10 Best Peanuts TV Specials Ranked

The Peanuts Characters began on comic strips but were later developed into over 50 animated specials. The characters were first introduced in a comic strip by Charles Schultz in 1950. Since then, Peanuts‘ characters have been featured in Shows, commercials, feature films, musicals and many TV specials. Peanuts‘The first prime-time debut on the screen was in 1965, for a highly regarded holiday special.

Over almost 60 years, the US Peanuts Band has become A beloved group of young characters with terribly mature feelingsmaking these Peanuts Letters highly quotable. The group includes Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, and the famous anthropomorphic dog, Snoopy. Peanuts became best known for their holiday specials, as they were the first time the characters were given a voice on screen. While all these Peanuts Specials have their merits, some stand out among the many iterations on-screen Peanuts Band.

10

It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977)

Charlie Brown finally gets to kiss his crush

This is important Peanuts Special marks Charlie Brown’s first kiss with his crushThe little red girl. While she is usually referred to by her hair color, she is given the name Heather in the special. When Charlie Brown is chosen to be a chaperone for the school’s homecoming party and is paired with his longtime crush, he panics and begins spiraling, worrying about how close he is to his love and how he might destroy it.

As a reward for good behavior, Charlie Brown even gets to kiss the girl on the cheek, which leads to a fantastically charming dream sequence, where Charlie blissfully soars in the clouds, riding the high of the kiss. It is A rare and exciting moment of happiness for Charlie Brownwhich is usually brought down and actually. He becomes the life of the party, though he barely remembers it the next day when he talks to Linus, lamenting his poor memory of one of the best nights of his life.

9

Charlie Brown’s All Stars! (1966)

Charlie Brown is having trouble managing his baseball team

This Peanuts Special is A classic example of Charlie Brown’s fruitless attempts to make everyone happyOften resulting in everyone turning on him. After he promises his friends that their baseball team will be able to join a league and get uniforms, Charlie Brown finds out that there are certain restrictions. Namely, the team will no longer be able to have girls or dogs on it, cutting half the team. Charlie keeps this a secret from the team, but eventually the truth comes out that they lost their sponsorship and league involvement.

Unfortunately, as with many Peanuts Special, the gang turns on Charlie Brown, misinterpreting his intentions. Fortunately, Linus can be the voice of reason and explain what Charlie is trying to do. The gang tries to make it up to Charlie. This special follows a format similar to one of the most famous Peanuts special; But, it is An excellent example of a special that does not involve religion or holidaysMaking it a good watch for any time of the year.

8

He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968)

Snoopy is sent away to learn obedience

He’s your dog, Charlie Brown is a Snoopy-centric film, as the reckless dog is sent away to learn some manners. Snoopy’s imagination gets him into trouble at the start of the special, as his antics star all the kids. It is An excellent example of Snoopy’s creativityHow he poses for the Red Baron, and the possibility of his prowess, how he even wears his teeth, reveals some sharp dental work.

Snoopy goes to Peppermint Patty’s house, where she helps whip him into shape, training him to be more obedient. And it works, as he takes on a lot of chores around the house. Eventually, Snoopy can’t take it anymore and returns home to Charlie Brown. And even though he’s still chaotic, everyone is happy to have Snoopy back, having missed his antics more than they expected. Despite his indifference, His dramatic imagination and animated performance Make this special a good watch for all Snoopy lovers.

7

It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974)

Snoopy and Woodstock are on the case

Snoopy investigates Woodstock’s missing nest It’s a mystery, Charlie Brown. He puts on the classic mystery-solving attire, wearing a deerstalker hat, pipe, and magnifying glass, just like Sherlock Holmes. The beagle then interrogates the other characters, comically barging into their homes and dusting for fingerprints. The special focuses a lot on Snoopy’s loyal sidekickGive Woodstock a lot of solo screen time and character, developing him much more than the comics.

The thief is Sally, who took the nest for her science class. The case is brought to Lucy, who acts as a judge instead of a psychiatrist and rules in favor of Woodstock being the rightful owner of the nest. To help Sally replace her science experiment, Snoopy goes to the school so she can perform Pavlovian techniques on him. The special is fun and filled with Snoopy and Woodstock’s antics and friendship, Show the physical comedy of the character Because no one is talking.

6

Someday You’ll Find Her, Charlie Brown (1981)

Charlie Brown learns a hard lesson about love

This Peanuts Especially explores the full extent of Charlie Brown’s tendency as a hopeless romantic And the sad way his colleagues often reject him. After Charlie Brown sees a beautiful girl on TV in the football game crowd, he and Linus try to track her down and learn more about her, with Charlie now obsessed. In the end, Charlie is too shy to talk to the girl, and Linus breaks up with her, leaving Charlie Brown alone in the dark.

The special features a beautiful montage of Charlie Brown Go home after being dismissed by Linus and the little girl. The animation style becomes a muted watercolor as Charlie imagines what it would be like to be in love and “Alone” by Becky Reardon plays. At the end of the special, his existentialism comes out when the kid reads poems about love by Tennyson and Yeats from a book he carries around.

5

Snoopy’s Reunion (1991)

The Snoopy Origin Story

The Snoopy-centric special acts as the beloved beagle’s origin story. The film features Snoopy’s seven brothers and sisters, who were all adopted into different homes when they were younger. Among Snoopy’s siblings are Spike, Belle, Olaf, Marbles, Andy, Molly and Rover. In a flash, the audience sees the puppies being taken one by one as various children adopt them. It reveals that Snoopy was owned by another child before Charlie Brown but had to be returned due to a “no dog” policy.

However, before they separated, the puppies formed a band, which they try to reform when they will reunite as adults. The special is a touching look at how relationships can change while growing up. Although much has changed since they were puppies, the siblings are just happy to be together, picking up their instruments again. The special is heartfelt and Takes a rather unusually depressing look at the Peanuts charactersAlthough it ends on a happy note as Snoopy flies his siblings home with his dog house.

4

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)

Charlie Brown struggles to find love on Valentine’s Day

Be my Valentine, Charlie Brown Explore Young love and the expectations of Valentine’s Day. In the special, Charlie Brown waits for Valentines that never come, and Linus and Sally both pine for unrequited lovers. The special hits hard on the disappointments and frustrations of Valentine’s Day with sophistication and humor, even though the subjects are only grade schoolers. The special was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Special.

This Valentine’s special is A prime example of the characters’ mature behaviors and dialoguewho often give the difficult topics without raising tone. Plus, like all the specials, the humor is appropriate for audiences young and old. This special again sees Charlie Brown alone and unloved, but it uses less insulting language than many other specials. ABC and CBS have aired the special annually since its release in 1975.

3

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

Charlie Brown and his friends get together for a Thanksgiving feast

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a prime example of these Peanuts Characters hanging out as friends, enjoying each other’s company, and giving thanks. Although Peppermint Patty forces herself and Marcy into Charlie’s holiday plans, ultimately the group comes together to enjoy a comically mismatched meal. Thanks to Snoopy, the kids eat jelly beans, popcorn, and buttered toast, all ingredients in a child’s dream Thanksgiving dinner. There is also a good amount of Snoopy content in the special without him being the main focus.

Like the third one Peanuts Holiday special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is well-received. It was The first Peanuts Especially to have a completely original script without relying on the comicsAnd it was able to make a lot of typically more minor characters into larger plot points, showcasing the Peanuts world. At just 25 minutes, the special is often paired with “The Mayflower Voyagers,” the premiere episode of the 1988 miniseries This is America, Charlie Brown. The additional content provided some historical context for the holiday, see the Peanuts Characters like Pilgrims Aboard the Mayflower.

2

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Linus Waits for his Halloween hero: The Great Pumpkin

This Halloween special was an early addition to the animated canon and provides a holistic look at the holiday, complete with trick-or-treating and festive activities. The special showcases what it’s like to be a child with an enduring sense of hope. Despite everyone telling Linus that the Great Pumpkin doesn’t exist, he stays in the pumpkin patch all night, excited to catch a glimpse of his hero. This could be interpreted as a religious reference, but Halloween is a typical secular holiday, giving it some wiggle room. Others see Linus’ determination as a limitation that everyone thinks differently and needs to be supported in their beliefs.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was well-received upon its release and was Watched by 49% of American TV viewers in its debut broadcast. Like a very early one Peanuts In particular, it helped strengthen the developing tone of the animated shows. The Great Pumpkin was also so well received that it led to the development of the Halloween special as a television genre. It appeared on TV annually since its release until Apple TV+ acquired it in 2020.

1

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

The very first Peanuts Special

A Charlie Brown Christmas is widely regarded as a holiday classic and one of the best Peanuts Special. The special follows a bit of a plot: Charlie Brown searches for the true meaning of Christmas and the production of the Christmas Pageant. It features religious themes as well, with Linus reciting a Bible verse. Many parts of the special have become classic recurring holiday themesIncluding Charlie Brown’s Pathetic Tree and Vince Guaraldi’s score, including “Linus and Lucy” and “Christmas Time Is Here.”

Conceived in 1965, it was the first Peanuts Especially to air, with the characters have only appeared in comics and advertisements before. A Charlie Brown Christmas Had a rocky development, with many of the creatives not sure if the project would be completed in time. As the first peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Christmas Set the tone for the following filmsBring real children’s voices to the comic characters and coin the iconic jazz score of the franchise. The special received two Emmy Award nominations and won for Outstanding Children’s Program, proving it to be the best Peanuts Special TV.