The holiday season is upon us, and while people may be deep into watching the best Christmas movies, I know there are plenty of others using their Disney+ subscription this week to watch Star Wars: Skeleton Crew as well. For those still struggling to get the family on board with the latest sci-fi entry to hit the 2024 TV lineup, there’s a case to be made that this show also falls in line with holiday viewing thanks to a cheeky reference to the controversial holiday special from 1978.
While I continue to hold out hope that Lucasfilm will finally relent and allow for a special airing of The Star Wars Holiday Special on the 2025 TV schedule, this may be as close as we get to the franchise acknowledging its existence with continuity. Here’s the moment for those who missed it and why many would sooner forget that wild special from back in the day never existed.
How Star Wars: Skeleton Crew References The Controversial Holiday Special
I suspected Star Wars: Skeleton Crew would be the perfect holiday streaming show, and this reference already solidified that notion. Most people probably raised an eyebrow at the odd program Neem’s siblings were watching on the Holotable when Wim peeked in on them, but I clocked it almost immediately.
As someone who watches the holiday special yearly, I knew that it was similar to the program that Chewbacca’s son, Lumpawaroo, or “Lumpy,” watched during the special. Take a look:
![[HD] Hologram Circus - The Star Wars Holiday Special - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WoU_5CuMxNA/maxresdefault.jpg)
It seems the bar for what qualifies as entertainment in a galaxy far, far, away so low, my limbo skills are deemed useless. At the same time, watching the Star Wars movies in order make it clear the characters in this universe haven’t had much time to focus on anything outside of war for centuries, so maybe the arts and entertainment never get the attention they desperately need. When you’re under constant threat from the Empire, any distraction is welcome.
Why Is The Star Wars Holiday Special So Controversial?
The Star Wars Holiday Special remains under lock and key and unavailable on streaming because, quite frankly, it’s very bad. It can be sought out on the internet for anyone curious, but those who watch will quickly realize it’s very far removed from the Star Wars stuff we celebrate today.
The special aired on CBS on November 17, 1978, a little over a year after the release of A New Hope, and two years before The Empire Strikes Back. Given its popularity wasn’t what it is today, the creators weren’t required to have more than a fairly poor understanding of the franchise, and it shows.
The aliens are clearly humans wearing generic sci-fi costumes, Imperial officers aren’t wearing the right uniforms, and Bea Arthur performs a musical number in a cantina. It’s so bizarre and shouldn’t be embraced as canon, but I love it all the same. And why isn’t Arthur canonized by now, anyway?
While the special was poorly received at the time and shelved, elements of it have remained a part of the Star Wars lore. It’s where we get the Christmas-esque holiday of Life Day, and the animated Boba Fett short was pulled from the special and officially released on Disney+ years ago. Perhaps, now that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has referenced it, we’ll finally get an official full release of the special. I mean, I doubt it, but still.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is now available to stream on Disney+, and new episodes are expected to be released on Tuesdays. After the incredible first two episodes, I’m eager to see more of this show, and I hope it can maintain its quality.