The first episode of Skeleton Crew featured an amazing, and hilarious, nod to one of the most infamous Star Wars projects ever: The Star Wars Holiday Special.
With Wim wanting to investigate what he believes to be a Jedi Temple, he stops by Neel’s house – only to find Neel’s younger siblings gathered around a holo-table watching a musical circus troupe – which is exactly the same one that was included in the Holiday Special, not just having identical music but the identical routine, too.
Showrunners Jon Watts and Chris Ford told StarWars.com that they had to re-create the entire thing, since the original footage was shot so long ago and with the wrong angles for this series. That meant that costumes had to be reconstructed from scratch, and choreography meticulously mapped out. Additionally, there was no written score either, so composer Mick Giacchino had to transcribe it himself before recording the audio. It took a lot of work, but it was worth it. “It made me so happy every time I would get to see that footage,” Watts said. “It was a labor of love.”
It is certainly a really fun inclusion, and I burst out laughing the moment it popped on screen. It’s a great nod, and a deep cut reference. The Holiday Special was first released in 1978 as a TV variety show special, and it brought back the starring cast from the film, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and more. But George Lucas famously hated the special, and because of that it only ever aired once – and never again. But you can watch it online, and in the years since fans have gained an amused appreciation for it. Notably, Star Wars projects in recent years have included several references to it, so it’s fun that creatives are still nodding to it – but, surely, this one is the best of all those nods.
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