Star Wars on TV: glimpsing the characters on the small screen in the 1970s

Star Wars meets Donny and Marie, September 1977 

In the days before home video, films disappeared for years between their big-screen release and their appearance on TV.

That meant Star Wars fans lapped up any appearance, however fleeting, of the film's characters on TV.

The cast of Star Wars on TV: the Donny & Marie show, 1977

The bizarre finale of the Donny & Marie Star Wars skit

The Star Wars Holiday Special was not the first time the blockbuster of the century crossed paths with television’s light entertainment industry. Today, Episode Nothing goes back to September 23, 1977, when characters from Star Wars appeared on Donny & Marie.