‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ Won’t Air on TV in 2024: How to Stream The Holiday Classic For Free
The holiday classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will not air on network television in 2024 after decades of being shown on CBS, ABC, and even PBS. It will be available via streaming, but there is one way viewers can stream the holiday classic for free.
‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ will air for free 2 days in November
Typically, all Charlie Brown animated specials are available to watch on Apple TV+. However, there are two days in November when the holiday classic can be streamed for free.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will air for free on Apple TV+ without a subscription from Saturday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. This is ahead of the actual Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 28.
It comes after PBS obtained rights to air the special in 2020 and 2021, courtesy of Apple. The company did not renew their contract with public television in 2022 and 2023.
When did ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ originally air?
Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy created one of the first Friendsgiving meals in the 1973 holiday special. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was one of the first animated shows dedicated to Thanksgiving.
The Peanuts website describes as “Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Linus concoct the most original Thanksgiving menu since 1621 (buttered toast and pretzel sticks, anyone?). The Peanuts Gang also learns how to put the ‘thanks’ in Thanksgiving.”
A trio of Peanuts holiday specials aired for decades on CBS. The network began running A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965; and It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 1966.
Other holidays also received the Charlie Brown treatment. There’s also Be My Valentine Charlie Brown (1975), It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown (1974), and Happy New Year Charlie Brown (1986).
What is the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special about?
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving tells the story of Charlie Brown and his friends, who celebrate the holiday together after Peppermint Patty invites herself and friends Franklin and Marcie to his home. Not knowing how to tell her “no,” Charlie Brown and Snoopy prepare a Thanksgiving dinner with their limited cooking abilities.
Instead of the traditional turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and sweet potatoes, the friends, including Linus and Woodstock, were treated to popcorn, toast, pretzels, and jelly beans. However, Peppermint Patty voiced her displeasure at the meal, making Charlie Brown and Snoopy upset.
She was subsequently corrected by Marcie. The little girl told Peppermint Patty she pushed herself onto Charlie Brown for the holiday. The story concludes with an apology, the real meaning of Thanksgiving, which is spending time together as family and friends, and a trip to Grandma’s house for a proper meal for everyone.
