The successful
comic strip ''
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
'', by
Charles M. Schulz, was adapted into 46 animated specials since 1965, most of them released on television. This article describes the history of these programs, including notable sponsors, directors, and voice actors.
History
In the strip, adult voices are heard, though conversations are usually only depicted from the children's end. To translate this aspect to the animated medium, the sound of a
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrat ...
with a
solotone mute (created by
Vince Guaraldi played by
Dean Hubbard.
Eight ''Peanuts''-based specials have been made posthumously. Of these, three are tributes to ''Peanuts'' or other ''Peanuts'' specials, and five are completely new specials based on dialogue from the strips and ideas given to ABC by Schulz before his death. ''
He's a Bully, Charlie Brown'', was telecast on ABC on November 20, 2006, following a repeat broadcast of ''
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
''A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'' is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip '' Peanuts,'' by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Awar ...
''. Airing 43 years after the first special, the premiere of ''He's a Bully, Charlie Brown'' was watched by nearly 10 million viewers, winning its time slot and beating a
Madonna concert special.
In October 2007,
Warner Bros. acquired the ''Peanuts'' catalog from
Paramount for an undisclosed amount of money. As aforementioned, they now hold the worldwide distribution rights for all ''Peanuts'' properties including over 50 television specials—these are originally managed by
Warner Bros. Television and
Warner Bros. Television Animation. Warner has made plans to develop new specials for television as well as the direct to video market, as well as short subjects for digital distribution, and some of these have in fact already been released via the now-defunct
Warner Premiere.
Accordingly, the streaming rights to Peanuts media are scattered across multiple platforms.
Apple TV
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ...
holds the specials (with
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and
WildBrain Distribution still holding the current streaming and home media rights with Apple) and
PBS had the
free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...
TV rights to select specials around 2020 to 2021, ''
The Peanuts Movie'', distributed by
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
, became part of
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
library and is on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
.
See also
*
''Peanuts'' filmography
External Links Checklist
References
{{Peanuts filmography
Film series introduced in 1965
Animated specials