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A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

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A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
GenreAnimated television special
Created byCharles M. Schulz
Based onPeanuts
Written byCharles M. Schulz
Directed byBill Melendez
Phil Roman
Voices ofBill Melendez
Todd Barbee
Stephen Shea
Hilary Momberger
Robin Kohn
Christopher DeFaria
Jimmy Ahrens
Robin Reed
Theme music composerVince Guaraldi
Opening theme"Thanksgiving Theme"
Ending theme"Thanksgiving Theme"
ComposersVince Guaraldi
John Scott Trotter
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersLee Mendelson
Bill Melendez
EditorsBob Gillis
Chuck McCann
Rudy Zamora, Jr.
Running time25 minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseNovember 20, 1973 (1973-11-20)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Award the following year.[1] It was the third holiday special after A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 1966.[2]

Plot

In a cold open cameo appearance, Lucy entices Charlie Brown to kick a football she is holding, calling it a Thanksgiving tradition; she pulls the ball away as usual, stating that some traditions fade away. Lucy makes no other appearances after she pulls the football away from Charlie Brown.

The Browns are preparing to go to their grandmother's for Thanksgiving dinner when Charlie Brown gets a phone call from Peppermint Patty, who is alone for Thanksgiving (her father is out of town) and wants to come over for dinner. Two quick subsequent phone calls from Peppermint Patty add Marcie and Franklin to the guest list for a dinner that didn't exist. Linus suggests to a perplexed Charlie Brown that he could have two Thanksgiving dinners. The first Thanksgiving feast can be for himself, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and the others, while the second one can be at his grandparents's house for his family. Charlie Brown says his cooking skills are limited to "cold cereal and maybe toast," so Linus recruits Snoopy and Woodstock to help. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock and Linus prepare a feast of toast with margarine, pan-fried popcorn, pretzel sticks and jelly beans; later, Snoopy sets up a ping pong table and chairs (sparring with a lawn chair that comes to life), then dresses himself and a reluctant Woodstock (at pop-gunpoint) in Pilgrim attire for the occasion, though Charlie Brown rejects the latter idea.

The guests arrive and make their way to the backyard for the Thanksgiving feast. Linus leads the group in prayer that details the First Thanksgiving in 1621, and then Snoopy serves up the feast. Patty's initial shock at the unconventional meal quickly turns to outrage, and when she loudly berates the chefs, Charlie Brown timidly leaves the table. Patty's tirade continues until Marcie quietly reminds her that she had invited herself along with Marcie and Franklin. Coming to her senses, Patty asks Marcie to apologize to Charlie Brown on her behalf; Marcie reluctantly agrees, but Patty soon follows and apologizes to him herself. Following this, Charlie Brown is reminded that he and Sally are due at their grandmother's house for dinner, so he calls her and explains his situation. When he mentions his friends are there, and that they did not eat, his grandmother invites them all to Thanksgiving dinner, which is welcomed with cheers from everyone.

Finally, the kids leave for Charlie Brown's grandparents's house. They sing "Over the River and Through the Wood". At the end of the song, much to Charlie Brown's dismay, he disqualifies the song's name: his grandmother actually lives in a condominium. Meanwhile, Snoopy and Woodstock go to the doghouse and cook up their own traditional Thanksgiving meal. They then pull the wishbone which Woodstock wins. Over the end credits, the two friends each devour a large piece of pumpkin pie then sit back with contented smiles as Woodstock pats his full stomach.

Broadcast history

The special first aired on CBS on November 20, 1973, and continued to air every year on that network (skipping 1982, 1983, and 1988) until November 23, 1989.

The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon returned the special for reairing in the 1990s (in the latter channel's case, under the "You're on Nickelodeon, Charlie Brown" umbrella of Peanuts productions) and then, in 2001, it moved, along with the rest of the Peanuts specials, to ABC. In contrast to CBS, ABC aired the special every year through 2019, on several days in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and it had regularly won its time slot.[3] As the special runs slightly over a half-hour with commercials, ABC typically filled the remaining portion of the full hour with other Peanuts programming. From 2008 to 2019, the remaining time was filled by a slightly abridged edit of "The Mayflower Voyagers," the premiere episode of the 1988 miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown.

Starting in 2020, the special (along with the rest of the Peanuts library) will exclusively air on Apple TV+; under the terms of the agreement, Apple TV+ must provide a three-day window in November in which the special is available for free. On November 18, 2020 Apple announced they had reached an agreement to air the special on Sunday, November 22, 2020, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, commercial free on PBS and PBS Kids.[4] In accordance with most PBS affiliates' non-commercial educational licenses, the special was presented on PBS without commercial interruption, with only a brief underwriting spot before and after the special: "This special broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was made possible by Apple." Apple renewed the agreement with PBS in 2021.[5]

It is also broadcast in Canada, usually in early October in line with the Canadian observance of Thanksgiving. The special is aired on Family Channel as of 2018, with the special aired on the day before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving Day, which takes place on the second Monday of October in Canada.

Voice actors

This is the last TV special that uses the same cast from Snoopy, Come Home, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, and There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown. In the next TV special, Kohn, DeFaria, and Momberger would be succeeded in their respective roles by Melanie Kohn (Robin's younger sister), Donna Forman, and Lynn Mortensen respectively.

End Credits

  • Written and Created by: Charles M. Schulz
  • Directed by: Bill Melendez and Phil Roman
  • Produced by: Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez
  • Music Composed and Performed by: Vince Guaraldi
  • Music Supervision: John Scott Trotter
  • Vocal by: Vince Guaraldi
  • Featured Musicians: Vince Guaraldi, Seward McCain
  • Graphic Blandishment: Bernard Gruver, Evert Brown, Ed Levitt, Frank Smith, Dean Spille, Don Lusk, Bob Carlson, Sam Jaimes, Bill Littlejohn, Al Pabian, Bob Bachman, Bror Lansing, Carole Barnes, Beverly Robbins, Eleanor Warren, Faith Kovaleski, Manon Washburn, Joice Lee Marshall, Adele Lenart, Chandra Poweris, Carla Washburn, Joanne Lansing
  • Editing: Bob Gillis, Chuck McCann, Rudy Zamora
  • Recording:
    • Voices: Coast Recorders, Radio Recorders
    • Music: Wally Heider Recording
    • Mix: Producers' Sound Service
  • Camera: Dickson/Vasu, Tony Rivetti
  • Production Manager: Bob Gillis
  • Production Assistant: Judy Freudberg
  • in cooperation with United Feature Syndicate, Inc. and Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, Warren Lockhart, President
  • THE END "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" © 1973 United Feature Syndicate, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Music score

The music score for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was composed by Vince Guaraldi (except where noted) and conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter.[6] The score was performed by the Vince Guaraldi Quintet on July 17–18, August 6 and October 1, 1973, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Tom Harrell (trumpet), Chuck Bennett (trombone), Seward McCain (electric bass) and Mike Clark (drums).[7]

  1. "Charlie Brown Blues" (aka "Play It Again, Charlie Brown"/"Charlie's Blues") (version 1)
  2. "Thanksgiving Theme" (version 1, opening credits)
  3. "Thanksgiving Theme" (version 2)
  4. "Peppermint Patty"
  5. "Little Birdie" (Vocal: Vince Guaraldi)[8]
  6. "Thanksgiving Interlude" (version 1)
  7. "Is It James or Charlie?" (version 1)
  8. "Linus and Lucy (with the band)"
  9. "Fife and Drums Theme"
  10. "Is It James or Charlie?" (version 2)
  11. "Charlie Brown Blues" (aka "Play It Again, Charlie Brown" and "Charlie's Blues") (version 2)
  12. "Thanksgiving Interlude" (version 2)
  13. "Over the River and Through the Wood" (a cappella, Lydia Maria Child)
  14. "Thanksgiving Theme" (version 3, with brass)
  15. "Thanksgiving Theme" (version 4, end credits)

While an official soundtrack for the special has not been released, separate music cues have been scattered across several compilation albums beginning in 1998:[6][9]

Home media

The special was released on RCA's SelectaVision CED format in 1982 as part of the A Charlie Brown Festival Vol. III compilation. It was released on VHS by Kartes Video Communications (later KVC Home Video) in 1987. It was released by Paramount Home Media Distribution on VHS on September 28, 1994 and was re-released in clamshell packaging on October 1, 1996. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on September 12, 2000. It was re-released by Warner Home Video in remastered form on October 7, 2008.[15] It was released on a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack by Warner Home Video on October 5, 2010. The special was released in a 40th anniversary deluxe edition DVD by Warner Home Video with the same features from previous editions on October 1, 2013. The deluxe edition DVD also features "The Mayflower Voyagers". The special was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 24, 2017.[16]

References

  1. ^ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ^ Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 112–115. ISBN 978-1452110912.
  3. ^ TV Ratings Wednesday: ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ wins the night, ‘Survivor’ dips. TV by the Numbers (November 28, 2019). Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  4. ^ "You're on PBS, Charlie Brown: Apple Will Share 'Peanuts' Holiday Specials with Public TV". 18 November 2020.
  5. ^ Seiger, Theresa (October 25, 2021). "'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' returning to TV this year". Cox Media Group. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts Song Library: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. ^ Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  8. ^ "'Little Birdie,' the best Thanksgiving tune".
  9. ^ Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  10. ^ Koda, Cub. Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  11. ^ Jurek, Thom. The Charlie Brown Suite & Other Favorites at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  12. ^ Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown TV Specials at AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  13. ^ Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown TV Specials, Volume 2 at AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  14. ^ Dryden, Ken. Peanuts Portraits: The Classic Character Themes at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  15. ^ "TOP 10 Best New DVD Releases of 2019 - Latest Info". Best 7 Reviews. March 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving 4K Blu-ray". Blueray.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
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