When George Lucas tried to scrape together the money he needed to produce his biggest triumph- Star Wars, he shook the bushes for every last penny he could find. One company that was willing to provide Mr. Lucas with cash was CBS, which provided a sizable sum of money in exchange for the option to produce a special based on the film. This sort of arrangement is common in Hollywood; the network locks in a potential special beforehand while the filmmakers get some extra cash to work with. Most of these deals result in nothing, but at least the network makes sure that no matter what happens, the option is available to them. Doubtless CBS didn't expect much from this deal, but at least neither NBC or ABC would get their hands on this property.
Of course, the film was wildly successful, attracting adults and children alike. After it became a sensation, CBS approached Mr. Lucas, option in hand. It was exercising its right to produce a special. Lucas wasn't too happy about this, but a deal was a deal. He left things up to CBS, asking his staff to assist as needed. What followed was such an embarrassment that George Lucas quickly bought out CBS and put this disastrous special deep in his vault, never to be seen again. In hindsight, everyone involved probably should have seen this coming.
