“If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” – George Lucas

On November 17, 1978, a holiday special aired on CBS that would go down in TV history, or perhaps infamy, The Star Wars Holiday Special.

I still remember watching it as a kid, wide-eyed with excitement. This was before the days of streaming, Blu-ray, or even home video. Back then, once a movie left theaters, that was it — your favorite heroes were gone until the next big release. So we soaked up Star Wars however we could: through toys, books, comic adaptations, and whatever glimpses appeared on television.

Fresh off the massive success of A New Hope, CBS was eager to keep the Star Wars hype alive and what better way, they thought, than a holiday special? Unfortunately… this wasn’t quite the adventure fans were hoping for.

The story centers on Chewbacca’s journey home to celebrate “Life Day” with his family on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. He’s joined by his loyal friend Han Solo (yes, Harrison Ford himself!), and together they try to outmaneuver the Empire on their way home. Along the way, fans were treated to guest appearances from Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, the FIRST APPEARANCE of fan favorite, Boba Fett and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, who performs a heartfelt (and yes, musical) tribute to Life Day.

Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are all in attendance for the special

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Years later, as an adult, I rediscovered the special online and couldn’t wait to relive the magic. Let’s just say… the nostalgia didn’t quite hold up. What I found was less of a space adventure and more of a late-‘70s variety show — complete with musical numbers, celebrity cameos, and segments that felt more Vegas lounge act than galaxy far, far away.

Critics were merciless. The special was called “the worst two hours of television ever made” and “a ‘70s train wreck combining the worst of Star Wars with the worst of variety TV.” The lone bright spot most fans agree on? The animated segment that introduced a certain bounty hunter named Boba Fett. Even George Lucas wasn’t kind to it, famously saying, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” Even William Shatner once poked fun at it online, proving that not even galaxies far, far away are safe from cross-franchise teasing.

Still, for all its awkward charm and questionable choices, I find myself revisiting The Star Wars Holiday Special every year around Christmas with friends. It’s bad, yes, but it’s also weirdly wonderful. It reminds us of a time when Star Wars was still new, when studios were learning the power of merchandising, and when even Hollywood’s biggest stars weren’t “too big” to show up for a children’s holiday special.

The FIRST Star Wars appearance of Bobo Fett in the animated feature, “The Faithful Wookiee.”

So, it might be the most infamous entry in the Star Wars universe but, it’s also a piece of nostalgic fandom history which shows a different time in how we celebrated our favorite entertainment.

Here’s to Life Day, nostalgia, and the oddball charm of a galaxy that truly has something for everyone.