25 Days of History: December 9th

On this day, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz's animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas made its debut

Monday, December 9th, 2019 @ 16:55 (4:55pm)

Charlie Brown (left) and Linus (right) with the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. (c) 1965 Charles Schultz

Christmas Time Is Here

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts, created by Charles M. Schulz, and made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In the holiday special, Charlie Brown can't shake a bout of depression despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy makes the suggestion that he should direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but unfortunately his best efforts are ignored and even mocked by his peers. It is only after Linus tells Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas that Charlie Brown cheers up, and the Peanuts gang unites to celebrate the Christmas season and dance the night away.

Mr. Schulz and Peanuts

I'd like to mention if you are reading currently that I'll only be mentioning this particular Peanuts special only, but you absolutely should look up Mr. Schulz if you didn't know who he was. Additionally, check out some of the great history of the Peanuts comic strip and some of the other television specials.

Fun fact: Charles M. Schulz created a total of 17,897 Peanuts strips of which there are 15,391 daily strips and 2,506 Sunday strips. All Peanuts strips were originally created with black ink on white paper, whether they were dailies or Sundays. (Courtesy of the Charles M. Schulz Museum)

Critical Acclaim and Lasting Legacy

Peanuts had become a phenomenon worldwide by the mid-1960s, only a short decade after the comic strip's debut in the year 1950. The special was commissioned and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, and was hastily written over a period of several weeks, and even more impressive was that it was produced on a shoestring budget in only six months.

During casting the characters, the producers took a most unconventional route and hired child actors. Similarly unorthodox was the program's soundtrack, as it featured a jazz score by pianist Vince Guaraldi. The notable lack of a laugh track, which was a staple in US television animation around this time, in addition to its tone, pacing, music, and animation, convinced both the producers and the network to surmise the project would be an impending disaster. But quite contrary to their collective apprehension, A Charlie Brown Christmas received nearly sky-high ratings and numerous acclaim from critics.

Some of the plethora of prestigious honors and distinctions A Charlie Brown Christmas has received include both an Emmy and a Peabody Award. A Charlie Brown Christmas became an annual presentation in the United States, and has aired during the Christmas season every year since its initial debut. Its success paved the way for a steady series of Peanuts television specials and films.

Its jazz soundtrack also achieved commercial success, selling over four million copies in the US. On August 19th, 2016, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album quadruple platinum for sales of four million copies! Live theatrical versions of A Charlie Brown Christmas have been staged as well. ABC currently holds the legal rights to the special, and broadcasts it at least twice during the weeks leading up to Christmas annually.