We all have our holiday entertainment favorites – those films, series, books, and albums that we must consume annually at a certain time of year. For many of us, those include the Peanuts holiday specials: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Peanuts holiday special ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’
Watching these specials used to be easy – they aired in syndication each year on cable TV. But in the era of streaming, finding these specials has become more difficult. They don’t air on cable anymore, and it’s damn near impossible to keep up with what every streaming service offers. But in 2020, Apple TV+ made a step toward alleviating some of that stress – at least for Charles M. Schultz fans – by purchasing the exclusive rights to the Peanuts holiday specials. If you want to watch any of the aforementioned titles, all you need is an Apple TV+ subscription.
Watch the Peanuts Holiday Specials for Free
Call it holiday altruism or a marketing ploy, Apple TV+ has made it a habit to offer each of the Peanuts holiday specials free for non-subscribers to watch on certain festive dates, and it’s doing the same thing this year. The Peanuts Halloween special will be available for everyone on Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22; the Thanksgiving special will be available on Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19; and the Christmas special will be available on Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17.
Peanuts holiday special ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
This year, Apple TV+ is streaming more than just Peanuts holiday classics. It’s also set to air a screen adaptation of The Velveteen Rabit; a Christmas special of its original animated series Frog and Toad, which is adapted from the children’s book series of the same name; and others.
More Possibilities for Apple TV+
Making this same holiday streaming play is a smart move by Apple TV+, and it would behoove the platform to add more classic favorites to its catalog, both permanently for subscribers and for free on certain dates for non-subscribers. Though the platform has found success with major series like Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, its entire catalog pales in comparison to its competitors, and it hasn’t yet found its voice.
Having exclusive rights to other classic specials from the last century could bolster Apple TV+’s viewership and give it a nostalgic edge that other streaming services lack. (May we humbly suggest Apple TV+ begin by streaming all of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.)
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is streaming now on Apple TV+.