From Screen Rant:
Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises in the world. But between the first and second movie, when nobody really knew what it was going to be– they tried to capitalize on the success of A New Hope while working on Empire Strikes Back. That attempt took the form of the Star Wars Holiday Special, a made-for-TV movie that’s set in the Star Wars universe and featured Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and Chewbacca’s family. Okay, MOSTLY Chewbacca’s family actually.
The special raises a ton of questions- like why isn’t Luke blinking? Why does Chewbacca’s family have so many screens? How are they accessing live feeds of private establishments? Why did do the bad guys watch a full Jefferson Starship music video? Why is Bea Arthur here and why is she singing? What’s up with that weird virtual reality fantasy lady? And most importantly WHAT IS GOING ON?!
To answer all these questions and more, step inside the pitch meeting that led to the Star Wars Holiday Special!