Christmas Traditions: A Charlie Brown Christmas

When I was a young boy and for several years afterward, I would watch the prime-time Christmas specials that would come on television such as "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Frosty the Snowman", and the "Charlie Brown Christmas." I used to enjoy watching all the Peanuts gang prime-time animated specials on television. I especially enjoy the Charlie Brown Christmas special that debuted on December 9, 1965 and has been airing ever since. CBS aired this prime-time special from 1965-2000 and ABC has been airing this special ever since 2001. The producer of this prime-time animated TV special was Bill Melendez, who supplied the voice of Snoopy. It was initially sponsored by Coca-cola and over the years it would be sponsored by Dolly Madison and McDonald's. This special aired more than any other prime-time special, including the "Wizard of Oz." Since ABC started airing this special in 2001, it's aired at least twice annually. This Christmas production has received both an Emmy and a Peabody award. It became an instant hit when it first debuted on CBS. 50% of American households were tuned into the program on the first showing on December 9, 1965.

Four years ago I was reading an article about the production of the "Charlie Brown Christmas" in the USA Today newspaper. It was mentioning of the difficulties that Charles Schultz had in convincing executives to air this special promoting the theme of Linus reciting the birthday of Jesus from Luke 2:8-14. The network executives weren't keen on Linus reciting the birthday of Jesus on this special. Their reasoning was that viewers wouldn't want to sit through watching Linus quoting passages of the King James Bible. Schultz told them, "If we don't say what the true meaning of Christmas is, who will?" So they kept the recitation in the storylines. There were technical issues with the production as well. When producing this special, they were operating on a lean budget. Also, there were issues when it came to the voice productions of characters. With the exception of Charlie Brown and Lucy, the children who mimiced the voices of the Peanuts gang had difficulties in doing so. Kathy Steinberg, who provided the voice for Sally, who too young to read and had to be cued line by line on the audio track. Also there were segments that were choppy and poorly enunciated in certain places. There was a segment where Schroeder abruptly stopped playing the piano and the Peanuts gang continued dancing a couple of seconds. They felt the production would be a flop. Despite the producers' concerns, it was an instant hit and it has been a part of every American household since 1965. The quirks in the program supposedly didn't faze the viewers any.

I'm going to briefly give a narration of this Christmas story. The purpose of this show was to highlight the over-commercialization and secularism of Christmas. The show begins with Charlie Brown joining the Peanuts gang at the frozen pond. Brown confides to Linus he was suffering from holiday depression despite all the cards and Christmas presents during this time of year. Even though his mailbox is empty and contains no Christmas cards, he thanks Violet for sending him a Christmas card even though she said she didn't send him any. He decides to visit Lucy (who on numerous occasions refers to Charlie Brown as "blockhead") in her psychiatric booth. He explains he's suffering from holiday depression. Lucy advises him he needs to direct the school play about the Nativity. She sympathizes with Charlie Brown about holiday depression, saying she receives "a lot of stupid toys" instead of what she really desires: real estate. On his way to the school's auditorium he is drawn to Snoopy, who is decorating his doghouse. Brown demands an explanation and Snoopy hands him a flyer about the neighborhood lights and display contest. Brown is frustrated by Snoopy being bitten by the commercial bug. Charlie Brown's sister Sally says she wants him to compose a dictation to Santa and she requests money in the form of "tens and twenties." He's also frustrated by her being drawn by commercialism.

When Charlie Brown arrives at the school auditorium for the rehearsals, he's frustrated because he's having a difficult time directing the play as the uncooperative kids want to modernize the play with dancing and lively music. Charlie Brown then suggests that the play needs a Christmas tree. Lucy suggests Charlie brown find a shiny, alumnium tree; possibly pink. Lucy dispatches Charlie Brown and Linus to fetch a tree. They head to a lot and they find several Christmas trees. He finds a baby Christmas tree that's alive. That's the only live tree he finds in the lot. Linus commented he didn't know they still made wooden Christmas trees. Linus questioned Brown's choice of the selection of the baby Christmas tree. Brown insists it would be the right tree. They bring it back to the rehearals and the gang laughs and castigates Charlie Brown for his choice of the tree. Charlie Brown in frustration asks "Does anyone here know what Christmas is all about?" Linus exclaimed he did and he went to center stage claiming the spotlight and he quoted Luke 2:8-14 which gives an account of the birthday of Jesus. Linus stated that Jesus' birthday was what Christmas was all about. Charlie Brown has a newfound inspiration and then proceeds to take the tree with him to his house to show it could work in the play. Along the way he stops at Snoopy's doghouse. He placed an ornament on the tree, but the ornament was too heavy and the weight of the ornament caused the limb to stoop to the ground. "Everything I touch gets ruined," Brown exclaimed. Realizing after Linus's reciting they were too hard on Charlie Brown, Linus and the gang then come to Snoopy's doghouse and he puts his blanket on the bottom of the tree to prop up the branch. The gang then removes the decorations from Snoopy's doghouse to decorate the tree. When Brown arrives back to his dismay he notices the little tree is decorated. The Peanuts gang then sings, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Then afterwards they exclaim, "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!"

Ever since 1965 this prime-time animated Christmas special has been coming into the homes of millions of viewers. I'm thankful that the recitation by Linus about Jesus' birth wasn't deleted from the storyline. It would be interesting to note how successful this prime-time special would've been if the producers had decided to delete Linus's recitation. I guarantee you the theme about the secularism and over-commercialization of Christmas wouldn't have made sense if Schultz's vision for this special had been deleted (the recitation of the birth of Jesus). The recitation of the birth of Jesus is what made The Charlie Brown Christmas so special and that's why I enjoy it so much. It explained the true meaning of Christmas!

(This post was first written on December 25, 2009)