A Charlie Brown Christmas streams free on Apple TV+ this weekend (Dec 16-17, 2023)

Get your Snoopy dance ready - A Charlie Brown Christmas streams for free on Apple TV+ this weekend only, Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Alas, the classic Peanuts holiday show will not be broadcast on over-the-air television this year.

To stream the special for free, you don't need an Apple device. The Apple TV+ app is available for a variety of streaming devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and on several different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any computer by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You won't need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have or create an Apple ID to sign in and watch. After you sign in, search for the name of the special if you don't see it right away.

(The special also remains available to purchase on DVD or Blu-ray.)

The Snoopy Show 2023 Christmas Special premieres December 1 on Apple TV+

For the second year in a row, the subscription service Apple TV+ is offering a new Christmas-themed episode of The Snoopy Show.

"Happiness is Holiday Traditions" will premiere on Friday, December 1, 2023.

Running 23 minutes long, the show is divided into three segments, like other episodes of The Snoopy Show:

• Happiness is Holiday Traditions - Snoopy searches for the perfect tree topper
• Window Wonderland - Woodstock gets trapped in a window display
• Spike's Old-Fashioned Christmas - Snoopy and Woodstock visit Spike for Christmas

Look for this episode under The Snoopy Show, it's listed as season 3, episode 13.

Don't forget that you can also watch the 2022 Christmas episode ("Happiness is the Gift of Giving", season 2, episode 13), and all the classic Peanuts holiday specials - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992), Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (2002), and I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003) - on Apple TV+ as well.

If you're not an Apple TV+ subscriber, A Charlie Brown Christmas will be available to stream for free on Saturday, December 16 & Sunday, December 17, 2023.

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

A classic Peanuts Christmas countdown on FiveCentsPlease.org for 2023

Are you counting down the days until Christmas? FiveCentsPlease.org and the Peanuts gang are - our annual tradition of publishing classic Peanuts Christmas countdown panels is back, this year featuring panels from 1989.

Starting Friday, November 24, and continuing through December 25, our home page will feature a different holiday-themed comic each day.

New Christmas countdown panels are no longer being made, but we've reached into the archives to bring you historical panels that haven't been republished (as far as we know) since their original run over 30 years ago.

(A few years ago, FiveCentsPlease.org co-host Derrick Bang uncovered 12 years of previously lost countdown panels... 1989 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 don't look as crisp as ones from later years.)

Please join us on our home page for a new comic each day, and we hope the Christmas countdown panels prompt a little smile every 24 hours, as they do for us!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving streams free on Apple TV+ this weekend (Nov 18-19, 2023)

Just a reminder that the free window for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on streaming service Apple TV+ is this weekend only, Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19, 2023.

The classic Peanuts holiday show will not be broadcast on over-the-air television this year.

To stream the special for free, you don't need an Apple device. The Apple TV+ app is available for a variety of streaming devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and on several different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any computer by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You won't need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have or create an Apple ID to sign in and watch. After you sign in, search for the name of the special if you don't see it right away.

Can Beagle Scouts fly?

(This special post is by 5CP Associate Editor Gayna Lamb-Bang.)

(Amended, to correct two mistakes; note, in particular, the parade start time.)

A new Snoopy balloon and Peanuts float will debut at this year’s 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

The parade will be televised from 8:30 a.m. to noon November 23rd, all time zones, on NBC-TV and also streaming via Peacock.

The 55-foot tall Beagle Scout Snoopy, wearing his red Scout tie and green backpack, with his pal Woodstock sitting on his hat, will join the festivities. This honors the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of Beagle Scouts in the Peanuts newspaper strip. (Check out the relevant strips below.)

Snoopy continues to be the longest-running character in the parade’s history.  He started in 1968 as the WWI Flying Ace, which was followed by an Astronaut, Ice Skater, Ice Skater with Woodstock, Millennium Snoopy, an updated Flying Ace, Snoopy and Woodstock, an updated Astronaut, and now the Beagle Scout with Woodstock. 

The new Peanuts float will feature Camp Snoopy, with Woodstock and friends perched on top of their tent, on the lookout for some wild turkeys.  

To top it all off, in 2024 Apple TV+ will present more of the Peanuts gang’s adventures, with the premiere of the “Camp Snoopy” series.

Snoopy debuted as an "apprentice Scout" on May 13, 1974

He hoped to become a Beagle Scout the following day...

...and he finally debuted as the World-Famous Beagle Scout on May 17.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack album now available!

The complete original soundtrack for the 1973 special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, with music composed by Vince Guaraldi, is now available to buy on CD, vinyl, and digital download, or to stream on your favorite streaming service.

While a few cues from the special have been released on previous Vince Guaraldi compilations (for example, "Thanksgiving Theme" on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits), most of the tracks have never been available before.

Released on October 20, 2023, this new album features the entire soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in terrific stereo sound that showcases the music and instrumentation far better than in the broadcast show. And rest assured, the tracks - transferred in high resolution from the original studio session tapes - are all sound-effects free.

The 13 tracks of show score - including the song "Little Birdie," sung by Guaraldi himself - are accompanied by 9 bonus and alternative tracks. The liner notes for the physical releases have a track-by-track analysis by Sean Mendelson, musician, record producer, and son of Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson.

The CD and regular black vinyl LP can be bought from the MVD Entertainment shop (the album's publisher), Amazon, or numerous other online retailers.

Two color variants of the LP were also announced - "Jelly Bean Green" for Record Store Day and "Cranberry Sauce Red" from Target - but may be difficult to get at this point.

You can purchase a digital download from Apple Music or Amazon (click on "Purchase Options"), as well as other places that offer lossless and high resolution downloads such as Qobuz or Presto Music .

Finally, you can stream the album on Apple Music, Spotify, or other streaming services; and you can preview the whole album on the Lee Mendelson Productions YouTube channel.

Note that purchasing the album instead of - or in addition to - streaming it will help ensure that there will be releases of other Vince Guaraldi Peanuts soundtracks in the future!

For more information about the Thanksgiving soundtrack release, see the official press release and additional details on the Mendelson Productions website.

If you're interested in learning more about the album's background, including how the music masters were found, what work was done to create the album, and thoughts on how the music for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving compares to Guaraldi's other Peanuts soundtracks, be sure to check out these entertaining and informative podcasts:

Cereal at Midnight - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Rediscovered, with album producers Jason and Sean Mendelson

WCB Jazz Vinyl Collector - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Soundtrack: Interview with Sean Mendelson + Vinyl Discussion

The track list of the album is as follows:

Show score
1.Charlie Brown Blues
2. Thanksgiving Theme
3. Thanksgiving Theme (Reprise)
4. Peppermint Patty
5. Little Birdie
6. Thanksgiving Interlude
7. Is It James or Charlie?
8. Linus and Lucy
9. Fife & Drums Theme
10. Charlie Brown Blues (Reprise)
11. Thanksgiving Interlude (Reprise)
12. Thanksgiving Theme (2nd Reprise)
13. Thanksgiving Theme (3rd Reprise)

Bonus/Alternate tracks
14. Thanksgiving Theme (Alternate)
15. Peppermint Patty (Bonus Mix)
16. Linus and Lucy (Bonus Mix)
17. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 2, 4, and 6)
18. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 10)
19. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 14)
20. Is It James or Charlie? (Bonus mix with Whistling)
21. Clark and Guaraldi

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streams free on Apple TV+ this weekend (Oct 21-22, 2023)

Just a reminder that the free streaming window for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on streaming service Apple TV+ is this weekend only, Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22, 2023.

The classic Peanuts special will not be on over-the-air television this year.

So if watching the "broadcast" of It's the Great Pumpkin is a yearly event in your house, be sure to get ready to fire the stream up.

To stream the special for free, you don't need an Apple device. The Apple TV+ app is available for a variety of streaming devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and on several different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any computer by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You won't need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have or create an Apple ID to sign in and watch. After you sign in, search for the name of the special if you don't see it right away.

(Of course, if you are an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can watch the show at any time, on any day.  It's already #8 on Apple's Top Chart as of October 19!)

It's the Great Pumpkin will stream free on Apple TV+ on Oct 21 & 22, 2023; no TV broadcast for Peanuts holiday specials again this year

First, the bad news: once again this year, the three classic Peanuts holiday specials - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas - will not be shown on over-the-air broadcast television.

Instead they remain available only through the Apple TV+ subscription streaming service (or via DVD and Blu-ray).

However, the good news is that Apple has announced that also like last year, the three specials will be available for everyone to stream for free, without a subscription, for a short period before each holiday.

The less good news is that while last year Apple offered the free streams for 4 days each, this year, the free streaming window is down to just 2 days for each special.

But, it's better than no free streaming window at all...

The free streaming dates are:

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Saturday, October 21 & Sunday, October 22, 2023
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Saturday, November 18 & Sunday November 19, 2023
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - Saturday, December 16 & Sunday, December 17 2023

To stream the specials for free, you don't need an Apple device. The Apple TV+ app is also available for a variety of streaming devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire, and on several different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any computer by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You won't need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have or create an Apple ID to sign in and watch.  After you sign in, search for the name of the special if you don't see it right away.

(Of course, if you are an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can watch the specials at any time, on any day.)

---

In addition, Apple announced another new Christmas episode of The Snoopy Show for 2023. Titled "Happiness is Holiday Traditions," the special episode will premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, December 1. In this year's outing, according to Apple, Snoopy searches for the perfect tree topper, Woodstock gets trapped in a window display, and Snoopy and Woodstock visit Spike for Christmas.

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

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres August 18, 2023 on Apple TV+

The new Peanuts animated special, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, premieres Friday, August 18, 2023 on the streaming service Apple TV+.

As you might guess from the title, the show focuses on the character Marcie; you can watch the trailer on YouTube.

Apple's description of the show:

Sometimes, the people who make the biggest difference aren’t the ones who grab the spotlight. In Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, we get to see firsthand how our lovable introvert, Marcie, makes a monumental difference from behind the scenes for both her friends and her community. To train for the school golf championship, Marcie assists Peppermint Patty as her caddie, offering thoughtful and deliberate advice to help her win. Meanwhile, after coming up with brilliant solutions to her classmates’ problems – from hallway traffic jams to lunchtime pizza shortages – Marcie is unexpectedly elected as class president … a role she never wanted. 

Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Marcie struggles to cope with the expectations of her new job and retreats as far from the public eye as possible. As the golf championship begins, Marcie is still in hiding and Peppermint Patty is forced to tee off with Charlie Brown filling in as her caddie. But after some wise advice and a little introspection, Marcie realizes she can still make a difference for her friends and the school – she’ll just have to buck other people’s expectations and do it her own unique way.

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

Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack to be released October 20, 2023

Break out the jelly beans and popcorn! The complete original soundtrack for the 1973 special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, composed by Vince Guaraldi, will be released by Lee Mendelson Film Productions on October 20, 2023, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the classic Peanuts holiday special.

In the show, Charlie Brown's plans for Thanksgiving go awry when Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends to join him for dinner... and he has to come up with a meal for them, even though he doesn't know how to cook (and he is "helped" by Snoopy and Woodstock, of course). Almost every scene in the show is accompanied by Vince Guaraldi's music, and famously includes the song "Little Birdie," sung by Guaraldi himself.

While a few cues from the special have been released on previous Vince Guaraldi compilations (for example, "Thanksgiving Theme" on Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits), most of the tracks have never been available before.

This new album will feature the entire soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in terrific stereo sound that showcases the music and instrumentation far better than in the broadcast show. And rest assured, the tracks - transferred in high resolution from the original studio session tapes - will all be sound-effects free.

Coming on CD, LP, and digitally, the 13 tracks of show score will be accompanied by 9 never-before-heard bonus and alternative tracks. The liner notes for the physical releases will have a track-by-track analysis by Sean Mendelson, musician, record producer and son of Peanuts producer Lee Mendelson.

After last year's release of the complete original soundtrack for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, it's exciting to get another high-quality album for another beloved Guaraldi score.

Currently you can pre-order the CD and regular black vinyl versions from the MVD Entertainment shop  (the album's publisher) or from Amazon; they should eventually be available from other retailers as well.

The LP will also be released in two color variants, "Jelly Bean Green" for Record Store Day and "Cranberry Sauce Red" from Target - you've got to love the color names!

You can see the official press release and additional details on the Mendelson Productions website, and preview the alternate track "Is It James or Charlie? (Bonus Mix With Whistling)" on YouTube.

Plus, be sure to check out Guaraldi historian (and FiveCentsPlease.org co-host) Derrick Bang's description of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack at his Impressions of Vince blog.

The track list of the release will be as follows:

Show score

1.Charlie Brown Blues

2. Thanksgiving Theme
3. Thanksgiving Theme (Reprise)
4. Peppermint Patty
5. Little Birdie
6. Thanksgiving Interlude
7. Is It James or Charlie?
8. Linus and Lucy
9. Fife & Drums Theme
10. Charlie Brown Blues (Reprise)
11. Thanksgiving Interlude (Reprise)
12. Thanksgiving Theme (2nd Reprise)
13. Thanksgiving Theme (3rd Reprise)

Bonus/Alternate tracks
14. Thanksgiving Theme (Alternate)
15. Peppermint Patty (Bonus Mix)
16. Linus and Lucy (Bonus Mix)
17. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 2, 4, and 6)
18. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 10)
19. Thanksgiving Interlude (Alternate take 14)
20. Is It James or Charlie? (Bonus mix with Whistling)
21. Clark and Guaraldi

The Snoopy Show Season 3 arrives on Apple TV+, new Peanuts specials announced for 2023 and 2024

The subscription streaming service Apple TV+ and Wildbrain have extended their partnership and announced several new Peanuts shows coming this year and next.

First, The Snoopy Show is back for a third season, with 12 new episodes available starting June 9, 2023 . As with previous seasons, each episode is about 22 minutes long, with three different story segments. You can watch the Season 3 trailer on YouTube.

Next, a new special titled Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie will premiere August 18, 2023.  You can watch the trailer on YouTube.  Apple's synopsis:

“One-of-a-Kind Marcie” follows Marcie, an introvert who loves her solitude but also enjoys helping her friends. As they train for the school golf championship, Marcie assists Peppermint Patty as her caddie, offering thoughtful and deliberate advice to help her win. Meanwhile, after coming up with brilliant solutions to her classmates’ problems — from hallway traffic jams to lunchtime pizza shortages — Marcie is unexpectedly elected as class president … a role she never wanted. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Marcie struggles to cope with the expectations of her new job and retreats as far from the public eye as possible. As the golf championship begins, Marcie is still in hiding and Peppermint Patty is forced to tee off with Charlie Brown filling in as her caddie. But after some wise advice and a little introspection, Marcie realizes she can still make a difference for her friends and the school — she’ll just have to buck other people’s expectations and do it her own unique way.

Looking forward to 2024, we can expect a new series titled Camp Snoopy, which Apple describes as:

After discovering their troop is in danger of disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts set off to the Great Outdoors to earn their performance badges, with the Beagle Scout Manual as their guide. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and friends enjoy their summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy as they experience everything camp and the outdoors have to offer. 

Finally, another new special, Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin, is also due sometime in 2024:

The origin story for one of Peanuts’ most beloved characters, Franklin, follows how he approaches making new friends. Franklin’s family is always on the move with his dad’s military job, and everywhere he goes Franklin finds support in a notebook filled with his grandfather’s advice on friendship. But when Franklin tries his usual strategies with the Peanuts gang, he has trouble fitting in. That’s until he learns about the neighborhood Soap Box Derby race — according to his grandfather, everyone loves a winner! He’s sure that winning the race will also mean winning over some new friends. All he needs is a partner, which he finds in Charlie Brown. Franklin and Charlie Brown work together to build a car and in the process become good buddies. But as the race nears, the pressure mounts — can their car and their newfound friendship make it to the finish line?

And for those who enjoy the classic Peanuts specials, Apple will be adding over a dozen more to the service on September 28, 2023. (Hopefully! I note that some of these were originally announced as coming on May 5, but have now apparently been delayed to September.) The list for September is:

A Charlie Brown Celebration

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown

Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown?

It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown

It's Magic, Charlie Brown

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown

It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown

Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown

Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown

Play it Again, Charlie Brown

Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown

Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (animated adaptation)

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown