Apple TV+ became the new home of the Peanuts gang last year when they acquired the exclusive rights to air the beloved family favorites. After massive public outcry over the removal of the Halloween special from public airwaves Apple back peddled and allowed both the Thanksgiving and the Christmas specials to be watched outside of their platform.
This year It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be available on Apple’s streaming platform, but will also air on PBS. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is scheduled to air on PBS and PBS Kids at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 24.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a critically-acclaimed animated television special, based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was the third Peanuts special (and first Halloween special) to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez. Its initial broadcast took place on October 27, 1966 on the CBS network, before the popular sitcom My Three Sons. CBS re-aired the special annually through 2000, with ABC picking up the rights beginning in 2001.
Fun facts about “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
The program was nominated for two Emmy Awards- Outstanding Children’s Program (as was Charlie Brown’s All-Stars) and Special Classification of Individual Achievement.
After the special originally aired, children all over the United States sent candy to Charlie Brown out of sympathy.
Kathy Steinberg had almost finished recording all her lines of dialog as Sally when the producers received a phone call from her mother informing them that one of Kathy’s teeth was loose. Fearing that a sudden lisp would ruin the continuity dialogue, the producers rushed the young actress into the studio to finish recording her lines. Just as Kathy was speaking her last line, the tooth came flying out of her mouth.
When Snoopy pretends to cross wartime France as a downed pilot, he passes signs pointing to two real locations in the Champagne country northeast of Paris: Chalons sur Marne and Pont a Mousson.
Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown as he’s about to kick it, causing him to fly through the air and land on his back had been in many a Peanuts comicstrip but it was animated for the first time in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
When Linus walks into the living room after writing a letter to the Great Pumpkin, Lucy is sitting in front of the TV reading a TV Guide. The picture on the cover of the magazine is a picture of Lucy.
The special was originally jointly sponsored by Coca-Cola and Dolly Madison cakes.
Charlie Brown holiday specials: Broadcast times, how to watch
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is scheduled to air on PBS and PBS Kids at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 24.
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 21.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 19 on PBS and PBS Kids.