No Great Pumpkin this year? (1 Viewer)

[Likecats]

Is The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown not going to be on this year? Can't find any information on it.

 

[Mark-P]

It’s also not available for digital purchase anymore. In fact all the Peanuts specials are unavailable for new digital purchases. I have to wonder if there’s a dispute going on.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I believe ABC has the rights to it. They normally air it on Tuesday or Wednesday in place of one of their sitcoms, but the regular sitcom lineup is returning to Wednesdays this week after being delayed due to the virus. So they probably don't want to preempt a show just as it is returning.

I bet they at least air it on Halloween night if nothing else, which is a Saturday this year.

 

[Chip_HT]

I believe ABC has the rights to it. They normally air it on Tuesday or Wednesday in place of one of their sitcoms, but the regular sitcom lineup is returning to Wednesdays this week after being delayed due to the virus. So they probably don't want to preempt a show just as it is returning.

They could easily push back a premiere date to accommodate a special. Especially this season, when everything's delayed and you never know when an extra episode could come in handy.

I bet they at least air it on Halloween night if nothing else, which is a Saturday this year.

I wouldn't place that bet during college football season.

There's several spots they could squeeze it in. Either of the next two Fridays (do they need two hours of 20/20?), or there's a TBA on 10/27 at 10 PM after the two hour Batchlorette (just shift it over to 9-11). Thursday 10/29 just has game shows. If they could keep it into a half hour timeslot, they could have slotted it after the Goldbergs on 10/28. (Goldbergs has a one hour premiere on the 21st, so it would just delay the 8:30 show another week).

Something is definitely amiss with Great Pumpkin, though.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I wouldn't place that bet during college football season.

You found my blindspot. I don't pay attention to sports at all because I find them all terribly boring, so I forgot about football Saturdays. But you're right. I said Saturday because I figured they'd just be using it for random reruns, but if there's sports, then no way Peanuts goes there.

I think it's just a situation where they want to have a full two-hour block of original sitcoms to launch together. You're right that they could squeeze it in the week after by delaying the premiere of American Housewife though. We'll see.

I'd be very surprised if they don't air it at all this year. It typically does very well for them. They also have the Toy Story of Terror special which is usually paired with it for an hour block.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Good grief. I have the answer, and people aren't going to like it.

From a press release announcing new Peanuts content being produced for AppleTV+:

Apple TV+ has teamed 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.

The original programs and new specials will also soon stream globally alongside iconic Peanuts specials, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The Halloween special will begin streaming globally on Apple TV+ on October 19, and will be available for free from October 30 until November 1 as a special treat on Apple TV+.

Just in time for US Thanksgiving, Apple TV+ will launch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on November 18, and the special will be available for free from November 25 until November 27.

The Peanuts gang will also deck the halls with the premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas, streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ on December 4. The holiday special will be available to customers for free from December 11 until December 13.

So it sounds like AppleTV+ has the exclusive rights to the specials now.

SNOOPY, CHARLIE BROWN AND FRIENDS LAND AT APPLE TV+ IN EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP WITH WILDBRAIN FOR NEW ORIGINAL SHOWS AND SPECIALS - WildBrain

Apple TV+ orders second season of Daytime Emmy-nominated original series, Snoopy In Space New deal with Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions also brings beloved, classic Peanuts Specials to Apple TV+ Toronto, ON; New York, NY – October 19, 2020 – Apple TV+ has teamed with...

www.wildbrain.com

I think it's finally time for me to do what I've already wanted to do but never got around to and buy the specials so I always have them.

For those familiar, what is the difference between this set

See on Amazon

and this one?

See on Amazon

Is there any reason not to go with the cheaper of the two?

And is there a Blu-ray of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown? I can only find that listed on DVD.

See on Amazon

 

[Sam Favate]

I was just about to mention Apple TV+, which I know has the rights to Peanuts. My kids really enjoyed the Snoopy in Space cartoons they had earlier this year.

Jake, not sure about those sets but pretty sure the same masters were used. You want the ones done by Warner Bros.

 

[Jake Lipson]

The official verified Snoopy Facebook page just posted the news as well:

"It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Watch it for free from October 30 to November 1 and get ready for more Peanuts specials this holiday season.

So that's that. No more Charlie Brown specials on broadcast TV. Shocking.

 

[ChristopherG]

That is shocking - makes me like Apple even less.

 

[JackieT]

Just in time. My free year of ATV+ expires in January so I can catch this and my fav Charlie Brown Christmas before we cancel.

 

[Jake Lipson]

makes me like Apple even less.

I think it's just a situation where ABC's rights expired and Apple bid the most. I wouldn't be upset with Apple so much as with the Peanuts licensors. I'm surprised thay didn't split the deal, like, give ABC a broadcast window and Apple streaming rights. You'd think they'd get more money that way. Oh well -- at least once I buy them and own them, I don't need to worry about who has the rights to what anymore.

It's too bad there doesn't appear to be a Blu-ray version of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. That to me is just as much a staple of February as the other three are for the consecutive holiday season. I guess I'll accept a DVD of it, but if the others are available in HD, it should be too.

 

[Sam Favate]

That is shocking - makes me like Apple even less.

Don't blame Apple. If it wasn't them, it would have been someone else - Netflix, Amazon, etc.

 

[Malcolm R]

Just another thing that 2020 has taken away.

 

[JackieT]

But it's not gone. It's available to stream.

 

[darkrock17]

Does CBS still have the rights to Christmas?

 

[moviebuff75]

I am glad I own them. I give them the love they deserve every year, with great time slots!

 

[JackieT]

I do have an old set of Rudolph DVD's that also had some other Rankin Xmas shows in it.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Does CBS still have the rights to Christmas?

No. ABC had the rights to all of the seasonal Peanuts specials for the last several years. Now, AppleTV+ does. Apparently all of them will be AppleTV+ exclusives unless you buy the discs.

Just another thing that 2020 has taken away.

But it's not gone. It's available to stream.

I don't think @Malcom_R is saying it's gone. But its removal from broadcast TV feels significant. A lot of people don't stream, and even among those who do, I don't know that many who subscribe to Apple TV+. I bet a lot of people are going to look for it on ABC this year and be confused and/or disappointed when it's not there. Lots of people made watching this on television a holiday tradition. There is a level of access when something is on national broadcast television that simply isn't there when you're talking about streaming or even cable.

I understand that Apple paid the most to the licensors, and of course they wanted to take the money. This is a big exclusive get. But I think this will be the first year since these specials were made that they didn't air on broadcast television during their respective holidays, and that does represent a significant loss. Their reach will not be as broad airing only on AppleTV+ as they would on a broadcast network as a seasonal cultural staple. It's a shame that there couldn't be a broadcast window for ABC and a streaming window for Apple at the same time, as those are two very different services.

I'm happy to buy them, but that doesn't lessen the significance of them being gone from broadcast television.

 

[BobO'Link]

Good grief. I have the answer, and people aren't going to like it.

From a press release announcing new Peanuts content being produced for AppleTV+:



So it sounds like AppleTV+ has the exclusive rights to the specials now.

SNOOPY, CHARLIE BROWN AND FRIENDS LAND AT APPLE TV+ IN EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP WITH WILDBRAIN FOR NEW ORIGINAL SHOWS AND SPECIALS - WildBrain

Apple TV+ orders second season of Daytime Emmy-nominated original series, Snoopy In Space New deal with Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions also brings beloved, classic Peanuts Specials to Apple TV+ Toronto, ON; New York, NY – October 19, 2020 – Apple TV+ has teamed with...

www.wildbrain.com

I think it's finally time for me to do what I've already wanted to do but never got around to and buy the specials so I always have them.

For those familiar, what is the difference between this set

See on Amazon

and this one?

See on Amazon

Is there any reason not to go with the cheaper of the two?

And is there a Blu-ray of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown? I can only find that listed on DVD.

See on Amazon

I was just about to mention Apple TV+, which I know has the rights to Peanuts. My kids really enjoyed the Snoopy in Space cartoons they had earlier this year.

Jake, not sure about those sets but pretty sure the same masters were used. You want the ones done by Warner Bros.

Yep. The only difference is the packaging. The discs are the same.

I don't know about the Valentine special. I never cared for it so never checked its availability.

 

[BobO'Link]

No. ABC had the rights to all of the seasonal Peanuts specials for the last several years. Now, AppleTV+ does. Apparently all of them will be AppleTV+ exclusives unless you buy the discs.





I don't think @Malcom_R is saying it's gone. But its removal from broadcast TV feels significant. A lot of people don't stream, and even among those who do, I don't know that many who subscribe to AppleTV+. I bet a lot of people are going to look for it on ABC this year and be confused and/or disappointed when it's not there. Lots of people made watching this on television a holiday tradition. There is a level of access when something is on national broadcast television that simply isn't there when you're talking about streaming or even cable.

I understand that Apple paid the most to the licensors, and of course they want to take the money. This is a big exclusive get. But I think this will be the first year since these specials were made that they didn't air on broadcast television during their respective holidays, and that does represent a significant loss. Their reach will not be as broad airing only on AppleTV+ as they would on a broadcast network as a seasonal cultural staple.

I'm happy to buy them, but that doesn't lessen the significance of them being gone from broadcast television.

Just one more reason to own a copy.