The new Peanuts Christmas special....

[Carolina Red]

.....as I was doing some finishing work for a paper while waiting for 24 to get on, I got a call from my mom. She said that she was watching the Peanuts Christmas special on ABC at the time. I checked what was going on, and she was right - there was one on, and it was a new one in fact - "I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown." I caught the second half of it, but what I would like to know is, is anyone else surprised there wasn't much PR for this?

I would figure that if ABC has the rights to these shows and always promotes their seasonal specials, then what about this one? I would figure that it would be popular among people because it has the Peanuts in them, and they are still pretty successful at all these years.....heck, Charles Schultz is one of the most profitable deceased people in the country! Maybe I tuned in to ABC at the wrong times. (and the only time i have tuned in lately is for college football)

P.S. Yes, I did finish that paper after 24. It gets easier after you figure out what direction you want it to go in. ;)

[CjFilmz]

I don't bother with all these "new" Peanuts. They're terrible.

I have a Theory about this new Peanuts special. I think ABC is going to air it every year and eventually replace the old classic one with this new version, becuase they don't like Linus talking about Jesus Christ in it.

It's so stupid. Christmas is called CHRISTmas for a reason. Yet nobody is allowed to talk about what Christmas really is on TV anymore.

[Daffyfan2003]

I don't think that will happen. The original "Charlie Brown Christmas" has aired every year since it's original broadcast. It's just as much of a tradition as Rudolph and Frosty. About the new Peanuts Christmas special, I thought it was really good. You should give it a chance.

[Sharklady]

I did catch this special from the beginning. And while I wouldn't put it on the same level as it's predecessor, it's a decent enough show in it's own right. The kid voicing Rerun is entirely convincing, all the events are lifted from the comic strip, and there's plenty of funny moments (I particularly enjoyed Sally's 'plane ride.')

BTW: I don't for a moment believe ABC is going to stop showing 'Charlie Brown Christmas'. Not while it continues to get the ratings it does, anyway.

[dth1971]

I liked the part in the new Peanuts Christmas special of the Christmas play ("We are here to tell you about a wonderous light, a wonderous light that was a star...") where Rerun had to recite the last line and then faints.

How come Peppermint Patty and Marcie didn't appear? Franklin did!

[Eddie G.]

The last new special was pretty decent.

The one last night (I only watched half an hour) was not to good and no where near the same level as the originol.

[Elven Moon]

So we have 3 Charlie Brown Christmas specials now. The second was "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" and now this one. While I like the idea of more Charlie Brown, they will never replace the first.

By the way, does anyone else think blockhead was just a TAD too fast at answering the doorbell?

[Kouji Tamino]

Eh, I thought it was good... Not as good as the original, as people say, but good in it's own right. I actually remember a few of the strips this was based on, including the "bike ride" scenes, and the "starving artist" scene.

A few of my highlights were "Over hill, over dale.... Poor Dale...", the 'harrasment' scene, and the plane ride. The renditions of the original "Cristmastime is Here" song were a nice touch.

If I could, I'd see it again... *shrugs* But that's just me...

[Carolina Red]

By the way....could someone tell me what the name of that girl who wears the orange dress and has the bowtie in her hair? I have seen her many times, but I have never caught her name. She was in the special....or at least one of the parts I saw.

[Animelee]

I REALLY loved this new special. It brought back memories of the old ones. It seems their using the old writing techniques and random scenes, just like the classics.

Another thing -- I was incredibly surprised when I saw that Bill Melendez was still a producer/writer/voice of Snoopy. Man, how old is that guy?!

[Martianinvader]

Peppermint Patty didn't appear because there are no strips where Patty talks directly to Rerun, and this was Rerun's special. In fact, I think this is the only special Rerun's ever gotten, or ever will get.

I liked the part in the new Peanuts Christmas special of the Christmas play ("We are here to tell you a wonderous light, a wonderous light that was a star...") where Rerun had to recite the last line and then faints.

This was based on a strip from the early 60's, and Linus was in place of Rerun. What doesn't work for me is the part where Lucy threatens to slug Rerun, as she did to Linus in the original. Schulz said before he died that Lucy had a different relationship with Rerun than she did with Linus...she's supposed to be a lot nicer to Rerun.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

By the way....could someone tell me what the name of that girl who wears the orange dress and has the bowtie in her hair? I have seen her many times, but I have never caught her name. She was in the special....or at least one of the parts I saw.

Is that Violet?

Anyway, I was pretty mad about some of the television reviews on the local TV guides about the special. Something about how Rerun was a "no-name" character and they weren't interested in seeing him. While this may have been true in the 80s, Rerun was arguably the freshest and most interesting Peanuts character in the late 90s and began to dominate the strip late in Schulz's career.

[Shaggy&Daphne]

I don't bother with all these "new" Peanuts. They're terrible.

I have a Theory about this new Peanuts special. I think ABC is going to air it every year and eventually replace the old classic one with this new version, becuase they don't like Linus talking about Jesus Christ in it.

It's so stupid. Christmas is called CHRISTmas for a reason. Yet nobody is allowed to talk about what Christmas really is on TV anymore.


You're right, knowing ABC there will probably come a time when they stop airing the original version, and we will be able to thank liberalism and political correctness for it. It would be absured of ABC to not air a Christmas special because of a reference to God, yet they air the "Friends" Christmas special, which is about Rachels only Christmas wish is to have her second illegitimate child from a one night stand with Shwimmer. Sad. The morals of this country have absolutly gone to pot.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

This was based on a strip from the early 60's, and Linus was in place of Rerun. What doesn't work for me is the part where Lucy threatens to slug Rerun, as she did to Linus in the original. Schulz said before he died that Lucy had a different relationship with Rerun than she did with Linus...she's supposed to be a lot nicer to Rerun.

Not a whole lot...she tended to use him to do chores and stuff, but I agree that she was NEVER physically abusive to Rerun as she was with Linus. Lucy has a pretty fair tolerance of Rerun's quirks.

[Brainatra]

The girl with teh orange dress (and matching bow) is probably Patty (not Peppermint), one of the strip's earliest characters. She and Violet were mostly replaced when Lucy came to the fore (the two were Charlie's main tormentors in the 50's strips)...

[Jave]

Another thing -- I was incredibly surprised when I saw that Bill Melendez was still a producer/writer/voice of Snoopy. Man, how old is that guy?!
Bill Melendez is one of the most prolific (still alive) persons in the animation biz, along with Joe Barbera. He started as an animator in Warner Bros, with his first on-screen credit being "Wagon Heels", directed by Bob Clampett in 1945, he worked there for about six years and then he started making the Peanuts specials in the mid-sixties.

He was born in 1916, which makes him *drum rolls* 87 years old!

[Dark Spider]

The girl with teh orange dress (and matching bow) is probably Patty (not Peppermint), one of the strip's earliest characters. She and Violet were mostly replaced when Lucy came to the fore (the two were Charlie's main tormentors in the 50's strips)...

I always thought her name was Frieda (pronouced Free-da). Violet was the one with the purple dress and Frieda was the one with the orange dress. If that's the same character your talking about Brainatra, then that charcter's name was probably changed to Frieda to prevent confusion from Peppermint Patty (you never see 2 characters with the same name unless there's a joke behind it)

[radiocnoc]

While not a fan of this most recent script, I do have to give some Kudos:

1 - I was happy to see the 'Look and Feel' definately remained 'Peanuts' and not something 'updated'.

2 - Major points for keeping Vince Guarldi's music in there too. It's hard to watch Peanuts with a different sound track than something from him.

-M.

[Sharklady]

> I always thought her name was Frieda (pronouced Free-da). Violet was the one with the purple dress and Frieda was the one with the orange dress. <

No, Frieda is the girl with the "naturally curly hair."

Violet is the one with dark hair worn in a bun, and Patty (*not* Peppermint Patty) wears her hair straight, with a bow on the side.