A Charlie Brown Valentine

Premiered February 14, 2002.

Valentine's Day is approaching and Charlie Brown can't get his mind off one of his classmates known only as "the little red-haired girl."  He wants to ask her to go to the Valentine's Day dance, but is too shy to talk to her.  Chuck goes through all sorts of dramatic methods just to get her to notice him.

He "winks" at the little red-haired girl, which gets him sent to the school nurse when his teacher thinks something is wrong with his eye.  Chuck thinks walking around the room will get him noticed. Unfortunately, this leads to his shirt getting caught in the pencil sharpener.

Linus suggests that Charlie Brown should just get her phone number, call her up and invite her to the dance.  He calls the wrong number and winds up accidentally asks Peppermint Patty to the dance.

At the same time, Charlie Brown's sister Sally is trying to find a way get Linus' attention...to no avail.

Linus reminds Sally that he's not her "Sweet Baboo!"

And Lucy is pestering Schroeder as usual.

Plus, Snoopy tries to break into the Valentine card-writing business.

Snoopy also tries to help Chuck practice what he will say to the little red-haired girl. 

Can Charlie Brown summon up the courage to talk to little red-haired girl?  Will the Valentine Dance be a disaster for everyone?

Will Sally get a Valentine from her Sweet Baboo?

J.A. Morris says:

This is one of the first Charlie Brown specials produced after the death of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.  When he died, the creative team relied on plots from comic strips (and to a lesser extent, earlier animated specials) to create stories for new specials.  So it's not surprising that A Charlie Brown Valentine feels more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive story.  But it's fun to watch Chuck, Sally and the gang fret over Valentine's Day once again.

Charlie Brown's efforts to gain the attention of the little red-haired girl are all pretty funny.  We feel sorry for Chuck most of the time, he's often his own worst enemy.  However, he's relate-able, since most of us have been overcome by shyness at some time or another.

Some of the best scenes from Peanuts specials involve the interaction of Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, and A Charlie Brown Valentine is no exception.  Adding Marcie to the mix makes it even more fun.  We get a funny scene where Marcie asks Chuck if he likes her, all he can say is "do I what?," much to Marcie's consternation.  Unlike Peppermint Patty, Marcie is able to articulate her feelings for Charlie Brown, even if doesn't accomplish anything.

Charlie Brown waits for Valentines to arrive.

Linus seems pretty mean in this special.  When he overhears Sally talking about what he'll give her for Valentine's Day, he says the only thing she'll receive from him is "a big zero."  On the hand, Linus has never encouraged Sally's crush, so his somewhat cruel behavior isn't surprising.

Eudora makes a brief cameo.

As some of you know, I run another blog dedicated to Charlie Brown specials.  I always find it interesting when specials feature obscure Peanuts characters.  Eudora, who appeared in 1970s and 80s comic strips makes a brief appearance here, accompanying Sally on her quest for Valentine presents.

Snoopy's attempts at writing Valentine cards are all pretty funny too.  He types up expressions of love such as "your eyes are like two supper dishes."  Very romantic if you're a beagle.

For the soundtrack, this special features new recordings of various Vince Guaraldi tunes.  This makes A Charlie Brown Valentine feel like an "old school" Peanuts special, even though it was produced in 2002.

Some trivia:the phrase "little red-haired girl" is spoken 27 times in this 22 minute special!

This special has been released twice on DVD and is usually re-run around Valentine's Day on ABC.

Linus, Chuck and Snoopy, dressed up for the big dance.

A Charlie Brown Valentine isn't the best Peanuts holiday special, but it's a lot of fun and it another special that shows that Valentine's Day isn't easy for lots of people.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 Valentine Hearts

*Smooch!* 

RigbyMel says:

This is a cute special, but is a little too "bitty" to be a great one in my estimation.

As J.A. Morris says above,  there are lots of funny and enjoyable scenes.

Lucy switches from Psychatric help to Valentine purveyor for the holiday. 

Lucy's "super-potent" Valentine that requires a five day waiting period and Snoopy's Valentine writing efforts are highlights.    Poor Charlie Brown getting his shirt caught in the pencil sharpener is also pretty amusing, if somewhat improbable.

The Peanuts gang are, as always, sweetly relatable and it is very nice to hear David Benoit's takes on classic Vince Guaraldi themes.  The child voice actors in the special are pretty good as well.

Practice makes perfect, Chuck ... 

A Charlie Brown Valentine is an enjoyable special, but not quite a classic one.

RigbyMel's rating:

2 and half Valentine hearts

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Premiered November 20, 1973.

Charlie Brown: We've got ANOTHER holiday to worry about. It seems Thanksgiving Day is upon us.
Sally Brown: I haven't even finished eating all of my Halloween candy!

Marcie: Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by 'Thanksgiving,' Charlie Brown.

Linus van Pelt: This is not unlike another famous Thanksgiving episode. Do you remember the story of John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins, and Captain Miles Standish?
Patricia 'Peppermint Patty' Reichardt: This isn't like that one at all!

It's Thanksgiving, but Charlie Brown (Todd Barbee)  and his sister Sally (Hilary Momberger) aren't very happy about it.  Holidays always depress Charlie Brown and this one is no exception.    Sally frets over her homework assignment,she needs to write an essay about "Stanley Miles" (Chuck rightly guesses she means Miles Standish).

Sally does not want to write an essay about "Stanley Miles"

Linus Van Pelt (Stephen Shea) arrives arrives and talks about the importance of the occasion.  He reminds them that the United States was the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks. 

They discuss their Thanksgiving plans.  Charlie Brown says he, Sally and their parents will be visiting their grandmother for dinner.  Sally invites Linus to join them so they can hold hands under the table.

Charlie Brown gets a phone call from his friend Peppermint Patty (Christopher DeFaria).  She says her father has been called away, but he told her she could go over to Chuck's house for Thanksgiving.

Peppermint Patty tells him "I don't mind inviting myself over because I know you kind of like me, Chuck"!
Charlie Brown is incapable of getting a word in edgewise, so he doesn't mention to Peppermint Patty that he won't be home for Thanksgiving dinner.  She calls back and says their friends Marcie (Jimmy Ahrens) and Franklin (Robin Reed) will be coming along with her.

Charlie Brown doesn't know what to, he can't just call her back and cancel because "you can't explain anything to Peppermint Patty because you never get a chance to say anything!  I'm doomed!"

"I'm doomed!"

Linus suggests that he's not as doomed as he thinks and proposes a solution.  Charlie Brown doesn't have to be at his grandmother's house until 4:30, he can serve Thanksgiving dinner for his friends at his house earlier. He can't cook a turkey, so they decide to serve popcorn ,toast, jelly beans and pretzels.  Linus says he will help him and they enlist Snoopy and Woodstock (Bill Melendez, voicing both) to assist them.

Linus, Snoopy and Charlie Brown preparing a Thanksgiving feast for their guests

Snoopy and Woodstock get a ping-pong table and chairs out of the garage and set them up in the backyard.  Snoopy also uses this time as an excuse to play some basketball.  All goes well, until Snoopy has trouble unfolding a chair.  This leads to a fight between Snoopy and the chair.

Snoopy vs. dastardly anthropomorphic lawn chair

Peppermint Patty, Franklin and Marcy arrive and it's time for "dinner".  Snoopy serves food to everyone.  Linus says a prayer of thanks and tells a story about the first Thanksgiving.   But Peppermint Patty isn't happy.  She was expecting  turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

 "What kind of Thanksgiving dinner is this? Where's the turkey, Chuck? Don't you know anything about Thanksgiving dinners? Where's the mashed potatoes? Where's the cranberry sauce? Where's the pumpkin pie"

 She tears into Charlie Brown over this, he feels bad and walks off dejected.

Poor Charlie Brown!

 Can their Thanksgiving festivities be saved?


J.A. Morris says:

While it's not quite as good as its Halloween and Christmas counterparts, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is another Peanuts classic.  I've always loved Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Linus' version of a "Thanksgiving dinner".  It seems like the sort of thing real-life kids would do in that situation.

From what I've been able to determine (and I have a history degree!),  the Thanksgiving prayer Linus recites was made up for this special.  We don't know what Elder William Brewster said at the first Thanksgiving, but Linus' speech sounds like something one of the Pilgrims could have said.  It should also be noted that Brewster was spiritual leader, but not a minister, as Linus described him.

Linus says "grace".

Vince Guaraldi wrote and sings the song "Little Birdie".  The song works as nice background music for the scene where Snoopy and Woodstock set up for the party.           

Charlie Brown's nemesis Lucy is noticeably absent from most of this special.  But she shows up long enough to pull the football away from Chuck in the cold opening.  I appreciate the way Charles Schultz  invented new ways for Lucy to trick Charlie Brown attempting to kick the football.    

"One of the greatest traditions we have is the Thanksgiving Day football game. And the biggest most important tradition is the kicking off of the football."

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is something I grew up watching every year around Thanksgiving and I think it's something people all ages will enjoy.

"Isn't it peculiar Charlie Brown, how some traditions slowly fade away?"

J.A. Morris' rating:
4 Pumpkin Pies!

 


RigbyMel says:

This is another holiday classic from Charles Schulz, Bill Melendez et al.    I remember watching this as a child and feeling a bit outraged on Charlie Brown's behalf when Peppermint Patty invites herself over to his house for Thanksgiving and then gets angry when she doesn't get the meal she expects.   (Methinks there is a life/etiquette lesson embedded in there somewhere!)     I also think it is amusing that it appears Snoopy was holding out on Charlie Brown since a more traditional Thanksgiving repast emerges from the doghouse late in the episode. 

Does anyone else find it weird that Woodstock would be eating turkey?

As a height-challenged person,  I've always had an affection for Woodstock and he has more to do in this episode than in his previous animated special appearance. (For those keeping score at home, 1972's You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown was the first "holiday" special to include Woodstock -- check out our review of that here.)   I love the interactions with Snoopy, particularly the arguing over wearing Pilgrim costumes.

I also like really like Snoopy's epic battle with the lawn chair -  he even "play bows" to it at one point - showing he can act like a regular dog sometimes.

RAWR!

 As a side note,  when I was very little (and when yellow was my favorite color),  my parents gave me a Woodstock beanbag toy that I loved very much.   In fact, although I did not know this at the time, I actually had more than one of these as the first one fell apart and was quietly replaced.    Here's a picture of a toy that is similar, if not exactly the same as my dear, departed Woodstock beanbag:

A beanbag Woodstock of late 1970s vintage

To return to the special,  I also like that the kids sing "Over The River And Through The Wood",  a Thanksgiving song I remember learning in elementary school, during the episode.  The kids' singing is cute and authentic sounding since the Peanuts specials always use actual children to do the character voices.

Woodstock gets the bigger half of the wishbone!

 This is a special that I try to watch every year.    Fortunately,  it seems to still air on ABC every year and is also available via DVD/Blu-Ray, Netflix, Amazon video and others.   Maybe one day we'll even try to make Charlie Brown's unorthodox Thanksgiving meal ourselves!


RigbyMel's rating:
4 pumpkin pies

The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show: "Great Pumpkin"

Premiered September 21, 1985.

"On Halloween night the great pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he picked as the most sincere  then he flies through the air bringing toys to all the good children in the world."    
-Linus Van Pelt

 Linus tells Chuck & Peppermint Patty about the Great Pumpkin

Peppermint Patty (Victoria Vargas) invites Charlie Brown (Brad Kesten) and Linus (Jeremy Schoenberg) to a bowling tournament on Halloween Night. 
Charlie Brown accepts the invite, but says he's never bowled before.  Peppermint Patty agrees to teach him, but tells Chuck "I'll beat the pants off you!". 
Linus declines.  He'll be spending Halloween in a pumpkin patch waiting for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.  He asks Chuck and Peppermint Patty, they're not interested.  He literally drags Snoopy to join him in the pumpkin patch.

At the bowling alley, Charlie Brown does surprisingly well for a first time bowler. He bowls a strike on his first try!  Marcie (Michael Dockery) believes Chuck will actually win the tournament.  Peppermint Patty gets annoyed by this and is determined to win.

Sally shows up to wait for the Great Pumpkin, Linus isn't exactly thrilled to see her.

Back in the Pumpkin Patch, Sally (Stacy Ferguson) arrives looking for her "Sweet Baboo".  She has come to keep her "boyfriend" company.  Linus tells her he is NOT her boyfriend, but encourages Sally to stay and wait for the Great Pumpkin.  Sally reminds him that she's waited for the Great Pumpkin before and missed out on trick or treating for nothing.  She agrees to  stay, but says he BETTER show up or Linus will pay dearly if she wastes her time again. 

Will the Great Pumpkin show up and bring toys for Linus, Snoopy and Sally?  Will Charlie Brown actually win something?  You'll have to watch the short to find out!

J.A. Morris says:
Most of us have seen It's Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown multiple times.  But did you know about this "sequel" the classic Halloween special? 
For those who never saw or heard of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, it aired from Fall 1983 to Spring 1986 on CBS on Saturday mornings.  Each 30 minute episode contained 3 short cartoons.

Most (if not all) of the plots were taken directly from the Peanuts comic strip.
I've been a Charlie Brown fanatic most of my life.  I watched the first season, but by the time season 2 rolled around, I was 14 and transitioning out of Saturday morning cartoons.  So I didn't know Great Pumpkin existed until a few years ago, when I found it on iTunes.

The Great Pumpkin arrives!  Or does he?

It's an odd story.  For instance, Sally mentions that she'll miss trick or treating again, when no one is seen trick or treating or wearing costumes in this episode.  Why are Chuck, Peppermint Patty and Marcie bowling on Halloween instead of trick or treating?   

The animation looks good, as good as any of the classic Charlie Brown specials of the 60s & 70s.  But Great Pumpkin is a bit slight, even for a 7 minute short.  It's not bad, just not great either.  It works as a decent supplement to the classic special. 

This episode was recently released on a dvd called Happiness Is Peanuts:Team Snoopy.  It's also available for streaming at Amazon and iTunes, look for it in episode 15.

A note of trivia about this episode:Sally is voiced by a child actor named Stacy Ferguson, who later grew up to be Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.

"Sally" today.

Great Pumpkin can't hold a candle to the original special, but it's worth seeing if you're a Peanuts completist.
My rating:
2 and 1/2 Jack O'Lanterns.

RigbyMel says:

I generally agree with J.A. Morris's comments above.   The animation looks good, it's just too bad that this "kinda" sequel to It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown feels rather flat.   I'm taking a half a pumpkin away from my rating for lack of much Halloween-ish fun (other than the Great Pumpkin).  

RigbyMel's rating:
2 Jack O'Lanterns