It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
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It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is a television special based on the comic strip Peanuts. The special, the first Christmas-themed Peanuts special since the inaugural A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965, consists of several different Christmas-themed storylines adapted from the strip:
- Charlie Brown tries to sell wreaths door-to-door to make money so he can buy Peggy Jean a nice pair of gloves.
- Peppermint Patty worries about her Christmas book report.
- The gang participates in a Christmas play, where Peppermint Patty reluctantly plays a sheep and Sally messes up her single line. (The line relegated to Sally was "Hark!", but instead she shouts "Hockey Stick!"-- which was taken from a 1980s storyline in the comic strip)
Although it was first shown on CBS in 1992 (and would be the last Peanuts special to have its television premiere on that network), a VHS release was made available at Shell gas stations a few months prior, which would make this the first Peanuts special released directly to video. Paramount gave it another video release in 1996, and it can now also be seen as a bonus special on the DVD of A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was dubbed by Universal Studios.
Notes
The special no longer airs on American television; both CBS and its successor, ABC, have abandoned it in favor of later specials. In Canada, YTV still airs it as a stand alone special.
Rather than having a new musical score composed for It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, jazz composer Vince Guaraldi's classic musical scores were resurrected. Guaraldi's associaion with Peanuts ended abruptly upon his death from a heart attack in February 1976. Many fans welcomed the return of Guaraldi's memorable melodies that many associate with the Peanuts gang, particularly the comic strip's signature tune, "Linus and Lucy". Producer Bill Melendez commented that the usage of Guaraldi's songs were done at a tribute to the late jazz composer. It was the first Peanuts TV special since It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown to utilize the songs.
For It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, Guaraldi's classic tunes were remixed into soft-rock versions, with the trend continuing for many of the 1990s Peanuts specials.
Cast
- Jodie Sweetin and Brittany M. Thornton: Sally Brown
- Marnette Patterson: Lucy Van Pelt
- John Graas: Linus Van Pelt
- Deanna Tello: Peggy Jean
- Lindsay Benesh: Marcie
- Bill Melendez: Snoopy