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

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

First aired January 28, 1975

Charlie Brown is hanging around his mailbox, hoping to get a Valentine from someone.  Lucy sarcastically wishes him "good luck", believing he won't get any Valentines. 

Meanwhile,Linus has a crush on his teacher Miss Othmar.  When she calls his name (while taking the roll), he sees it as a sign of affection.  Sally reckons he's just another kid as far Miss Othmar is concerned.

Linus gets excited when Miss Othmar asks if he can pound the erasers after class, calling it an "honor".

Linus decides he will get a Valentine present for Miss Othmar to express how he feels.  He goes to the store and buys her a large heart-shaped box of candy.   Linus runs into Violet at the store, she tells him falling in love with his teacher is a bad idea.  Linus says he doesn't love Miss Othmar, but he is "very fond of the ground on which she walks." 

Sally witnesses this and presumes the candy is for her.  She feels like she needs a Valentine for Linus, so she attempts to make one.  It does not go well.

When Valentine's Day arrives, Charlie Brown brings a brief case to school.  He tells Schroeder he can carry his Valentines in it, in case he gets a lot of them.  

Sally has a homemade Valentine for Linus.  She presents it to him and expects candy and a kiss in return.  Linus ignores her and hurries off to give Miss Othmar her candy heart.  Violet says the teacher is outside waiting for her boyfriend.  Linus freaks out a bit and chases after her. 

Sally puckers up for Linus' kiss, while he ignores her.

All the Valentines have been deposited into a box, and Schroeder is handing them out.  Charlie Brown waits expectantly, but Schroeder does not call his name.  

Will Charlie Brown get any Valentines?  Will Linus get the chance to present Miss Othmar with her gift? 

J.A. Morris says:

This is generally a very good special, but because we're talking about Charlie Brown, it doesn't have a very happy ending.  But it is a realistic (maybe even pessimistic) take on Valentine's Day.  While I enjoy giving candy hearts as much as anyone, I've never had a lot of use for this "greeting card" holiday.  It's also a day where single people are often made to feel like losers.  

Snoopy shows Sally how to make a Valentine.

Charlie Brown gets no Valentines.  Like many other kids, I felt so sorry for him when I first watched this.  Someone could've given him a Valentine!  According to Charles Schulz, kids all over the country sent Valentines to Charlie Brown.  

Charlie Brown gets no Valentines and gets insulted by a candy heart!

I never had a crush on a teacher, but I'm sure many viewers sympathized with Linus too.   Not to mention Sally, who is once again denied a kiss from her "Sweet Baboo".  

There are two scenes involving Lucy that don't relate to the main plots.  She attends a puppet show put on by Snoopy where she is the victim of a "special effects" attack.  This is one of the rare times Lucy gets her comeuppance in a special.    Lucy also gets a scene with Schroeder where she tells him the history of Valentine cards.  This ends with her trashing his piano.  

I liked the scene at the end that featured Charlie Brown and Linus discussing their respective Valentine experiences at the end.  It was a reminder that these two are good friends, and in spite of their lack of success on Valentine's Day, at least they could vent to each other about their respective Valentine "disasters". 

Linus & Chuck reflect upon their Valentine's Day experiences.

This special also features a reading of the poem "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  Sally gets a candy heart that contains the text of the poem (in very small print!), she reads it while Snoopy acts it out behind her.  That's a great way to introduce kids to one of the greatest love poems of all time.

Sally reads "How Do I Love Thee" while Snoopy "interprets" the poem.

It's also nice to see a minor character like Violet get some lines.  Violet wonders what to get for a "man teacher" for Valentine's Day, she gets him some "heart-shaped shaving lotion"!

Linus has his heart broken by Miss Othmar & and takes it out on a defenseless box of candy.

There's one weak point near the end.  Charlie Brown wishes "that little red haired girl" would send him a Valentine.  She is not mentioned before or after that line and it seems to come out of nowhere.  

During the credits, the people who worked on the special are depicted as puppets, here's Charles Schulz.

I believe there is a bit of a continuity error in this special.  In past specials, it's been mentioned that Peppermint Patty, Franklin and Marcie go to a different school than Chuck, Linus and the rest.  But all three are present during the Valentine's Day Party.  I suppose the creative team felt like they had to be there because the viewers expected to see them.

Snoopy flashes his trademark smile!

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown certainly captures the darker side of Valentine's Day, but it's also funny and will likely remind most of us of a Valentine's Day (or two) gone awry in our own lives. 

  

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 Valentine Hearts.

RigbyMel says: 

This is a great, albeit a bit heartbreaking, special that demonstrates how Valentine's Day frequently doesn't go according to our own plans for it.   I remember watching this special when I was younger and being quite outraged at Charlie Brown's treatment by others.     Now I watch it and am still sad for him, but also touched by his optimism in bringing a briefcase to collect all the Valentines he hopes to receive!  

(I also remember being kind of grateful that when Valentines were exchanged at my school, since we were always required to give cards to everyone in the class to prevent exactly the situation poor Charlie Brown experiences!) 

Favorite scenes include Snoopy's "Pawpet Show" performance - the deliberately melodramatic story and added special effects never fail to crack me up.    

"Pawpet" Show with added "4-D" effects!

 I also love the scene where Snoopy creates super elaborate 3-D Valentines with just a few snips of his scissors! 

Snoopy's Valentine handiwork

 There is one thing that J.A. Morris touched upon above that always bothered me a bit though ... if Peppermint Patty and Marcie are at the Valentine exchange at Charlie Brown's school (despite going to a different school themselves),  surely one (or both) of them would have given Charlie Brown a Valentine??   

See?  Peppermint Patty and Marcie are both there!!

 The overarching theme of unrequited feelings on Valentine's Day is poignant and this plus the deft touches of humor in this special make it a "classic" in my estimation, even if Valentine's Day isn't one of my favorite holidays! 

RigbyMel's rating: 

 4 Valentine Hearts