Good grief: Peanuts’ ‘Great Pumpkin’ won’t air on TV this year. How to watch instead
Fans of the beloved Peanuts holiday specials will have a new way to watch this year, starting with the ever-popular “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.”
Not everyone is thrilled, however.
The animated Halloween special, which debuted on CBS in 1966, won’t air on broadcast television this year and will instead stream exclusively on Apple TV+, the company announced in a joint statement with Canadian media company WildBrain on Monday.
“Apple TV+ has teamed up with WildBrain, along with Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions, to become the home for all things ‘Peanuts,’ bringing together new original series and specials, along with iconic beloved specials to fans around the world, all in one place,” according to a news release.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” became available for global streaming on the digital platform Oct. 19 and will be available for free Oct. 30-Nov. 1.
Apple TV+ is also set to launch two other Peanuts specials, including “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” All three, including “The Great Pumpkin” have aired every year on ABC since 2000.
The Thanksgiving special will begin streaming Nov. 18, while the Christmas cartoon will be available to watch for free Dec. 11-13, according to the release.
News of the change wasn’t received well by Peanuts lovers, who saw it as the end to an annual tradition for some families.
“One more reason to hate Apple,” one user commented under Apple TV+’s post. “Americans love watching this special together. You don’t destroy a 55-year-old tradition just to squeeze out a few more dollars when you’re already a trillion-plus company.”
“Thanks for letting greed ruin tradition,” someone else agreed, adding that “not everyone can afford” streaming services.
Monthly subscriptions to Apple TV+ are priced at $4.99 per month. The Peanuts holiday specials will be free to non-subscribers on certain days over the next few months.
This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Good grief: Peanuts’ ‘Great Pumpkin’ won’t air on TV this year. How to watch instead."