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News Archive

These are older news items previous featured on the main Peanuts Animation and Video Page.

New Shows

New Charles Schulz Documentary Aired Monday October 29, 2007 on PBS

A new, 90-minute video biography of Charles Schulz aired Monday October 29, 2007 as part of the PBS series American Masters. The documentary, titled "Good Ol' Charles Schulz," was created by Lumiere Productions, a New York film production company, who have produced a number of award-winning and critically acclaimed documentaries, and have worked hard to make the documentary as in-depth as possible. In part, they worked with David Michaelis, whose 650-page biography of Charles Schulz was also published in October.

Here's the description from Lumiere's website:

"Charles M. Schulz always insisted he was ordinary and boring. But his ordinary life—like those of the Peanuts characters he created—was in fact chock-full of drama: mundane cruelties, transcendent hopes, and the daily collisions of insiders and outsiders. Interviews with those who knew him best (including the real-life Linus and Little Red-Haired Girl) will propel this feature-length documentary, the first American Masters tribute to a comic-strip artist."

PBS also issued a full press release about the show.

Amusingly, the documentary premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 11 (that's Woodstock, New York).

Unfortunately, a DVD release of this show is unlikely.

(October 31, 2007)

He's a Bully, Charlie Brown

The new TV special He's a Bully, Charlie Brown aired Monday, November 20, 2006 from 8:30-9:00 (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC, after this year's broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. 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. Charles Schulz was working on the idea for this special when he passed away, although he did not complete a script for it. No rebroadcast or DVD release of this show has been announced yet. (December 6, 2006)

"Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" Storyboards at the Charles M. Schulz Museum

From June 6 until September 29, 2003, a reproduction of the complete storyboard for the new TV special "Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" was on display at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California as part of a baseball-themed exhibit at the Museum. In addition, there were several other baseball-related cels from previous shows. (June 6, 2003)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" - February 14, 2002 on ABC

"A Charlie Brown Valentine," the new Peanuts TV special, aired Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14, 2002 at 8 PM EST/PST on ABC.

The special was based solely on previous published comic strips drawn by Charles Schulz. It was produced and animated, like all past specials, by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez. David Benoit performed and arranged Vince Guaraldi's music for the special.

From the ABC press release: "The Valentine's Day special marks the first newly created programming from the PEANUTS team in several years. It is taken directly from the vast number of archived strips that Schulz themed to the popular February holiday. In this special, Charlie Brown finally works up the courage to call the little red-haired girl to ask her to the Valentine's Day dance. But once again he ends up broken-hearted and empty-handed when he dials the wrong number and reaches Peppermint Patty instead."

ABC is also the new home of the three classic specials "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving", and "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

You can read the original 2001 press release announcing the show and the shorter more recent 2002 press release. (February 21, 2002)

New "The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas" TV Documentary!

Immediately following this year's broadcast of the classic TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas on ABC will be an all-new documentary titled "The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas." Produced by Lee Mendelson Productions, who created the original special, the 17-minute documentary hosted by Whoopi Goldberg will focus on the creation of the first Peanuts TV special, including segments with Bill Melendez, Lee Mendelson, some of the original voice actors, and an example of the earliest Peanuts animations, one of the Ford Falcon TV commercials, and a tribute to Vince Guaraldi.

A Charlie Brown Christmas and "The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas" will both air on ABC on Thursday December 6 and Sunday December 16 from 8-9 PM (EST) each night. (November 15, 2001)

Will There Be More Shows?

(This article was obsoleted when the "A Charlie Brown Valentine" was announced in 2002.)

Now that Charles Schulz has passed away, it's unclear whether new shows beyond the It's the Pied Piper will be made. The Schulz family has said they don't want new specials to be made, and reports that Schulz expressed a desire for the animated shows to end as well. But United Media hopes to continue making them, and Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez have expressed willingness to create new shows if asked. Bill Melendez says that Schulz had sent him an outline for a new story, provisionally titled "It's Only Marbles, Charlie Brown," based on a series of comic strips where a marbles hustler comes to town, cheating little kids at marbles, until Charlie Brown stops him. Lee Mendelson is talking with the Schulz family about making this and possibly more shows, but emphasizes that any decision to produce new ones "will be unanimous." Discussions on producing "It's Only Marbles" are continuing, and while they are looking positive, no final decision has been made.

ABC recently acquired the broadcast rights to show for the holiday specials and when they announced this, said that they are "taking a look" at producing new specials.

An article in the 3/10/01 Los Angeles Times about animator Bill Melendez says that he is "working on some of Schulz's uncompleted Peanuts projects." (March 17, 2001)

"Pied Piper" Direct-to-Video Special Now Out

It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown, the new direct-to-video show, is now available on VHS and DVD. See Video & DVD Release News for more details. (September 14, 2000)

TV Broadcast Information

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Valentine Aired Tuesday, February 10 and Saturday, February 14, 2009

ABC dug into the vaults again and pulled out another Peanuts special that hadn't been broadcast in primetime for over 20 years. The special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown — first broadcast in 1975, and previously last seen on network primetime in 1987 — aired together with the more recent special A Charlie Brown Valentine on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 8-9 PM and again Saturday, February 14, 2009 on ABC (all times Eastern/Pacific). (February 7, 2009)

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown Aired Tuesday, December 30, 2008 and Saturday, January 3, 2009

ABC closed out 2008 and welcomed 2009 by broadcasting Happy New Year, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 from 8-8:30 PM, and again Saturday January 3, 2009 from 8-8:30 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific). This was the first time this special had aired on network prime-time television in 20 years! (January 3, 2009)

A Charlie Brown Christmas Aired December 8 & 16, 2008

A Charlie Brown Christmas accompanied by Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales aired on Monday, December 8, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific), and again on Tuesday, December 16, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. (November 12, 2008)

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown Aired on December 15 & 20, 2008

Also in December, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown aired twice on ABC: on Monday, December 15, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) and Saturday, December 20, 2008 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (December 2, 2008)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Aired Tuesday, November 25, 2008 and Thursday, November 27, 2008

ABC broadcast A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving twice in 2008 - first on Tuesday, November 25, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific), and then again on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27 from 8-9 PM. Both times it was accompanied by an edited version of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers, which is also a Thanksgiving-themed show. (November 12, 2008)

A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home aired on Family Channel, November 29 & 30, 2008

The first two Peanuts feature films, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, were shown on the cable channel the Family Channel on Saturday November 29, 2008 and Sunday November 30, 2008. The broadcast times were (all times Eastern/Pacific):

A Boy Named Charlie Brown - Sat Nov 29, 7-9 PM
Snoopy Come Home - Sat Nov 30, 9-11 PM
A Boy Named Charlie Brown - Sun Nov 30, 12-2 PM
Snoopy Come Home - Sun Nov 30, 2-4 PM

(November 23, 2008)

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Aired Tuesday, October 28, 2008

ABC broadcast It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, October 28, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific). The special once again aired uncut, and was followed by a shortened version of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. (October 13, 2008)

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)

"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" Aired Tuesday, March 18, 2008

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown returned to TV again on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. (February 27, 2008)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" Aired Saturday, February 12, 2008

ABC broadcast the special A Charlie Brown Valentine once again on Saturday, February 9, 2008 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (January 22, 2008)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" Aired Monday, December 10, 2007

ABC will broadcast the special I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown on Monday, December 10, 2007 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (November 27, 2007)

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Aired Tuesday, November 27, 2007 and Monday, December 3, 2007

ABC broadcast the classic special A Charlie Brown Christmas together with the short Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales on Tuesday, November 27 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) and again on Monday, December 3 from 8-9 PM. Memo to ABC: if you're going to repeat the show, maybe you should wait and do it closer to Christmas? (November 15, 2007)

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" & "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown" Aired Tuesday, November 20, 2007

ABC broadcast the classic special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving together with the more recent special He's a Bully, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, November 20. "A Charlie Brown Thankgiving" aired from 8-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific), "He's a Bully" aired from 8:30-9:00 PM. (November 15, 2007)

New Documentary "Good Ol' Charles Schulz" Aired Monday, October 29, 2007

The new 90-minute video biography of Charles Schulz, titled "Good Ol' Charles Schulz," aired from 9:00-10:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Monday, October 29, 2007 as part of the PBS series American Masters. See above for a description of the show. (October 31, 2007)

"Peanuts Gallery" Documentary Aired Again Monday, October 29, 2007 on Many PBS Stations

Many PBS stations broadcast the short documentary "Peanuts Gallery," about Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Peanuts-inspired symphonic work, on Monday October 29, 2007, from 10:30-11 PM (Eastern/Pacific), following the new video biography "Good Ol' Charles Schulz."

In 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zwilich composed a short symphonic work based on the Peanuts comic strip. The piece was titled, appropriately enough, "Peanuts Gallery." It premiered at Carnegie Hall, and while sheet music is available, the piece has never been released on CD. This half-hour TV special tells how the Peanuts characters went from the daily comics to Carnegie Hall, features interviews with Zwilich and Jeannie Schulz, and concludes with a performance of "Peanuts Gallery for Piano and Orchestra" by the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra.

This documentary first aired on a very limited number of PBS stations in October 2006, and it was good to see it getting wider distribution at last. While not all PBS stations are showing it, many are - definitely check your local listings and watch this show in addition to the new Schulz documentary. (October 22, 2007)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Aired Tuesday, October 30, 2007

This year, ABC broadcast the classic special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, October 30 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) - once again ABC showed the entire, uncut special along with an edited version of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. (October 28, 2007)

"Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" Aired Friday September 7, 2007

ABC re-broadcast the 2003 special Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown from 8:30-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Friday, September 7, 2007. (August 26, 2007)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" Aired Saturday February 10, 2007

ABC broadcast A Charlie Brown Valentine from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Saturday, February 10, 2007. (February 2, 2007)

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Aired Tuesday November 28 & Sunday December 17, 2006

A Charlie Brown Christmas, along with "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales," aired twice on ABC in 2006 - on Tuesday, November 28 from 8:00-9:00 PM and on Sunday, December 17, from 7:00-8:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific). The special received excellent ratings both times. The show was also broadcast in Canada on December 17 on the cable channel YTV from 7:00-7:30 PM (Eastern). (December 6, 2006)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" Aired Tuesday December 19, 2006

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, the recent Christmas special starring ReRun and Spike, aired again on Tuesday, December 19, 2006 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. (December 6, 2006)

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" and "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown" Aired Monday November 20, 2006

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving aired Monday, November 20, 2006 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. It was followed by the new TV special He's a Bully, Charlie Brown, which aired from 8:30-9:00 the same night. (November 1, 2006)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Aired Friday October 27, 2006

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired on Friday, October 27, 2006 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. As befitted the 40th anniversary broadcast, the special was broadcast uncut (in previous years, some scenes had been cut to make room for commercials), and it was followed by a bonus special, the 1972 show You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, which mentions the "Great Pumpkin" briefly. (November 1, 2006)

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Peanuts Gallery" Aired on PBS in October 2006

In 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich composed a short symphonic work based on the Peanuts comic strip. The piece was titled, appropriately enough, "Peanuts Gallery." It premiered at Carnegie Hall, and while sheet music is available, the piece has never been released on CD. Finally the piece reached a somewhat wider audience in October, 2006. A selection of PBS stations around the country (unfortunately, far from all of them) aired a half-hour special telling how the Peanuts characters went from the daily comics to Carnegie Hall, and concludes with a performance of "Peanuts Gallery for Piano and Orchestra" by the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra. The special was titled "Peanuts Gallery." (October 1, 2006)

"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" Aired April 11, 2006 on ABC

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown returned for another outing on network TV in spring 2006. It was broadcast Tuesday, April 11 on ABC from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (April 3, 2006)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" Aired Tuesday February 14, 2006

A Charlie Brown Valentine aired Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. (February 10, 2006)

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" 2005 Airdates

A Charlie Brown Christmas along with the short "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" aired on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) and again on Friday, December 16, 2005 on ABC in the US. 2005 was the 40th consecutive year the special has been shown on TV! (January 2, 2005)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" Aired Friday, December 9 on ABC

The recent hour-long Peanuts Christmas special I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (first broadcast in 2003) was shown again this year on Friday, December 9 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the US. (November 27, 2005)

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" Aired Thursday, November 24, 2005

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was broadcast on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2005 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the US. (November 12, 2004)

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Aired October 25, 2005 on ABC

In 2005, ABC broadcast the classic TV special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Tuesday, October 25, 2005 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (October 6, 2005)

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Broadcast on ABC in 2005

In 2005, ABC picked up the rights to broadcast the 1974 holiday special It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, and aired it Friday, March 25, 2005 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (February 26, 2005)

A Charlie Brown Valentine 2005 Aired Saturday, February 12

ABC broadcast A Charlie Brown Valentine on Saturday, February 12, from 8:00-8:30 (Eastern/Pacific). (February 15, 2005)

Christmas Special 2004 Broadcast Dates

A Charlie Brown Christmas along with "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" was shown on Tuesday, December 7 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC, and again on Thursday, December 16 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC.

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown was shown on Tuesday, December 14 from 8:00-9:00 (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. (December 13, 2004)

Christmas Specials on Canadian TV in 2004

The Canadian cable channel YTV broadcast the following Peanuts TV specials at the following times in December 2004. All times Eastern.

It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown - Monday, December 13 at 7:30pm
A Charlie Brown Christmas - Sunday, December 19 at 7pm
I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown - Monday December 20 at 5pm
I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown - Friday December 24 at 7:30pm
A Charlie Brown Christmas - Friday December 24 at 8pm

(December 13, 2004)

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" Aired on Thursday, November 25, 2004

In 2004, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which was broadcast on Thursday November 25 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the US. (November 28, 2004)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Aired Tuesday, October 26, 2004

The perennial classic It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired on Tuesday, October 26 on ABC from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) in the US. (October 27, 2004)

ABC to Show Peanuts Specials Again in 2004-05

In June, ABC announced that they will once again broadcast a variety of Peanuts TV specials during the 2004-05 television season. The shows include three classic Peanuts TV specials, and the more recent ones created for ABC.

The specials ABC will be showing in the upcoming year are:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Valentine
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown

"Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" already aired again, on June 12. (June 18, 2004)

Lucy Must Be Traded Aired Again June 12, 2004

The 2003 special Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown aired again on ABC Saturday, June 12, 2004 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (May 5, 2004)

No More Peanuts Shows on NickToons

As of May 1, 2004, NickToons removed the Peanuts TV shows from their schedule, as a result of the Nickelodeon contract to air the shows expiring. (May 2, 2004)

A Charlie Brown Valentine Aired Feb. 14, 2004 on ABC

A Charlie Brown Valentine once again was broadcast on ABC on Saturday, February 14, 2004 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific). (January 23, 2004)

A Charlie Brown Christmas Aired December 2 & 13, 2003

The classic TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas aired twice on ABC in the U.S. in 2003: first on Tuesday, December 2, 2003 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific), and again on Saturday December 13 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific). Like the previous year, both times the classic special was followed by Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales to fill out the hour-long slot. (January 3, 2004)

New TV Show "I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown" Aired December 9, 2003

The new hour-long Peanuts TV special, I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown!aired Tuesday, December 9, 2003 from 8:00-9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the U.S.

According to the ABC press release, the show "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." Read the full press release here. (November 6, 2003)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Aired November 23, 2003

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving aired Sunday, November 23, 2003, from 7:00-7:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the US. (November 3, 2003)

"Great Pumpkin" Gets Good Ratings in 2003

According to ABC, the October 28, 2003 broadcast of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown "led its time period in Total Viewers (13.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.0/14)," was one of "the Top 2 TV Shows of the night among Adults 18-49," and "attracted its largest audience in 12 years, since 10/30/91." (October 30, 2003)

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Aired October 28, 2003

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired Tuesday, October 28, from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the USA. (October 10, 2003)

"Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" Aired August 29, 2003

The new TV special "Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown," based on the series of strips where Charlie Brown trades Lucy off the team in hopes of getting a better player, was broadcast Friday, August 29, 2003 from 9:00-9:30 PM (EDT/PDT) on ABC. (July 3, 2003)

ABC To Air Classic Specials Again

In their "upfront" presentation about the 2003-2004 TV season, ABC announced that they plan to broadcast the classic specials It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas once again later this year. (May 16, 2003)

"Easter Beagle" Canadian Broadcast April 20, 2003

Canadians can catch It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown at both 12 PM and 6 PM EDT on Sunday, April 20 on the cable channel YTV.

Unfortunately no USA channel is scheduled to show it this year. (April 17, 2003)

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Does Not Air on Nickelodeon After All

Despite advance listings indicating the cable channel Nickelodeon would show the 1975 special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown at 1 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Friday February 14, 2003, they did not in fact show it. (February 28, 2003)

A Charlie Brown Valentine Aired February 15, 2003

The special A Charlie Brown Valentine, first broadcast last year, is scheduled to air again this year on Saturday, February 15 from 8:00-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. Too bad that's one day after Valentine's Day! (February 28, 2003)

A Charlie Brown Christmas & Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales Aired December 8 & December 13

The classic holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas, along with a new short special titled Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales, aired twice on ABC in the U.S: first Sunday, December 8, 2002 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific), and then again Friday, December 13, from 9-10 PM (Eastern/Pacific).

The original special was broadcast uncut, just as it was last year, and the remainder of the hour was filled out with "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales," a series of new Christmas-themed animated shorts. The five shorts, each focusing on a specific Peanuts character (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and Sally), are based directly on stories from the Peanuts comic strips. Here is the full ABC press release about the broadcast and new show. (December 17, 2002)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving 2002 Ratings

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving faced tough competition in its 8-8:30 P.M timeslot on Thursday, November 21, 2002, up against an episode of "Survivor: Thailand" on CBS and NBC's "Friends." The show came in a distant third with a 5.8 rating/8 share. Despite this, it was still ABC's best Thursday night score of the season. (November 25, 2002)

It's the Great Pumpkin 2002 Ratings

This year, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown aired Friday, October 25, at 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC in the US.

The special received a 5.8 rating/10 share. It came in third in the ratings during the 8-9 PM hour, behind "Providence" on NBC and "48 Hours Investigates" on CBS, but ahead of "Firefly" on FOX. But it was tops in the 18-to-49-year-old bracket for the 8-8:30 slot! For the week of October 21-27, the special ranked 60th out of 131 shows overall. (October 30, 2002)

Peanuts Shows Coming to Boomerang UK

Boomerang UK, a 24-hour "classic cartoon" channel available in the United Kingdom, has acquired the rights to show 30 half-hours of prime-time Peanuts specials and all 18 half-hours of the Saturday morning show The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. The shows are supposed to start airing in August - check your schedules! It's been a long time since the Peanuts shows were aired regularly in the UK, so this is a welcome change. (July 27, 2002)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" Gets Respectable Ratings

The new special "A Charlie Brown Valentine" received good ratings when it was broadcast Thursday 2/14 on ABC, all things considered, since the competition was the men's skating finals in the Winter Olympics!

According to the Neilsen Ratings, the show ranked 31 out of 116 shows for the week of Feb. 11-17, 2002; and consider that the top 7 shows for the week were the Olympics. The show received a 5.7 share, equivalent to a little more than 6 million homes.

Other tidbits:

"The first original Charlie Brown special in more than eight years was last week's most watched prime-time program among kids... [it] beat every night of NBC's Games coverage among the younger set." (Washington Post)

"ABC's A CHARLIE BROWN VALENTINE, the first new Charlie Brown TV special in eight years, delivered the strongest nonsports 18-49 score in Thursday's 8 p.m. half-hour (3.5/10) since last March." (Reuters)

Reportedly ABC was pleased with the ratings results. (February 24, 2002)

Other Broadcast Info

Nickelodeon has removed the Peanuts specials from their lineup temporarily. See the TV schedule for upcoming broadcasts of movies on other channels. (September 2, 2000)

A Charlie Brown Christmas to Air December 6 & December 16 on ABC

A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on Thursday December 6 and Sunday December 16 on ABC. The show was paired with a new documentary about the making of the classic special--see news item above! Important note for VCR users: the original special plus new documentary are scheduled for an 8-9 PM hour-long block; the original special will air uncut, so with commercials, it will run over the half-an-hour mark - set your VCR for the full hour (you wouldn't want to miss the documentary anyway). (December 7, 2001)

ABC Edits "Great Pumpkin" & "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving"

For those of you who have been asking, yes, ABC did make edits in its initial broadcast of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Three minutes of material were cut from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The edited scenes were:

Plus, the final title card saying "The End" and one repetition of Linus's outraged statements about "next year" were lopped off (1-2 seconds).

Two scenes were edited from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving to make room for more commercials:

The two "Thanksgiving" cuts totaled 3 minutes, 40 seconds - even more time than was cut from "Great Pumpkin!"

While we realize that networks include more commercial time than they did 30 years ago, this is more than CBS ever edited out from the shows--we hope that ABC will consider making fewer edits (or none at all!) in future showings and in the other specials.

We're pleased to confirm that ABC aired A Charlie Brown Christmas uncut and unedited in its initial showing on Dec. 6, although the timing of the commercial breaks was less than optimal.

Feedback can be sent to ABC's Audience Relations Department at netaudr@abc.com or by writing ABC, Inc., 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521 .

The Paramount VHS and DVD releases are complete and unedited. (December 7, 2001)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Aired on November 16, 2001 on ABC

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving aired Friday, November 16, 2001 at 8 PM (EST) on ABC. This was the first time in over ten years the show had been broadcast on TV in the U.S.! (November 17, 2001)

"Great Pumpkin" Gets Good Ratings

ABC's 10/30/01 broadcast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was ABC's highest rated show of the evening, gathering an overall 8.4 rating/12 share. It was third overall for the 8:00-8:30 timeslot (behind the World Series pre-game show and "JAG"), and sixth overall for the entire evening (out of 21 network shows).

And here's some demographic breakdowns from an ABC press release:

Repeat telecasts of the Halloween classics "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and "Boo! To You, Too, Winnie the Pooh," drew an average audience of 11.9 million viewers.

Among Kids 2-11 (8.6/26), ABC delivered a higher rating in the hour than CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN and the WB combined. In addition "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and "Boo! Too You, Too, Winnie the Pooh" generated ABC's strongest Kids delivery in the hour in 2-1/2 years &endash; since the series finale of "Home Improvement" aired in the time slot on 5/25/99.

ABC's rebroadcast of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was the top-rated entertainment program in its half-hour among young adults. Among Adults 18-49, "Charlie Brown" (5.1/13) beat the first half-hour of CBS' original episode of "JAG" by 38% (3.7/9) and NBC's original "Emeril" by 113% (2.4/6). Outscoring Fox's World Series baseball pre-game coverage in the half-hour, "Charlie Brown" won the time period among Adults 18-34 (4.8/14), Women 18-49 (6.4/16), Women 18-34 (6.5/17) and Kids 2-11 (7.8/23).

ABC's airing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" generated the animated program's strongest Adult 18-49 rating in over 5 years. Versus its most recent telecast on CBS (10/29/99 &endash; CBS had rights to the franchise prior to ABC), ABC's performance with the program was up by 31% among Adults 18-49 (5.1 vs. 3.9).

All the "ratings" numbers above are of the form (rating/share), where "rating" is the percent of all television households, regardless of whether the TV was on or not; "share" is the percent of household that were actually watching television. (November 2, 2001)

Holiday Specials Moved to ABC in 2001

After 35 years on CBS, the three classic holiday specials--A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving--moved to ABC in 2001. ABC outbid CBS for the rights to air them, and has a three-year contract starting in 2001 to broadcast the shows. (The broadcast rights for all the other shows remain with Nickelodeon.) Unlike CBS, ABC "has every intention" to air all three shows each year. For more details, see this news article. (September 29, 2000)

Video & DVD Releases

Classic Holiday Specials and You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown Now Available from iTunes, Amazon on Demand

The classic holiday specials It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, as well as You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, are now available for purchase and download from both iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand. Each are accompanied by two bonus episodes.

See the list of iTunes releases and list of Amazon Video on Demand releases for more details, and for general information about iTunes and Amazon video downloads. (November 3, 2008)

DVD Promotional Deals - Cap'n Crunch, Skippy Peanut Butter, Birds Eye Voila

In conjunction with their release of four new Peanuts DVD in fall 2008, Warner Home Video partnered with a variety of folks to promote and give away DVDs and other prizes. These deals and promotions have now expired. From the press release for the Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection:

"This November and December [2008], 1 million boxes of Limited Edition Cap'n Crunch's Christmas Crunch(R) Cereal will feature a $3.00 mail-in rebate good towards Peanuts DVD titles. Plus, in support of the seasonal offerings, Wendy's will feature a kid's meal promotion with a $3.00 off coupon on the gusset of 12 million kid's meals bag this November and December, and Skippy will host a sweepstakes offer on 6 million jars of peanut butter giving consumers a chance to win a Peanuts DVD or a four day trip to Cedar Point, featuring world class coasters and the all new Planet Snoopy, in Sandusky, Ohio.

"Additionally, Birds Eye Voila! will promote the partnership between Birds Eye Voila! and Warner Home Video as they team up to offer a special DVD giveaway to Voila! consumers. Buy 3 bags of Birds Eye Voila!, and get a WHV Peanuts Holiday DVD FREE. Partnering with Peanuts licensee Rail Events, Birds Eye will offer a chance to win a trip for four to ride the 'The Great Pumpkin Express' along with other weekly and monthly prizes. Visit birdseyevoila.com for more details." (September 2, 2008)

"It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" Deluxe Edition DVD Now Available

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)

"Deluxe Edition" DVD Release of "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" Now Available

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)

Warner Home Video Takes Over Peanuts Home Video Releases

In late 2007, the Peanuts television specials moved to a new home for video releases - Warner Home Video took 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 released were "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 had remastered video, featured "newly created bonus features," and came in "new collectable packaging." The other big name holiday specials received similar treatments and were released in fall 2008.

At the time of the announcement, it was speculated that the lesser-known Peanuts specials — many of which have never been released on DVD — would be packaged in "Golden Collection" sets similar to the Warner "Looney Tunes Golden Collection" sets. While plans have been announced for big DVD collections, they are not being released under the "Golden Collection" moniker (which Warner has also retired for the Looney Tunes line).

Warner is also hoping to produce new, original Peanuts features for home video release. At the time it was said these will be produced by Melendez/Mendelson Productions, as always; however, the first new productions from Warner — the Peanuts Motion Comics released in fall 2008 — were done without the involvement of Melendez or Mendelson Productions, so it remains to be seen what their involvement with future productions will be.

And finally, Warner also announced plans to create "original shortform content for digital distribution through wireless, electronic sell-through and VOD platforms." The Peanuts Motion Comics, released through the iTunes Store and Amazon Video on Demand, were the first such releases. (December 4, 2007; revised March 10, 2009)

The Complete "This is America, Charlie Brown" Series Comes to DVD

All eight episodes of the animated mini-series This is America, Charlie Brown are now available as a 2-DVD set from Paramount Home Video. Meant as both education and entertainment, in each episode the Peanuts gang witnesses and participates in different historic events and discoveries. The eight episodes, originally broadcast in 1988 and 1989, are:

Disc 1:
The Mayflower Voyagers
The Birth of the Constitution
The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk
The NASA Space Station

Disc 2:
The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
The Great Inventors
The Smithsonian and the Presidency
The Music and Heroes of America

Short review: Like the other Paramount releases of Peanuts TV specials, the "This is America, Charlie Brown" episodes look very nice on DVD — the video is very colorful and clean. The audio is clear if not spectacular; while the packaging says English Stereo, I couldn't detect any significant stereo separation. The DVDs are minimalist, with no extras, no subtitles, and not even scene selection menus, although there are chapter stops in each show. The episodes are presented in their original broadcast order (unlike the VHS releases, which were out of order). The DVDs come in two slimcases with attractive inserts and fairly detailed descriptions of each episodes, inside a slim cardboard box. It's great that Paramount released the entire series in one nice little package, and thus it's easy to recommend this DVD set.

"The Mayflower Voyagers" is already available on DVD on the "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" DVD, but the rest are new to DVD in North America. The list price is $19.98. (June 15, 2006)

"A Boy Named Charlie Brown" DVD Finally Released in UK or Australia

The theatrical movie A Boy Named Charlie Brown was finally released on DVD in the UK and Australia in summer 2006 (after initially being announced for spring 2005). (October 1, 2006)

Nothing New on "Great Pumpkin: 40th Anniversary Edition" DVD

While a variety of news stories and DVD release lists announced that Paramount released a DVD called "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: 40th Anniversary Edition" in August 2006, there is nothing new on this DVD - the only difference between this edition and the previous one is a "It's the Great Pumpkin 40th Anniversary" badge on the front cover. Still, it was good to see Paramount promoting the disc again. (August 25, 2006)

"It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown" DVD Released in the UK

A new Peanuts DVD, "It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown", was released on May 15 in the UK. It is now available from Amazon.co.uk and other British on-line retailers.

The DVD has a list price of £7.99. No matching VHS release has been announced.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (May 23, 2006)

"A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy Come Home" DVDs Details

Paramount Home Video has released the first two Peanuts theatrical movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, on DVD. They were released on March 28, 2006.

Both DVDs feature remastered widescreen transfers of the movies, enhanced for 16:9 TVs (also known as "anamorphic widescreen"). This is the first time the movies have been released in widescreen on home video.

A Boy Named Charlie Brown comes with an English 5.1 Surround soundtrack and an English Stereo soundtrack. Snoopy Come Home has just a Dolby 2.0 Surround track. There are no extras on the DVDs, just the films themselves. However...

The best bit of news is that the DVD of A Boy Named Charlie Brown features the longer, 86 minute version of the movie, as opposed to the shorter 79 minute version that was previously released on VHS. This means fans can finally enjoy two major missing scenes — Lucy showing Charlie Brown a slow-motion replay of his failure to kick the football as "therapy," and Charlie Brown's entire conversation with hotel room service near the end of the movie — plus many short extensions to other scenes.

Read my review of the two movie DVDs. The short summary: overall they look and sound good, and it's great to have the longer version of "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" available at last. Definitely recommended.

The DVDs have a list price of $14.98 each, and are available now at most major on-line DVD retailers. (March 26, 2006)

1963 Peanuts Documentary Available on DVD from Schulz Museum

Not only is the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" soon to be released on DVD, but the rare, unbroadcast 1963 television documentary of the same name is also now available on DVD from the Charles Schulz Museum.

The movie and the documentary actually have little to do with each other, except for their name. The A Boy Named Charlie Brown documentary—a great little time capsule examining both the Peanuts comic strip and its creator just as the strip was hitting the big time—was Lee Mendelson's first collaboration with Charles Schulz, but once they were finished, they were unable to convince any network or sponsor to buy the half-hour piece. So despite the great success of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and other Peanuts television specials, this documentary remained unaired.

Up until now, the only way you could see this unaired gem was to visit the Charles Schulz Museum and hope they were showing it in their auditorium that day. Now you can order your very own copy for $14.95 (plus shipping)—call them at 707-579-4452 to order.

For more information about the documentary's contents, see the A Boy Named Charlie Brown documentary entry below. (March 12, 2006)

"You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" DVD Released in the UK

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, along with You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown on the same disc, has been released in the UK. This DVD was previously only available in a box set of four other Peanuts DVDs.

The DVD has a list price of £7.99. A VHS release is also available for £5.99.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (August 31, 2005)

"Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" DVD Released in the UK

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown along with Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown on the same disc, is now available in the UK.

The DVD has a list price of £7.99. A VHS release is also available for £5.99.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (February 7, 2005)

A Box Set of UK Peanuts DVDs

A box set of four Peanuts DVDs has been released in the UK.

According to sendit.com and play.com, the box set contains the previously released UK DVDs of A Charlie Brown Celebration, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy the Musical, as well as a previously unreleased DVD, You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown.

According to Firefly Entertainment, You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown should be available as a separate release in the UK later this year. So if you already have the other 3 DVDs, you don't have to buy this box set - you just need to be patient! However, if you don't have any of the DVDs, this set is a good way to start your Peanuts video collection.

The box set lists for £24.99.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (February 15, 2005)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" US DVD and VHS Released

The most recent new TV special, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown is now out on DVD and VHS in the US (it was released on October 26, 2004).

The DVD contains two small features as bonuses - The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas (first broadcast on ABC in 2001) and Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (first broadcast on ABC in 2002). The DVD has an English stereo soundtrack and English subtitles. List price for the DVD will be $14.99. (October 27, 2004)

"I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" + "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Released in UK

On November 15, Firefly released a UK DVD featuring both the latest Peanuts TV special and the very first Peanuts TV special. I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown features the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas as a secondary feature!

The DVD retails for £9.99. A UK VHS tape release is also available for £7.99. Both can be ordered at most UK on-line stores, such as Amazon.co.uk.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs; however both these shows are also available on US format DVDs. (November 28, 2004)

Next UK Peanuts DVDs - "Snoopy - The Musical"

The latest UK Peanuts DVD from Firefly Entertainment, featuring the hour-long 1988 animated adaptation of Snoopy - The Musical, was released on September 27, 2004 and is now available.

The DVD retails for £9.99, a slightly higher price than the previous Firefly UK DVD releases. Both can be ordered at most UK on-line stores, such as Amazon.co.uk.

A UK VHS tape is also available for £7.99.

Snoopy - The Musical is not available on DVD in the US. However, note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (October 7, 2004)

UK "Snoopy Come Home" DVD Released

Paramount released the movie Snoopy Come Home on DVD in the UK on July 12, and it is now available.

The DVD is identical to the Australian release of the title from earlier this year. The movie is presented in fullscreen, and is not restored or a new transfer - it uses exactly the same transfer as the US VHS release of Snoopy Come Home, and is very average as a result.

All the Peanuts theatrical movies were originally created in the 4:3 aspect ratio, so the aspect ratio of this DVD is not necessarily incorrect - however, the movie may have been presented in a widescreen aspect ratio when it was shown in theaters.

No extras are included on the DVD, although in addition to English, the audio is available in three other languages - Spanish, German, and Italian. Even the songs are sung in the alternate languages! Italian subtitles are included as well. List price is £12.99.

There are still no plans for a US release of any of the Peanuts theatrical movies at this time.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (August 10, 2004)

Second UK Peanuts DVD Released

The second UK Peanuts DVD from Firefly Entertainment was released on June 14, 2004 - it contains the hour-long 1982 TV special A Charlie Brown Celebration, and has a retail price of £5.99. It's available now at most UK on-line stores, such as Amazon.co.uk. A Charlie Brown Celebration is not available on DVD in the US.

A UK VHS tape of A Charlie Brown Celebration is also available.

Note that UK DVDs are in PAL video format, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (June 18, 2004)

Australian "Snoopy Come Home" DVD Now Out

The Australian DVD of the movie Snoopy Come Home, delayed from last fall, is now out. This is the first time one of the theatrical Peanuts movies has been released on DVD anywhere.

The DVD is fullscreen, and is not restored or a new transfer - it uses exactly the same transfer as the US VHS release of Snoopy Come Home.

No extras are included on the DVD, although in addition to English, the audio is available in three other languages - Spanish, German, and Italian. Even the songs are sung in the alternate languages!

Unfortunately, Paramount says that there are no plans for a North American release at this time.

Note that this is both a PAL and Region 4 DVD, so most North American DVD players cannot play this DVD. (March 9, 2004)

"Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" Now Out on DVD and VHS

On March 2, 2004, Paramount Home Video released, Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown on both DVD and VHS.

Both DVD and VHS releases include an extended version of Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown with 4 minutes of previously unseen material!

The DVD includes 2 additional shows, Charlie Brown's All-Stars and It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown. The VHS release just contains Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, as the other shows are already available on VHS. The suggested retail price for the DVD is $14.99, the VHS is $12.95. (March 5, 2003)

UK "Easter Beagle" DVD Released

Good news for Peanuts fans in the UK - a company named Firefly Entertainment has been licensed to release the Peanuts shows on DVD in the UK.

The first DVD, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, was released on March 22, 2004, and also includes Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown. It's up for pre-order now at most UK on-line stores, such as Amazon.co.uk.

Note that UK DVDs are PAL and Region 2, so most North American players cannot play UK DVDs. (April 5, 2004)

Extended Version of "A Charlie Brown Valentine" on Home Video

In a completely unannounced surprise, the just released Paramount Home Video DVD of the 2002 special A Charlie Brown Valentine contains previously unseen material! (As does the VHS release, in fact.)

The version of the special on the home video releases is not the broadcast version, with the video version running 4 minutes longer than the broadcast version - considering the length of the show, that's not a trivial amount of extra animation. The home video version contains five completely new scenes and one extended scene. Also, two other scenes are edited slightly differently, a couple of scenes appear in a different order than they did in the broadcast version, and there's a new version of the credits.

The two older shows on the DVD, "There's No Time For Love, Charlie Brown" and "Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown," are the same as their previous VHS releases and do not include any new material.

And further good news is that the upcoming home video releases of "Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown" and "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" should feature similarly extended versions of those shows.

So, if you haven't picked up "A Charlie Brown Valentine" on home video yet, there's another excellent reason to do so! (January 15, 2003)

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" Released on DVD and VHS

Paramount Home Video has released the 2002 show A Charlie Brown Valentine on DVD and VHS.

The DVD includes an extended version of "A Charlie Brown Valentine," as well as 2 additional shows, There's No Time For Love, Charlie Brown and Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown. The VHS tape just contains the extended version of "A Charlie Brown Valentine", as the others are already available on VHS. The suggested retail price for the DVD is $14.99, and the VHS is $12.95. (January 15, 2004)

No More DVD Releases In 2003

(This article was superseded by the announcement of the first 2004 DVD.) Unfortunately, Paramount confirms that no more Peanuts DVDs are on the schedule "for now," as of March 4, 2003. This probably means there won't be any further releases for at least six months, if not longer (hopefully we won't have to wait two years like we did between the last set of releases). (March 4, 2003)

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown DVD Released

Paramount released It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown on DVD on March 4, 2003. The DVD includes It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown as a "bonus episode." As with previous Peanuts DVD releases, the specials are in full-frame format and English Mono (both as originally aired), with English sub-titles as an option. Retail price is $19.99 (C$26.95 in Canada). Read the full Paramount press release, and then read my review. (March 4, 2003)

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown DVD Released

On January 7, 2003, Paramount released the 1975 special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on DVD. The DVD also includes two bonus episodes: You're In Love, Charlie Brown, (1967) and It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977). The shows are in full-frame format and English Mono (both as originally aired), with both closed-captions and English sub-titles. Retail price will be $19.99 (C$26.95 in Canada). Read the full Paramount press release, and then read my review. (January 7, 2003)

"Charlie Brown Around Town" Video

A video featuring all 102 of the Charlie Brown statues that were displayed in St. Paul, MN this summer is now available. Similar to last year's video featuring the Snoopy statues, "Peanuts on Parade: Charlie Brown Around Town" was produced by Craig Schulz, features "up close and personal" look at each statue with a classic Peanuts music accompaniment. Proceeds from sales of the video will be donated to the Charles M. Schulz Fund in support of the bronze statues being designed for St. Paul's new downtown park. The video runs 35 minutes, sells for $19.95, and is available from either Camp Snoopy or Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop. (November 5, 2001)

First Two Movies Move to Paramount Home Video

The first two Peanuts movies, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, previously released on home video by CBS Fox and recently out of print, will now be distributed by Paramount Home Video. The Paramount-labeled VHS re-releases are scheduled for May 29, 2001. (No DVD releases are scheduled at this time.)

Paramount picked up the films as a result of the Viacom-CBS merger, as Paramount is owned by Viacom.

Unfortunately, the same source tapes will be used for the Paramount releases, so the video of A Boy Named Charlie Brown will continue to be missing some footage (see the movie's entry for more details). (April 27, 2001)

German Videos Now Available

German-language video releases of the Peanuts specials are now available in Europe from Baumhaus Medien AG. You can see nice photos of them at the following web links: http://www.netwear.de/peanuts/videos.html and http://www.netwear.de/snoopy/videos.html (these links are not an endorsement of the store linked to, they're just where I found good photos and descriptions). (May 21, 2001)

"Peanuts on Parade" Video Now Available

It doesn't star the Peanuts gang per se, but this video, created by Charles Schulz's son Craig, features footage of all 101 Snoopy statues that were displayed in St. Paul, Minnesota during the summer of 2000, accompanied by classic Peanuts background music performed by David Benoit. The video is 28 minutes long, costs $19.95, and is available from Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop. (January 15, 2001)

No DVD Releases Scheduled for 2001

Paramount says that currently they have no new Peanuts DVD releases planned for 2001. Rats! (January 6, 2001)

"Pied Piper" Comes to Video and DVD

It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown has been released as a direct-to-video title on both VHS and DVD. Based on the legend of the Pied Piper, it stars Snoopy as 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. You can see a trailer for the "Pied Piper" at reel.com (although it's fairly poor quality).

Both the VHS and DVD also include an 11-minute "retrospective interview with creator Charles M. Schulz." The DVD also includes an English Dolby Stereo and English subtitles. The video release also includes a sweepstakes card to win an actual animation cel from the special, and a coupon for Pillsbury Peanuts cookies. (September 15, 2000)

Classic Holiday Specials Come to DVD

In addition, three other Peanuts DVDs have been released, each containing a "classic" special and one other special:

A Charlie Brown Christmas & It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown & You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving & This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers

The pictures quality on all the DVDs is excellent, the shows have never looked better!

Each disk has the original English mono soundtrack as well as English subtitles. The discs are priced at US$19.95 and C$26.99, and there will also be a three-disc gift set available for US$57.95 and C$80.99 (no bonuses included with the set except for the enclosing box). See the full press release for more details. (September 15, 2000)

Classic Holiday Specials Video Gift Set

In addition to the DVDs, Paramount has reissued the videotapes of A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in a gift box for US$38.85 and C$44.85. The gift set will also include a "free inflatable kid's chair" for a limited time. The videos will continue to be sold individually as well. See the full press release for more details. (September 14, 2000)

Schulz Memorial Service Video

You can order a very well-done videotape of the February 21, 2000 memorial service for Charles Schulz, put together by the Schulz family, from Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop. Proceeds from the video will go to the D-Day Memorial Fund. (July, 2000)

Music Releases

New Vince Guaraldi CD "Oaxaca" Includes Two New Peanuts Tracks

A new Vince Guaraldi CD, titled Oaxaca, was recently released and it includes two previously unreleased Peanuts tracks.

The Oaxaca CD contains 9 tracks of previously unreleased Guaraldi performances. Among them two new Peanuts tracks: "Charlie Brown Blues" is a composition that appeared in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, while "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" is the title and main theme to the show of that name. Also included are the title track, which is an original composition by Vince Guaraldi, two covers of Beatles tunes in the unmistakable Guaraldi style, and more. Exciting news for Peanuts fans, and you'll certainly enjoy the other tracks as well.

The CD is available exclusively from the newly redesigned VinceGuaraldi.com, so head on over to their store to add it to your collection. (November 1, 2004)

New Vince Guaraldi CD - "The Charlie Brown Suite"

A new CD of previously unreleased Vince Guaraldi music has been issued on the Bluebird label. The main attraction is "The Charlie Brown Suite", a roughly 40-minute long piece of fully orchestrated music that incorporates many of the themes familiar from his Peanuts music. The album also includes previously unreleased alternate versions of "Linus and Lucy" and "The Charlie Brown Theme." The liner notes contain an introduction by Dave Guaraldi, Vince's son, and an article by Peanuts TV producer Lee Mendelson. The source material for these recordings wasn't in pristine quality, so the sound of the album isn't perfect - but it's a great find nonetheless. (August 30, 2003)

"Here's To You, Charlie Brown" Album Nominated for Grammy, But Does Not Win

David Benoit's album of Peanuts music, "Here's To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years" was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical" category, however it lost to "Two Against Nature" by Steely Dan. (March 3, 2001)

David Benoit and "Pied Piper" Premiere Photos

Meanwhile, check out Derrick Bang's web page about David Benoit, which features photos from the "It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown" premiere and other information about Benoit's association with Peanuts. (January 15, 2001)

"A Boy Named Charlie Brown" Movie Soundtrack Record

The soundtrack for the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was only ever released on an LP record, and is long out of print. But you can still get a new, unused copy of it from the Stanyan By Mail web site (along with many other Rod McKuen albums) - all you have to do is find a record player to play it on! (January 15, 2001)

Original "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" Cast Album Returns to CD

Decca Broadway has released a re-mastered CD of the original 1967 off-Broadway cast album of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (Decca Broadway 012 159 851-2), finally making this long out-of-print recording available again. Even better, in addition to all 14 tracks from the original album, this release includes 4 bonus tracks taken from the never heard before 1966 demo record composer Clark Gesner sent to Charles Schulz in order to obtain permission to create the musical. The CD is accompanied by a 12-page booklet containing some never-seen before production photos, a synopsis, and an overview of the show's history. Visit Decca Broadway's web page for a track listing and samples. (November 18, 2000)

Cyrus Chestnut Covers "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Jazz pianist and composer Cyrus Chestnut has released an updated version of the Vince Guaraldi Trio's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" album on the Atlantic Records label. The album includes new takes on the dozen songs from the original release, featuring vocals from Vanessa Williams and the Boys Choir of Harlem on the song "Christmas Time Is Here," Brian McKnight on "The Christmas Song," and the Manhattan Transfer on "What Child Is This?" The album also includes a Chestnut-composed solo piano tribute to late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz titled "Me & Charlie Brown." (September 27, 2000)

Other News

The Simpsons Parodied It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

The Simpsons' annual "Treehouse of Horror" show parodied It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 8-8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Fox. The show featured a segment titled "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse," and recast the Simpons characters in roles from the TV show, and even featured the original Vince Guaraldi music. (November 2, 2008)

Special 40th Anniversary Celebration of "It's the Great Pumpkin" at the Schulz Museum on October 21, 2006

The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA celebrated the 40th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown with a day of special events on Saturday, October 21, 2006.

Lee Mendelson, producer of the Peanuts TV specials, spoke about the making of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and the new special He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown, and also signed his new book on the making of the "Great Pumpkin" special. Both It's the Great Pumpkin and He's a Bully were shown in the Museum theater (it was the official premiere of He's a Bully, which was scheduled to air later in the year on ABC). There was also a panel discussion featuring cartoonists Darrin Bell (Candorville), Paige Braddock (Jane’s World), Michael Jantze (The Norm), and Keith Knight (The K Chronicles), discussing how Charles Schulz’s work influenced their work, their lives, and cartooning today.

In addition, the Schulz Museum displayed a replica of the storyboard and a cel from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and offered a chance to take your photo in front of a mural of Linus awaiting the Great Pumpkin in the Museum’s Great Hall. (October 1, 2006)

New Miniature Adaptation of "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown"

A new miniature (3" x 3") book adaptation of "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" is out now. The book is from Running Press Book Publishers, who have previously published nice miniature book adaptation of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Like the other two miniature books, this will be a 128-page hardcover. You can order it from Amazon.com. (March 1, 2006)

New Book Adaptations of TV Shows

Simon & Schuster's Little Simon imprint is releasing new book adaptations of the classic Peanuts TV shows. These books are targeted at young children ages 4-8, and each features an entirely new adaptation and new full-color art based on the shows - they are not recycled versions of previous book adaptations. The books are as follows:

Now Out:
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Valentine
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
Here's To You, America (adaptation of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Birth of the Constitution)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (part of the "Peanuts Valentine Craft Kit")
Lucy Must Be Traded (one of two different adaptations of Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown)
Make a Trade, Charlie Brown! (one of two different adaptations of Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown)
I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown

The books are 8" x 10", 32 pages long, and retail for $5.99, with two exceptions: "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" comes as part of the so-called "Peanuts Valentine Craft Kit" (but it's not much of a kit) and is only 6" x 7" - the whole "kit" costs $7.99; "Make a Trade, Charlie Brown" is a different shape and format than the rest. (October 7, 2004)

New Miniature Adaptation of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Running Press Book Publishers, who made a very nice miniature book adaptation of A Charlie Brown Christmas last year, has put a miniature book adaptation of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this year. This small (3" x 3") 128-page hardcover adaptation of the classic TV special includes a ribbon bookmark with a little metal pumpkin at the end of it. You can get it from Amazon.com; also check out the mini-Christmas book if you haven't already. (October 31, 2004)

New Bill Melendez Productions Website

Bill Melendez Productions, the folks who animated all the Peanuts TV specials and commercials, as well as some other familiar cartoon faces, have a new website:

http://www.billmelendez.tv

Along with a list of all the work the studio has done, Peanuts and otherwise, there are short video clips from many of the Peanuts TV shows and even a few of the rarely seen Peanuts commercials. There's also a biography of Bill Melendez, a list of awards he and the studio have received, and lots of other information.

Check it out! Note that the site is completely Flash-based and probably won't work well on dial-up Internet connections. (August 10, 2004)

The Complete Peanuts: 1953-1954

The Complete Peanuts: 1953-1954 is now available in stores! It's the second volume in Fantagraphics Books' plans to reprint every single Peanuts strip in 25 books over the next twelve years. This volume features every Peanuts comic strip from January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1954. Hundreds of these strips have never been reprinted before! It includes such events as the first appearance of Linus's security blanket, the introduction of Pig-Pen, and even adults being drawn in the strip. The book also includes an introduction by journalist Walter Cronkite and an index. The book is hardcover, 302 pages, lists for $28.95, and is available from any book outlet. For more information, visit the Fantagraphics website. (October 31, 2004)

The Complete Peanuts and Charles M. Schulz: Li'l Beginnings

This isn't Peanuts TV or video news, but I wanted to mention it here anyway. Two new book covering Charles Schulz's early work are now available, and no Peanuts fan should be without them.

First, there's The Complete Peanuts: 1950-1952, from Fantagraphics Books. It's the first volume in Fantagraphics' plans to reprint every single Peanuts strip in 25 books over the next twelve years. The book features every Peanuts comic strip from the strip's debut on October 2, 1950 through December 31, 1952. Hundreds of these strips have never been reprinted before! The book also includes an introduction by humorist Garrison Keillor, an article on Schulz by biographer David Michaelis, a lengthy Charles Schulz interview from 1987, and an index. The book is hardcover, 320 pages, lists for $28.95, and is available from any book outlet. For more information, visit the Fantagraphics website.

Next, Charles M. Schulz: Li'l Beginnings from the Charles M. Schulz Museum collects all 135 of the "Li'l Folks" panels that Schulz created for his hometown paper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, between June 22, 1947, and January 22, 1950, before he became a nationally syndicated artist with Peanuts. Once again, most of these have never been reprinted before, and the book also includes insightful annotations and commentary by Peanuts expert Derrick Bang, along with many examples of how Schulz reused material from "Li'l Folks" in the early days of Peanuts. This important book provides a previously unseen and entertaining look into Schulz's early years. The book is an oversized paperback, 292 pages, and lists for $30, and is available from the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Visit the Museum website for more information.

Did I mention you should go buy these books? (October 7, 2004)

Playing Mantis TV-Based Figures

Building on their "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" figures released in 2002, Playing Mantis released more TV-based figures in 2003:

(September 22, 2003)

"Why, Charlie Brown, Why" Book Reissued

The long out-of-print book adaptation of "Why, Charlie Brown, Why," the Peanuts TV special that deals with childhood leukemia, was reissued in hardcover by Ballantine Books in August 2002. This adaptation is unique in that it features illustrations drawn by Charles Schulz (almost all of the other TV adaptions were drawn by someone else under license). List price is $15.95.

The new edition is nearly identical to the original paperback published by Topper Books. The inside is exactly the same except for the publisher's credit and the addition of page numbers. The cover is slightly different - the book title and authors are in a different font, it now notes "foreword by Paul Newman," and it no longer says "based on the CBS-TV special" - in fact, there's no indication anywhere in the new edition that this is a TV special adaptation! (October 5, 2002)

"The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas" Nominated for Emmy

The short documentary "The Making of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'", broadcast on ABC in December 2001, was nominated for an prime-time Emmy Award in the category of "Children's Program." However, it lost to the Nickelodeon special "Nick News Special Edition: Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan". (September 23, 2002)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Action Figures

The company Playing Mantis has released their first two series of Peanuts action figures. The first set, "Good Ol' Charlie Brown," is based on the characters as they traditionally appeared in the comic strip. However, the second set is based on the TV show "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"! There are six 3"-5.5" figures: Charlie Brown (with ghost costume and bag of rocks), Linus (with blanket and light-up jack-o-lantern), Lucy (with witch mask & hat), Snoopy (with Woodstock and flying ace outfit), Schroeder (with piano and candelabra), and Sally (with "Welcome Great Pumpkin" sign). Each figure will also come with an "interlocking pumpkin patch display base." The figures are sold separately or in three-packs. In addition there's a Snoopy doghouse pumpkin patch playset, which includes Snoopy with flying ace outfit (same as available separately), a detachable doghouse on pumpkin patch base with sound effects.

For great pictures and reviews of the figures, visit "Michael's Review of the Week":

Great Pumpkin figure reviews

Great Pumpkin playset review

(September 23, 2002)

Lee Mendelson to Talk at Charles M. Schulz Museum Grand Opening

As part of the Charles M. Schulz Museum's grand opening celebration, Lee Mendelson, producer of the Peanuts TV shows, will be giving a talk about Peanuts on TV at the Museum on Monday August 19. The talk will be given at both 11 AM and 1 PM (Pacific time). The talks are open to museum members and members of the public who pay admission. The Schulz Museum opens to the public on August 17. (July 27, 2002)

"Good Grief, Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz" Wins Emmy

At an awards ceremony on September 5, 2001, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented an News and Documentary Emmy Award to last year's documentary Good Grief, Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz, produced by CBS News and Lee Mendelson Productions as a celebration of the final Peanuts strip. The Emmy was for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Scenic Design." The award goes to Scenic Designer Ann L. Cudworth and Assistant Art Director Matthew Anderson. (September 14, 2001)

Book adaptation of "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" Back In Print

Metro Books has reprinted the book adaptation of the movie "A Boy Named Charlie Brown." The reprint is available at Barnes & Noble bookstores (or their on-line store), and AAUGH.com or Amazon. (Thanks Nat Gertler for the tip.) (September 4, 2001)

New Book on the Making Of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Arrives

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, written by Lee Mendelson, the producer of the Peanuts television shows, is now out in the U.S. from HarperCollins.

The nicely laid out 9" x 9", 192 page book covers the history of how the first Peanuts special was created, featuring thoughts and reminiscences from Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez, and others. It's in full color with lots of stills and photos.

Of particular interest to fans will be the inclusion of the entire script of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", illustrated with color stills taken directly from the original show negative - the first time the script has been published any place.

Other sections of the book include: a history of how the show came to be, and its debut, including some nice stuff like original TV Guide coverage and advertising; reflections on working with Charles Schulz by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez; an interview with Bill Melendez about how he became the Peanuts animator and the animation process; section about Vince Guaraldi and his Peanuts music; sheet music for "Christmas Time is Here" and "Linus and Lucy" (note: these are transcriptions, not the original sheet music); reproductions of production materials - a few storyboards, a few sketches, "bar sheets" describing the timing of the action of the first scenes; a "flip book" animation of the show opening on the corners of the pages; and many color pictures throughout, including some unique ones such as stills from one of the Ford Falcon commercials.

Unfortunately, the expected interviews with the actors who performed the original voices for the show are rather brief, amounting to just a few quotes from Peter Robbins (Charlie Brown) and Christopher Shea (Linus).

The book is available now for a list price $29.95. (October 29, 2000)

St. Paul Memorial Statue to Re-Create Scene from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?

[In the end St. Paul decided not to go ahead with this design choice.]

The proposed design for a permanent sculpture to honor Charles Schulz in St. Paul, Minnesota is to recreate a scene from the 1965 TV show "A Charlie Brown Christmas" where "the characters happily dancing while Schroeder pounds his piano and Snoopy plays the guitar." The proposed design includes Pig Pen, Sally, Linus, Schroeder, Franklin, Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Marcie (even though some of these characters didn't appear in that special!) Schulz was born and grew up in St. Paul. (June 29, 2000)

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Last updated 7/3/09 - Scott McGuire (smcguire at fivecentsplease dot org) - Vers 1