Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne

 Premiered December 10, 2021.

"Christmas was a letdown.  But New Year's is going to be perfect!"
-Lucy Van Pelt

Christmas is approaching and the holiday season is in full-swing in the Van Pelt household.  Lucy (Isabella Leo) and her brother Linus (Wyatt White) are excited because their grandmother is going to spend Christmas with them.  Linus is a bit nervous, since Grandma always tries to make him get rid of his security blanket.

Even though the year is almost over, Charlie Brown (Etienne Kellici) hasn't fulfilled most of his New Year's Resolutions.  When he visits Lucy's psychiatrist booth, she tells him his resolutions are too ambitious.  Lucy recommends that he should just try to complete "one realistic resolution" and then he'll be "covered for the year."  

Snoopy (Terry McGurrin) is happy to see his five siblings, who have come to visit for the holidays.  They spend time reminiscing over an old photo album and playing music.  His brother Spike (Rob Tinkler) has brought his camera along so that he can take a group photo of him and his siblings.  He has only one photo of the whole family, which was taken when they were puppies.  However, accidents keep preventing the photo from happening and Spike begins to feel unappreciated.  

When Christmas Eve arrives, Lucy is heartbroken when Grandma calls and says she won't be coming for Christmas.  Lucy believes that her grandmother didn't come because she didn't want to see her.  Lucy wonders if Grandma doesn't love her and worries that she isn't "lovable."  

The next morning, Lucy decides that in order to prove she's lovable, she will organize a huge New Year's Eve party.  The event will be called "Lucy's Gala: A New Year's Eve Celebration of Elegant Perfection!"

Lucy "volunteers" Linus into helping her plan the party.  She says "everyone" will attend the party, because she IS lovable.  Snoopy and his siblings are booked to be the house band.  She even rents an old ballroom for the party and writes new lyrics for "Auld Lang Syne" that celebrate her!

Since Charlie Brown is still working on his resolutions, Lucy assigns him to be in charge of decorating the ballroom.  She asks Peppermint Patty and Marcie to build an ice sculpture of her face!  Everyone is excited about attending the New Year's gala, but Lucy's desire to throw a "perfect" party gets in the way of having a good time and her demands start to get on everybody's nerves.

Will the party be a smashing success?  Will it prove that Lucy is lovable?  Can Charlie Brown complete his resolutions?  Will Spike be able to take a new family photo?  

J.A. Morris says:

I'll cut to the chase and say that Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne is a very good special.  For starters, we don't have many movies, specials or episodes that are built around New Year's Eve, so it's nice to add another to that short list.  This special begins in mid-December and shows Lucy decorating for Christmas, so I think it can also be considered a Christmas special.  

What jumped out at me was that the creative team behind For Auld Lang Syne really "gets" the Peanuts characters.  They're all very similar to the kids we've seen in dozens of specials over the past five decades.  The voice actors are also all good fits for their characters.  Isabella Leo, who portrays Lucy, does a great job as the special's lead.  Longtime fans of Peanuts specials will be glad to know this special includes a scene where Charlie Brown visits Lucy's psychiatry booth and we also get to see Lucy leaning on Schroeder's piano.

Jeff Morrow's music won't make you forget Vince Guaraldi's immortal tunes, but it's fun and appropriate for a Charlie Brown special.  

Lucy is the focus here and it's nice to see her doing something other than calling Charlie Brown a "blockhead."  For Auld Lang Syne shows that she's a complicated character who gets upset when she believes she's not lovable.  

Since this is a new special, I don't want to go into too much more detail about its plot, but I'll add that it features a nice mix of sentiment and humor.  

Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne is a lot of fun and is highly recommended.  Is it as good as A Charlie Brown Christmas?  No, but few things are.  This special is a worthy addition to the holiday specials canon and I expect to watch in during future holiday seasons.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes!

RigbyMel says:

Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne is a sweet addition to the Peanuts holiday special family.   

The story which features the normally confident Lucy feeling vulnerable because of her grandmother's decision not to visit for the holidays, which provides an interesting twist and gives depth to our dear fussbudget.  Lucy is still Lucy, but it's endearing to see a slightly different side of her.  

In re. Lucy being Lucy, I really like that she was able to rent a party venue for her New Year's Eve gala by using nickels collected from Charlie Brown via her psychiatry booth.  Her attempt to force Linus to wear an Elton John inspired stage getup is also pretty amusing (although perhaps not as amusing for Linus). 

The subplot involving Spike wanting to take a family photo with Snoopy and the other siblings was also quite cute and touching.   It's nice to see the Snoopy siblings again and I feel that lots of people can relate to Spike's frustration about taking a good group photo.   

As J.A. Morris says above, I feel the writers of this special really do have a good handle on what makes a Peanuts holiday special tick.  They have a good feel for all of the characters and their interactions.  There are sweet moments that are interspersed with melancholy and also some very funny bits and it is a winning combination that I suspect would make Charles Schulz very happy.  

For Auld Lang Syne takes a gentle and touching look at what can happen when our holiday expectations don't match up with reality and a fun way to spend time with these beloved characters. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

4 candy canes! 

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  Before we start posting new reviews of Christmas episodes, specials and movies, we thought we'd show you what our Thanksgiving feast looked like this year.  Since we're big fans of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, we thought we would honor it by recreating the menu used in that special!

Happy Thanksgiving from Rigbymel and J.A. Morris!

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown

Premiered March 16, 1976.

"What is Arbor Day? Oh, that's simple. That's the day when all the ships come sailing into the arbor!"
-Sally Brown, incorrectly answering Miss Othmar's question.

Sally (Gail Davis) has been assigned by her teacher to write about the history and meaning of Arbor Day.  Linus (Liam Martin) offers to help her and suggests the library will provide them with the needed information.

They learn Arbor Day was created by J. Sterling Morton, an early conservationist.  Linus reads aloud from a book that states "Arbor Day points out to both children and adults the need to protect certain areas of our natural forests and woodlands."  Arbor means tree, and trees are planted in celebration of Arbor Day.

Sally asks Linus if Spring really does turn a young man's fancy to thoughts of love

Meanwhile, Charlie Brown (Dylan Beach) and Peppermint Patty (Stuart Brotman) are sitting under a tree discussing love and baseball.  They're getting ready for the upcoming baseball season.  Peppermint Patty is confident that her team will soundly beat Chuck's team several times.  But she still wishes Chuck and his team good luck in the upcoming season.

Peppermint Patty is very confident her team will win against Chuck's team:
"Our team plays your team twelve times. We slaughter you twice in April, smash you three times in May, ruin you twice in June, murder you three times in July, annihilate you four times in August, and destroy you altogether in September." (Peppermint Patty's math appears to be off, she's actually just listed off fifteen games, not twelve!)

Sally enlists Linus' help to plant trees in honor of Arbor Day.  They run into Lucy (Sarah Beach), who thinks that's a good idea and joins them.  Sally and Lucy decide that Charlie Brown's baseball field is the perfect place to do some planting.  Linus isn't so sure, he thinks they should ask Charlie Brown first.  Lucy dismisses Linus' worries as "nonsense."  She says Chuck will be glad that they are improving his field.

Lucy tells Charlie Brown that they're fixing up the field, without explaining how they are fixing it.  Charlie Brown informs Peppermint Patty that the field will be in good shape for their opening day game.

The rest of the Peanuts gang (except for Chuck) get to work planting trees and other vegetation, including a new sapling right in the middle of Charlie Brown's pitcher's mound.

Linus is concerned about the tree on the mound, but Lucy says it will provide shade.  She adds that they could use "a little class on the pitcher's mound", a (not so subtle) dig at Chuck.

The Peanuts gang hard at work planting ... on the baseball field!

Lucy decides that they need more plants.  They plant rose bushes, daisies, geraniums, a creeping vine behind home plate and a vegetable garden in right field.

Snoopy runs afoul of a newly planted creeping vine behind home plate

In the meantime, Charlie Brown is working on baseball strategies, blissfully unaware of the havoc that is being wreaked upon his beloved baseball diamond.

What will Chuck's reaction be when he sees his new and "improved" baseball field?  Moreover, what will Peppermint Patty think of the field's condition when she arrives with her team?  Will the new field help lead Chuck's team to their first ever victory?   

J.A. Morris says:

I'm pretty sure I caught this special when it was brand new in 1976.  It's a good introduction to conservation for children and it's a solid Peanuts special.

Lucy celebrates her first-ever homerun:"Another victory for Women's Lib!"

There are several moments that still make me laugh:Woodstock's encounter with a sprinkler, Snoopy's wrestling match with a creeping vine and Charlie Brown screaming "quitters" during the rain-out are highlights.

The baseball game is another high point.  Baseball is often referenced in Charlie Brown specials, but we rarely see Chuck and company play a game.  Watching Chuck and Peppermint Patty's teams square off surrounded by cornfields and tomato plants provides us with some very entertaining action.

There are some minor subplots in It's Arbor Day.  The special opens up with a scene with Linus' brother Rerun (Vinny Dow) riding on the back of his mother's bicycle.  Rerun was a recent addition to the Peanuts comic strip and this was his animated debut.

We also get some funny scenes involving Snoopy and Woodstock (both voiced by Bill Melendez) at the library.  Snoopy finds some books about dog obedience that make him laugh loudly in the library, drawing the ire of the librarian.  Woodstock also has an unfortunate encounter with a photocopier.

The only problem I have with this special is Charlie Brown's voice.  Dylan Beach isn't terrible, but there's something not quite right about him.  According to imdb, this is Beach's only screen credit, so perhaps the producers shared my assessment.

On a sad note, this was the last special that featured new music from regular Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi.  He died shortly before this special aired and Charlie Brown specials were never quite the same.  But Guaraldi did some nice work here.  During the baseball game, we get some fun organ-based music that will make you feel like you're watching the game in a stadium.  

A chagrined Charlie Brown tries to explain the "improved" field to Peppermint Patty

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown has a nice story with action and humor.  It's provides a bit of education about Arbor Day and it also celebrates another uniquely American "holiday": opening day of baseball season!
For more information about Arbor Day (and conservation in general), check out the official site of the Arbor Day foundation:

http://www.arborday.org/

J.A. Morris' rating:

.5

3 and a half kite eating trees.

Aaaaaugh!

RigbyMel says: 
This special was seldom aired on TV, so I didn't get around to seeing it until it was released on DVD.   It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is a very cute and fun special.   I like the educational aspects about Arbor Day and also the fact that Linus and Sally (as well as Snoopy and Woodstock) visit their local public library to do research.

The gang's impulse to plant and beautify is laudable, but one really does feel for Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty's distress at the transformation of the baseball field.

The transformed baseball diamond

There are some wonderful funny details included in this special,  like the use of baseball bats as tomato stakes.

Creative baseball bat useage

And also Snoopy's mirth over the dog obedience training book at the library and inadvertent photocopying of Woodstock are amusing.

Who knew dog obedience training books could be so funny?

I do detect a hint of (perhaps inadvertent) irony in a sequence involving Snoopy and Woodstock using a photocopier (and wasting paper) in a show about trees and conservation.

Age old photocopier silliness

Lucy's "victory for Women's Lib" is pretty funny as well.

My only real complaint would be a desire to see a compromise of some sort allowing the Peanuts gang to keep both the baseball field AND the lovely community garden they plant for Arbor Day!

This is a fun special that has been overlooked.  It's worth checking out on DVD or via Netflix if you've the time or inclination.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 (kite eating?)  trees