Apparently not even making Lumpy shoot first would change George Lucas' mind about this:
Moviemaker George Lucas wants his first Star Wars sequel banned, as he is so disappointed with its quality. The one-off, two-hour-long The Star Wars Holiday Special was originally screened on the CBS network in 1978 and tells the story of Chewbacca's journey home with Han Solo to celebrate Life Day with his family. During the course of the much-maligned movie, Carrie Fisher's beautiful Leia is seen reducing Hans Solo and Luke Skywalker to tears with a song.
Now we know what they've been doing at Skywalker Ranch: developing a functioning replica of those memory wipers from Men in Black.
Sorry, George. This is one time you can't just pick up your negatives and go home. Not only do I remember watching this when it first aired, but I own a copy. And so can just about everyone else. The Star Wars Holiday Special is one of the most bootlegged movies of all time, and is readily available on eBay, in assorted video and comic stores, and at just about any sci-fi or gaming convention you feel like attending.
Short of making possession of the title a criminal offense (and I admit, I'm not really sure what Lucas is advocating when he calls for it to be "banned"), there's nothing that can be done. Sure, it'll never air on network TV or home video ever again, but Life Day and Bea Arthur will live on for countless decades in fourth and fifth generation copies.
Or until the videotape itself disintegrates, I guess.
"Or until the videotape itself disintegrates, I guess."
There is a reason that God made video capture cards. We have to examine the possibility that this might be it.
My mom bought me a Boba Fett in about 1979 or so and its arm fell off shortly thereafter. Maybe next Lucas will try and convince me that THAT never happened either.