New, much improved version of It's the Great Pumpkin soundtrack album coming in August 2022

Waiting in the sincere pumpkin patch has finally paid off!

Craft Recordings has announced a new, improved version of the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack album is coming on August 26, 2022 - and this time they've got it right.

To get straight to the point: all the tracks on this new version of the soundtrack are completely free of the special effects sounds and volume fluctuations that marred the previous 2018 release, have better sound quality in general, and in a few cases, do not have the abrupt edits found on the previous release.

Even better, along with the full, clean versions of the tracks from the 1966 television special, this new 2022 Great Pumpkin album will also include seven bonus tracks of alternate takes from the recording sessions.

You may recall I was not impressed with Craft's 2018 release, which was, shall we say, a compromised listening experience.

The new 2022 release is the version we were all hoping for the first time around.

The original recording session tapes for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown had long been thought lost, but over the past couple of years, the good folks at Lee Mendelson Film Productions did a new, thorough inventory of their archives, and found the original recording reels.

You can read all the details in Craft's announcement, which you can find here.

The new release will be available on CD, a regular LP, a pumpkin-shaped LP, and digitally - all formats can be pre-ordered now. (A "Pumpkin Patch splatter design" LP was also announced, but is already sold out.) The physical releases feature new liner notes from fivecentsplease.org co-host and Guaraldi expert Derrick Bang.

Craft has released one of the alternate takes, "The Great Pumpkin Waltz (Alternate Take 2)" as a preview; you can listen to it on YouTube or Bandcamp, or find it on other digital platforms as well.

Unfortunately, Craft has made a puzzling decision to give the new release a cover almost identical to the cover of the 2018 release; it would have been much less confusing if the covers were more distinct from each other. The sole difference between the covers is that the 2022 release says "Original Soundtrack Recording" at the top, whereas the 2018 release says "Music From The Soundtrack" at the top.  Unfortunately the font, size, and coloring are all the same, making the difference easy to miss.

But rest assured, every single track on the new release is from a new, better source. The new album can be identified by the seven extra bonus tracks, the 2022 release date, and the slightly different cover text.

Tantalizingly, the Craft Recordings press release states that the team at Lee Mendelson Productions discovered "a treasure trove of materials from Vince Guaraldi," of which the Great Pumpkin tapes were only a part. So yes, it's possible that there may be more albums of other Guaraldi material to come; research is still ongoing, and of course, good sales of this new 2022 version of the album will be helpful in encouraging future releases.

Meanwhile, we can all breathlessly look forward to the updated Great Pumpkin soundtrack on August 26.

New special Lucy's School, more Snoopy Show, and more Peanuts classics coming to Apple TV+ in August 2022

Apple TV+ continues to expand their collection of Peanuts shows, with several additions coming to the subscription streaming service in August 2022.

First, a second batch of episodes from Season 2 of The Snoopy Show will arrive on Friday, August 5, 2022.

On the same day, Apple will also add nine more classic Peanuts specials:

• A Charlie Brown Celebration
• He’s A Bully, Charlie Brown
• He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown
• It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown
• It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown
• There’s No Time For Love, Charlie Brown
• Why, Charlie Brown, Why?
• You’re In Love, Charlie Brown
• You’re The Greatest, Charlie Brown

And finally, a new Peanuts special (the third this year!) titled Lucy's School debuts on Friday, August 12, 2022. Apple PR describes it as follows:

The Peanuts gang are anxious about starting at a new school in the Fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead — but teaching isn’t as easy as it sounds. Lucy’s School is a love letter to teachers and an appreciation of what makes teaching such a noble and fulfilling profession. It explores the fear of change, and shows Lucy facing and overcoming her fears with the support of her friends.

For more information about Apple TV+, including how to watch and subscribe, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

To Mom (and Dad), With Love - new Peanuts special premieres May 6, 2022 on Apple TV+

The next new Peanuts special - To Mom (and Dad), With Love - will premiere on the Apple TV+ subscription streaming service on Friday, May 6, 2022.

You can watch a trailer for the special on YouTube, and here's the short description of the show:

To Mom (And Dad), With Love is a sweet Mother’s Day celebration of friendship and family featuring the beloved Peanuts gang. While the other kids are excited to celebrate the special day, for Peppermint Patty it’s just a reminder that she didn’t grow up with a mom. With her good friend Marcie by her side, she soon realizes that real families come in all shapes and sizes, and that Mother’s Day is an opportunity to thank that special person in your life who means the most to you. Meanwhile, Snoopy and Woodstock embark on an epic adventure to find Woodstock’s long-lost mom.

For more information about Apple TV+, including how to watch and subscribe, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown coming to Apple TV+ on April 15, 2022

Apple has announced that the new Earth Day-themed Peanuts special, It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown, will premiere on the Apple TV+ subscription streaming service on Friday, April 15, 2022.

You can watch a trailer for the special on YouTube, and here's the short description of the show:

In celebration of Earth Day, It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown follows Sally’s bond with a special little flower on the baseball field that may spell disaster for the big game. For Charlie Brown and the team, it’s just the inspiration they need to make a positive impact on their environment.

Apple also announced that the classic special It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown from 1976 will be available on Apple TV+ starting Friday, April 29, 2022 (which is, in fact, Arbor Day).

For more information about Apple TV+, including how to watch and subscribe, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

Season 2 of The Snoopy Show, two new Peanuts specials, and more classic specials coming to Apple TV+ in spring 2022

This week Apple announced that Season 2 of The Snoopy Snow, consisting of six new episodes, will be released on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 11, 2022.

See the trailer for the new season.

Apple also announced two new Peanuts specials for the subscription streaming service, both coming this spring:

• It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown, celebrating Earth Day, premieres on Friday, April 15, 2022;
• To Mom (and Dad), With Love, celebrating Mother's Day, arrives on Friday, May 6, 2022.

So far there are no further details beyond the titles of the specials.

Finally, you'll be able to stream five more classic Peanuts specials on Apple TV+ starting Friday, March 4, 2022:

• Charlie Brown's All-Stars
• You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown
• She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
• It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown
• Snoopy's Reunion

For more information about Apple TV+, including how to watch and subscribe, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

Reminder: A Charlie Brown Christmas airs Sunday, Dec 19 on PBS

Don't forget that your only chance to see A Charlie Brown Christmas on broadcast television this year is on Sunday, December 19 on your local PBS station at 7:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific).  As always, check your local listings to confirm the broadcast time.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

A Charlie Brown Christmas airs Sunday, December 19, 2021 on PBS & other TV news

The perennial holiday special A Charlie Brown Christmas will be broadcast from 7:30 - 8:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Sunday, December 19, 2021 on PBS and PBS KIDS stations across the country. Check your local station's listings to confirm the time.

This is the second year the show has been shown on PBS, in addition to streaming on the subscription service Apple TV+.

Unlike last year, there will be no free streaming period on Apple TV+ for non-subscribers, and the special remains unavailable to watch or rent on other streaming services.  (A widely circulated Associated Press article from a couple of weeks ago claiming there would be a free streaming period in 2021 was incorrect.)

If you prefer not to wait for the broadcast, subscribers can view A Charlie Brown Christmas at any time on Apple TV+, and is still available on DVD or Blu-ray.

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The 1992 show It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown will premiere on Apple TV+ starting Friday, December 3, 2021.  No over-the-air television broadcast of it is scheduled for 2021. You need to subscribe to Apple TV+ or get it on DVD to watch it; it remains unavailable to watch or rent on other streaming services.

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Finally, you can watch a trailer on YouTube for the upcoming new Peanuts special, now referred to as Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.  It will premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, December 10, 2021.

A classic Peanuts Christmas countdown on FiveCentsPlease.org for 2021

Ho ho ho!  FiveCentsPlease.org's annual tradition of counting down the days to Christmas with the Peanuts gang returns on Friday, November 26.

Our home page will feature a different seasonally themed comic each day through December 25.

Alas, new Christmas countdown panels are no longer being made, but once again we have reached into our expanded archives to bring you the 1993 panels, unseen (as far as we know) since their original run nearly 30 years ago.

(Research efforts last year by FiveCentsPlease.org co-host Derrick Bang uncovered 12 years of previously lost countdown panels... 1993 being one of them. You can read all about his hunt in his blog post.)

Unfortunately, the sources for these panels weren't high quality and required a fair bit of cleanup, so they aren't as crisp or detailed as the panels from the late 1990's and 2000's.

But we hope you'll still find them as charming as we do, and visit our home page each day to enjoy these panels as the holiday approaches!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs Sunday, November 21, 2021 on PBS

The traditional turkey-day Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be broadcast from 7:30 - 8:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Sunday, November 21, 2021 on PBS and PBS KIDS stations across the country. Check your local station's listings to confirm the time.

This is the second year the show has been shown on PBS, in addition to streaming on the subscription service Apple TV+. 

Unlike last year, there will be no free streaming period on Apple TV+ for non-subscribers, and the special remains unavailable to watch or rent on other streaming services.

If you prefer not to wait for the broadcast, subscribers can view A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at any time on Apple TV+, and is still available on DVD or Blu-ray.

Snoopy in Space Season 2 now streaming on Apple TV+

A new 12-episode season of Snoopy in Space is now available to watch on the subscription streaming service Apple TV+.  Titled Snoopy in Space: The Search for Life, Apple describes this season as follows:

Join Snoopy on an epic interstellar road trip as our intrepid beagle tackles one of the most compelling mysteries of humankind: is there life out there in the universe? Snoopy and his friends bring NASA’s most exciting current research to life, from searching for traces of ice and ancient fossils on Mars, to drilling into oceans hidden inside of distant moons, and even seeking out exoplanets far beyond our own solar system. Of course, like any good road trip, Snoopy and Woodstock’s journey includes lots of extra adventures along the way, plus plenty of support from Charlie Brown, Franklin, Marcie, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang back at Johnson Space Center. Let the adventure begin!

You can watch the trailer for the new season here, and read the full press release here.  The episodes premiered on November 12, 2021.

As part of the season 2 launch, Apple has released a 6-minute video titled "DIY Snoopy Space Lab," with instructions for three space-themed activities for kids - making galaxy slime, building a satellite, and creating moon sand.  Watch it on YouTube here.

Other Peanuts shows available solely on Apple TV+ include the first season of Snoopy in Space; the first season of The Snoopy Show; several of the classic Peanuts holiday television specials; the documentary Who Are You, Charlie Brown?, and the upcoming new special For Auld Lang Syne.

For information on how to watch and subscribe to Apple TV+, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

Time for Macy's 95th Annual Thanksgiving Parade

Snoopy is back again!

 

Save the date!

 

New Yorkers and visitors once again will be able to enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in person. After nearly two years of intense social distancing, we’ve no doubt this will be one of the best-attended parades ever.

 

The balloon(s) will go up — literally! — on November 25th. Folks not able to attend the 95th annual Macy’s Parade in person, can watch all the fun from 9 a.m. to noon, all time zones, on NBC-TV.

Astronaut Snoopy will return for the third consecutive year, continuing the world-famous beagle’s record as the longest-running balloon character in the parade.  Snoopy is delighted to know his ground crew will be back, because being driven by a utility vehicle — last year, due to Covid restrictions — was simply not the same.

It's the Great Pumpkin airs October 24 on PBS; Snoopy in Space Season 2 premieres November 12, 2021

Just a reminder that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs this weekend on Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 7:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific time) on most PBS and PBS Kids television stations across the country.  Check your local station's listings to confirm the broadcast time.

The Halloween special is also available to Apple TV+ subscribers to view at any time (there is no free streaming period for non-subscriber this year).

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Meanwhile, this week Apple released a trailer and full details for Season 2 of the Apple TV+ exclusive series Snoopy in Space.  Titled Snoopy in Space: The Search for Life, all 12 episodes will premiere November 12, 2021 on the subscription streaming service.  Watch the trailer here and read the full press release here!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to air on PBS on Sunday, October 24, 2021

The classic Halloween Peanuts special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will return to broadcast television this year. PBS and Apple have announced that It's the Great Pumpkin will air from 7:30 - 8:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Sunday, October 24, 2021 on PBS and PBS KIDS stations across the country. Check your local station's listings to confirm.

The show didn't air on television last year, due to the changeover of the Peanuts specials to become Apple TV+ exclusives, so it's great that it will return to free, broadcast television this year.

PBS and Apple also announced that A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas will likewise air on PBS and PBS KIDS this year (as they did last year), on Sunday, November 21 and Sunday, December 19, respectively.

Unlike last year, there will be no free streaming period on Apple TV+ for non-subscribers for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or the other two Peanuts holiday specials this year. And the specials remain unavailable to stream or rent from other streaming services.

If you prefer not to wait for the broadcast, all three holiday specials are available to watch at any time on Apple TV+ for subscribers, and are also still available on DVD or Blu-ray.

Apple TV+ announces new Peanuts special For Auld Lang Syne to premiere December 10, 2021

Apple and WildBrain have announced that a new, original New Year's-themed Peanuts special will debut December 10, 2021 on the subscription streaming service Apple TV+.

The plot of the special, titled simply For Auld Lang Syne, is described in the press release as: "after the Peanuts gang experience a disappointing Christmas because Grandma can't visit, Lucy resolves to throw herself the best New Year's Eve party ever, while Charlie Brown struggles to accomplish just one of his resolutions before the clock strikes twelve."

(It seems like a poorly conceived break with tradition that the title of the show includes nothing to brand it as a Peanuts special.)

The new special will join a handful of the classic Peanuts television specials - including the original Happy New Year, Charlie Brown from 1986 - as well as the new series Snoopy in Space and The Snoopy Show, as exclusives to the Apple TV+ streaming service.

For information on how to watch and subscribe to Apple TV+, visit tv.apple.com and this Apple support page.

Take Care with Peanuts

Peanuts Worldwide has kept an oddly low profile with one of its more admirable campaigns: one of the best uses of our beloved characters in decades.

 

The “Take Care with Peanuts” initiative is a global, multi-year enterprise that encourages everyone to “take care” — of themselves, each other, and the Earth. The initiative draws on the themes of wellness, community and environmental engagement found throughout Charles M. Schulz’s revered comic strip; the ongoing campaign includes philanthropic outreach, social messaging, and educational activities. 

 

Children and communities are at the heart of each message. As part of the campaign, new 60-second social media messages have been produced, one released each month, each centered around a different theme to remind us to press “Pause” in order to appreciate ourselves, those around us, and this place — Earth — that we all call home.

 

Each video focuses on one of three vital messages: Take Care of Yourself (physical and mental wellness); Take Care of Each Other (community and philanthropy); and Take Care of the Earth (nature and sustainability). The goal is to help inspire a major worldwide philanthropic movement, via social messaging and educational activities.

Each video message is available in 10 different languages.

 

The campaign’s official Peanuts.com page is woefully insubstantial, and doesn’t even include links to the various videos. They’re easy to find via a YouTube search, such as this one.

 

Although Peanuts Worldwide has made zero effort to publicize other sorts of activities, we can report on a fabulous “Take Care with Peanuts” campaign taking place in Hong Kong, where it has partnered with the Singaporean-style restaurant chain Dignity Kitchen. The company, based in Singapore, is a social enterprise business with the goal of helping the under-privileged. 

 

Outlets go out of their way to hire special-needs employees. Diners can leave messages on a “Caring Tree,” via heart-shaped stickers. Pay-it-forward food coupons — $50HK (about $6.40 U.S.) — can be purchased and pinned to a board, where they’re available to be redeemed for free meals by food-challenged individuals.

Isn’t this way cool? Compassionate, charitable, selfless and public-spirited?

 

We sure could use a little of that, here in the States…