As we tap into our next Peanuts lookback, we realize that not all the specials have a singular plot. Some plots from the comic strip are not long enough to fill in a whole 24 minutes (minus commercials) special. But what about one special that has to fill about 48 minutes (again, minus the commercials in a 60 minute slot)? That's what we are taking a look at this time. (If we did this in video form this would be easier)
"It's an Adventure , Charlie Brown" aired on CBS in May of 1983 it's considered the inspiration of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy show, which took the vignette format and used it to it's episodes instead of doing two eleven minute segments. Since , this is a vignette format we are going to look at each one separately. So let's get started.
Sack
Yes , Charlie Brown has hit the sack/ Copyright Peanuts
So the sun rises and sun looks like a baseball and this makes Charlie Browns seek therapy with Lucy, but since it's Lucy It doesn't go anywhere. Then he sees the moon and it also looks like a baseball. (he's addicted to baseball, there solved) When Sally gets him an ice cream cone guess what? (It looks like Mr.s Butterworth?) So Linus suggests Charlie go see a real doctor. He's also wearing a sack over his head. (That gives the title some sense) The doctor says he should go to camp to get his head off it. (Back when drugs weren't always the answer)
"Kamp out" hmmm turn around , Charlie Brown it's a trap!/Copyright Peanuts
Charlie Brown continues to wear the sack on his head because , why not? There's a meeting at the camp to pick a new camp president. (That's a thing?) After the voting , Charlie Brown becomes the new camp president. With the nick name , Sack.
The face of leadership/ Copyright Peanuts
Apparently , things go well for Charlie "Sack" Brown or would that be Charlie Brown "Sack"? He passes wise advice ,fixes the food, stops a fight. He has made the camp a great place. Charlie Brown though contemplates if he should remove the sack . One morning, he decides to check the sun on the Fourth of July (random) to see if the sun is the sun or a baseball. (makes sense in context)
What does he see ?
a) Sun
b) Baseball
c) nothing he falls asleep
d) Trick Question
If you answered D , then you are wise, because he sees Alfred E. Neuman from Mad Magazine.
Two worlds collide./ copyright Peanuts
That's "Sack" , the moral of the story: Wear a paper bag on your head and you will go places and be a great leader.
Caddies
Peppermint Patty applies to be a caddie and takes Marcie with her at a country club. (Quite, I'm sure) They find two women golfers to caddie for. Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Bartley. Two women agure over strokes. (Ahh Golfers) This one is not as plot driven as the first one , it's a lot of gags with Marcie. We do find out that Snoopy is a golfer at the county club. (Well of course he uis) The two ladies fight again which happens periodically. By the fourth hole Marcie quits and demands that she get a dollar for the 4 wholes. (It worked!) The Caddy master wants half of their mone, but Marcie and Peppermint don't accept that and he only gets ten percent.
That was caddies. Moral of the story: sometimes it's good to get fed up and don't give in easy while give up anyway or something.
Kite
Back to Charlie Brown... and his old arch enemy (Mr.Burns?) - The Kite eating tree. (I was close)
The K.T.E ate his kite . (Living up to its name) Charlie Brown tells the tree he hates it. Then it eats his next kite. Charlie Brown bit into the tree. (what am I watching?)
Charlie Brown bit into a tree that is something I'd never thought I'd write/ Copyright Peanuts
Charlie Brown gets a letter from the E.P.A and they are after him for biting the tree. (Darn government getting in the way of people's rights) He decides the only thing to do is run away. (it's logical) We also see the Goose eggs (Ruby and Austin ) in this special what a nice surprise. They accidentally with a baseball. They are looking for an older person to be a coach for their team. The other goose eggs : Leland and Milo meet him as well. Charlie Brown teaches the team how to do baseball. As Charlie Brown sleeps in a box each night because life is hard when the E.P.A is after you.
From sack to box /copyright Peanuts
Ruby decides to name their team the Goose Eggs , after Charlie Brown tells her it means that you haven't scored any runs. (I like her optimism) They have a competing teaming which happens to be Charlie Brown's old team. Linus informs him that kite eating tree fell over in a storm and the E.P.A has no evidence. (yes, "fell over" ) and Milo says he wants to be just like Charlie Brown.
awwww/ copyright Peanuts
Fun note : This was directly based on a storyline in the strips from 1977. It starts on February 21st and runs into March check it out : http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1977/02/21
Moral of the story: The EPA has too much time on their hands.
Song
Time for some Schroeder. After the jump.
Schroeder wants to practice his piano and doesn't want Lucy to bother him , but that's better on paper then done. This is another gag driven vignette, but it's classic Schroeder and Lucy.
Moral of the story: Ehhhhh
Sally
Much like the last one it's a gag driven vignette and not really plot driven . Sally in school being Sally.
Moral of the story : Stay in school
Butterfly
A butterfly lands on Peppermint Patty's noise and she wonders why it's there. Eventually, Peppermint Patty falls asleep with it on her nose, Marcie picked it up and sends it away, P.P wakes up and Marcie tells her it turned into an angel. So P.P thinks that it's a miracle, even though Marcie says that she made it up Peppermint doesn't pay attention. Peppermint Patty turns around and starts telling as many as she can her story. She then says that the message is "If a foul ball is hit behind third base, then it's the shortstop's play"
Lucy looks different / Copyright Peanuts
The Moral of the story : Butterflies are mystical.
Blanket
Linus' blanket attacks Lucy because it doesn't like her , I guess. Lucy makes a suggestion to take away the blanket and bury it. Charlie Brown comes over to help Linus with his first night with out his blanket. (Aww) The next day, Linus goes around looking for his blanket by digging up random spots. ( Hey kid get off my lawn!) Snoopy goes on the search and finds it using old witching powers. Lucy is not very happy ,but she is not stopped. She makes the blanket into a kite. (shame on her) Then she lets it go and it flies way. Linus gets letter from people who saw his blanket kite it was heading over the ocean, Lucy says there's nothing Snoopy can do , but he accepts that challenge and flies out to find it on a tree on an island.
wooo/ copyright Peanuts
Well , Lucy was foiled once again... for now.
Moral of the Story : Always bet on Snoopy.
Woodstock
Silly , that's Snoopy not Woodstock. copyright
The last segment is about 1 minute long and it's Woodstock being Woodstock.
And that's the hour long special. It was a well put together special the jokes were well paced . My favorites were Sack , Kite and Blanket. It works well and I can see why they later came back and made the "Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show" where the Peanuts do well in Vignettes as much as a whole 30 minute special.
Tune in next time when Charlie Brown finds out that Lucy called the E.P.A on him
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