A Public Service Announcement (Chicago-Area Only)

We already talked about hi def Rudolph the other night, and Thursday saw an article in The Washington Post examining the phenomenon of watching TV Christmas specials (that have long been available on video or DVD) on commercial TV.

It's about the shared experience, the childhood memories that powerfully linger and the new memories adults are so desperate to create with their kids. For overscheduled kids and overworked parents, eating microwaved meals and playing with individualized electronic gadgets, Rudolph, it appears, is an oasis of old-fashioned holiday feeling.

"It's about the holidays and children, and how really important it is for families to have a sense of tradition," says Linda Gulyn, a professor of psychology at Marymount University who specializes in child development. "Most of us parents grew up with this experience, especially around the holidays, and we have a strong need to pass on tradition."

Shows like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas have been around for about four decades and have become a part of the Christmas experience. But there's one special that hasn't had that opportunity. The Star Wars Holiday Special may be more of a Thanksgiving special--its one-and-only airing was November 17, 1978, and it featured Chewbacca racing home to be with his family for a holiday. Although it included the cast of the original movies, it also featured guest stars Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Harvey Korman, Diahann Carroll, and Jefferson Starship. Why has it aired only once? Because George Lucas has publicly admitted to being embarrassed by it, and it's widely considered to be one of the worst TV shows of all time. Do a Google search, and you'll find a variety of sites about it.

But why am I telling you about it now? Well, for one thing, I happened to be discussing it this afternoon, and we wondered if Lucas would ever get over his mortification about the matter and just allow it to come out on DVD. But that's not happening anytime soon, so if you're in the Chicago area, you can catch a showing on Sunday night at Delilah's, 2771 N. Lincoln. Whether the original creators of the show realized it or not, a bar is the perfect environment to view this. Plentiful drinks will make it progressively better or worse, I'm not sure. The Delilah's site says the show starts at 6:00, so don't be late!