A Charlie Brown Christmas Turns 40

Today was the 40th annual broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I have been a Peanuts gang fan since I was in elementary school. This special would have aired for the first time when I was 12 years old. It's inevitable that it would become woven into the fabric of my personal holiday traditions. For many years you had to watch it when it ran on TV in December or you were out of luck. I guess it was a given that I missed a few years with Charlie Brown and friends due to my busy social schedule of yore. I do remember how happy I was as a twenty-something living all on my own to discover the special on the air while flipping through the channels. A feeling of peace and holiday happiness just washed over me. It was Christmas and even if my tree was just a couple of branches of pine in a big vase and my ornaments were the Christmas cards I'd received that year, Christmas was everywhere in my little efficiency apartment in Northern Virginia.

However, a number of years ago my husband and I got our very own copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas and the follow up to it - It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown on VHS- as a gas station holiday promotions. I was psyched. Finally, I had my own copy of this holiday classic. Every December, come mountains of decorating, gift wrapping, or piles of work, I always find time to pull out my VHS copy of this classic and just chill out. Ironically, all the things I love about it - its peaceful quality, the superb Vince Guaraldi score, and the calm recitation of a portion of the Gospel of Luke regarding the birth of Christ - were all lost on CBS execs when they first took a look at the special. They didn't like it. Where was the laugh track? Where were the fake kid's voices? Where was all the action? It would never work. Nevertheless, A Charlie Brown Christmas proved TV execs wrong. All of us who grew up on this special and raised our kids up on it too, are happy that they aired it in spite of their doubts. For me, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is a good way to put the Christmas spirit into the holiday season. Watching it will always be a part of my family's holiday traditions.

Comments

[Margaret]

I love that show too--except my kids always cried about the tree and wanted one like in the program. (they felt sorry for it) We wouldn't go that far.

[elspeth]

I love Charlie Brown and now I know I have something in common with him - I was 40 this year LOL

[Yvonne]

The Charlie Brown tree always fit in with my way of thinking, even as a young one.

[Chrissy]

I LOVE Charlie Brown's Christmas. I missed it last year. It was the first time I ever remember missing it. I made a point to tell everyone in my office to make sure to remind me what night it came on....just so I would not miss it. So, last Tuesday, I got to see it.

One of my phone rings are the "Linus and Lucy" theme. Love it...love your blog also. Thanks for stopping my mine.

[elspeth]

now I am jealous!! Ive not seen it and Im a HUGE fan, Ill have to see if I can buy it here.

Have a great 2006 and hope you had a great Christmas.

xx