Posted By RabbitEars
Even though he will never let the embarrassingly bad 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special see the light of day, over the past decade George Lucas himself has seen fit to sell out his classic sci-fi/fantasy creation in some other, nearly-as-awful (but not even as campy) ways. The Star Wars merchandising galaxy has moved far, far away from mere Happy Meals and action figures into a whole other marketing universe.
From Imperial stormtroopers appearing at NASCAR events, to Yoda pimping Diet Pepsi, to Chewbacca becoming spokes-Wookiee for Cingular Wireless — old-school fans have long said “no deal” to all of it. But now that phrase takes on new meaning when several beloved SW characters turn up on the April 28 episode of NBC’s Deal or No Deal, further diluting any sense of wonder they may have held in the imaginations of fans.
Carrie Fisher, who didn’t learn her lesson from appearing on that holiday special from a long time ago, returns to TV in this episode, and is joined by Chewbacca, R2-D2, and, depressingly, Darth Vader — Dark Lord of the Sith — who fills in as the Banker.
It’s a two-hour episode that has two die-hard Star Wars fans (though whether they stay fans after this is questionable) competing for nearly $2 million. One promising development, though, is that several of the models will be dressed in the Princess Leia “slave girl” outfit immortalized in Return of the Jedi. On the other extreme, however, several of them are completely covered in stormtrooper costumes.
Where’s a blast from the Death Star when you need it? You may find my lack of faith disturbing, but for true Star Wars fans … this isn’t the show you’re looking for. Move along.
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STAR WARS, Wookiee, and all related character names and properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
Photo credit: Adam Taylor/NBC
Categories: Game Shows, TV News & Program Updates by RabbitEars
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Tags: Carrie Fisher, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Deal or No Deal, George Lucas, R2-D2, Return of the Jedi, Slave Girl costume, Star Wars
Like his fellow Who’s Line Is It Anyway? alumnus Drew Carey, who took over the hosting gig for The Price Is Right, comedian Wayne Brady will be hosting the reincarnation of a legendary game show. Brady takes the reins of a new one-hour revamp of the classic Let’s Make a Deal, which will air in daytime on CBS beginning Oct. 5 (filling in the space for the departing drama Guiding Light.)
By RabbitEars
