Star Wars Star Wars Everywhere!

It sprang into being in 1977, the imaginative masterpiece of wunderkid George Lucas--or at least a imaginative masterpiece after serious editing:

STAR WARS!

It was a huge hit, selling to packed theaters and spawning a franchise that is still operative today. It got Joseph Campbell all excited. It pushed fed-up actor Harrison Ford into the limelight. Star Wars inspired a generation of geeks, writers, and filmakers, changing American culture and cinema forever.

There are traces of its impact everywhere, especially in film and television.  In fact, it's fair to say that every non-period major television series made since features at least one Star Wars reference.  The influence of Star Wars is so profound, that when we talked about a tribute list, or a list of shows that all reference one source, Star Wars was the obvious choice.

Each of the titles on this list pays homage to Star Wars in its own way, ranging from pure imitation, proven plagiarism, to good-natured mockery.  While the impact of Star Wars has been much more profound than some funny references, there are few films that are being referenced just as consistently 35 years later.

Here's the list. Reviews will begin the weekend of June 22nd.

1. Family Guy: "Blue Harvest"
2. Spaceballs
3. Robot Chicken: "Star Wars"
4. Fanboys
5. Battlestar Galatica Pilot (1978)
6. Fifth Element
7. Friends: "The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy" (Season 3) and That 70's Show: "A New Hope" (Season 1)
8. Toy Story II
9. X-Files: "Small Potatoes" (Season 4) and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" (Season 3)
10. Scrubs: "My Two Dads" (Season 1) and Phineas and Ferb: "The Chronicles of Meap" (Season 2)

The Club's review of Star Wars: A New Hope can be found here, including Mike and Kate's separate introductions to the franchise.

A sizzling  (and very entertaining) critique of the Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith can be found at Red Letter Media.