A local tradition is being removed from its seasonal airing for the first time since its original television debut on CBS in 1965. The classic Charlie Brown holiday specials have been a staple for people of the Bay Area. The creator of the Peanuts character and comics, Charles M. Schultz, was a local artist and the years spent here have long cemented Sonoma County as the home of the Peanuts.
CBS had held these airing rights until 2001 when they were handed over to ABC, but as of this year, the Peanut specials have been sold over to Apple TV+. This pulls the beloved animated specials from television and moves them onto the streaming platform for the foreseeable future. This includes the rentable versions from other websites such as Amazon, that have all been removed in favor of Apple TV+.
Despite these specials being behind a paywall now, Apple has been generous to make sure families can all continue their traditions. The Peanuts twitter page tweeted out a comforting message, ““It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Watch it for free from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 and get ready for more Peanuts specials this holiday season”. A few days before every holiday linked to the original classics,” It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be made available for free on Apple TV+ for anyone to watch. No subscriptions are needed to view these classics during the holiday season.
Apple continued to announce the free dates, “Just in time for Thanksgiving, Apple TV+ will launch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” on November 18, and the special will be available for free from Nov. 25 until Nov. 27. The Peanuts gang will also deck the halls with the premiere of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ on Dec. 4. The holiday special will be available to enjoy for free from Dec. 11 until Dec. 13”, their press release continued.
Despite the free time slots available, this has received backlash from long time viewers and those who participate in the tradition of watching these every season. Sitting at over 221,800 signatures, a Change.org petition was launched asking for the Charlie Brown specials to be added back onto television, a more inclusive way for many to watch. This started the trend of #AppleHatesTraditions people spoke out against the purchasing of a long time local tradition.
Apple TV+ has acquired more than just these three specials though, in a press release on Oct. 19 they announced more to come. “New animated “Peanuts” originals coming to Apple TV+ include a second season of the Daytime Emmy-nominated “Snoopy in Space,” and a slate of brand-new specials that will find the “Peanuts” gang marking Mother’s Day, Earth Day, New Year’s Eve and going back to school – all to be produced by WildBrain’s animation studio”.
So more holiday specials for the year round are to be announced and released under the Apple TV+ service. Adding more to the title and making it more than the purchasing of the Charlie Brown specials. If you want to watch them, the windows are slim but they are available for free. Traditions are able to continue but on a new platform for the time being, so viewers are still able to enjoy all Peanuts specials as a celebration to the coming holidays.
