so it could also be Thanksgiving.
171** According to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Life_Day Wookieepedia]], even Lucas has referred to ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' as "the Christmas special" even though (as noted above) it aired in mid-November.
172[[/folder]]

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