Charlie Brown TV Specials

[billsqueak]

Anyone care to rate the Charlie Brown specials from the best to the less favorites? (Or the best ones?)

Were all the Charlie Brown TV specials (60's and 70's at least) animated in the US?

[bbeagle]

Best?
A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown's All Stars

Worst?
It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown (with the roller blading)
It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown (with Franklin's rap)
Snoopy: The Musical and/or You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (where Snoppy talks)

[billsqueak]

I agree with your best list and would add "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" to it, and possibly a close second: "The Easter Beagle" special and I totally agree with you on the "worst" list.

[TnAdct1]

Worst?
Snoopy: The Musical and/or You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (where Snoppy talks) One thing to keep in mind: both of those specials had their origins from stage productions based on the Peanuts characters, and both of them featured Snoopy in a speaking role (given how they follow the comic's idea of Snoopy using thought bubbles to "speak" in the story). Hence, staying true to the original shows, the specials have Snoopy "speaking" (more specifically, we're actually hearing Snoopy's thoughts in cartoon form for the first time).

[Trevor]

Good

A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's The Easter Beagle Charlie Brown (also features Snoppy talking---even if it's only one word)
It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown
Happy New Year! Charlie Brown

Not So Good

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
Christmas Tales
I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown
The Valentine Day Special's (sorry, I can't think of the titles right now, but it's essentially the titles that appear on the Paramount and Warner Brothers DVD's)

[DarthGonzo]

Best:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

Worst:

Anything made after 1988-ish

[Debbie]

I disagree with "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy: The Musical" as the worst Peanuts specials. I personally enjoyed both of them.

Best (besides the obvious Christmas/Halloween/Thanksgiving trillogy):
"He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown"
"It's A Mystery, Charlie Brown"
"Happy New Year, Charlie Brown"
"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"
"It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown"
"Charlie Brown's All-Stars"
"Snoopy: The Musical"

Worst:
"It's The Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown"
"You're in the Superbowl, Charlie Brown"
"It's The Pied Piper, Charlie Brown"

Guilty Pleasure:
"It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown"

Also worth watching although it's NOT a special:
"The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show"

[bbeagle]

One thing to keep in mind: both of those specials had their origins from stage productions based on the Peanuts characters, and both of them featured Snoopy in a speaking role (given how they follow the comic's idea of Snoopy using thought bubbles to "speak" in the story). Hence, staying true to the original shows, the specials have Snoopy "speaking" (more specifically, we're actually hearing Snoopy's thoughts in cartoon form for the first time).

I'm not a huge fan of the real life stage productions. Perhaps it's because Schulz didn't have a hand in it. I don't know. I know some people absolutely love them. Maybe an animated version shouldn't have been made. A cartoon based on a musical based on a cartoon? Reminds me of when the Simpsons parody "MASH: The Movie (Based on the TV show... not the original movie" lol!

[Anthonynotes]

I liked "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (particularly the "TEAM" song take-off on "There's No Business Like Show Business")... as well as the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials (plus the Easter one).

Least favorites: Didn't care much for the New Year's special, or the post-mid-80s specials for the most part (particularly the one where Franklin raps...), including all those Christmas special sequels, save for "This Is America, Charlie Brown"...

-B.

[hobbyfan]

To me, there's no such thing as a "worst" Peanuts special.

The best:

A Charlie Brown Christmas. The one that started it all. :D :D :D :D
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Popcorn w/turkey? Wack! :D :D :D
It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown. I absolutely loved this when it first aired. Unfortunately, it hasn't been seen since! Inspiration for Snoopy as Sherlock Hound in a Met Life ad several years later. :D :D :D
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! & It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (I added the !'s for emphasis on each title) I put them together because of the same basic plot in both. :D :D

[TnAdct1]

When it comes to the "worst" Peanuts specials, I'm surprised these two haven't been mentioned yet:

-What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown (which lacks the charm that the other specials have thanks to most of the episode consisting of a "serious" bad dream that Snoopy has, with the only other Peanuts regular appearing in the special being Charlie Brown)

-It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (if you watch this special, you'll understand why a number of people have started to hate the "Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown" gag)

[bbeagle]

I'd be interested to get everyone's take on the "Peanuts Motion Comics" that were released on iTunes last year.

For starters, (obviously) no Melendez animation or Schulz input (aside from the original writing in the strips). It's Flash-based (which usually I don't like). Also, Snoopy's thought balloons are visible.

Despite all these could-be flaws, I've actually come to enjoy these mini-episodes. They do a good job retaining Schulz's charm (naturally, since the stories come directly from the strips). Also, being based on the 1960s strips, you get Snoopy when he was more dog-like and less anthropomorphic.

Don't try to compare these cartoons to the TV specials. Appreciate them as they are in their own unique medium, and I really think they'll start to grow on you.