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Christmas will be a little different this year. On the one hand, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has put many holiday traditions on hold. Santa visits have gone virtual, families swap large gatherings for intimate celebrations, holiday parades and annual performances from Nutcracker have been canceled. But at least we can all curl up in front of the TV and watch some of our favorite vacation specials, like A Charlie Brown Christmas, right?
Not so fast. This year, for the first time in over half a century, it looked like the Christmas Peanuts special wouldn’t be shown on TV; instead, it would stream exclusively on Apple TV +. But a last-minute deal with PBS means Charlie Brown will still be shown on TV this year.
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ has found a new home on Apple TV +
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In a surprise gesture, Apple announced at the end of October that it had acquired A Charlie Brown Christmas, a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and It’s the big pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Rather than airing as usual on ABC, all three specials would only be available to stream on Apple TV +. It seemed like anyone wanting to stream the iconic specials would have to shell out over $ 4.99 per month to do so.
The news that the specials would not be free for everyone was a huge disappointment for some, who were quick to share their feelings on Twitter. One person even started a Change.org petition to bring the specials back to television, which has garnered more than 250,000 signatures.
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ will air for free from December 11
Perhaps anticipating that upset fans would shout “Scrooge!” after learning it would be harder to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas this year, Apple decided to give people a small gift. This makes each special holiday available to stream for free on a limited basis.
A Charlie Brown Christmas will debut on Apple TV + on December 4. The 1965 cartoon will then be released for free from December 11 to December 13. Just install the Apple TV app or visit tv.apple.com to watch it.
If you miss the free streaming window and aren’t interested in signing up for Apple TV + to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, you are not totally lucky. While the special is not available to stream elsewhere, you can still purchase the DVD from Amazon and other retailers.
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ will also air on PBS
In addition to a free streaming window on Apple TV, fans will also be able to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas for free on PBS and PBS Kids. It will air on December 13 at 7:30 p.m. local time / 6:30 p.m. CT. (Check your local listings.)
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was an unlikely success when it first aired
In the 55 years since its inception, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a beloved vacation classic. But the creators of the special initially thought they had something wrong in their hands. Coca-Cola – the special’s original sponsor – had given Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, producer Lee Mendelson and host Bill Melendez a few months to create Charlie Brown’s first animated feature. When they finished, no one was completely happy with the results, especially what they thought was poor quality animation.
“The first time I saw it projected onto a screen, I turned to the people over there and said, ‘We killed it,’ Melendez told The Spokesman-Review in 1995. “I thought we had destroyed the property. I was so miserable.
Melendez couldn’t have been more wrong. People loved it A Charlie Brown Christmas and its message on the over-marketing of the holiday.
“It was one of those amazing miracles that happen every now and then,” Schulz said. “It’s something you can’t predict.”
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