Holiday specials abound
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- November
- 15
I hadn’t seen It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in years, but with one son turning three and a half around Halloween, it became a must-record show.
And wow. He looooooved it. Fortunately, it was on only the day before Halloween, so he saw it about a half-dozen times, then the holiday was over and we deleted it off our DVR. We have a rule that we started last holiday season after everyone in the house had the lyrics  and choreography  to “Put One Foot in Front of the Other” (or whatever the song is called) down pat from Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. After New Year’s Day, all holiday specials were gone.
Even Rudoph’s Shiny New Year.
Once the holiday’s over, so’s the holiday special, until next year. My son understands the rule, even if he doesn’t like it.
So I expect next week to see A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving about a dozen or so times. It airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday, so there’s more time for him to see it than the Great Pumpkin.
This makes me feel ancient, but I remember way back in the day, before even VCRs, when a holiday special was on once and if you missed it, you missed it. I eagerly awaited the airing of all the “Peanuts” holiday specials (especially A Charlie Brown Christmas, who didn’t?), as well as all the old stop-action specials that included Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. My family was Jewish, but these specials were a part of life during the holidays, and I loved them.
I expect after this season is over, I’ll have had more than my fill of Charlie Brown and his cohorts and won’t be able to stand hearing Rudolph’s squeaky little voice anymore. And my poor little brain will be filled to the brim with all sorts of catchy but annoying holiday-related tunes.
It’s nice to see, though, that decades later, these specials still air year after year. Maybe one day I’ll watch them with my grandchildren. (Scary thought!)
P.S.: He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown, Charles M. Schulz’s last animated special will air immediately after Thanksgiving, at 8:30 p.m. “The PEANUTS gang is attending a summer camp where they run into an obnoxious kid who happens to be the camp’s marble champion. The bully wins all of ReRun’s marbles, including ReRun’s grandfather’s championship ‘shooter.’ Charlie Brown challenges the bully to a competition to try and win back ReRun’s marbles. Having never really played before, Charlie Brown enlists the services of Snoopy to teach him. Can Charlie Brown win the marbles back?”
Oh, and here’s the rest of the holiday specials on ABC:
• A Charlie Brown Christmas, 8 to 9 p.m. Nov. 27
• Shrek the Halls, 8 p.m. Nov. 28
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated classic), 8:30 p.m. Nov. 28
• The Polar Express, 8 to 10 p.m. Nov. 30
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, 8 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (live-action Jim Carrey version), 8 to 10 p.m. Dec. 8
• I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, 8 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10
• Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too!, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 11
• Elmo’s Christmas Countdown, 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 23
• Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 25
And on CBS:
• Frosty the Snowman, 8 p.m. Dec. 19
• Frosty Returns, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 19
Image from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving courtesy of ABC.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 5:01 pm by Amy Vernon.
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I love the Peanuts holiday specials! As a 36 year old man with no small children, I’d never admit this to my friends or co-workers! I enjoy them each year. I never tire of them, in part because I don’t tape or tivo them. I do agree, it’s really nice ABC still airs these shows after all these years!