There's always been a friendly rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek, with relatives never quite remembering which one is the franchise you like. Though the rivalry has calmed down over the years, that doesn't mean friendly jabs aren't still thrown around. William Shatner, a titan of Star Trek, happened to remember that November 17 was a pivotal day in Star Wars history, and decided he couldn't let Peter Mayhew (otherwise known as Chewbacca) forget about it either. I don't think Peter Mayhew could forget a certain holiday special if he tried.
Taking to Twitter, Shatner wished Peter Mayhew a happy Life Day for the 38th anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special, which aired on TV on November 17, 1978. Shatner continued with "2 hours of my life! Poof! Gone!" The special, which featured Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford reprising their roles, is arguably the worst thing that has ever been produced by the Star Wars franchise. It's attained a cult status amongst fans, with some making it a yearly tradition to watch the special around the holidays.
The Star Wars Holiday Special involved Han Solo bringing Chewbacca back home to Kashyyyk so that he can celebrate Life Day (the Wookie version of Christmas) with his family. Said family contained his father Itchy, his wife Malla, and his son Lumpy, all of whom were never mentioned ever again in the main Star Wars timeline (excluding Legends, which is no longer canon). The special was a variety show that had a number of live-action segments, as well as some animated portions. It also somehow serves as the first introduction to Boba Fett. Needless to say, the cast has tried to avoid mentioning this little treasure for years.
It's a pretty good jab from William Shatner, but Peter Mayhew didn't take it lying down. Star Trek has more than its fair share of embarrassing moments, and Mayhew replied with this tweet pointing out a particular sour moment from the Star Trek franchise.
Peter Mayhew fired back by bringing up the two hours of his own life that were lost after sitting through Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The Final Frontier is considered to be one of the worst Star Trek movies, and was panned by critics and fans alike. Oh, and it was directed by William Shatner himself. The plot revolved around the crew of the Enterprise chasing an alien who was looking for God at the center of the universe. It was maligned for a number of problems with poor special effects and plot holes. That's a solid burn, Mayhew.
