Advent Calendar December 17: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Broadcast In America Every Year Between 1965 and 2000
“A Charlie Brown Christmas was completed just ten days shy of its national broadcast premiere.[8] All involved believed the special would be a disaster. Melendez first saw the completed animation at a showing in a theater in the days before its premiere, turning to his crew of animators and remarking, "My golly, we've killed it."[8]Melendez was embarrassed, but one of the animators, Ed Levitt, was more positive regarding the special, telling him it was "the best special [he'll] ever make [...] This show is going to run for a hundred years."[8]
“The special was originally broadcast on CBS in 1965 and rerun each year from 1966 until 2000.”
This one ran last year too. I’ve only just discovered how to “see” the artistry of Bill Melendez.
Every single frame is in its own way remarkable.
I’d like to learn what circumstances caused CBS to stop re-running it in 2000, though we all understand these things instinctively, as post 9/11 Americans.
I suppose it was Linus’ answer to Charlie Brown’s despairing question.
Who’s your favorite character in The Peanuts?
Full movie:
Thanks for reminding me about a classic. They threw it together in 3 months. There were problems one being "the CBS executives worried about the scene where Linus recites the story of the birth of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Luke. It was too long, they believed. And too literal. The CBS executives assumed Americans, especially kids, wouldn't want to sit through a spoken passage from the King James Bible."
"They were freaking out about something so overtly religious in a Christmas special," Melendez said. "They basically wrote it off.
Charles Schulz wouldn't budge. So we got to enjoy a Charlie Brown Christmas!
https://www.newsweek.com/how-charlie-brown-christmas-came-almost-didnt-1656940
One of my favorites! Always makes me cry! I think they are happy tears. Merry Christmas 🎄