I can almost guarantee you’ve heard of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which debuted 60 years ago, in 1965. You’re probably also familiar with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the Halloween special that aired the following year. You might even have seen A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, the 1973 special where our sad lad gets roped into hosting dinner.
But what you may not realize is that you could be spending so many more holidays with the Peanuts gang! Here are some of the more obscure specials that have aired over the years. You can still enjoy them on Apple TV+ and/or on physical media.
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1985)
Good news: Charlie Brown has been invited to a New Year’s party, where he might get to dance with the Little Red-Haired Girl! Bad news: he has also been assigned to read War and Peace over winter break, and he’s barely started. Meanwhile, Snoopy commits the ultimate party faux-pas of sniffing Lucy’s root beer.
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)
The whole gang is preparing for Valentine’s Day. Alas, as one might expect, no one will be saying this special’s title phrase to poor Charlie Brown this year. But he’s not the only one having relationship problems this time, as Linus develops a crush on his teacher.
It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)
Peppermint Patty and Marcie can’t seem to get this whole egg painting thing right–for some reason, a waffle iron was involved. But don’t worry, says Linus. Come Easter morning, the Easter Beagle will deliver beautifully colored eggs to all the good children! Now, where have we heard that before?
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You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972)
Okay, so Election Day isn’t technically a holiday, though maybe it should be. Lucy takes it upon herself to act as campaign manager and occasionally threatens “constituents” on behalf of Linus, who is poised to be elected class president. That is, until he brings up a certain gift-giving gourd in front of the whole school.
It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
Yes, there were other Christmas specials! The first one features, among other things, Sally and Peppermint Patty struggling with their roles in the school pageant. In the latter, Linus and Lucy’s brother, Rerun, decides to adopt Snoopy’s brother, Spike, with dubious results. While these specials can’t match the charm of the original Christmas classic, they’re still good fun for Peanuts fans.
Of course, there’s more Peanuts love to go around, too. Discover the history of Peanuts comics, explore relatable Snoopy comic panels about writing, and consider the power and meaning of Snoopy.
Have you seen any of these lesser-known Peanuts specials? Did I miss an obscure one you love? Let me know on Bluesky!
