While reading the newest "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader," I came across an entry called "It's A Bad Idea, Charlie Brown." The author listed, in chronological order, seven Peanuts specials he thinks never should have been produced. Here they are:
1. "Charlie Brown's All Stars."
2. "He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown."
3. "Play It Again, Charlie Brown."
4. "There's No Time For Love, Charlie Brown."
5. "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown." Even I didn't really care for this one.
6. "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?"
7. "Why, Charlie Brown, Why?" I disagree here. This one had a very good reason for airing, since it dealt with something that happens all the time. I myself had a classmate who lost his fight with leukemia forty and a half years ago. RIP.
So do you guys think these seven were memorable specials, or rotten Peanuts?
Of the above specials, I've only seen "It's Arbor Day Charlie Brown". (Though I did read the book adaptations of "Charlie Brown's All Stars" and "Play It Again Charlie Brown" when I was in elementary school.) But of the Peanuts specials I have seen (most of the ones from the 1970's and 1980's) I would rate "It's Flashbeagle Charlie Brown" as the worst. It doesn't really have a plot; it's just a bunch of musical numbers loosely strung together. I don't know why it isn't on that list.
I've seen worse than these in MAD Magazine. First there was the strip that had Charlie Brown and Lucy talking like ordinary kids, mentioning wagons, dollhouses, and green skies. The other one had the Peanuts gang "starring" in spoofs of various primetime shows. These parodies included "Young Dr. Brown," "Peanut Squad," "Peanuts Place," "Charlie Brown, Attorney For The Defenseless," and "The Chuck Brown Show."
And I've seen worser than that, but in the interest of Peanuts purists, I won't publicly say where.
MAD even published a parody strip called "The Red Baron," by Carl Schultz. in which Von Richtofen interacted with his fellow pilots, and vented his frustration over his inability to defeat Snoopy.
"What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown" was a radical departure from the usual specials as it showed Snoopy having a bad dream, after over-eating, about being a sled dog during a blizzard in Alaska and enduring harsh treatment from the whip of the sled rider and from the other four-legged and snarling sled dogs before earning their respect...the dream ends on a sour note as Snoopy and the sled dogs fell in a hole in the ice and was about to drown. A little too intense.
There was a live-action/animated special "It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown" with a live action Amy Schulz (daughter of Charles M.) adopting Snoopy's whiskered and animated brother Spike in the desert in Needles, CA. Amy Schulz's acting met with mixed reviews. Sort of forgotten now.
There was also a 100% live action special produced by Lee Mendelson titled "The Big Stuffed Dog" about a stuffed Snoopy dog changing the lives of several people for the better who come across it...including Gordon Jump of "WKRP" fame as a biker. Sort of forgotten as well.
I think the only MAD magazine Peanuts parody I've seen was one that showed the characters when they were older, from teenagers through to senior citizens. I'm guessing that it was originally published in the late 1960's or the early 1970's, because one of the strips had Woodstock and the other birds getting high on marijuana. ("Pot party!") Charlie Brown and Lucy were married in these strips, and they had a son, Charlie Brown Jr., who looked just like Schroeder. As a child my reaction to this was just "Thats funny, he looks just like Schroeder!". Years later I finally realized why he would look just like Schroeder.:wideyed:
Aww. Why is "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?" on here. I know it is quite different from the average Peanuts special, but it is just as good as any of the classics. I view it as a very touching and moving tribute to those who had fought in the two world wars.
I can't agree with any on that list.
For me, its Charlie Brown. I would watch almost any of the specials. The Arbor Day special is a favorite of mine. It always reminds me of the Little Rascals short about Arbor Day where the truant officer is after them.
If there is one short that might be added it would be about the Girl in the Red Truck. I do not recall ever seeing that special and probably never will unless it gets released to DVD.
