Tragedy. Upheaval. Catastrophe. These are words one might use to describe the horror that children and adults alike will face this year: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” will not be airing on TV for the first time in 56 years.
In a tweet on September 29 of this year, PBS (the channel that has aired Charlie Brown specials in recent years) wrote, “Regretfully, PBS does not have the rights to distribute the Peanuts specials this year. We’ll all have to watch for the Great Pumpkin from a different pumpkin patch this Halloween.” See the tweet for yourself here.
But don’t fret, they will still be available to watch somewhere. The specials are moving to Apple TV+ where subscribers can watch Charles Shulz’s masterpieces anytime, but non-subscribers will only have a few days to have their fill of Peanuts. Each special (“The Great Pumpkin,” “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” “Charlie Brown Christmas”) will be available for free during a 4-5 day period on Apple TV+ so that subscribers and non-subscribers alike can indulge on the respective holidays.
All this commotion about the loss of a children’s cartoon might make you wonder: Why do we love Peanuts so much? Good Question. According to an article from CBR.com titled “The Snoopy Show: Why We Still Have a Soft Spot for Peanuts,” millions of people love the franchise not just because it is fun and mindless, but because it “reminds the viewer how much fun it is to be a kid.” Watching Lucy lift the football from the ground so that Charlie Brown goes flying into the air just never gets old. Always unfolding some new life lesson, Charlie seems older than he truly is, and his “stoicism and introspective thoughts” are what make him both relatable and timeless. Think about how comforting it is to watch each special, and how it connects you to your childhood.
Schulz’s creations have been around for over half a century, and have been important to the childhood of many generations. Obama wrote his thoughts on the Peanuts in an article from The Guardian. He notes that Shulz was so brilliant because he depicted childhood “with all the poignant and tender complexity it deserves.” Obama remarks, “For decades, Peanuts was our own security blanket. That’s what makes it an American treasure.”
Wherever you end up on Halloween, I hope some time is set aside to enjoy “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and engage with the mindless ways of childhood.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-stream-its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-for-free/
https://www.cbr.com/snoopy-show-soft-spot-peanuts/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/barack-obama-peanuts-american-treasure-charles-schulz
Image Credit:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/10/19/pbs-wont-air-charlie-brown-halloween-heres-where-watch/10543103002/