Apple TV+ announces 2025 free streaming dates for classic Peanuts holiday specials

Subscription service Apple TV+, the only place where you can stream the classic Peanuts television specials, has announced the weekends when you can stream the three best known Peanuts holiday shows for free, without a subscription.

The free streaming window is just 2 days for each special, but it's better than no free option at all.

The free streaming dates for 2025 are:

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Saturday, October 18 & Sunday, October 19, 2025
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Saturday, November 15 & Sunday, November 16, 2025
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - Saturday, December 13 & Sunday, December 14, 2025

To watch the specials for free, an Apple device isn't your only option. The Apple TV+ app is also available for a variety of streaming devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire, on several different smart TV brands, and for portable devices running Android. You can also watch using a web browser on any computer by going to tv.apple.com .  

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.

For more information about Apple TV+, visit this information page.

Of course, if you're already a subscriber, you can watch the specials at any time, on any day.

As has been the case since 2022, there will be no over-the-air broadcast of the Peanuts specials this year. The shows remain available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray.

Apple also announced that they've extended their agreement to be the exclusive streaming home for all Peanuts shows - both the classic ones from Lee Mendelson Film Productions, and new ones created for Apple by WildBrain - for another five years, until 2030. The announcement says there are plans for "more new original Peanuts series and specials," without any specifics. You can read the full press release from Apple here.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streams free on Apple TV+ this weekend (Oct 19-20, 2024)

Don't forget that the free streaming window for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on streaming service Apple TV+ is this weekend only, Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, 2024.

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're an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can watch the show at any time, on any day. It's already #2 on Apple's Top Chart as of October 17!

Also, remember that the complete Vince Guaraldi soundtrack for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was released a couple of years ago.  It's still available to buy on CD or LP (including a pumpkin-shaped LP!), or stream on your favorite music service.  (Be aware there were two releases of this soundtrack - you want the superior one from 2022 that is labelled "Original Soundtrack Recording".)

It's the Great Pumpkin and other Peanuts holiday specials will stream free on Apple TV+ in 2024

Apple has announced that the big three Peanuts holiday specials - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas - will once again be available for everyone to stream for free, without a subscription, for a short period before each holiday this year.

The free streaming window is just 2 days for each show, but it's better than no free option at all.

The free streaming dates for 2024 are:

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Saturday, October 19 & Sunday, October 20, 2024
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Saturday, November 23 & Sunday, November 24, 2024
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - Saturday, December 14 & Sunday, December 15, 2024

To watch 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're already an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can watch the specials at any time, on any day.)

As has been the case since 2022, there will be no over-the-air broadcast of the Peanuts specials this year.  The shows remain available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray.

And don't forget that thanks to the hard work of our friends at Lee Mendelson Film Productions, you can now stream or buy the wonderful Vince Guaraldi soundtracks for all three holiday specials on CD, LP, or digital!

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.)

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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.

Reminder: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streams for free on Apple TV, October 28 - 31, 2022

As we learned a couple of weeks ago, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will not be shown on broadcast television this year.

While Apple still deserves a rock for this move, they are offering the classic Halloween special via streaming for free - without a subscription - via the Apple TV app from Friday October 28 through Monday October 31, 2022. It's not as widely accessible as a free TV broadcast, but it's the best on offer this year.

You do not need an Apple device to use the Apple TV app. It is also available on a variety of streaming devices, including Rokus and Amazon Fires, and on many different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any device by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You do not need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have, or create, an Apple ID to sign in and watch.  (Apple fails to mention this in their instructions, below.)

Apple's instructions for streaming Great Pumpkin for free are:

1. Go to tv.apple.com or download the Apple TV app from the app store wherever you watch (streaming) shows and movies.
2. Search for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and hit Play to stream for free from October 28-31.

The special also remains available for purchase on DVD and Blu-ray as an alternative.

Also, don't forget that a few months ago, Craft Recordings released a new, improved version of the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack - free of special effects, with much better sound quality, and several bonus tracks.  Well worth getting if you haven't already!  (Just be sure to get the 2022 version.)

It's the Great Pumpkin and other Peanuts holiday specials won't air on PBS in 2022, will be free on Apple TV+ for a limited time

Bad news for traditionalists: Apple TV+ and PBS have confirmed that  It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts holiday specials will not be airing on PBS or another over-the-air broadcast television station this year.

Instead, in 2022, the Apple TV+ streaming service will make the three big Peanuts holiday specials available to view for free without a subscription for a limited period around each holiday, as follows:

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - October 28 - 31, 2022 (Friday - Monday)
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - November 23 - 27, 2022 (Wednesday - Sunday)
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - December 22 - 25, 2022 (Thursday - Sunday)

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 a variety of different smart TV brands. You can also watch using a web browser on any device by going to tv.apple.com . See this Apple support page for a more detailed list of supported devices and how to watch.

You will not need to subscribe to Apple TV+, but you will need to either have or create an Apple ID to sign in and watch.  (Apple fails to mention this in their instructions, below.)

(If you're already an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can watch the specials at any time, on any day.)

In addition to the links above, Apple provided this graphic (click to show larger):

This is not the first time that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving haven't been seen on broadcast TV - Great Pumpkin didn't air in 2020, and Thanksgiving failed to make it to TV screens a few times over the past decades.

But unless something changes - and right now there's no indication that it will - this will be the first time since its original broadcast in 1965 that A Charlie Brown Christmas will not have an over-the-air television broadcast.

The three holiday specials remain available for purchase on DVD and Blu-ray as an alternative.

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Meanwhile, Apple TV+ also announced additional Peanuts content that's coming to the subscription streaming service in December.

First, two additional classic Peanuts holiday specials will finally be available on Apple TV+: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales will be added to the service on December 2, 2022.

They will be joining A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, meaning that all four classic Peanuts Christmas specials will be available on Apple TV+.

Also on December 2, 2022, Apple TV+ will premiere a new Christmas-themed episode of The Snoopy Show. According to Apple TV+: In “Happiness Is the Gift of Giving,” Snoopy adapts a Christmas poem to help Sally sleep, Charlie Brown makes gifts for his pals and Snoopy finds waiting to open his presents a challenge.

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

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.

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.

Reminder: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown streaming for free Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2020 on Apple TV+

Most folks are justifiably disappointed that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown isn't being shown on regular broadcast television this year, due to the new deal that moved the Peanuts specials exclusively to the streaming service Apple TV+.

However, the Halloween classic will be available to watch for free, without a subscription, on the Apple TV+ app or website for three days: Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 1, 2020.

Watching it via the Apple TV+ app definitely isn't as simple or universally accessible as a television broadcast - the length of the explanation in this post is proof of that - but it's the only free option on offer this year, if you don't already own the show on home video.

To watch, you'll need to either install the Apple TV+ app on a supported device; or watch it via a web browser, on any computer, at tv.apple.com .

Supported devices include: Apple devices including the iPad, iPhone, Apple TV set-top boxes, and Macs; Roku or Amazon Fire TV streaming devices; and select smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Vizio, or Sony. For more information about supported devices and setting Apple TV+ up on them, see this Apple support webpage.

You do not need to subscribe (or even start a free trial) to Apple TV+ in order to install the app on any of those devices and watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown during the free period.  However, you will have to sign in with a new or existing account Apple account (such as the one you use for iTunes, Apple Music, or iCloud).  But signing in does not subscribe you to Apple TV+.

Once you're in the Apple TV+ app, the show is featured on the front page of the app, or can be found in the "Kids" section.  At the tv.apple.com website, for the moment it's listed at the very top, but if you don't see it there, you may need to scroll quite a ways through the list of shows to find it.

See Apple's website for more information about the AppleTV+ streaming service in general.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts holiday specials move to Apple TV+; new specials and series also announced for Apple TV+

If, like me, you've been wondering why ABC hasn't set a broadcast date yet for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - even though there are less than two weeks until Halloween - today we learned the apparent answer.

Today a press release from Apple and WildBrain Entertainment announced that the subscription streaming service Apple TV+ will "become the home for all things 'Peanuts,' bringing together new original series and specials, along with iconic beloved specials to fans around the world, all in one place."

The new series and brand-new specials coming to Apple TV+ will include:

• The Snoopy Show (premieres Feb 5, 2021 - see below for more information);
• New specials about Mother's Day, Earth Day, New Year's Eve, and "going back to school." (Yes, there's already a New Year's special.. but it sounds like they're going to make another one.);
• A brand-new documentary for the 70th anniversary of Peanuts;
• A second season of Snoopy in Space (the first season has been part of Apple TV+ since the service launched - see this blog post for more details).

No release date has been set for the other new shows other than The Snoopy Show.

But perhaps the more significant part of today's announcement is that the three classic Peanuts holiday specials - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas - will now exclusively be part of the Apple TV+ streaming service.

Each holiday special will be made available to view for free without a subscription via Apple TV+ for three days only.  (Of course, if you have an Apple TV+ subscription, they will be viewable whenever you want.)

While it hasn't been officially stated, most sources agree that ABC has lost the rights to broadcast the Peanuts holiday specials and none of them will appear on network television this year. (Three pieces of information support this: the announcement from Apple and Wildbrain; ABC's most recent contract to broadcast the specials expired this year; and the lack of any broadcast dates announcement by ABC.

This means the 55 year tradition of over-the-air, network broadcasts of the beloved holiday specials starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the gang has come to an end, unfortunately.

The Apple TV+ premiere and free streaming dates for the classic holiday specials will be as follows (all dates 2020):

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - begins streaming on October 19, free to non-subscribers from October 30 to November 1
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - begins streaming on November 18, free to non-subscribers from November 25 to November 27
• A Charlie Brown Christmas - begins streaming on December 4, free to non-subscribers from December 11 to December 13

It's not clear if other classic Peanuts specials will also become available as part of Apple TV+ or not.

The streaming service Apple TV+ costs $4.99 a month.  You can watch it on Apple devices (including iPad, iPhone, Apple TV boxes, and Macs); on streaming devices such as Rokus, Amazon Fire boxes, and select smart TVs; or on the web at tv.apple.com .  You do not need to subscribe to the service to install the Apple TV app on any of those devices and watch the holiday specials during the free periods; you may, however, need to sign in with an existing or new Apple account.  See Apple's website for more information .

You can read today's full press release on either Apple or WildBrain's website.

While the press release doesn't use the word "exclusive" when referring to the classic Peanuts specials, it appears that at least for now, they are no longer available for digital rental/digital purchase from other services such as Amazon Prime or Vudu.  It's unknown if this is a temporary period of exclusivity, or a permanent one... time will tell.

The five theatrical Peanuts movies are not part of the Apple TV+ deal.

DVDs and Blu-rays of the classic specials remain available for purchase, however.

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More details about the upcoming new Peanuts series The Snoopy Show:

It will premiere Feb 5, 2021 on Apple TV+ and each episode will consist of "three, seven-minute cartoons".

It's described as "a new animated series for kids and families that stars the internationally beloved beagle and his feathered best friend Woodstock as they tackle all new adventures. [..] All of Snoopy's bold, beloved personas are on full display in this brand-new animated comedy."  Exactly how many episodes there will be has not been revealed. You can watch the teaser trailer on Youtube.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to air October 22 & 27, 2019 on ABC

Get your flying ace and ghost costumes ready - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be broadcast twice on ABC in October 2019.

First, an edited version airs on Tuesday, October 22 from 8:00 - 8:30 PM.

Then the full, unedited special together with You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown airs on Sunday, October 27 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific) - note the second showing is starting an hour earlier than it has in past years.

Peanuts Holiday Collection Limited Edition Blu-ray set coming October 1 + A Boy Named Charlie Brown in theaters reminder

Do we need another yet another release of the Peanuts Holiday Collection video set? Warner Home Entertainment thinks so. On October 1, 2019, they'll be offering what they're calling the Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection Limited Edition Blu-Ray set.

This new iteration of the set will feature 9 classic Peanuts specials on Blu-ray, three of which have not been released widely on Blu-ray before. (More on that in a bit.)

The specials included are:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's Magic, Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown's All-Stars
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
The Mayflower Voyagers
Play It Again, Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown

The supposed lures of the set are that it will feature "brand-new bonus content" and comes in a "limited edition Snoopy doghouse giftset."

The new special features will be a new featurette titled It's Not the Holidays Without Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown! and "new audio commentary" for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

No information about who is doing the audio commentary, or the content of the featurette, has been revealed so far. It's also unclear if the behind-the-scenes featurettes from the previous Warner DVD and Blu-ray releases of these shows will be included - a question sent to the studio's media contacts about that was not unanswered. (But don't be surprised if they don't include the old bonus content.)

In addition to the doghouse packaging, inside the you set will also find an "exclusive Snoopy figurine" and a "Charlie Brown holiday book," and it will be "a numbered, limited edition set with only 25,000 total sets available." Digital copies of the shows will also be included.

All this for $99.99 suggested retail.

The three mostly new to Blu-Ray shows are Charlie Brown's All-Stars; Play It Again, Charlie Brown; and It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown. But wait, I hear you say, weren't those released on the Peanuts Holiday Collection Deluxe Edition 4K UltraHD set in 2017? Well, sort of. They were on the 4K Ultra HD discs in that set... and It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown was on the Blu-rays in that set... but the other two shows weren't. So, if you don't have the means or desire to play Ultra HD discs, you can now get those three shows on Blu-ray in this set. Assuming you don't mind getting an expensive gift set that duplicates the other 6 shows you likely already have on Blu-ray.

(Also, it turns out those three specials were released on Blu-ray on Target exclusive versions of the Blu-rays in 2018... something I didn't learn until this year. Unfortunately, those Target exclusives are no longer available.)

One final note: the name of the set is a mouthful to begin with, but is made more ridiculous by the fact that it's being released one day before what is actually only the 69th anniversary of Peanuts. The 70th anniversary isn't until October 2, 2020. The marketing department at Warner seems quite overeager to get there...

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Meanwhile, don't forget that you still have a chance to celebrate a Peanuts anniversary in a much more appropriately timed way, by going to see the "50th anniversary" showings of 1969 theatrical film A Boy Named Charlie Brown in select movie theaters this week, on Wednesday August 21 and Saturday August 24.

To find out if and when it'll be showing in a theater near you, visit the CineLife Entertainment website's page for A Boy Named Charlie Brown . (Apologies that this reminder is not as timely as it should have been.)

We got a rock: Craft Recordings releases inferior It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack album (Review)

UPDATE:  On August 26, 2022, Craft Recordings will release a new version of the Great Pumpkin soundtrack album, this time taken from the original recording session tapes, completely free of sound effects and with better sound quality.  See this blog post for details.  The comments below apply only to the 2018 version of this album; they do not apply to the 2022 release.  The 2022 reelease is a definite must have!

ORIGINAL BLOG POST:

This week, Craft Recordings (a division of Concord Records) is releasing what they are calling a soundtrack album of Vince Guaraldi's music to It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

The album will be released on CD on Friday, October 12; it's already available as a digital download from iTunes, Amazon, and other digital music stores, and also available on streaming services such as Spotify. A vinyl (LP) version was released on August 30, 2019.

This might sound like exciting news to many Peanuts fans, given the great music Vince Guaraldi (and John Scott Trotter) composed for the classic television special. Unfortunately, it turns out the album is more trick than treat - it disappoints in content, quality, and length, and in my opinion, is best avoided and not worth adding to your collection.

The problems are due to the source used for the album. Unlike the music that appears on other Vince Guaraldi albums - such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Boy Named Charlie Brown - the tapes of the original musical recordings for the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown special are lost and may well no longer exist.

So instead, Craft Recordings has used the "music and effects" track from the special to create this album. Basically, this the exact audio from the television show, just without the dialog.

That means while it does have the background music as it appears in the special, the tracks also have all the sound effects - for example, the thuds and bumps of Linus and Lucy rolling the pumpkin and cutting it up in the opening scene, Snoopy blowing on the leaf and the sound of Charlie Brown charging into and landing in the leaf pile in the next scene, and so on. While most of the tracks are affected to some degree, the worst is "Breathless," the music when Snoopy the WWI Flying Ace imagines he's crossing no man's land. This is one of the soundtrack pieces most requested by fans - but on this release, the subtle music is buried under various gunshots, sirens, and other sounds to give the ambiance of World War I.

(If you want to hear it for yourself, you can play all the actual tracks from this album on YouTube; in particularly, try Breathless.)

The music and effects track is also at least one, if not several, generations removed from the original music recordings, resulting in a noticeable loss of sound quality. While Craft Recordings' engineers have made some effort to remaster and restore the sound, one cannot create a miracle from a weak source, and the limitations show - there is distinct hiss in some tracks, some harshness, and volume fluctuations. The tracks are also all in mono (not stereo).

The final issue is that this new album presents the music exactly as it appears in the special.

Typically, when music is recorded for a television special or a movie, the musicians record longer, full pieces that are then edited down to fit the special as needed. On the Charlie Brown Christmas album, we hear the full music pieces, instead of the shortened versions that play in the background of the show. Unfortunately this isn't the case with the Great Pumpkin album, since the original recording session tapes (apparently) no longer exist.

Using the music as it was edited for the special results in numerous very short cues (many are just 20-30 seconds long), abrupt fades and transitions, and a general choppy feel to the whole thing; it's not a satisfying listening experience just based on this alone. The intrusive sound effects and overall poor audio quality make it even worse.

In fact, the entire album is extremely short: it's only a little over 20 minutes long (as the special itself only runs around 24 minutes). Having to pay full album price for only 20 minutes of music is very poor value. (How short is it?  On the vinyl release, they only used one side of the LP!)  At the very least, Craft Recordings should have combined the album with the release of music from another special.

Nowhere in their press release - or on the album cover, front or back - do Craft Recordings make it clear that customers are getting a music and effects track instead of the original recordings. The Great Pumpkin would not be impressed with their sincerity.

Given that we all love the music from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, I wish I could give a better report. But this album in no way does that music justice, or provides an enjoyable listen. Releasing it in this form is inexcusable, and Craft Recordings should be ashamed to have done so; it feels like a cash grab on unsuspecting fans. You'd be better off saving your money, and just listening to the audio track of the special itself again.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs twice in October 2018 on ABC

ABC will show It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown twice in October 2018: first in an edited version on Thursday, October 18 from 8:00 - 8:30 PM, and then the full, unedited special together with You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown on Friday, October 26 from 8:00 - 9:00 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific).

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs Sunday October 29, 2017 + ratings note

Just a reminder that the full, unedited It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will air Sunday, October 29, 2017 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC. It will be accompanied by a shortened version You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, as usual.

As you know, this year as in the past several Octobers, ABC has shown It's the Great Pumpkin twice, where the first showing is an edited version of the classic Peanuts special, paired with the made-for-TV spinoff Toy Story of Terror (based on a property owned by ABC parent company Disney). You may wonder, which gets better ratings, It's the Great Pumpkin or Toy Story of Terror?

You'll be pleased to hear the answer this year, as in 2015 and 2016, is It's the Great Pumpkin, which has outshone Toy Story of Terror each time. (Sources: 2017, 2016, 2015.) The second Great Pumpkin broadcast also always does respectably in the ratings.  Which may lead you to wonder, as we do, why ABC doesn't just air the full Great Pumpkin to begin with!  Oh well, better late than never...

Warner releases 4K Ultra HD version of the Peanuts Holiday Collection video box set

On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is releasing a new version of the Peanuts Holiday Collection video box set, titled Peanuts Holiday Collection Deluxe Edition 4K Ultra HD.

This latest incarnation of the set includes 9 animated Peanuts TV specials, supposedly on regular Blu-ray discs, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, and digital copies. However, not all 9 specials are on all formats - see more below.  (DVDs are not included, but a DVD version of the set - albeit with fewer specials - has been previously released and remains available.)

If you're wondering what the heck 4K Ultra HD discs are and whether you need them, also see further below.

The 9 specials advertised as being in the set are as follows (each group appears together on one disc):

A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It's Magic, Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown's All-Stars

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers
Play It Again, Charlie Brown

This would be the first time 3 of these specials have been released in high definition (although, again, see important warning below). The new-to-HD specials are It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown; Charlie Brown's All-Stars; and Play It Again, Charlie Brown.

Warning: despite the PR and the back box cover implying that all 9 shows - including the 3 that are new to high definition - are on both the Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs in the set, that is not the case. Only the A Charlie Brown Christmas Blu-ray disc includes 3 shows; the Great Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Blu-ray discs are copies of the old Blu-ray discs, with only 2 shows each.  Which means that the only way to see 2 of the 3 new-to-HD shows is if you have an Ultra HD disc player.  This apparently is the case will all sets currently shipping; I do not know if this is intended, or a mistake.  If I find out more, I will update this blog post.

The discs also include the "behind-the-scenes" featurettes that were created when Warner Bros. first released the specials on DVD in 2008.  (They have appeared previously on all other Warner DVD and Blu-ray releases as well.)  There are no new behind-the-scenes features.

The box set retails for $44.98 SRP.

Given the fact that the new-to-HD specials do not appear on the Blu-ray discs of this set, you should buy it only if you want the Ultra HD discs.

* * *

The three Ultra HD Blu-ray discs mark the first time that the Peanuts specials have been released in 4K Ultra HD with HDR, which theoretically has four times the resolution and better colors than regular HD and Blu-ray.

However, you need a 4K-enabled Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a 4K TV to take advantage of this. The Ultra HD discs will not play in regular, older Blu-ray players.

If you don't have a 4K Blu-ray player and/or TV, you could still use the three Blu-ray discs that are also included - but you will not get to enjoy the 3 new-to-HD specials this way (see warning above).

You might be wondering, can the Peanuts specials actually look better when viewed in 4K Ultra HD than in just regular high definition? It seems doubtful - the regular 1080p high definition picture on the Blu-rays already reveal pretty much all the details available in the source material.  Most of these shows were created on a budget in the 1960's and 1970's... so it is unlikely that, beloved as they are, they will be the best material to showcase the extra details of 4K resolution.

* * *

Each holiday special will also be released individually as separate releases containing an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, a regular Blu-ray disc, and digital copy. Although again, likely only the Ultra HD disc includes both bonus shows; the Blu-ray discs may only include 1 bonus show.  The individual 4K releases have a retail price of $29.98, so getting the set with all 9 shows is a much better deal. The individual releases dates are September 26 for It's the Great Pumpkin, October 24 for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and October 31 for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to air October 19 and 29, 2017 on ABC

ABC will be broadcasting It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown twice in October 2017:  first in an edited version on Thursday, October 19 from 8:00 - 8:30 PM, and then the full, unedited special together with You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown on Sunday, October 29 from 8:00 - 9:00 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific).

Dark Hall Mansion's 2017 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown limited edition prints

This year Dark Hall Mansion are offering up two different It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown prints from two different artists, Shaunna Peterson and Naoshi.  As you can see, both are full of vibrant color and numerous scenes from the beloved television special.

Each print is available in two color variations and two different sizes, as described below.

These limited edition prints go on sale Wednesday, October 4th, at 12:30 PM (Pacific time) at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore.

Shaunna Peterson standard edition

Shaunna Peterson variant edition

Naoshi standard edition

Naoshi variant edition

Shaunna Peterson editions
Standard Edition of 180 in 12" x 36" $55
Standard edition of 100 in 6" x 18" $25
Variant Edition of 50 in 12" x 36" $85
Variant edition of 50 in 6" x 18" $25

Naoshi editions
Standard Edition of 100 in 18" x 24" $55
Standard edition of 50 in 9" x 12" $25
Variant Edition of 50 in 18" x 24" $85
Variant edition of 50 in 9" x 12" $25

All editions are officially licensed by Peanuts Worldwide, strictly limited, giclee printed and hand numbered.

Visit Dark Hall Mansion's Facebook page, their Instagram feed, or their blog for more information, larger pictures of the artwork, and behind-the-scenes photos.