Charlie Brown has a lot of baseball specials. This is our second one in a row to cover. We are looking "It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown". This special came out in 1996 it was the only special that aired on TV didn't premiere on a network. It was supposed to air on CBS in 1992 but CBS changed their minds and it never aired then it came out on VHS in 1996 with Nickelodeon airing the special in 1998. (If Nick didn't air it, this would have been the the a third special that never aired on TV) Did CBS pass this up for a reason? Let's find out.
The special begins with snow. (What ? It CAN snow in spring you know) Charlie Brown is shoveling the snow and then starts on a snow mound to be a pitcher's mound because he's really into baseball. Charlie Brown keeps yelling that it's spring training. (Poor CB is losing it) All his player leave and he starts talking to a a snowman.
Now it's not snowing and well it's now really time for some spring training . Though, I am not sure how well the team will do. Hey, there's Leland ,a minor character from the comics, who apparently might be Freida's brother. (In this special he apparently is) Leland wants to try out for a baseball team and he of course, goes to Charlie Brown's team. Leland also thinks Lucy is pretty. (awww) He asks Charlie Brown to try out and C.B gives him a chance. (Honestly, Leland is a good as the other players on that team)
Leland is an icon/ Copyright Peanuts
I'm going to note music here, because why not? This is also the last special not have any scoring music written by Vince Guaraldi. Other specials after this one did reuse cuts or had other music but still used Guaraldi's cuts as well. The music in this special for example when Lucy and Charlie Brown are practicing sounds very early 90's like the two of them are about to start rapping kind of sound. This was the last special where Judy Munsen was a composer for , she worked on 14 Peanuts specials and two movies.
Lucy also wonders why the team doesn't have uniforms. (She didn't watch Charlie Brown's All Stars) Linus says that Lucy is right (I'm scared) they are the only team without uniforms. Inspeaking of Charlie Brown's All Stars, Mr.Hennessey is back. Yep, the hardware store owner says he will sponsor the team's uniforms if they win. (He's not a gambling man) They visit his hardware store where Snoopy gets attacked by hardware. To be exact they have to win the first game of the season. Off note: When did Marcie leave Peppermint Patty's team to join CB's team?
See Marcie randomly there/ copyright Peanuts
It's the big game day. The best way to start a baseball game is the hockey pokey then Franklin raps. It's the most 90's scene ever.
After all that, the game begins. Woah wait a minute , back to that thing: What's Franklin doing on Charlie Brown's team? He's on Peppermint Patty's team , did they trade? I need a back story! Alright back to the game. In standard Charlie Brown team fashion it doesn't go well. Then it starts going well. (They did that on purpose) Then it's Leland's turn. Poor fellow gets two strikes then the ball gets stuck in helmet and he makes it to home, The team wins 27-26.
ummm great team names/ copyright Peanuts
Now his team gets their uniforms. Leland quits the team because his uniform is too big. They play another game but it goes in normal Charlie Brown team fashion and they lose. (27-25)
Yay Uniforms though/ Copyright Peanuts
more after the jump
First some animation weirdness. I mentioned above how we see Marcie in the in the team but only in that one segment.
Then it switches to some other girl , who is unknown, I checked some sources to see who it was the closest is that she might be Patty. The Marcie image may have been an animation error.
Otherwise it's a random character for the team.
This was a fun special to see, Charlie Brown's love of baseball is so powerful he will try in the dead of winter to get it done. It was nice to see some Charlie Brown victory before some final defeat it's not something you'd expect too much if you know how his baseball games end up going. The rap scene was random but funny (at least it made me laugh) and will feel dated though. Getting to my line of let's see maybe why CBS passed over it. 1992 was the last year where a new Peanuts special aired on CBS (they aired reruns until ABC took the rights in 2001) That last special being "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" It could have been that the ratings weren't doing what CBS was wanting anymore , they had enough reruns so why air this one? I don't think it's a bad special at all bit random in the middle but still enjoyable.
That's our Lookback , tune in next time when we find out if Charlie Brown ever had a tennis special.
No comments:
Post a Comment