The Peanuts have become a part of annual holiday traditions for families all around the world. The comic strip was created by Charles M. Schulz and debuted on October 2, 1950. The comic follows the life of Charlie Brown and his friends as they navigate life in elementary school. The series made its way to television in the United States for its first holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, in December 1965. The Christmas special was so successful that the Peanuts now have a television special for practically every North American holiday.
A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a holiday staple for many families—the special lived on broadcast television for five decades, which would air yearly during the holidays. However, nothing lasts forever, and so in 2020, The Peanuts were purchased by Apple, meaning the specials would no longer air on ABC. It can be a bit confusing, but don’t worry; we’ll guide you through it.
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Is ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Streaming?
Yes! A Charlie Brown Christmas and the rest of The Peanuts programming are now solely on Apple TV+. You can start a seven-day free trial for Apple TV+ or subscribe for $6.99. The holiday special is available for rent or purchase on any digital platform. For now, the only way to stream A Charlie Brown Christmas is to watch it on Apple TV+.
Watch on Apple TV+
Will ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Air on Television?
No, A Charlie Brown Christmas will not air on any television station this year. In the past, all the Peanuts holiday specials aired on CBS before moving to ABC in 2001 to 2019. In 2020, Apple purchased the rights to stream the Charlie Brown cartoons exclusively on their streaming service, Apple TV+.
Is ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Available on DVD and Blu-ray?
Apple TV+ isn’t the only way to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. You can still purchase the Blu-ray on sites like Amazon. The Blu-ray includes the bonus special, It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, allowing you to watch both shorts as they aired on ABC. If you’re weary about streaming on Apple TV+, owning a physical copy is your best option. It also means you won’t have to be concerned about where to find A Charlie Brown Christmas ever again.
Buy on Amazon
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What is ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’?
Marking the television debut of the Peanuts crew, A Charlie Brown Christmas sees Chuck losing his holiday spirit. To help him out, Linus and Lucy suggest he help with the Christmas pageant. Of course, things never go as planned for our good friend, Charlie Brown.
A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a holiday staple, with Vince Guaraldi’s score becoming synonymous with Christmas. The special tackles themes of holiday burnout, the true meaning of the holiday, and embracing why it’s such a special time of year. It’s a surprisingly deep study of the holiday in such a small package.
Other Peanuts Specials and Where to Watch Them
If Charlie Brown and his friends help put you in the holiday spirit, here are more holiday specials featuring the Peanuts gang. All of these short films are available on Apple TV+ as well as DVD and Blu-ray.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) – This Halloween-themed short sees Linus and Sally await the arrival of the mythical Great Pumpkin. Legend says that the Great Pumpkin only visits the pumpkin patch, which is the most sincere; unfortunately, Linus is the only one to have ever heard of the Great Pumpkin. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the rest go trick or treating and Snoopy gets into more crazy shenanigans.
Watch on Apple TV+
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) – A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a television special based on the daily comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. It sees Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock scramble to make a Thanksgiving feast after Peppermint Patty invites herself over for dinner. The boys are on a tight timer. Can they manage to make their own holiday feast before Charlie Brown goes to his grandmother’s house? You’ll have to watch and find out!
Watch on Apple TV+
It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) – Making its debut in 1992, It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is a collection of short stories, all direct adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip. We have stories featuring Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin, and our favorite blockhead, Charlie Brown. It’s a fun collection that captures the Christmas spirit with the classic humor we’ve come to love from the Schulz comic.
Watch on Apple TV+
I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003) – This Peanuts special follows Rerun, the younger brother of Linus and Lucy, who wants nothing more for Christmas than a dog of his own after spending so much time with Snoopy, unfortunately, his mother won’t let him have a dog. This leads Rerun to ask Snoopy for help, having him bring his brother Spike to town.
Watch on Apple TV+
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! (1986) – Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! focuses on Charlie Brown as he struggles to write a book report over Christmas vacation. The paper is on the massive book by Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace. Not only does Chuck need to finish this paper before his return to school, but he also needs to maintain focus because all he can think about is the New Year’s party.
Watch on Apple TV+
Snoopy Presents: Auld Lang Syne (2021) – Snoopy Presents: Auld Lang Syne finds Lucy preparing for a visit from her grandmother for the Christmas holiday. After learning that her Grandmother can’t make the trip, Lucy decides to focus her attention on throwing the best New Year’s Eve party in history. Meanwhile, good ol’ Charlie Brown is trying to cross off his remaining resolutions before time runs out.
Watch on Apple TV+
