1. Beatrice Arthur

Bea Arthur is an American treasure so I can fully understand why TPTB behind the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL wanted to work with her. However there should have been someone in the studio who spoke up and told everyone involved that despite Arthur’s awesomeness inserting her into the STAR WARS universe as the heretofore unseen owner of the Mos Eisley Cantina was a dreadful idea. And to write lyrics to “Cantina Band” just to have a big Broadway style musical number for Arthur was just adding insult to injury. All of it was just a bad, bad idea.
But despite it being a monumentally bad idea on paper, the whole thing didn’t come off nearly as horrible in the setting of what was already a pretty crappy TV special. Arthur is a consummate pro who gave the scenes her all (despite admitting in a later interview that she had no clue she was starring in something that was a part of the STAR WARS universe); in terms of the variety show aesthetic that the producers were going for, the Cantina scene was the most successful; and that damn song was pretty catchy. Not even an appearance by a barely trying Harvey Korman (as an amorous suitor) or the Halloween Adventure quality masks and make-up could drag things down into the muck any further than they had already been dragged down. And ultimately, this all ended up being the apex of 70s style kitsch which I have a soft spot for.