The RelishNow section of the Winston-Salem Journal features a funny article on the Star Wars Holiday Special. Here's an excerpt:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away - well, actually, it was just over 26 years ago on a Burbank, Calif., soundstage - a group of performers came together to create the first sequel to the blockbuster Star Wars.

No, not The Empire Strikes Back, the 1980 film that is often cited as the second film in the Star Wars trilogy. That's a lie, a dirty stinkin' lie. Empire is the third film in a quadrilogy, but no one gives the second film any credit.

As well they shouldn't. Because in addition to being just plain awful, the second film was shown on television, it had a terrible plot, the special effects were ultra-low budget ... and did I mention the musical numbers?

On Nov. 18, 1978, fans eager for another taste of George Lucas' table scraps tuned in to CBS to catch The Star Wars Holiday Special, a two-hour mindbender with most of the castmembers of the 1977 smash hit film. According to the official Star Wars Web site (www.starwars.com, naturally), the program "delivered mixed results." That's a diplomatic way of saying that it was a piece of Bantha manure. And that's darn near the only acknowledgement of the two-hour extravaganza to be found on the site.

Hit the link above to read the full article.

You can also check out another extremely funny breakdown of the Holiday Special at WrestleCrap. WARNING, please note that this article contains sexual references that may not be suitable for younger readers.