Christmas : Charlie Brown Christmas Tales

Peanuts  Christmas  


            "Charlie Brown Christmas Tales" is not really a Peanuts special as much as it's filler that is used to fill in ABC's broadcast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" If you want Charlie Brown Christmas  to be aired without any cuts because, commercials can't be cut?, is to fill in a gap that needs to be filled in that's "Charlie Brown Christmas Tales"
 
              The special is 18 minutes long (minus commercials) meaning that it fits in with the broadcast of the original special which usually runs from :00 to :32-34 past the hour.  The special first aired in 2002 , the second year ABC had rights to Peanuts specials.

    It's like Peanuts strips that were brought to animation. They were lifted from the comic strip and just animated.  It is split into different segments based on different characters: Snoopy, Linus,Sally, Lucy, and Charlie Brown.  Even though, the special doesn't have a plot and is usually just the hour filler I think it has a charm to it. There are some entertaining things in this special. 

 Look how they spelled Santa Claus / Copyright Peanuts 

      I had this sentiment in my "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown"  nothing will match up to the original Christmas special and that's fine.  It really is fun to see the Peanuts characters celebrating Christmas in different ways in these specials.    One of the segments I love in this special, is the one where Sally just stares at a Christmas tree hoping it falls down and it does. 

Yeah she's  a witch! 

     I think it's an alright special because it exhibits a kind of fun you get from the strips The animation is fine and there are moments.  I mostly say watch this when it airs on TV, not really go out and seek it out unless you buy a DVD and it's somehow included or want to own all the specials. I think it's alright and really it's filler but it's tasty filler around the good  cookies of the original special.  

    

Tune in next time when we wonder what do we do with all the trees that we looked at and fell over. 

Christmas : The Small One

   
 There are some things that I think get kind of lost in the track of memory or  time. This time I want to talk about a Disney animated special called "The Small One"  , I've kind of wanted to talk about this special for sometime, I never got to it though.  I found out that this year is it's 40th anniversary , so I thought this would be a good time talk about it.  The special comes from a book of the same name and was dircted by Don Bluth. It came out as a short with Pinocchio  when that movie was re-released in theaters (something done before home sales were a thing).  Here's our look at this special.

         It's a 26 minute in length special meaning that people most likely watched this while waiting to see "Pinocchio" (imagine that).  It takes place in countryside near Nazareth during biblical times of course.  There's a donkey named Small One, who is beloved by a boy named , uhh, Boy.  Small One is getting older and weaker and  past what his purpose is at a farm that needs donkeys for plowing and etc.   There's a montage of the father noticing this about Small One, especially when Boy chooses do some of the donkey's work.  His father tells him that Small One can't do work enough to pay of his food so, it's time to sell him.

A Boy and his donkey , to be separated by circumstance /Copyright Disney

      That brings us the main plot of the special. Boy is unhappy that Small One has to go.  Boy decides that he should be the one to take him, his father says yes but he has to be sold. Boy promises that he will find Small  One a good , gentle, and kind owner.  The next day, they set out to the city to see who wants a donkey.  The city guard recommends someone who turns out to be a tanner meaning that he wouldn't want S.O as a friend.   They have to go find someone else who doesn't want to make the donkey into a car seat, or whatever people did with leather then.  Another montage of people not really wanting the donkey.

Does it look like I want a Donkey?/ Copyright Disney 

 
     Oh there's some music in the special as well.  One song is Boy telling Small One that he'll  find a kind gentle owner.  Also, a song with some merchants or whatever who cut a long a song with Boy singing "Small One for Sale".  I think they help him by saying he should go the auctioneer instead.   This doesn't help because nobody wants the scrawny donkey and also not a horse.  The auctioneer decides to spend his time making fun of the donkey and keeps pulling his tail but when he pushes Boy the donkey gets angry and pushes the auctioneer of the platform.

You mess with the small one, you get kicked by the donkey/Copyright Disney 

      While the two of them spend their time dejected a man  talks to him. The man offers him a coin and promises that he will have a good home. Boy and Small One part their ways and the man takes him.      The purpose the man has for the donkey is to take his wife to Bethlehem.  It ends with a shot of the famous Christmas star.

     You could probably presume that the man was Joseph and his wife would be Mary.

   I don't why this special really hasn't been 'loved' by Disney. Now, first there are ways to get this you can buy it on prime video (when this post was written) and some other streaming formats. Maybe Disney will put it on their own service when that comes out. (This is really going to date this post) They have it on "Mickey's Christmas Carol" DVD as well.  It hasn't aired on TV though, in the United States  not on Disney Channel, Freeform, Disney XD, Disney Junior, ABC , Toon Disney (when that existed), Soap net (when that existed) , anywhere. I don't now why really. Before someone says well it's relgious, I would like to add that Freeform has aired Rankin Bass'  "Nestor, the Long-Eared ,Christmas Donkey" which has a similar story about a donkey that end up being Mary's riding donkey.    They have also aired "The Little Drummer  Boy" which also has a religious tone to it. 

   I think this special , I think it paces pretty well. I can feel the boy's pain and struggle when he's trying to figure out the right person for Small One, you can see that he's trying hard to see if he can help.  He wasn't being immature trying to keep the donkey  he understood that since the farm uses donkeys as work animals for their lively-hood he knew he had to give him up.  He also could have just given his donkey to the first person but, he really felt that Small One deserves something better I think that his decision to do the hard thing both times really shows something in his character.   I do tear up at the end watching when the two of them separate.
 
     That's our lookback , tune in next time  when we find a  Christmas special  that has  a boy having to give up his cow for the greater good. 

ABC mid season premiere dates

ABC  Mid Season Primetime 

        ABC has released their mid season premiere dates and times.  

             "A Million Little Things" moves to Thursdays , if you like America's Funniest Home Videos and Shark Tank well then there's more coming.  Return dates for all your favorite shows. 

  Friday, January 4

  8pm Fresh off the Boat 

  8:30pm Speechless

 9pm   20/20 (NEW time) (2 hours ) 

  Sunday, January 6 

   7-9PM   America's Funniest Home Videos (2 hours) 

    9-11pm   Shark Tank (new time) (2 hours)

  Tuesday, January 8

  8PM The Connors

  8:30pm  The Kids are Alright Right 

   9pm   Black-ish 

   9:30pm Splitting up Together 

   10pm  The Rookie 

  Wednesday, January 9

  8PM The Goldbergs 

   8:30pm  Schooled (Series premiere) 

   9pm  Modern Family 

   9:30pm  Single Parents 

  10pm   Match Game  (Season Premiere) 

Thursday, January 17th

8pm  Grey's Anatomy 

9:01pm  "A Million Little Things" (New Day and Time) 

10pm  How to Get away with Murder 

Tuesday, February 5

8PM   American Housewife (new time 

Wednesday, February 27 

10PM  Whiskey Cavalier 

Sunday, March 3 

7PM  America's Funniest Home Videos (One Hour ) 

8PM  American Idol (new season) 

10:01pm Shark Tank (new time)

Thursday, March 7

9:01pm Station 19 (new season ) 

10pm  For the People (new season) 

Monday, March 18

10PM The Fix (New series) 

Monday, June 17th 

10pm  Grand Hotel (new series) 

Full press release after the jump 

Christmas Flashback : Feels like the very first Christmas to me How Sponge bob Celebrates Christmas

Nickelodeon  The Flashback Christmas 

                This blog post was made before the sad news of the passing of the creator of "Spongebob" but  we dedicate it to  Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of Spongebob  (1961-2018) Thanks for the memories and for bringing us this great series.   


      It's kind of funny that I haven't really talked about Spongebob Squarepants on this blog , really ever.  It's such a big show , and is still popular in it's nearly 20th year running, yet I haven't really touched it. Well this time for Christmas I look at Spongebob for a blog post, where we see what happens when Spongebob finds out what Christmas  is.

 
      The theme song is even done in Christmas choral version with a the addition of the word Spongebob Christmas special.   The episode starts with Patchy the pirate doing some Christmas stuff of his own and he is our host for this special since all specials need hosts.  He tells us what the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom are doing for Christmas and his flying bird wants his cookie dough.  3 Bells ring and that means fan letters. (yay?!)  The letter brings Patchy to talk about them not always having Christmas in  Bikini Bottom bring us to our main plot of the special.

Bird mail/ Copyright Viacom 

     Since Sandy was a land dweller she knows about Christmas which leads her to explain what it is to Spongebob who doesn't know.  He then spreads the message to the other people in Bikini Bottom. Including who Santa Claus is , and Mr. Krabs likes this because free stuff.   Everyone seems enthusiastic  but Squidward of course. So, Spongebob sends all the letters of the various citizens into above the sea where they kind of just float above. Now we get  a song, which is something that I very much remember from this special and even used part of the lyrics in the title of this post.  This is probably one of the best  "Spongebob" songs.

can you hear it? / Copyright Viacom 

       The song segways us to Christmas Eve but Spongebob realizes that Squidward hasn't written a letter to Spongebob , but Squidward doesn't want it, and he doesn't believe in Santa Claus.  Everyone else waits for Santa to come and sing all night but then Santa doesn't come.  ( I will also note it is very interesting that Sandy isn't seen in this special after she tells Spongebob about Christmas.)  Everyone leaves angrily while, Spongebob says he's just running late and tries to wait some more.  Squidward wakes up and makes fun of Spongebob , who is depressed. This special also does  a great job of doing a subtle joke you get when you get it .  Spongebob starts crying but he gives Squidward a gift so he wouldn't feel left out.  It's a nice clarinet made of driftwood by hand. (Spongebob has many talents)

Made with love/Copyright Viacom 

       That makes Squidward feel guilty  and he decides to make it right. Which gives us a great Squidward moment in the entire series. He pretends to be Santa Claus to surprise Spongebob and make his Christmas great.   It doesn't stop there, a little kid asks Squidward Claus if he has gift for her, and so he ends up giving away something from his house. This continues where ends up giving pretty much everything he owns to the people of Bikini Bottom.  The real Santa says thankyou to Squidward in a letter than he shows up and goes insane. 

he's lost it! / Copyright Viacom 

 Patchy ends up unable to end the special so French narrator  does instead. 

            Spongebob's Christmas is  a fun Christmas special that has a sweetness to it. Spongebob is the most optimistic character and was willing to spread Christmas around Bikini Bottom. Squidward plays a good foil to the sponge with his normal grumpiness. He does become quite mean to him but when he feels bad after Spongebob gives him the gift he really embraces that Christmas spirit and in great way.   The main song is great and very re memorable. Patchy's segments are also quite fun and not too much to take away from the plot of the main special.  I think this is a great special for Christmas watching.

  Tune in next time, we tell all the animals of the world about Christmas  .

The Loud House Celebrates Christmas

Nickeloden The Loud House  Christmas 

    Fun note first: Since, we might be writing more about this TV series we have a made a blog label  for it now ! Now back to our post.

      This time, we look at an episode of  "The Loud House" that  I think will one day be considered a Christmas special classic.  The episode is called " 11 Loud a Leapin'".  If you don't know what "The Loud House" is ,it's an  animated series from Nickelodeon  that first premiered in 2016 it is about a family called the Louds who have 11 children, 10 of which are girls.  Much of the show focuses on center child , Lincoln, who also happens to be the only boy.   Other episodes focus on other members of the family or the family as a whole in a slice of life with comedy show. I have written about this series before ,you can check out those posts too.    For those that know the series, thanks for standing by to introduce those who haven't.

         It's Christmas Eve Lincoln tells the audience.  Luna, the musically inclined older sister, is trying to write a Christmas song. The rest of the Louds are going about their Christmas business  and this is a good way to set up the atmosphere of the holiday at the Loud House.  The next door neighbor named Mr. Grouse is kind of grouchy around Christmas  more on that later.  Lincoln has decided to go outside and ride is sled in the snow and it lands in Mr.Grouse's backyard and he's the kind of neighbor that takes stuff that lands in his yard.   Lincoln enlists his friend ,Clyde, to help get the sled back.

Don't worry sled, I'll save you ! / Copyright Viacom 

 
      Some other fun happenings in this episode are  Luan, the jokester older sister, making up 12 puns of Christmas, Lola, the pageant girl  younger sister, trying to be nice for Santa,  Lori, the oldest sister, trying not to open presents which she has problem of not doing, Leni, the 2nd oldest sister, trying to make a holiday outfit and using decorations to do so, Lana, Lola's twin sister, setting reindeer traps, Lynn and Lucy trying to find the hidden Christmas gifts, Lisa, the really smart one, telling Lola that Santa isn't real because science.

This formula proves Santa doesn't exist, I think, math is hard/ Copyright Viacom 

      Back to the sled plot, Clyde distracts Mr.Grouse while Lincoln sneaks into the backyard to get "Big Red" , the sled. ( like the rhyme) but this goes bad  and he takes the sled.  Lincoln decides when Mr. Grouse leaves to enter into Mr.Grouse's house.  Since, Clyde was catapulted by a reindeer trap he couldn't warn Lincoln that Mr. Grouse has come home. Eventually, he gets caught and the sled broke.   Lincoln overhears Mr.Grouse's phone call and finds out that that he can't go on a trip to see his family for Christmas. Grouse kicks him out and Lincoln gets an idea.

 Out of Context shot/ Copyright Viacom 

      Lincoln tries to get his family to pay attention for a second and tells them Mr. Grouse's predicament.  This also inspires, Luna to write her Christmas song.   Later on, the Louds and Clyde's family carol at Mr.Grouse's door  and Luna's song is the one they use.  Every Christmas special needs a song and this is great song.  They present Mr.Grouse  with  a bus ticket so he can see his family. Also notable for this episode, this was the first episode to show the Loud parents' faces  before that the were obscured.   The Louds present that they want him to spend Christmas Eve with them.

Merry Christmas / Copyright Viacom 

     In a show of kindness back to everyone he gives them back their stuff that he has collected with them.  Also, Lori really should have opened her present earlier because Bobby , her boyfriend wrapped himself up as a gift.  Lisa believes in Santa now, because she got proof.  Lincoln gets a new sled and he runs to thank Mr.Grouse.  We get the ending where Lincoln breaks a window by accident and Luan gets her last pun and Lana captures Luan in a reindeer trap.

        I have to say as an episode it can stand alone as a special for Christmas it's strong in that sense.   It's a nice main plot that goes from one thing you think it would be to something else that causes our main grouchy character to  have  a change. It's not a new idea for a Christmas story , but the execution  of it counts and this is executed well.  The fun thing show wise, is that after this episode , Mr. Grouse did soften up as a character.   The song was pretty good and original which gives it something many Christmas specials have. The comedy was also pretty good as well it gave me a lot of laughs.   Even if you haven't seen the Loud House this is a good episode to watch ,by itself, as a holiday tradition too.

      [  I've written about the Halloween and Thanksgiving episodes too. ]

   Tune in next time after we return all these sleds that landed in our yard.

2019 Golden Globes Awards nominations

Golden Globes  Awards 

   

   The 76th annual Golden Globes awards nominations have been announced , the awards air Sunday, January 6th on NBC at 8PMET/5PT. 

Best Motion Picture, Drama
A Star Is Born
Black Panther
If Beale Street Could Talk
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
The Favourite
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Crazy Rich Asians
Vice

Best Actor, Motion Picture, Drama
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate
Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

Best Actress, Motion Picture, Drama
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Glenn Close, The Wife
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Rosamund Pike, A Private War

Best Actor, Motion Picture, Comedy
Christian Bale, Vice
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie

Best Actress, Motion Picture, Comedy
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Charlize Theron, Tully
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Sam Rockwell, Vice
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Amy Adams, Vice
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Claire Foy, First Man
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Adam McKay, Vice
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Best Screenplay
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Adam McKay, Vice
Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Hayes Currie, Green Book

Best Animated Feature
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Mirai

Best Foreign-Language Film
Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

Best Original Song
"All The Stars," Black Panther
"Girl in the Movies," Dumplin'
"Revelation," Boy Erased
"Requiem For A Private War," A Private War
"Shallow," A Star Is Born

Best Original Score
Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns




Best Television Series, Drama
The Americans
Bodyguard
Homecoming
Killing Eve
Pose

Best Television Series, Comedy
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Kominsky Method
Barry
The Good Place
Kidding

Best Limited Series or Television Movie
The Alienist
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Escape at Dannemora
Sharp Objects
A Very English Scandal

Best Actor, Television Series, Drama
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Stephan James, Homecoming
Richard Madden, Bodyguard
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Best Actress, Television Series, Drama
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Julia Roberts, Homecoming
Keri Russell, The Americans

Best Actor, Television Series, Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Who Is America
Jim Carrey, Kidding
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry

Best Actress, Television Series, Comedy
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kristen Bell, The Good Place
Candace Bergen, Murphy Brown
Alison Brie, GLOW
Debra Messing, Will &Grace

Best Actor, Limited Series or Television Movie
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Daniel Bruhl, The Alienist
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal

Best Actress, Limited Series or Television Movie
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Connie Britton, Dirty John
Laura Dern, The Tale
Regina King, Seven Seconds

Best Supporting Actor, Television Series
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
Henry Winkler, Barry

Best Supporting Actress, Television Series
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid's Tale

But First These Messages: Christmas!

Commercials  Christmas 


           So this is Christmas something something I really not going to finish that.  Anyway, everyone is watching Christmas specials and movies on TV but there's something in between them that also have the Christmas spirit, that's the commercials. 

We'll get back to the Christmas special , But First These Messages


  Time for some clothing but where should I go for some clothes?



  Fine we've gone to Mervyn's.

This isn't even her family, she's just giving  away shirts for some reason . please help her!

  Alright, does Meryvn's have anything I can get? I really hate stores this time of year. 

      

Cookware! Why of course!  That's a great gift , I am glad they have it at same store too, makes the trip much easier.  Plus look at those prices I mean ,not bad.

better why some cleaner too, this is going to be murder to clean

 I need something to give to someone I love at Christmas , where can I go for that? 

 Well, Meryvn's is just keeping me at their store aren't they. Yes Jewelry is the perfect gift, but I also need it 40% off , so yes I love saving money.

That's fine and all but what are you doing in my house?! 

  I need to get out of this department store, it  looks like it's about to close!  I need something where I can capture Christmas moments , hiring a painter is too much so maybe a camera will do. 

     
 In this fast paced world of ours, I can't wait  an hour for my pictures to be developed so it's a great that these instant cameras exist.  Thanks Polaroid, you are the pinnacle and cameras and nothing will ever be more instant than your cameras.

   

 They later sold this picture to the National Enquirer.  

   Where else can I buy stuff for Christmas? Like books, DVD's and  anything else , but I don't feel like moving from a chair.   

           
    I am not sure how this internet shopping thing works , hope they got my money alright, I don't think this Amazon.com place will catch on  though, but it's a nice novelty.

 

Is this true? I mean can someone in Bowling Green confirm this for me. 

  more after this from your local station  jump 

Yes, this is about A Charlie Brown Christmas

Peanuts CHRISTMAS 

         When I started on this blog doing Peanuts lookbacks back during the 65th anniversary year of "Peanuts" in 2015. There also was a second anniversary that year, that being the 50th for "A Charlie Brown Christmas".    When I started the lookbacks my primary goal wasn't to look at holiday specials because one I assumed that people knew most of those already and would be retreading ground (which could be a wrong assumption) and 2, to give a look at specials that don't get talked about much.     This year while not doing look back's per-say I decided to talk about the holiday specials in their own special sub-section of my Peanuts topics. 

      This special is about Charlie Brown and Christmas (yeah yeah stay with me) his relationship with Christmas.  What does Christmas mean to him?  He goes through the special trying to answer that question.  There's no him explicitly telling the others they are celebrating wrong  he doesn't like that the holiday seems overly commercialized and wonders maybe he's doing something wrong because he's not feeling the same way as the other kids are feeling. 

       Backing away from Charlie Brown to overall talk about the special. This was the first Peanuts media on television that wasn't a commercial.   It first premiered on CBS on December 9th 1965, later cementing a relationship with CBS where every special until 1992 , premiered on the network. While , " A Charlie Brown Christmas" repeated every year from 1965 to 2001 then continued rerunning on ABC as of this writing. (in 2018)  Every thing about this special shouldn't have worked. CBS didn't like the idea of using actual children to voice the children, CBS didn't like the idea of the bible verse being stated , the music was jazz music which seemed to be annoying to someone.  They had only 6 months to make this special, this is with hand drawn animation,  no computers for help at all and  when even now it takes about 9 months to make cartoon episodes.   I am also glad Schulz rejected the idea of having a laugh track.  It shouldn't have worked , it should have been on the dust bin of history and I would be writing about a lost Christmas special right now instead of the most popular one.  Yet, even though it was a little rough on the sides,  and contradicted some popular trends of the time it  made it . Which  is a little like Charlie Brown himself.     The voices being genuine and mostly non Hollywood kids  gives it something more  because the little mistakes and way things are said are more fitting and less polished. In away fits the special even more that the simpleness of the story.

         The special also shows how good a friend Linus is to Charlie someone who doesn't mock Charlie Brown and goes along with him  when needed.  When Charlie Brown gets that famous Christmas tree the one that nobody else  would see as anything but some weird thing that was picked by accident.  Ironically to me, the Christmas trees in the background look awful compared to this little guy.  Linus comments , "Do they still make wooden Christmas trees, anymore?".  Fun fact : this special killed aluminum Christmas trees. (source) The tree is kind of like Charlie Brown not much to look and people might not see worth to him yet, there's is so much potential plus this shows shows us Charlie Brown's characterization as  someone who sees the best in things that others wouldn't. The other kids (though I will note that Linus and Schroeder don't) make fun of Charlie Brown for picking that tree.

     The other main point, is Linus doing the bible verse from Luke chapter 2, The place where it's written in and they way it's kind of central to the special means that it's edit proof. Though if a network tried they'd probably not have a good few days.   That is the simple core reason Christmas exits there would be no it with out it. (that's my kind of sentence)  Charlie Brown feels determined to have his simple Christmas takes the little tree with him. He's still Charlie Brown so when puts a heavy bubble on it , it does bends over in the weight leaving C.B slightly dejected. Linus comes by and sees it and puts his treasured blanket around the bottom and the other kids some how make the look like a nice little tree.  Charlie comes back and they all wish him a Happy Charlie Brown.

        Looking at the animation, it's simple works  and fits again with the them unintentionally. It's not a preachy special and doesn't say anyway you celebrate Christmas is wrong or right.  It criticizes the over commercialization of it  where people tend to lose the true theme of the holiday.  This is a great Christmas special and I am glad that it exists.  Glad it's been running each year non stop for over 50 years and  hope it runs another 50 more plus.

  Thanks for reading, tune in next time when we find out if Christmas trees can be made from wood.