Charlie Brown Holiday Specials Have Always Stunk So They Can Go To Quibi For All I Care
(NBC) -- Fans of the classic “Peanuts” comic-strip are expressing outrage over the fact that the quintessential animated holiday specials based on the series have moved to the Apple TV+ streaming service instead of airing on network television.
The beloved holiday specials, which include “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” will be available exclusively on the platform along with new specials in development, Apple TV+ announced Monday. The classic Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials will still be available for free during short windows of time around the holidays.
Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” specials have aired on broadcast television since the 1960s, with ABC owning the rights since about 2000. Apple bought the rights in 2018, according to the The Hollywood Reporter.
Outside of NFL games every Thanksgiving, I don't have a ton of TV memories with my grandparents who lived two floors above me. The #1 memory is definitely "Dr. D" David Schultz doling out dual bitch slaps to "20/20" reporter John Stossel. I was 12 and still a huge WWF fan so I was fired up when my grandfather put "20/20" on that Friday night, knowing the show was doing a segment on wrestling. Then to see how it played out was pretty stunning.
The #2 memory sticks out not for it greatness or unpredictable violence. It's because I was bored to fucking tears watching "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". Or maybe it was "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I don't remember which because they're interchangeable snoozefests with a lame, zero charisma lead and boring-ass stories. I do remember being 10 and wondering why the "Peanuts" comic strip I read every day in the Herald made me laugh but this shit only made my pine for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".
I wasn't even a TV/movie snob yet (the only movie I disliked to this point was MARY POPPINS*). But I can't lie and say that "Peanuts" holiday specials did a goddamn thing for me as a kid. They stunk and weren't worthy of annual viewings. However, back in the day, parenting wasn't a democracy yet so any time we kids got the TV was sacred time so we dare not bitch aloud about the tripe we were just served.
Of course, not everyone feels the same.
(That one made me laugh.)
But these two nailed it.
For those who need their fix, Apple+ will make them available for free for limited windows.
Yes, I will concede the theme song remains a banger.
But that's the only good part.
This GIF is funnier than all of the "Peanuts" specials put together.
*---MARY POPPINS does deserve props for eventually gifting us with the "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala-D'oh-cious" episode.