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The Peanuts Animation and Video Page
A Comprehensive Guide to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts Gang on TV, Film, and Video
Compiled by
Scott McGuire (
smcguire@mit.edu)
Last Updated: August 16, 2008
More Peanuts DVDs coming in September and October:
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition on September 2; the
Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection box set on September 23; and new deluxe editions of
A Charlie Brown Christmas; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and
You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown will be released October 7 .
(more info)
Select Peanuts TV specials are now available for download from iTunes and Amazon Unbox.
(more info)
If you're having difficulty finding the show you're thinking of, use your browser's "Find" command and search for a word or two relating to the show (such as "spelling bee", "flashbeagle", etc.)!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to the most comprehensive guide to the Peanuts television specials on the web! This page has detailed information about all the television shows, series, and movies starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang that have ever been made.
There's also sections covering the latest news, video releases, where you can see the shows on TV now, the music from the shows, awards the shows have won, other web sites of interest, and miscellaneous questions and answers.
The Peanuts characters have also appeared animated in many commercials, but I haven't tried to list all of these. (See Miscellaneous Questions and Answers for some more details, though.)
I hope you enjoy the page and that it answers any questions you have! I continue to update and add to this page as time permits. Additional information, corrections, and suggestions for this list are always welcome! Please send them to <smcguire@mit.edu> .
The latest copy of this guide can be found on the World Wide Web at:
<http://web.mit.edu/smcguire/www/peanuts.html>
Please use the above URL when linking to this website.
Latest News
New Shows - TV Broadcast Info - Video & DVD Releases - Music Releases - Other - News Archive
Latest updates are marked in red text.
New Shows
(no current news)
Current TV Broadcast Information
Documentary About the MetLife "Snoopy One" Blimp Aired Saturday August 16, 2008
This admittedly only has a tenuous Peanuts connection, but on Saturday, August 16, CBS broadcast an hour-long show titled The Best Shot in Golf, which was all about the MetLife blimp, "Snoopy One."
According to the PR, "The MetLife blimp, Snoopy One, stars in the hour-long documentary, The Best Shot in Golf presented by MetLife. The documentary goes inside the operations of the MetLife blimp, giving viewers the opportunity to soar 1,500 feet in the air with camera man Bob Mikkelson as he crafts amazing shots of the picturesque course below, watch pilot Charlie Smith battle time and Mother Nature on his first solo transcontinental flight, and follow the 14 team members of the MetLife Snoopy One blimp crew as they choreograph each take-off and landing."
The show aired Saturday, August 16, from 2-3 PM Eastern time (11 AM - 12 noon Pacific time) on CBS.
You can watch a trailer for the show on YouTube.
(This was actually a repeat broadcast of the show; it first aired back in May, but there was almost no advance notice, so most people missed it, including me!) (Aug 12, 2008)
Other Broadcast Info
Currently there is channel broadcasting the many Peanuts TV shows that are not broadcast on ABC. Nickelodeon's contract to air them in the US expired in early 2004. (December 4, 2007)
The Canadian cable channel YTV is not showing episodes regularly at the moment, although the holiday specials show up from time to time. (January 21, 2006)
Video & DVD Releases
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Deluxe Edition DVD Announced for October 7, 2008
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The A Charlie Brown Christmas Deluxe Edition DVD will feature the TV specials A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992), plus a new mini-documentary, A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The DVD includes English, Spanish Japanese, and Portuguese mono audio, and English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Thai subtitles. The suggested retail price is $19.98. This DVD will be released October 7, 2008.
Warner also says the DVD will come with "digital download of 2 songs." (No more details are available.)
You can watch a trailer for this DVD (together with the A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Deluxe Edition DVD).
The Paramount DVD of A Charlie Brown Christmas included both these specials; new to this deluxe edition DVD is the "making of" documentary. Note that this is a completely new documentary, with new interviews; it is not the same as the "The Making of A Charlie Brown" show that aired on ABC in 2001 and that appeared on the Paramount I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown DVD. (August 16, 2008)
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"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" Deluxe Edition Announced for October 7, 2008
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The A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Deluxe Edition DVD features the TV specials A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) and This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers (1988), plus a new mini-documentary, Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic. The DVD includes English, Japanese, and Portuguese audio, and English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Thai subtitles. The suggested retail price is $19.98. The DVD will be released October 7, 2008.
Warner also says that this DVD will come with "the digital download of 2 songs." (No more details are available.)
Warner has put a trailer for this DVD online.
Both these specials were previously released on the Paramount DVD of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; new to this release is the behind-the-scenes documentary and remastered video. (August 16, 2008)
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"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown" Deluxe Edition Announced for October 7, 2008
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The You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD features the TV specials You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972) and He's a Bully, Charlie Brown (2006), plus a new mini-documentary, The Polls Don't Lie: The Making of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. The DVD includes English, Japanese, and Portuguese audio, and English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Thai subtitles. The suggested retail price is $19.98. The DVD will be released October 7, 2008.
You're Not Elected was previously released on DVD by Paramount as the bonus episode on their It's the Great Pumpkin DVD; Warner Home Video has decided to give You're Not Elected its own DVD release (perhaps because 2008 is a presidential election year?). The Warner DVD's bonus episode, He's a Bully, Charlie Brown, has never been released on DVD or video before - it's great to see that it will be available at last. So, between the remastered video, new featurette, and He's a Bully, there's a lot of new stuff on this DVD. (August 16, 2008)
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"Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection" Box Set Announced for September 23, 2008
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In addition to the individual DVD releases, Warner has announced the Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection box set, which will include the A Charlie Brown Christmas Deluxe Edition, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Deluxe Edition DVDs, plus an "exclusive CD with 6 classic Peanuts songs." Details about which tracks the CD will include have not been announced.
This box set will be released on September 23 - which means you'll be able to get the A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVDs two weeks earlier than their individual DVD releases if you buy this box set! (The It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown individual DVD will have been already released earlier, on September 2.) The list price for the boxset will be $44.98, so in theory it should also be cheaper to buy this set than the three separate DVD releases. (August 16, 2008)
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Warner Home Video Website for New Peanuts DVD Releases
Warner Home Video has set up a special website for the Peanuts DVD releases at http://www.peanutsdvd.com, featuring information and trailers about the DVD releases, as well as short video clips and pictures. (August 16, 2008)
DVD Release of "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown" Scheduled!
As mentioned above, He's a Bully, Charlie Brown, the last new animated Peanuts special to air on TV, will finally be coming to DVD on October 7, 2008. It will be released as the "bonus episode " on the Warner Home Video DVD release of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. See above for more information about that DVD release. He's a Bully has not been previously released on home video. (August 12, 2008)
More Digital Downloads of Shows on iTunes, Amazon Unbox
Three more Peanuts TV specials are now available for download from iTunes: Charlie Brown's All-Stars, It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown, and She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. Each can be purchased individually for $1.99, or all three can be purchased together as "Peanuts Specials, Vol. 1" for $5.97 (so purchasing them together is just a convenience, not a savings). None of these shows have been released on DVD in the US so far. Thanks to Eric Davis for the tip!
And now Amazon Unbox is offering Peanuts TV shows for download as well, including the three mentioned above, all of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show episodes, and one that is not available yet on iTunes - You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown. All episodes are $1.99 each. (August 16, 2008)
Peanuts TV Specials Available For Download on iTunes, Sprint Cell Phones
In addition to the new DVD releases, the Peanuts specials are also being made available as digital downloads in at least two different ways.
First, you can now purchase a variety of Peanuts shows from Apple's iTunes Store, using the iTunes software for Macintosh and Windows. Once purchased, you can watch the shows on your computer's monitor, or transfer them to an iPod or iPhone for viewing. Presumably they can also be purchased and viewed using the Apple TV device, but I have not verified this. Shows sold on iTunes are "near DVD quality," and having downloaded a couple and viewed them, I agree that the video quality is close to the DVD releases, although there are more compression artifacts. Note, however, that videos purchased from iTunes cannot be burned to a DVD or viewed on a DVD player.
The shows currently available on iTunes (as of June 8, 2008) are:
- Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, which is accompanied by the bonus episodes It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown and You're In Love, Charlie Brown, along with the behind-the-scenes documentary Unlucky in Love: An Unrequited Love Story. This duplicates the Warner Home Video DVD release. All four shows are available together for $9.99.
- It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, which is accompanied by bonus episodes It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, and It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown, all available together for $9.99. Note that It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is not on the Warner Home Video DVD release of It's the Easter Beagle, and in fact, has not been released on DVD yet. The documentary from the It's the Easter Beagle DVD release is not included, however.
- All 18 episodes of the Saturday morning cartoon show The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. These can be purchased individually for $1.99 each or all 18 together as a "season" for $29.99. These shows have not yet been released on DVD in the United States. (Hopefully, Warner does plan to make the available on DVD eventually as well.)
Second, reader Keith Hendricks reports that select specials are available to watch on video-enabled Sprint cell phones. 4-5 specials are available at a time, with a rotating selection. He notes that one of the shows currently available in June is He's a Bully, Charlie Brown, which hasn't been released on DVD so far. I do not know if the shows are available on other cell phone networks, or how much it costs to view the shows. But if you have a capable phone on Sprint, check it out! (June 8, 2008)
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Deluxe Edition DVD Announced for Sept 2, 2008
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The details for the new Warner Home Video DVD release of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown have been announced.
The It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD is scheduled to be released on September 2, 2008. In addition to the title special, the DVD will feature the 1981 special It's Magic, Charlie Brown as a bonus episode, and a short behind-the-scenes documentary titled We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown. Audio options include English, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese; subtitle options include English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Thai. The DVD will have a retail price of $19.98.
Warner also says that this DVD will come with "the digital download of 2 songs." (No more details are available.)
Warner has released a trailer for this DVD.
This will be the first time It's Magic, Charlie Brown has been available on DVD in the United States. The old Paramount DVD release of It's the Great Pumpkin included You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown as its bonus episode, but Warner Home Video is releasing You're Not Elected on its own DVD on October 2, 2008. (August 16, 2008)
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"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" Deluxe Edition DVD Now Available
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Warner Home Video's second DVD release, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition is now available. In addition to It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974), the DVD also includes It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown as a "bonus" special. These are the same two specials that were released on Paramount's DVD release of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.
New to the Warner Home Video release is a bonus featurette titled "In Full Bloom: The Peanuts at Easter," described in the Warner press release as follows:
In Full Bloom: The Peanuts at Easter – An exploration of Easter holiday, and what the Easter Beagle means to the creators through the Peanuts gang, and fans both immediately and metaphorically.
The video for the main feature is, like on Warner Home Video's first DVD release, noticeably improved, and the short documentary feature is a nice addition.
The DVD was released on February 19, 2008, and retails for $19.98. The running time for both specials together is 50 minutes. (February 21, 2007)
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"Deluxe Edition" DVD Release of "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" Now Available
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Warner Home Video's first DVD release, the Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition, is now available. In addition to the title show from 1975, the DVD includes two "bonus" specials, You're In Love, Charlie Brown (1967) and It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977). These are the same specials that were released on Paramount's DVD release of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.
New to the Warner DVD is a 15-minute featurette titled Unlucky in Love: An Unrequited Love Story. It's actually a very nice little piece about the themes of love in the comic strip and background on the Be My Valentine special, with new interviews with Schulz family members, producer Lee Mendelson, director Phil Roman, and others. Also new are Spanish audio and subtitle tracks for all three shows, in addition to the English audio and subtitles. The video and audio for all shows has been modestly improved.
Read my full Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition review.
The Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD was released on January 15, 2008, and retails for $19.98. The running time for all three specials together is 75 minutes. (January 15, 2008)
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Warner Home Video Takes Over Peanuts Home Video Releases
The Peanuts television specials have a new home for video releases - Warner Home Video has taken over the home video license, previous held by Paramount Home Video.
Warner has a multi-year license to distribute 50 of the Peanuts TV specials on DVD, as well as the 18 episodes of the Saturday morning cartoon show The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. The deal does not include the 4 theatrical movies; the home video rights for those remain with Paramount.
The first titles Warner will release are "deluxe editions" of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on Jan. 15, 2008 and It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown on Feb. 19, 2008. They will be remastered, will feature "newly created bonus features," and come in "new collectable packaging." See above for more information about these releases. The other big name holiday specials will receive similar treatments, expected to be released in late 2008.
The lesser-known Peanuts specials - many of which have never been released on DVD - will be packaged in "Golden Collection" sets similar to the Warner "Looney Tunes Golden Collection" sets. These will be aimed at the "core collector."
Warner is also hoping to produce new, original Peanuts features for home video release. (Apparently these will be produced by Melendez/Mendelson Productions, as always.)
And finally, Warner also plans to create "original shortform content for digital distribution through wireless, electronic sell-through and VOD platforms."
If the Warner Peanuts DVD releases are even half as good as their excellent Looney Tunes Golden Collection sets, we'll be every lucky indeed. (December 4, 2007)
Paramount Peanuts DVD Releases Out Of Print
Because they've lost the home video rights to the Peanuts TV specials, all of the Paramount DVD releases of the Peanuts TV specials are now out of print, except for the two movie DVDs A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home (Paramount retains the rights to the theatrical movies). Some stores may be selling off the remaining stock, but that's it. Hopefully, since Warner's Peanuts DVD releases have already started arriving, we won't have to wait long for the big-name specials to be back in print — and hopefully neglected specials will make their way to DVD soon. (December 4, 2007)
VHS Releases Out of Print
Unfortunately all of the US Paramount VHS releases have gone out of print, even though the specials have not all been released on DVD in the US yet. You may be able to find used copies are eBay or Amazon.com. Also, the four theatrical movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Snoopy Come Home, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown are out of print, although at least the first two are now available on DVD. (October 2, 2007)
Music Releases
(New info coming soon)
Other News
Peanuts Rocks the Vote
Check out the Peanuts Rocks the Vote website at www.peanutsrocksthevote.com!
From the site's intro:
Which Peanuts candidate would you want for President?
Peanuts and Rock the Vote have teamed up this election season to show you how easy it is to vote in any election! After reading each of the Peanuts candidate's platforms and backgrounds, it's up to you to decide.
You can also see how each character is doing in each state, lean about voting registration and election dates in the "real" election, read classic Peanuts strips about elections, and learn more about the upcoming You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown DVD and the "Political Peanuts" exhibit at the Schulz Museum. (August 15, 2008)
For older news items, see the News Archive.
Recent Updates to This Page
August 16, 2008
January 15, 2008
- Review of Warner Home Video's Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD.
August 22, 2007
- Important correction: the initial US broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 9, 1965, preempted "The Munsters," not "Gilligan's Island." For many years this webpage said that "Gilligan's Island" was the preempted show, and this bit of trivia has now spread wide and far over the Internet. However, with assistance from the Schulz Museum and based on information from a variety of TV listings from a variety of newspapers on that day, we've determined that it was almost certainly "The Munsters," not "Gilligan's Island." I apologize for having the incorrect information up for so long, although I believed it was correct at the time.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the following people for additional information, suggestions, and corrections:
Mark Astolfi, Derrick Bang, Jason Breslin, John Cassidy, Eugene Chan, Tim Chow, Jon Cooke, Craig Davis, Liz Fox, Nat Gertler, Ron Gomes, Ray Hamel, Paul Hiscock, Mike Koegel, Cail Judy, Victor Lee, Jennifer Liao, Maureen McCarty, Ryan Mead, Lisa Monhoff, Leonardo Morán, Ted Nesi, Kaori Nishikida, Beth Prescott, Elisia Saam, Steve Swenson, Basil Wilson, Brian Young
Special thanks to the staff of Lee Mendelson Productions, Bill Melendez Productions, and the Charles M. Schulz Museum for additional material and answering numerous pesky questions.
The book Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown by Lee Mendelson (published by Random House, 1979) has been an invaluable source of numerous trivia bits that I've included.
Current DVD/Video Availability Notes
Warner Home Video has an exclusive contract to distribute the animated Peanuts TV specials on DVD and as digital downloads (starting in October 2007). Their DVD releases feature remastered video and sound and new behind-the-scenes documentaries (previous DVD releases did not include any behind-the-scenes material).
Warner released 2 DVDs in January-February 2008 and 4 more are coming in September-October 2008. Unfortunately this means most of the shows are not currently available on home video; but Warner has stated they plan to eventually release all the shows on DVD. See DVD Releases for a list of currently available US Peanuts DVDs.
The first two theatrical movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, are available on DVD from Paramount.
Some shows are now available as digital downloads from the iTunes Store and Amazon Unbox, including shows that have not been released on DVD yet.
While nearly all of the animated TV specials and movies were released on VHS in the US by Paramount, these VHS releases are now out of print. Used copies can sometimes be found on eBay and Amazon.com.
Outside of the US, after many years of being unavailable, the shows are being released on DVD and VHS in the UK, and there is an extensive set of releases on DVD and VHS in Germany. Some shows, and a couple of the movies, are have been released on DVD in Australia.
Pony Canyon has released at least 11 Japanese language videos and DVDs in Japan. You can see a list of the DVDs, and pictures of their covers, at the Pony Canyon website, although Pony Canyon does not accept orders for DVDs from outside Japan. You may be able to order them from Amazon.co.jp. (Note that being able to read Japanese is useful when looking at these sites!) Also, Paramount has released Snoopy Come Home on DVD in Japan and several other countries.
WARNING: Almost all "Asian" DVDs of the Peanuts specials being sold on eBay are illegal bootlegs. The video quality may be questionable and the original makers of the TV specials do not receive any money from bootleg sales. You should avoid purchasing any Japanese, Chinese, or other Asian DVDs of the Peanuts specials from eBay or other auction sites. You should purchase the properly licensed US or UK DVDs, or as noted above, the authentic Japanese DVD releases are available from Amazon.co.jp.
Which Shows Aren't Available on DVD/Video?
Unfortunately, most of the Peanuts TV specials are not currently in print on video. But the good news is that as of 2008, Warner Home Video started a series of DVD releases and have announced that they intend to release most of the shows on DVD eventually. But for now, only a few are available - see the DVD Releases list.
DVDs of the first two theatrical movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, are available. The other two movies, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown were released on VHS, but are now out of print.
Almost all of the TV shows and movies were released on VHS in the US, most are now out of print. You may be able to find used or remaindered copies of the VHS tapes on eBay or from third-party sellers on Amazon.com.
Many of the shows listed under Documentaries and Live Action Shows have never been available on video. One exception is the unaired 1963 documentary, A Boy Named Charlie Brown (documentary), which is available on DVD from the Charles M. Schulz Museum.
History of US Video Releases
Warner Home Video is the current home video rights holder in the US as of October 2007. They have a contract to release the Peanuts TV specials on DVD and as digital downloads.
Warner took over from Paramount Home Entertainment, who held the home video rights from 1994 through early 2007. When they held the home video license, Paramount released 12 DVDs containing a variety of new and old Peanuts TV specials. They released the first two Peanuts theatrical movies on DVD in March 2006, and DVDs of This is America, Charlie Brown were released in June 2006. See the Out-of-Print DVD Releases for a complete list of Paramount's North American Peanuts DVD releases.
Paramount also issued the Peanuts TV shows on VHS home video in the United States and Canada, from 1994 to 2000. (See Video Releases.) Unfortunately, all of the VHS titles are now out of print, even though there have not been matching releases on DVD.
The VHS titles were marketed under five banners: "Peanuts Classics" and "A Peanuts Special" (one episode per tape), "This Is America, Charlie Brown" (one episode per tape), "The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show" (two episodes per tape), and "Snoopy Double Features" (two episodes per tape), although some of those banners were dropped as the tapes have been reissued. The prices varied from $7 to $15, depending on the tape.
Paramount also issued two direct-to-video releases; the first of these, It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown, was released in August, 1997. The second, It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown, was released in September, 2000. Both of these are now out of print.
Many, but not all, of the titles that were released on VHS were also released on laserdisc by Paramount, but these are now out of print. See Laserdisc Releases for a list.
Before Paramount, the home video license was held by Media Home Entertainment, and released under the brands Hi Topps and KVC. They released most of the prime-time specials and some compilations from The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show on VHS; however the Paramount releases were of superior quality with better video. Any tapes from Hi Topps or KVS are from 1993 or before.
The very first release of a Peanuts show on home video was in June 1984, when Media Home Entertainment (Hi Topps) released You're The Greatest, Charlie Brown and Life Is A Circus, Charlie Brown.
The first two theatrical movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home were originally available from CBS FOX video, but are now distributed by Paramount Home Video, and remain available on DVD. The latter two movies, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, are distributed by Paramount Home Video as well, but were only released on VHS and are now out-of-print.
You're In the SuperBowl, Charlie Brown, was originally available on video from Shell gas stations, was not part of the Paramount reissue series and is currently not available on video. (You may be able to find copies on eBay or other auction sites, however.) It is not known if Warner Home Video has the rights to release this special or not.
Where Can I Buy Peanuts DVDs and Videos?
AAUGH.com, an on-line store run by Peanuts book expert Nat Gertler, has an easy-to-use layout for ordering all the DVDs, CDs, and books too.
The on-line book, music, and video store Amazon.com, also has all the DVDs available, and you may be able to find used copies of the VHS tapes there. If you're having trouble finding the title you're looking for on Amazon, try searching for "Charlie Brown", "Peanuts", or "Snoopy" and look at the pictures of the boxes - sometimes Amazon doesn't list them by the proper titles.
Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop carries some of the videos and DVDs (and much more!). You can also phone them at 800-959-3385 to place an order.
Locally, your video store may be able to special order the DVDs for you. See the DVD Releases section for a complete list of titles.
Where Can I See Peanuts on TV Now?
ABC has the rights to show It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. (This was a change in 2001 after 35 years on CBS!) ABC is also home to the new specials A Charlie Brown Valentine, Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.
In the United States, the cable channel Nickelodeon had the rights to broadcast most of the other shows, but those rights have probably expired as of May 2004. There has been no news of the rights being awarded to a new broadcaster.
Every once in a rare while, the movies are shown on a cable TV station.
The Canadian cable station YTV occasionally airs the TV shows in Canada, and apparently has the rights to every show except "You're in the Superbowl, Charlie Brown."
Current TV Schedule
Here's the schedule for upcoming Peanuts shows on TV. All times Eastern/Pacific.
(no shows scheduled)
In Canada, the YTV web page sometimes has info about when the next show is going to be on, although they are not airing the shows regularly either at this point. (I've given up trying to keep track of YTV's ever changing links to show listings.)
Complete List of Shows and Movies
The list is divided into five categories:
In each of the sections, I've listed the original broadcast date, a synopsis, a list of characters appearing in the show (if applicable), any interesting trivia or important notes, and amusing things to note about the episode.
If you are interested in just a list of the shows' titles, for example, to use as a checklist, see the Peanuts TV Show Checklist.
A "(b)" notation next to a character means the character appears briefly - in the background or only speaks one line; "(os)" means the character is only heard off-screen.
All shows are 30 minutes long unless otherwise noted. Original broadcast times are for the Eastern Time Zone.
Special thanks to Kaori Nishikida for providing the classical music information throughout the list.
Prime-Time Specials
These are shows that were originally broadcast during prime-time as specials and were predominantly new animation. (A few exceptions, "It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown" and the two direct-to-video specials, were never broadcast, but it made sense to put it here with the others).
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
Broadcast Date: December 9, 1965 (Thursday), 7:30 - 8:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown, depressed by the commercialism of Christmas and because he doesn't get any Christmas cards, becomes the director of the gang's Christmas pageant. Can he overcome his gang's preference for dancing instead of acting, find a good Christmas tree, and the true meaning of Christmas?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Frieda, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Pig-Pen, Sally, Schroeder, Shermy, Snoopy, Violet, 5, 3 & 4 (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- First animated Peanuts special.
- Linus's "the true meaning of Christmas" quote is Luke 2:8-14 from the King James translation of the Bible.
- Original cast voices:
Charlie Brown -- Peter Robbins
Lucy Van Pelt -- Tracy Stratford
Linus Van Pelt -- Christopher Shea
Schroeder/Shermy -- Chris Doran
Pig-pen -- Geoffrey Ornstein
Patty -- Karen Mendelson
Sally Brown -- Cathy Steinberg
Frieda -- Ann Altieri
Violet -- Sally Dryer
Snoopy -- Bill Melendez
- This special is the longest running animated cartoon special in TV history - having been repeated every year since it first aired!
- The version of the show broadcast on TV until 1997 and older video releases are edited; they leave out a scene where the gang throws snowballs at a can on a fence. The Paramount video release is thankfully complete and unedited! And for the past couple of years CBS has shown the unedited version (although see notes below).
- The original broadcast also included some brief animated sections which included the logo of Coca-Cola, the show's original sponsor. These have been edited out of all subsequent broadcasts (and the video release). According to the original storyboards, right after the opening title, Linus crashed into a sign advertising Coca-Cola after being tossed by Snoopy. (Look at current versions and you'll notice that we never see where Linus lands!) The closing carol originally included the complete verse (instead of fading out) with a final on-screen "Merry Christmas from your local bottler of Coca-Cola" right after the United Feature Syndicate credit at the end. These very short segments have been removed because understandably, later sponsors -- and the companies releasing the videos -- probably don't want to advertise someone else's product!
- The initial US broadcast of this special preempted "The Munsters." (For many years this webpage said that "Gilligan's Island" was the preempted show, and this bit of trivia has now spread wide and far over the Internet. However, with assistance from the Schulz Museum and based on information from a variety of TV listings from a variety of newspapers on that day, we've determined that it was almost certainly "The Munsters," not "Gilligan's Island." I apologize for having the incorrect information up for so long, although I believed it was correct at the time.)
- While many shows are based in part on comic strips that appeared before the shows were created, Linus's "true meaning of Christmas" speech actually makes its first appearance in the comic strip after this special was broadcast. It's in a Sunday strip dated 12/18/66. The text is slightly different, since the strip quotes from the Revised Standard Version Bible translation, whereas the show quotes from the King James. And the strip ends with Linus saying, "So who needs Santa Claus?" (This strip is not reprinted in any of the standard strip collections, but can be found in the 2002 Ballantine Christmas-strip collection A Peanuts Christmas, as well as Robert Short's book The Parables of Peanuts and the religious-themed strip collection And the Beagle and the Bunnies Shall Lie Down Together.)
- Won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Children's Program," and a Peabody Award for excellence in programming.
- See also the 2001 documentary, The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Music:
Score Composed & Conducted by Vince Guaraldi
Songs:
Christmastime is Here
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Classical Music Sources:
When Schroeder plays "Beethoven Christmas music": Beethoven, Bagatelle for piano in A minor, WoO 59, "Für Elise".
CD/Albums:
The original 1965 soundtrack for this special is available on A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (Fantasy Records #8431). This contains essentially all the music from the special, although one missing cue (the music while Snoopy decorates his doghouse) turns up as "Surfing Snoopy" on the CHARLIE BROWN'S HOLIDAY HITS CD (Fantasy Records #9682).
In 2000, jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut released a cover version of the CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS music (Atlantic 83366-2). Note that it contains new versions of the songs which are in some cases quite different.
CHARLIE BROWN'S ALL-STARS
Broadcast Date: June 8, 1966 (Wednesday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
After losing 999 games in a row, Charlie Brown's baseball team threatens to quit and spend the summer like normal kids (swimming, skateboarding, and jumping rope) until he announces that Hennessey's Hardware store will sponsor them, meaning they can get uniforms and play in a real league - but only if he'll take the girls and Snoopy off the team.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Frieda, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Pig-Pen, Sally, Schroeder, Shermy, Snoopy, Violet, 5 (b).
Did You Notice?
- Early in the show, Charlie Brown says "we have 5 boys, 3 girls, and 1 dog on the team" - but all 4 of the girls are shown playing along with Snoopy and the 5 boys.
Music:
Score Composed & Conducted by Vince Guaraldi
IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 27, 1966 (Thursday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
While the gang goes Trick-or-Treating, Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin; Snoopy plays the World War I Flying Ace and is shot down over "no man's land."
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Violet, Pig-Pen, Frieda (b)
Trivia & Notes:
- Charlie Brown is the one who dresses up as a ghost but cuts too many holes in his costume and ends up looking like a potato. (In the newspaper strip, Linus is the one who does this.)
- In the ABC broadcasts (2001 & 2002), they removed 3 minutes of material: the scene near the beginning where Lucy tries to get Charlie Brown to kick the football (1 min, 15 secs); the scene Snoopy dances to music Schroeder plays on the piano at the Halloween party (1 min, 45 secs); the final title card saying "The End" and one repetition of Linus's outraged statements about "next year" were lopped off (1-2 seconds). This is more than CBS ever edited out from the show!
- The version of the show broadcast on CBS and older video releases were edited; they leave out a several of the "I got a rock!" scenes. (Some older video releases also cut the scene where Snoopy dances along to Schroeder's piano music.)
- The Paramount video release is thankfully complete and unedited!
Did You Notice?
- At one point, Lucy is sitting by the TV holding a copy of TV Guide, and the picture on front of it is of her!
- In the shot of the gang just before they bob for apples at the Halloween party, Pig-Pen is wearing glasses!
Music:
Score Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged & Conducted by John Scott Trotter
YOU'RE IN LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: June 12, 1967 (Monday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
On the last two days of the school year, Charlie Brown tries a variety of schemes to meet the Little Red-Haired Girl.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Violet, Pig-Pen (b), Patty (b), 5 (b), 3 & 4 (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Animated debut of Peppermint Patty.
- This is the first special where the adult "mwa-mwa-mwa" voice was heard.
Did You Notice?
- While the 1977 "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown" is generally credited as the first time "the Little Red Haired Girl" is seen, Charlie Brown says he sees her on a school bus that passes - and in fact two girls with red hair on the bus are shown (although neither resembles the girl seen in "It's Your First Kiss").
Music:
Score Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged & Conducted by John Scott Trotter
"You're In Love" sung by West Hillsborough School Choir
HE'S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: February 14, 1968 (Wednesday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown sends a disobedient Snoopy to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm for an obedience refresher course, but on the way across town Snoopy decides to hide out at Peppermint Patty's house. Initially it's a vacation for him, but eventually she puts him to work cleaning house, and Snoopy must choose between it and Charlie Brown's leash.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Peppermint Patty, Roy, Schroeder, Snoopy, Violet, 5.
Trivia & Notes:
- Last show using same character voices as in "Charlie Brown Christmas."
Did You Notice?
- Peppermint Patty is reading a Peanuts book (with Lucy and Charlie Brown on the cover) while Snoopy works.
Music:
Score Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged & Conducted by John Scott Trotter
IT WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: September 27, 1969 (Saturday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Returning to school, the gang has to write a 500-word essay about their summer vacation. They recall going to summer camp, where the "boys camp" and "girls camp" compete against each other in swimming, softball, and other events. After several poor showings, the boys get out their secret weapon - the "Masked Marvel," champion arm-wrestler.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen, Sally, Schroeder, Shermy, Snoopy, Violet, Roy (b), Clara (b), Shirley (b), unnamed boy (might be 5) (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Linus's teacher in this show is named as Miss Halverson, even though in later shows his teacher is Miss Othmar.
- According to the book HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLIE BROWN, Charles Schulz thinks the arm-wrestling showdown between Lucy and the Masked Marvel in this show is "the best animated scene of all the shows."
- Lucy's wrist-wrestling match with the Masked Marvel, and its finale, come from newspaper strips dated 2/6/67 - 2/15/67; these were reprinted in the book "You'll Flip, Charlie Brown."
Did You Notice?
- Although Woodstock isn't in this show, Snoopy arm-wrestles with a yellow bird (a sort of "proto-Woodstock").
- When Snoopy pretends to drive the bus, all the towns on the map in the background are named after people involved in the production. There's Schulz City (Charles M. Schulz - author), Cuidad de Melendez (Bill Melendez - director), Leesville (Lee Mendelson - producer), Gruyerberg (Bernard Gruyer - graphic blandishment), and Levittown (Ed Levitt - graphic blandishment).
- Also in the background while Snoopy pretends to drive the bus, all the figures, including a milk truck driver, motorcyclist, a goat, and an eagle, have heads like Snoopy!
Music:
Score Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged & Conducted by John Scott Trotter
PLAY IT AGAIN, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: March 28, 1971 (Sunday), 7:00 - 7:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Schroeder practices piano despite the distraction of Lucy, who tries to get his attention. Finally Lucy arranges a gig for him, playing in the PTA program at school. But Beethoven is too old-fashioned, they want rock and roll. Will Schroeder sell out?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Frieda, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy
Trivia:
- The combo Schroeder is supposed to play with is: Charlie Brown on banjo, Snoopy on bass, and Pig-Pen on drums.
- Beethoven and PTA programs come in spray cans.
Music:
Music Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven & Vince Guaraldi
Music Conducted by John Scott Trotter
Performed by:
Lillian Steuber (Beethoven Sonatas)
The Vince Guaraldi Trio (rest)
Classical Music Sources:
(In order of performance in the show; all composed by Beethoven.)
- Beginning of the show with the score on top; with Lucy leaning against the piano (after Snoopy and Linus dance): Piano sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No.3; 1st movement.
- The music that comes out of a spray can is: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67; 1st movement.
- With Frieda at the piano, joined by Lucy: Piano sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7; 3rd movement.
- With Lucy leaning against the piano: Piano sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14 No.2; 1st movement.
- Lucy comes in with a feather duster in her hand: Piano sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight Sonata"), Op. 27 No. 2; 3rd movement.
- Lucy kisses Schroeder on the nose: Piano sonata No. 21 in C major ("Waldstein"), Op. 53, 3rd movement.
- Lucy tells Schroeder she arranged a recital for him: Piano sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49 No.2; 1st movement.
- Schroeder says "Thank you" to Lucy: Piano sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79; 1st movement.
- With Lucy leaning against the piano, telling Schroeder that Beethoven wouldn't have made it in Nashville: Piano sonata No. 29 in B flat major ("Hammerklavier"), Op. 106; 1st movement.
YOU'RE NOT ELECTED, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 29, 1972 (Sunday), 7:30 - 8:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Linus runs for election as school body president, and is on his way to victory until he makes a speech about the Great Pumpkin.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Russell Anderson (Linus's opponent), Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, Frieda (b), Patty (b), Pig-pen (b), Shermy (b), Violet (b), 5 (b), various kids at school.
Trivia & Notes:
- The gang's school is named "Birchwood School."
- Vince Guaraldi sang the song "Joe Cool", as well as writing and playing the music!
- This special was originally titled "You're Elected, Charlie Brown". It was changed at the very last minute after someone objected because not only is Charlie Brown not elected, he doesn't even run! That's why in the title sequence, the chorus still sings "You're elected, Charlie Brown" and the title written on the chalkboard has "Not" inserted with a caret (there wasn't time to redo the whole cel). The show was even advertised in TV Guide with the original title!
- The primary storyline for this special comes from newspaper strips dated 10/5/64 - 10/27/64; these are reprinted in the book "You Need Help, Charlie Brown".
Did You Notice?
- When Linus goes to the studio for his call-in show, a camera is labeled "CBTV."
- Charlie Brown and Sally's house appears to have two levels in this show (most of the time it seems to be one level).
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
Songs:
Joe Cool (sung by Vince Guaraldi)
THERE'S NO TIME FOR LOVE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: March 11, 1973 (Sunday), 7:30 - 8:00 PM
Synopsis:
The gang's schools plan a field trip to an art museum, and Charlie Brown must get an "A" on his field trip report to pass his class. Unfortunately, he, Peppermint Patty and Marcie mistake a supermarket for the art museum!
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Frieda (b), Violet (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Animated debut of Marcie.
Did You Notice?
- The gang's school is up on the educational trends of the 70's: Linus is studying "new math" and Peppermint Patty says "by the time we grow up the Metric system will probably be official!"
- Peppermint Patty has UCLA and Stanford banners in her bedroom.
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
Songs:
Joe Cool (additional lyrics)
A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING
Broadcast Date: November 20, 1973 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Peppermint Patty invites herself and friends to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving dinner, even though he's going over to his grandmother's for dinner. So with Snoopy and Linus's help, he decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal!
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Vince Guaraldi sang the song "Little Birdie", as well as writing and playing the music!
- Won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming" for Charles M. Schulz, writer.
- See also the "What was Linus's speech in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving?" in the Miscellaneous Questions and Answers section.
- In its first couple of broadcasts of the show, ABC edited out 3 minutes and 40 seconds: the scene where Snoopy and Woodstock don pilgrim costumes and walk to Charlie Brown's door, and the final scene where Snoopy and Woodstock make and eat a real turkey dinner. In 2005, however, ABC aired the entire special unedited.
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
Songs:
Little Birdie (sung by Vince Guaraldi)
IT'S A MYSTERY, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: February 1, 1974 (Friday), 7:30 - 8:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Woodstock's newly-built nest disappears, so Snoopy puts on his Sherlock Holmes outfit and investigates. Meanwhile, Sally worries about a science exhibit for school. Could these two events be connected? Lucy's court of law will have to decide.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Pig-pen (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Legal advice from Lucy is more expensive than psychiatric advice: 7 cents.
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
IT'S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: April 9, 1974 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie how to decorate eggs, Snoopy gets a birdhouse for Woodstock, and Linus convinces Sally that she doesn't need to color eggs because the Easter Beagle will bring them.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock.
Trivia & Notes:
- Charles Schulz says the bunnies Snoopy dances with are the famed Bunny-Wunnies, stars of Snoopy's favorite books as mentioned in the comic strip.
- Marcie's unsuccessful attempts to make eggs for coloring are frying, waffle-ironing, toasting, roasting (in the oven), and finally making soup out of them.
- This special takes place 246 days before Christmas (according to a banner in the department store).
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
Classical Music Sources:
- The music boxes when Snoopy dances with Peppermint Patty and Marcie: J.S. Bach, minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116.
- Schroeder plays the piano: Beethoven, piano sonata No. 3, 1st movement.
- While the kids wait for the Easter Beagle: Beethoven, 7th Symphony in A major, Op. 92; 2nd Movement.
- When the Easter Beagle arrives: Beethoven, 7th Symphony in A major, Op. 92; 1st Movement.
BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: January 28, 1975 (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown hopes for Valentines cards in his mailbox and at the school Valentine's Day party, Linus buys a present for Miss Othmar, and Sally hopes Linus will notice her.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Violet, Woodstock, Franklin (b), Frieda (b), Marcie (b), Patty (b), Peppermint Patty (b), Pig-pen (b), Shermy (b), Miss Othmar (os).
Trivia & Notes:
- When Schroeder calls out the names of Charles Schulz's children and Joanne Lansing (one of the show's painting supervisors), among others, when handing out the Valentine's cards. (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that all of the extra names have some significance.)
- When the show was first broadcast, viewers sent hundreds of Valentines for poor Charlie Brown to Charles's Schulz studio!
- In this episode, the gang's school is named "Birchwood School" (as it was in "You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown").
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
Classical Music Sources:
- Schroeder plays piano while Lucy discusses the origin of Valentine cards and Valentine's Day: Beethoven, piano sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49 No. 2; 1st movement.
- Background music used in Snoopy's paw-pet show: an arrangement of Nocturne in B-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 by Chopin.
- The music Snoopy's fancy cut-out valentine plays: J.S. Bach, "Minuet in G Major", BWV Anh. 116.
YOU'RE A GOOD SPORT, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 28, 1975 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Snoopy plays tennis against an automatic ball machine and then Woodstock. Peppermint Patty convinces Charlie Brown (with Linus as his pit crew) to compete in a charity motocross race. Can they overcome the challenge of crashes, mud, and the strangely familiar Masked Marvel?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, referee kid (b), Schroeder (b), Roy (b), 5 (b), Patty (b), Violet (b), other racers (b), Motocross Queen Loretta (b)
Trivia & Notes:
- This show was inspired by Charles Schulz's son Craig's interest in motorcycles.
- Won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Children's Special".
Did You Notice?
- Charlie Brown is racer #13 in the race, of course!
- On the contestant board, several of the names of the other racers are members of the production staff: P. Roman (director), J. Lansing (painting supervisor), S. Jaimes (animator), and S. Claxton (production assistant). D. Smith and J. Jones are also listed, but if they're staff they're not in the credits.
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Supervision by John Scott Trotter
IT'S ARBOR DAY, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: March 16, 1976 (Tuesday) 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
While researching a report on Arbor Day, Sally enlists the gang to turn Charlie Brown's ball field into a garden and orchard, complete with a tree on the pitcher's mound and scarecrow in the outfield. During the first game of the season against Peppermint Patty's team, the plants turn out to be an unexpected advantage.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Frieda, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Rerun, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, Jose Peterson (b), Patty (b), Violet (b), 5 (b), unknown kid on Peppermint Patty's team (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Animated debut of Rerun Van Pelt.
- Last show with music by Vince Guaraldi.
- It's unknown why Lucy and Frieda's voices are "mumbled" in the scene when a ball comes to them in the outfield.
Music:
Music Composed & Performed by Vince Guaraldi
IT'S YOUR FIRST KISS, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 24, 1977 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown must escort the Little Red-Haired Girl to the homecoming dance, even though he has trouble kicking the ball during the homecoming football game.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Heather, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, other football players, homecoming princesses, Frieda (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- This is the first time the Little Red-Haired Girl is given a name (Heather) and actually seen. While Charles Schulz has later said he regretted making this decision, he did approve doing it at the time. But the show's animators, not Charles Schulz, decided how the Little Red-Haired Girl would look.
- In the original broadcast, several times after Charlie Brown misses his kick because Lucy (of course) pulls away the football, Peppermint Patty berates him. However, viewers protested, because Charlie Brown was so obviously not at fault. So in subsequent showings the producers decided to dub out two of these incidents. The Paramount and Warner home video releases retain these edits, although the Warner DVD release does include the missing quotes... in the Spanish audio!
- The two removed quotes are: at about 7 1/2 minutes in, "Okay, Chuck, you really goofed up on that play!", and at around 15 1/2 minutes in, "Chuck, you can't do anything right!!" (The dialog was dubbed out by reversing the original audio, and reducing it in volume, so if you record the audio and play it backwards, you can her Peppermint Patty's original exclamations.)
Did You Notice?
- Before treating Charlie Brown for hyponatremia with salt water, Snoopy pulls a pepper grinder out of his doctor's bag.
- Even though all we see is Charlie Brown missing his kicks, he must have succeeded with two of them, because his team gets 7 points for its second and third touchdowns!
WHAT A NIGHTMARE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: February 23, 1978 (Thursday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Accused by Charlie Brown of being "overcivilized" and after eating too much pizza, Snoopy dreams of being a sled dog in the Alaskan frontier (including a side trip to a saloon).
Trivia & Notes:
- In reality, while modern sled dogs are always eager to run and competitive, most are also quite friendly, unlike the sled dogs depicted in this special. However they do howl in the middle of the night! (From personal experience; I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Alaska next to a sled dog kennel.)
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Arctic sled driver, sled dogs (huskies).
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Vince Guaraldi ("Linus & Lucy")
Music Supervision by Judy Munsen
Song Vocals by Larry Finalyson
Songs:
Overlycivilized, Underlydogified Dog
YOU'RE THE GREATEST, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: March 19, 1979 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown competes against Freddy Fabulous from Fremont, the "Masked Marvel," and Marcie in the ten events of the Junior Olympics Decathlon.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Freddy Fabulous from Fremont, 5 (b), Pig-Pen (b), Sally (b), Schroeder (b), Woodstock (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Freddy Fabulous calls Charlie Brown "pumpkinhead." This isn't the first time Charlie Brown's head is compared to a pumpkin. In "It's the Great Pumpkin," Lucy uses it to model her jack-o- lantern face. In "You're a Good Sport," he wears a pumpkin on his head as a helmet.
- The "Masked Marvel" is from the "Ace Obedience School."
- A rare adult's voice announces the decathlon events.
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
The traditional Olympic fanfare ("Bugler's Dream" by Leo Arnaud) occasionally plays as part of the background music.
SHE'S A GOOD SKATE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: February 25, 1980 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Snoopy coaches Peppermint Patty for a skating competition, Marcie sews her dress.
Trivia & Notes:
- The first time an off-screen adult actually speaks English to the characters. (Although adult voices speaking English are heard from the "PTA meetings in a spray can" in Play It Again, Charlie Brown.)
- Based on one of the longest sequences of connected strips from the comic, which ran for five weeks from 11/4/74 - 12/7/74; these are reprinted in the Peanuts Parade book "Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle."
- Working title: "She's a Winner, Charlie Brown"
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
Classical Music Sources:
The music Woodstock whistles is "O mio babbino caro," from Puccini's opera "Gianni Schicchi."
Woodstock's whistling is performed by Jason Serinus, a musician and professional whistler. He has a web site where you can order a tape of his music, including the Woodstock piece.
LIFE IS A CIRCUS, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 24, 1980 (Friday) 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The circus comes to town and Snoopy falls for Fifi, one of the poodles in an acrobatic act. Following her, he is accidentally whisked away with the circus when it leaves. While Charlie Brown worries about him, Snoopy becomes "Hugo the Great" and performs highwire and trapeze stunts. When the carnival owner decides his color scheme is wrong and orders him dyed pink, Snoopy faces the difficult choice of continuing or returning home.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Snoopy, Fifi the Poodle, Miss Polly, other poodles (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program".
- The Paramount Home Video release incorrectly lists the title of this show as "Life's a Circus, Charlie Brown" on the VHS box.
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
IT'S MAGIC, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: April 28, 1981 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Snoopy puts on a magic show. Although most of his tricks are failures, he successfully makes Charlie Brown invisible. While Snoopy works to make him visible again, Charlie Brown realizes this may be his golden opportunity to kick Lucy's football.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, heckler in audience, Schroeder (b), Patty (b)
Did You Notice?
- We actually get to see the inside of Snoopy's doghouse, which as is established in the strip, is much larger on the inside than the outside. Inside are sports and exercise equipment, lockers, and a laboratory.
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
SOMEDAY YOU'LL FIND HER, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: October 30, 1981 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown falls for a girl he sees in the audience of televised football game, and he and Linus go across town on a door-to-door search for her.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Woodstock, Mary Jo (girl with blanket), Wrong Girl #1, Wrong Girl #2, Evil Cat.
Trivia & Notes:
- Charlie Brown says 13 is "his lucky number."
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
Songs:
(When I Feel Most) Alone - performed by Becky Reardon
A CHARLIE BROWN CELEBRATION
Broadcast Date: May 24, 1982 (Monday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charles Schulz talks about Peanuts and introduces animations based on newspaper strips, including:
- Peppermint Patty accidentally enrolls in dog-training classes;
- Charlie Brown gets sick, goes to the hospital, and Lucy promises not to pull away the football if he gets better;
- While on a field trip, Linus and his new paramour "Truffles" are trapped on top of a barn and must be rescued by helicopter (aka Snoopy);
- and others.
Trivia & Notes:
- When shown on Nickelodeon in 1998-2000, was split into two half-hour parts.
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen
IS THIS GOODBYE, CHARLIE BROWN?
Broadcast Date: February 21, 1983 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Linus and Lucy move away from the neighborhood when their Dad is transferred to a new job. Once they're gone, Sally wonders why her "Sweet Babboo" stood her up, Snoopy enjoys Linus's blanket, Peppermint Patty tries to cheer up a depressed Charlie Brown, and even Schroeder misses Lucy. Can the gang cope if their friends have really gone forever?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Franklin (b), Patty (b), Pig-pen (b), Roy (b), Shermy (b), Violet (b), moving men (b).
Did You Notice?
- Adults appear twice in this special; first there's the moving men (although we never see their heads) and then if you look carefully Linus and Lucy's parents are driving the station wagon as they leave town!
- A sled named "Rosebud" is put on the Van Pelt's moving truck. This is an homage to the movie "Citizen Kane," which is often mentioned in the comic strip (and often described as the greatest movie of all times outside the strip).
- The primary storyline comes from newspaper strips dated 5/9/66 - 5/21/66; these are reprinted in the book "The Unsinkable Charlie Brown."
Music:
Music Composed by Judy Munsen
Music Arranged by Steve Riffkin
IT'S AN ADVENTURE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: May 16, 1983 (Monday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Vignettes based on newspaper strips. Includes:
- Charlie Brown bites the kite-eating tree, goes on the run from the EPA, and ends up teaching a pee-wee baseball team;
- Charlie Brown gets a rash that makes his head look like a baseball, goes to camp with a bag over his head, and is elected president as "Mr. Sack";
- Peppermint Patty believes a butterfly is an angel;
- Peppermint Patty and Marcie become golf caddies;
- and others.
Trivia & Notes:
- When shown on Nickelodeon in 1998-99, split into two half-hour parts.
Music:
Music Composed by Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette
Music Arranged and Conducted by Ed Bogas
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED, CHARLIE BROWN?
Broadcast Date: May 30, 1983 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
After leaving the chateau where they stayed as exchange students in France, the gang visits Omaha Beach in Normandy (where the Allies landed on D-Day in World War II) and Ypres (a World War I battlesite), and Linus talks about the significance of the sites and gives tribute to the veterans who fought in both wars.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock.
Trivia & Notes:
- An epilogue to the movie "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown". The movie was deliberately left open-ended so that a follow up could be done.
- Like some of the "This is America, Charlie Brown" episodes, colorized historical footage is used, as well as excerpts from a speech by Eisenhower.
- Linus recites "In Flanders Field" by Lt. Col. John McCrae, M.D., a surgeon during World War I.
- Won a Peabody Award for excellence in television programming.
Music:
Music Composed by Judy Munsen
Music Arranged by Dawn Atkinson
IT'S FLASHBEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: April 16, 1984 (Monday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown wishes he had a normal dog while Snoopy dances the night away as "Flashbeagle," but Sally finds Snoopy's dancing skills an asset during show and tell at school. Also, Peppermint Patty has trouble with her binder; the gang attends a party where they play "Simon Says" and dance.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Pig-pen, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, 5 (b), Frieda (b), party host kid (b), kid with George the chameleon (b), other birds (b)
Trivia & Notes:
- Marine Jahan, the dancer who doubled for Jennifer Beals in "Flashdance" served as the animators' model for Snoopy's dancing (in a process known as rotoscoping, footage of her was traced over by the animators).
- Jill Schulz (Charles Schulz's daughter) performing aerobics served as the animators' model for Peppermint Patty during the song "Peppermint Patty's PE Program."
- While most of this special is new material, Snoopy did appear as "Flashbeagle" once in the newspaper strips. The strip date is 11/29/83, and is reprinted in the Peanuts Parade book "I'm Not Your Sweet Babboo!"
Did You Notice?
- The "Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show" theme is heard prominently as background music near the beginning of the show (this show was created during the same time period).
- In the breakdancing scene with Snoopy and Franklin, who is the kid watching them who looks like Franklin's identical twin?
- Teenagers (or maybe they're adults) are shown at the disco.
Music:
Music and Lyrics by Desiree Goyette and Ed Bogas
Songs:
Flashbeagle
Peppermint Patty's PE Program (I'm In Shape)
Lucy Says (Listen to Lucy)
Pig-Pen Hoe Down
(Talkin' About) Snoopy
Albums:
An LP of the songs from this special was made in 1984, but is now out of print and there is no CD version. The other songs on the "Flashbeagle" album are from the documentary/celebration show "It's Your 20th TV Anniversary, Charlie Brown."
SNOOPY'S GETTING MARRIED, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: March 20, 1985 (Wednesday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Snoopy decides to get married to a poodle he meets in the dark while he's guarding Peppermint Patty's house. At first alarmed, the Peanuts gang gets into the swing of things making preparations for the wedding. Meanwhile, Snoopy invites Spike to be his "Best Beagle," and Spike does odd jobs to pay for his bus fare. Finally all is set - but where's the bride?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Spike, Woodstock, Genevieve, Franklin (b), Patty (b), Pig-pen (b), Violet (b), other birds (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Animated debut of Spike, Snoopy's brother.
- Most of this story comes from newspaper strips dates 8/9/77 - 8/30/77; these are reprinted in the Peanuts Parade book "The Beagle Has Landed."
Did You Notice?
- Spike's house (inside a cactus), like Snoopy's, is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. We briefly see the inside of Snoopy's house as well.
Music:
Music by Judy Munsen
Songs:
Oh Let Me Be the One
Classical Music Sources:
After Sally finishes her song, Schroeder plays the ending bars of the 1st movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67.
YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: November 6, 1985 (Wednesday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Animated version of the 1967 musical.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty (b), Marcie (b)
Trivia & Notes:
- Snoopy speaks for the first time in an animated special (voiced by Robert Towers, who was a member of the 1967 Los Angeles stage cast).
- This is an abridged version of the original stage musical (since the original is about 2 hours long, and this show is about 50 minutes long, obviously all of the original wouldn't fit!)
- Abridgment isn't the only change to take place; the characters have been changed as well. The stage musical stars only Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Patty, Schroeder, and Snoopy. In the animated adaptation, Patty (no longer familiar to modern viewers) has been replaced by Sally, presaging the 1999 Broadway revival of "You're a Good Man," which did the same thing. Marcie, Peppermint Patty, and Woodstock also appear briefly as well, even though they aren't in the original.
- Not to be confused with the 1973 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV broadcast, which was live-action.
- When shown on Nickelodeon in 1998-99, split into two half-hour parts with some minor edits (mostly in the second part).
Music:
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Clark Gesner
Orchestra Conductor - Ed Bogas
Music Director - Desiree Goyette
Songs (in the animated adaptation; a few from the original are omitted):
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Schroeder (Someday We'll Get Married)
The Kite
Snoopy (They Like Me)
The Book Report
Little Known Facts
T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)
Glee Club Rehearsal
Suppertime
Happiness
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (reprise)
Classical Music Sources:
- Song "Schroeder" (sung by Lucy): Beethoven's "Moonlight sonata" (piano sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2; 1st movement).
- Schroeder plays piano; Lucy comes in and starts talking about their future life together (the "Saucepans?" scene): J. S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 856.
CD/Albums:
No album of the songs as presented in the animated special is available, but:
- A CD of the original off-Broadway cast album from 1967 is finally available once again from Decca Broadway (012 159 851-2)! It contains all 14 tracks from the original album plus 4 bonus tracks from the original demo tape Clark Gesner sent to Charles Schulz.
- A CD from the new 1999 Broadway production of the musical is available on RCA 09026-63384-2. It includes most of the songs from the original production, plus the new ones ("My New Philosophy" and "Beethoven Day"), and lyrics for all the songs in the liner notes! Note that many of the songs have been reorchestrated from the 1967 version, but both versions are worth owning.
- Several LPs of songs from the original musical were once made, however they are now all of out print and difficult to find.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: January 1, 1986, 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Peppermint Patty hosts a New Year's Eve party, while Charlie Brown struggles to read "War and Peace" over Christmas break.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, Franklin (b), Heather (b), Patty (b), Pig-pen (b), Rerun (b), Violet (b).
Music:
Music by Desiree Goyette and Ed Bogas
Songs:
Slow Slow Quick Quick
If You Want To Be a Winner at Musical Chairs
Classical Music Sources:
When Lucy asks Schroeder to take her to the party: Beethoven, Piano sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 ("Waldstein"); 1st movement.
SNOOPY: THE MUSICAL
Broadcast Date: January 29, 1988 (Friday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Animated special based on the 1974 musical.
Trivia & Notes:
- This is an abridged version of the original stage musical (since the original is about 2 hours long, and this show is about 50 minutes long, obviously all of the original wouldn't fit!)
- In addition to edits for lengths, there are two small changes to the script of the show:
- At the end of Linus's Great Pumpkin song ("The Vigil"), Lucy comes out and asks him if "the Great Squash ever showed up." On stage, Peppermint Patty asks that question.
- At the very end during the song "Just One Person," in the cartoon, Lucy is the first to join Snoopy in song. On stage, Peppermint Patty is the first to join.
- When shown on Nickelodeon in 1998-2000, was split into two half-hour parts.
Music:
Music by Larry Grossman
Lyrics by Hal Hackady
Musical Director - Desirée Goyette
Music Conducted by Lenny La Croix and Ed Bogas
Songs (in the animated adaptation; a few from the original are omitted):
Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be
Snoopy's Song ("Sit up! Lie down! Roll over!")
Woodstock's Theme
Edgar Allan Poe
I Know Now
The Vigil (The Great Pumpkin Song)
Clouds
The Great Writer (It Was a Dark and Stormy Night)
Poor Sweet Baby
The Big Bow Wow
Just One Person
Albums:
Two CD's of the songs from this musical are available:
- SNOOPY!!! - ORIGINAL CAST (San Francisco) (DRG 6103)
- SNOOPY - ORIGINAL LONDON CAST (Jay Records CDJAY 1073)
The London cast album contains several songs not on the San Francisco cast album; the San Francisco cast album contains one ("Friend") not on the London cast album.
IT'S THE GIRL IN THE RED TRUCK, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: September 27, 1988 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
An unusual combination of live-action and animation where Spike's life in the desert makes an unexpected turn when he falls for Jenny, a girl in an old red truck. He travels to town with her, eats good food and goes roller skating. But Jenny's boyfriend Jeff wants her to move to Los Angeles, and Spike's not sure city life is for him. Both Spike and Jenny must choose between the desert or the city - and meanwhile Spike runs into a dangerous coyote hunt.
Characters:
Spike, Jenny (girl in the red truck), Molly, Jeff, hobo beagles in jug band (b), Charlie Brown (b), Snoopy (b)
Trivia & Notes:
- Jenny is played by Charles Schulz's daughter Jill.
- Once again we see that Spike's "house" (a saguaro cactus) is larger on the inside than the outside (also in "Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown."
- Spike makes pancakes, listens to French tapes, plays frisbee, plays piano, and roller skates.
Music:
Music by Paul Rodriguez
WHY, CHARLIE BROWN, WHY?
Broadcast Date: March 16, 1990 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown and Linus become concerned when their friend Janice develops leukemia (a form of cancer) and has to go to the hospital. Discusses the treatment of leukemia and how other children might feel when a friend becomes seriously ill.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Janice, bully at school, Franklin (b), Marcie (b), Peppermint Patty (b), Schroeder (b), 5 (b), Janice's sisters (b), other birds (b).
Did You Notice?
- On the hospital PA system, you can hear announcements for doctors that have the same names as the production crew: Dr. Jaimes (director), Dr. Taylor (editor), Dr. Melendez (producer), Dr. McCann (editor), and Dr. Neal (production assistant).
Music:
Music by Judy Munsen
Vocals ("Farther Along") - Becky Reardon
Song:
Farther Along
SNOOPY'S REUNION
Broadcast Date: May 1, 1991, 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown decides to cheer up Snoopy by hosting a reunion party with his brothers and sisters; we learn about their first days at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and how they came to leave it.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Sally, Snoopy; farmer who owns the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, Lila, Lila's mother, bus driver (b); Andy, Belle, Marbles, Missy (Snoopy's mom), Molly, Olaf, Rover, Spike.
Trivia & Notes:
- Snoopy's brothers and sisters, and the instruments they play in the special are:
- Snoopy - plays guitar
- Andy - shaggy; plays drums
- Belle - round eyes, wears pink dress and bow; plays violin
- Marbles - brown ears, lots of little spots; plays banjo
- Molly - dot eyes, wears blue dress; plays mandolin
- Olaf - overweight; plays jug
- Rover - brown ears, one spot; plays guitar
- Spike - skinny; plays violin
- So far, only Spike, Belle, Marbles, Olaf, and Andy have appeared in the newspaper strip.
- The story of how Charlie Brown became Snoopy's owner told in this special contradicts the movie "Snoopy Come Home." Since the movie is an earlier source, and closely matches the information in the comic strip, it is regarded as the more canonical story. The important differences are:
- Here Charlie Brown decides to get a dog because he wants someone to greet him when he gets home from school, and he and Linus take the bus to get Snoopy; originally his parents got Snoopy after Charlie Brown had a bad day on the playground, when another kid dumped a bucket of sand over his head and made him cry.
- Here Sally is her present age when Snoopy was bought; originally Snoopy was bought before she was born.
- Here Linus discovers that Snoopy is "used" when he and Charlie Brown pick him up; originally he only found this out by calling the Daisy Hill puppy farm when Snoopy went away to visit Lila in the hospital.
- According to this special, Snoopy cost $5.
- The working title for this episode was "Those Were the Days, Charlie Brown."
- Schulz has said he wanted to do a series of shows about Snoopy's siblings, set at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, but CBS nixed the idea.
Did You Notice?
- Even though both Spike and Olaf are picked up by families as puppies, by the time of the reunion they're both living by themselves. What are their stories?
- Even though Snoopy's doghouse now is much bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside, in this special it's normal- sized (and full of hay!).
- One of the few specials where adults are shown, and speak in normal voices - no less than three of them!
Music:
Music by Judy Munsen
IT'S SPRING TRAINING, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: Never aired (copyright date is 1992, first released on video January, 1996)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown's team can get uniforms if they win the first game of the season. Will an early round of spring training in the snow and new team member, the tiny Leland, be enough help?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Leland, Linus, Lucy, Pig-pen, Schroeder, Snoopy, Leland's sister (looks like Frieda)(b), Patty (b), Shermy (b), visiting baseball team.
Trivia & Notes:
- In both "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" and this show, Mr. Hennessey from the hardware offers to sponsor Charlie Brown's team with uniforms. However, in the politically correct 1990's, Mr. Hennessey no longer cares if the team has girls or a dog on it!
- Charlie Brown first met Leland in "It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown" when he coached Leland's pee-wee league team.
- Never aired during prime-time in the United States (although it was intended to be). It has been shown on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon (and in Canada on YTV) since, however.
Did You Notice?
- When Linus gets a hit, the gang cheers him on from the bench. One of the cheering players is Linus, who is apparently in both places at once!
Music:
Music - Judy Munsen
"Peanuts Time" and "Baseball" (instrumentals) performed by D'Cuckoo
"That's What It's All About" performed by Jessica Nwafor
Songs:
Hokey-Pokey
That's What It's All About (Franklin's rap song)
Classical Music Sources:
When Schroeder comes up to bat: Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67; 1st movement.
IT'S CHRISTMASTIME AGAIN, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: November 27, 1992 (CBS) (released on video first, approx. Sept. 1992)
Synopsis:
A collection of Christmas-themed vignettes, including: Charlie Brown tries to sell wreaths; Peppermint Patty worries about her Christmas book report; Charlie Brown tries to buy gloves for Peggy Jean; and the gang is in a Christmas play, where Sally worries about her single line and Peppermint Patty plays a sheep.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Frieda (b), Harold Angel (b), Patty (b), Peggy Jean (b), Violet (b), other unnamed kids, other birds.
Trivia & Notes:
- This special was initially available on video a couple months before it aired on TV as a promotion at Shell gas stations, technically making it the first "direct-to-video" special (although there were always plans to air it on TV soon afterwards).
Music:
Music Composed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged and Performed by David Benoit
YOU'RE IN THE SUPERBOWL, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: January 18, 1994 (NBC)
Synopsis:
Snoopy coaches a football team of birds to the championships; the gang competes in a punt-and-pass contest to win a new bike and a trip to the Super Bowl; Charlie Brown and Linus try to win the affections of Melody-Melody.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Melody-Melody, Franklin (b), Pig-Pen (b), various birds.
Trivia & Notes:
- Originally broadcast on NBC, who had the rights to broadcast the SuperBowl in 1994 as well. All previous animated specials were first broadcast on CBS, although several ice skating shows and "The Big Stuffed Dog" were broadcast on NBC.
- The Birds football team players have different names each time they play; they must have a remarkable number of first-string players! The names are: (vs. the Cats) Kowalski, Grabowski, Wisnitski; (vs. the Dogs) Namath, Unitas, Csonka; (vs. the Bison) Van Buren, Harding, Fillmore, Coolidge, Polk, Tyler, and Buchannan. Notice the first and second groups are named for famous football players; the third group are named for U.S. Presidents. Even though Woodstock must be among the players, he is never named once in the episode!
- Marcie and Franklin are given last names in this special - Marcie Johnson and Franklin Armstrong. This is the only time these last names are mentioned - they are never mentioned in the comic strip or other TV specials.
Did You Notice?
- Even though the Birds are playing in the "Animal Football League", the scoreboard has the NFL logo on it.
- The helmets the gang wears in the punt-and-pass contest are all for real NFL teams.
Music:
Music Composed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged, Conducted, and Performed by David Benoit
IT WAS MY BEST BIRTHDAY EVER, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: None (direct-to-video release on August 5, 1997)
Synopsis:
Linus meets Mimi, a girl with a passion for gardening and singing, while in-line skating. He invites her to his birthday party which the gang is preparing... but will she show up?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Pig-pen, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Mimi, Franklin (b), Marcie (b), Patty (b), Shermy (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- The opera piece Mimi sings is "O mio babbino caro," from Puccini's opera "Gianni Schicchi." Interestingly, this is the music Woodstock whistles in "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown." And Woodstock gets a chance to whistle it again in this special!
- The working title for this episode was "It's Linus' Birthday, Charlie Brown."
- Direct-to-video release - not shown on TV to date.
Music:
Music Composed by Vince Guaraldi
Music Arranged, Conducted, and Performed by David Benoit
Classical Music Sources:
Mimi sings "O mio babbino caro," from Puccini's opera "Gianni Schicchi."
Albums:
Two pieces of music from this special appear on David Benoit's CD "Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years."
IT'S THE PIED PIPER, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: None (direct-to-video release on September 12, 2000)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown tells Sally a somewhat modified version of the legend of the Pied Piper, as Snoopy plays the title character who tries to rid the Peanuts' gang's hometown of sports playing, loudly dancing mice by playing his accordion in return for a year's supply of dog food.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Snoopy, the Mayor, the Mayor's secretary, town councilmen, sports mice, Franklin (b), Peppermint Patty (b), Pig-Pen (b), Marcie (b), Schroeder (b), Violet (b), townspeople (p), reporters (b).
Trivia & Notes:
- Both the VHS and DVD include an 11-minute "retrospective interview with creator Charles M. Schulz." The material comprising this short feature previously appeared in some of the documentary TV shows.
- The show has numerous adult characters (such as the town's mayor), and while this is unusual, it was not the first special with adult characters as some news reports claimed - the special Snoopy's Reunion had 3 adults characters, and adults also appeared in the What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?, Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown, the movie Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, and the mini-series This is America, Charlie Brown.
- Direct-to-video release - not shown on TV to date.
Music:
Music Arranged, Conducted and Performed by David Benoit.
Classical Music Sources:
Schroeder is bothered by the mice: Beethoven, piano sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 ("Pathetique"); 2nd movement.
A CHARLIE BROWN VALENTINE
Broadcast Date: February, 14, 2002 (Thursday), 8:00 - 8:30 (ABC)
Synopsis:
Valentine and love-themed special based on material from the comic strip: Charlie Brown is jealous of Snoopy's many valentines cards; Charlie Brown tries to impress the little red-haired girl with a sharp pencil and gets caught in the pencil sharpener; Peppermint Patty asks Charlie Brown to a dance. Based on stories from the Peanuts comic strip.
Trivia & Notes:
- Both the DVD and VHS home video releases of this show feature an extended version of the show, with 4 minutes of previously unseen material - five new scenes and one extended scene. A couple of other scenes also appear in a different order from the broadcast version.
Music:
Music Arranged, Conducted and Performed by David Benoit, based on themes by Vince Guaraldi.
Classical Music Sources:
The music Schroeder plays during his scene: Beethoven, piano sonata No. 18 in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3, 2nd movement.
CHARLIE BROWN'S CHRISTMAS TALES
Broadcast Date: December 8, 2002 (Sunday), 8:30 - 9:00 (ABC)
Synopsis:
A collection of five Christmas-themed animated shorts based directly on stories from the Peanuts comic strips, each focusing on a specific Peanuts character - Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and Sally.
Trivia & Notes:
LUCY MUST BE TRADED, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: August 29, 2003 (Friday), 9:00 - 9:30 PM (ABC)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown trades Lucy to Peppermint Patty's baseball team in hopes of getting a better player and winning a few baseball games. Based on stories from the Peanuts comic strip.
Trivia & Notes:
- Both the DVD and VHS home video releases of this show feature an extended version of the show, with 4 minutes of previously unseen material with several new short skits.
I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!
Broadcast Date: December 9, 2003 (Tuesday), 8:00 - 9:00 PM (ABC)
Synopsis:
From the ABC press release: "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It's Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun's big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after all... but then the real trouble begins.
Trivia & Notes:
- The first hour-long animated Peanuts TV special since 1988.
HE'S A BULLY, CHARLIE BROWN
Broadcast Date: November 20, 2006 (Monday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (ABC)
Synopsis:
This special tells the story of a game of marbles that becomes too fiercely competitive for some of the children. When Charlie Brown is called upon for help, he finds that the only way he can finally prove himself to be a neighborhood hero is to match wits with the marble-playing bully. Is he up to the challenge? The show is based on Peanuts comic strips from April 1995.
Trivia & Notes:
- Charles Schulz was working on the idea for this special when he passed away, although he did not complete a script for it.
This Is America, Charlie Brown
This eight-part series advertised as "the first animated miniseries ever," broadcast in prime-time on CBS during the 1988-89 season. Meant as both education and entertainment, the shows find our friends witnessing and participating in historic events and discoveries. In addition to the usual animation, historical pictures and footage are used.
The series started airing weekly on Friday evenings at 8 P.M. in the fall of 1988 during a Hollywood screenwriter's strike. When the strike was resolved, the TV series "Beauty and the Beast" took over "This is America"'s slot, and it did not return until February, and then as a monthly show. The entire series was also repeated as a weekly series on CBS in the summer of 1990.
(While the volume numbers on the Paramount VHS release of this series do not match the original broadcast order, the DVD release presents the shows in the correct order.)
THE MAYFLOWER VOYAGERS
Broadcast Date: October 21, 1988 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The gang is part of the Mayflower's crew as Linus narrates the story of the Mayflower's trip from England to America in 1620, including the dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean; the ship's arrival and disappointment in Provincetown Harbor; their relocation to Plymouth and the trials of the first winter; and the first Thanksgiving.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen, Sally, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, worried kid (b), Captain Myles Standish, Samoset, Squanto, Massaquoit, other Mayflower Voyagers.
Music:
Music by Ed Bogas
THE BIRTH OF THE CONSTITUTION
Broadcast Date: October 28, 1988 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The gang attends the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787 with notables such as George Washington and Ben Franklin.
Trivia & Notes:
- The working title for this episode was "It's Freedom, Charlie Brown."
Music:
Piano and Harpsichord Solos by George Winston
(at least partially based on themes by Vince Guaraldi)
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AT KITTY HAWK
Broadcast Date: November 4, 1988 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Charlie Brown and Linus visit Linus's cousin Dolly at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, just in time to witness and help out with Orville and Wilbur Wright's historic first flight. Meanwhile, Snoopy makes his own, less successful, attempts to fly.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Woodstock, Dolly (Linus's cousin), Wilbur and Orville Wright, other Wright Brothers helpers (b), early flight pioneers and balloonists (b), other birds (b).
Music:
Music Written and Performed by Wynton Marsalis.
CD/Album:
The music from this special is available on Wynton Marsalis's album "Joe Cool's Blues" (Columbia CK-66880).
THE NASA SPACE STATION
Broadcast Date: November 11, 1988 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
Linus dreams that he and the gang are the first crew to live on the new NASA Space Station. Can a spacewalking Charlie Brown and Snoopy repair the station when it's damaged by meteorite?
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Pig-pen, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Jason Welker (TV reporter), Mission Control Operator
Trivia & Notes:
- The gang's assignments on the space station crew are:
- Lucy - station commander
- Snoopy - space station operator
- Linus - space station scientist
- Peppermint Patty - in charge of exercise programs
- Charlie Brown - cooking and photography
- Sally - conduct on-board experiments
- Pig-pen - extravehicular experiments
- Franklin - social scientist
- Woodstock - test subject
- While this episode says that the space station was to have been launched and manned by the mid 1990's, it the first crew didn't occupy the station until January 2001, and assembly still continues. The design has also changed quite a bit since this show aired.
- In reality, astronauts never take a spacewalk without being tethered to the station or spaceship, so that they can't float away. (Although they have tested jet-powered backpacks on a few occasions.)
Did You Notice?
- The TV reporter, Jason Welker, bears a marked resemblance to Walter Cronkite, who is famous for his coverage of the space program from the first man in orbit to the men on the Moon.
- Near the end of the show when Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and Sally talk about the Pilgrims, a close up of the Pacific Ocean on Earth is shown. Kind of odd, since the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic!
Music:
Music by Dave Brubeck.
CD/Albums:
The music from this show, composed and performed by Dave Brubeck, is available on the CD "Quiet as the Moon" (MusicMasters #01612-65067-2).
THE BUILDING OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD
Broadcast Date: February 10, 1989 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The gang learns about the building of the first transcontinental railroad and sees the completion of the railroad in Promontory, Utah.
Music:
Vocals by The Winans
(no "music by" credit)
THE GREAT INVENTORS
Broadcast Date: March 10, 1989 (Friday), 8:00 - 8:30 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The gang gives reports and imagines they witness the development of important inventions created in America from 1870 - 1900. Linus talks about the Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone; Peppermint Patty talks about Edison's development of the phonograph; Marcie describes the excitement surrounding Edison's first light bulb; Charlie Brown gives a report on the first "horseless carriage" (automobile) race (in which Lucy and Snoopy compete); and Sally and Snoopy give a show and tell demonstrating less significant inventions such as roller skating and pizza.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Franklin (b), Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Watson, Mrs. Holliday (b), Thomas Edison, Maryann Edison, John Krusei, other Edison assistants (b), horseless carriage racers (b), other kids (b).
Music:
Music by David Benoit
THE SMITHSONIAN AND THE PRESIDENCY
Broadcast Date: April 19, 1989 (Friday), 8:30 - 9:00 PM (CBS)
Synopsis:
The gang visits the Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, DC, and discuss three famous presidents. First, Charlie Brown and Linus are newspaper boys who meet Lincoln on the eve of his trip to give the Gettysburg Address, and dramatizes the address. Next, they talk about Theodore Roosevelt and the conservation movement, especially the protection of Yosemite Valley. The final topic is Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Depression, and the New Deal, including footage of bread lines and FDR's inaugural speech.
Characters:
Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Sally, Snoopy, Abraham Lincoln, Samuel (b), Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir. (Franklin Roosevelt shown in historical footage.)
Trivia & Notes:
- The gang is puzzled by the "coincidental" names of the Apollo 10 Lunar Module ("Snoopy") and Command Module ("Charlie Brown") that they see in the Air & Space Museum. In real life, the modules were given those names because of the popularity of the Peanuts newspaper strip. Also, in real life the Apollo 10 Command Module is in the London Science Museum, and the Lunar Module is in solar orbit... although both a Command Module from a different mission and an unused Lunar Module are at the Smithsonian.
- The gang is also puzzled by a comic strip of Lucy and Charlie Brown hanging in the American History museum (yes, there really is a strip in the museum). (The one shown in the show is the strip where Lucy has a signed document "proving" she won't pull away the football from Charlie Brown.)
- The Wright Brother's airplane and Duryea Brother's "hor