“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” in numerous respects is the antithesis of a typical Christmas special. There are no gifts exchanged amongst the characters. Santa is mentioned, but not much, and he doesn’t make an appearance. No festive gatherings take place with jolly, sing-along music. In fact, it begins on a melancholy note. Charlie Brown, voiced by four time Grammy nominee, Peter Robbins (You’re in Love Charlie Brown), is depressed. He is having an arduous time, as he attempts to get into the holiday spirit, which he feels has become too commercialized. He seeks the true meaning of Christmas, and turns to, of all people, Lucy for help. The same Lucy, who always removes the football, right before he can kick it, which causes him to fall.

Lucy, voiced by Tracy Stratford, who received a Grammy nomination for her work on the Christmas special, thinks she has a solution. She believes that Charlie Brown has to get involved in a project. Her idea, is for him to take over the Christmas play, that is currently without a director. What at first seems like a good idea, seemingly turns into a disaster.  The Children, who are voiced by, amongst others: Schroder (Chris Doran); Pig-Pen (Geoffrey Ornstein); and Linus (Christopher Shea); as well as, Brown’s lovable beagle, Snoopy (Bill Melendez), give him little in the way of cooperation.

Charlie Brown feels completely dejected, when he purchases a Christmas tree for the play, that gets mocked by the other children. Lucy gave him instructions to get a big, aluminum tree, preferably pink in color, (supposedly, aluminum trees were a fad at the time), but instead, he returns with a scrawny tree, that slumps forward after one ornament is hung on it. Will Charlie Brown, and of equal importance, the other children learn the true meaning of Christmas? I think it is safe to write, that perhaps all of you who are reading this post, know the answer to that question is ‘yes.’    

The Peanuts special was directed by Oscar nominee, Bill Melendez (A Boy Named Charlie Brown). Two time Emmy winner, Charles M. Schulz, wrote the teleplay. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” first aired on December 5, 1965, in Canada. Its American debut telecast took place on CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) television on December 9, 1965.  Music for the show was composed by Grammy winner, American jazz pianist, Vince Guaraldi (Cast Your Fate To The Wind), and includes the memorable “Christmas Time is Here,” as well as “Linus and Lucy” which has been utilized as the main theme of many Peanuts specials. Parts animation, comedy, drama, family, and music, the special has a runtime of 25 minutes.  

Trivia buffs take note: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was the first animated Peanuts special. It was the second longest running Christmas special on television. The longest running is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). The special was produced without a laugh track. Viewers, who have watched other Peanuts specials might notice the absence of Snoopy’s sidekick, Woodstock. The yellow bird didn’t appear until April 4, 1967 in the Peanuts comic strip. Woodstock’s fist film appearance came in 1972’s, “Snoopy, Come Home.” Producer Lee Mendelson wrote the lyrics for “Christmas Time is Here.” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” won the 1966 Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program, as well as, The Peabody Award. (As an aside: The Peabody Award was first awarded on March 29, 1941. Founded by American businessman and philanthropist, George Foster Peabody, the award honors stories that appear on television, and are broadcast on radio, in addition to other forms of media, that enlighten, invigorate, and are impactful).

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Christmas, as it pertains to the holiday season, has become exponentially more commercialized since 1965. The special has greater relevance today, than it did when it first aired. In fact, as of the writing of this post, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” is no longer offered for viewers to watch for free on network television. A viewer needs to have a subscription to Apple TV, or rented or bought it from Apple TV, or purchased a DVD copy, in order to watch it. There is something wrong about that. When I was growing up as a child, into my early teens, before I began watching it again as an adult, it was annual viewing for me during the holiday season, and it was free.  Overall, it is something the entire family can watch together, and I hope take enjoyment from.