A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) (TV Special Review)

   When it comes to specials that are annually watched around Thanksgiving, there’s barely even a handful that come to mind. Thus, the select specials we do have to watch for the holiday are all the more … well … special. It’s a safe bet that one of the most celebrated and well preserved is the 1973 TV classic “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, which for my family always makes the rounds during the Fall season. This marked the Peanuts tenth TV special, and third in their line-up of holiday classics. In many respects, their Thanksgiving special marks the end of an iconic trilogy of Charlie Brown holiday offerings, with the other two obviously being their first Christmas and Halloween specials. While Charlie Brown and friends would continue to have further Holiday themed TV specials down the road, some better than others … none were quiet as impactful as those first three. So, for the occasion, lets take a trip back to the early 70’s, to see just how well this Emmy Award Winning Thanksgiving special holds up.

   Unlike the previous Christmas and Halloween specials, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” was not based on a pre-existing Comic-Strip, with the only exception being the cold-opening, in which Lucy teases Charlie Brown with her football. As such, Charles Schulz and team had to work a little harder to come-up with original material for the special. While a Turkey dinner was obvious, Charles Schulz decided to base this special around the anxieties of getting things ready for gusts, and all the mishaps one might have in the kitchen. This also marked to first special to have two directors, with Bill Melendez returning, and Phil Roman making his debuted. As the special unfolds, it’s the eve of Thanksgiving, and the Brown family have special dinner plans to leave, and visit their grandmother. What Charlie Brown didn’t count on was his friend Peppermint Patti inviting herself, along with a small group of friends over for the occasion. Thus, Charlie Brown, along with his resourceful dog Snoopy, scramble to put a pre-Thanksgiving dinner together before his friends arrive.

   While it’s a very simple premise to summaries, it’s also one of the tightest, and most linear narratives of the Peanuts line-up, without any side-stories. With that said, there is undeniably filler, with lengthy scenes dedicated to the dog Snoopy and his little bird friend Woodstock preparing the meal. This was arguably the most screen time Snoopy had in any Peanuts special up-to this point, and for me, it made this outing a lot of fun to watch as a kid. 

Snoopy was always my favorite character, and his little mis-adventures in this one always seemed to harken back to the days of classic cartoons, in which there’s little dialog, and all the appeal comes from the visuals and music. As such, it's kind of an acquired taste if your on board with just watching the animation be itself, with only the simplest thread of a narrative holding it all together. For me, it works for a twenty-minuet short … although, I do need to be in the proper mind set to enjoy this for what it is. Still, when my mind is set right, I do find myself enjoying all these little moments, leading-up to the big meal. The one scene that always comes to mind first is Snoopy and Woodstock dressing-up in costumes for the occasion … not so much for the scene itself, but for the music score composed by the late Vince Guaraldi. Whenever Thanksgiving comes around, this score always sneaks its way into my subconscious.

   I also like the change-up of characters, with more focus on secondary players like Marcy and Franklin, while regulars like Lucy are reduced to a cameo. This is also the only holiday special that omits any detours with Schroeder and his piano, which is fine by me. Also, while this wasn’t the first TV special to feature Peppermint Patti, it was the first time she was voiced by a boy, which for me always fit with Patti’s tom-boyish nature. Also, following after Linus's fantasies of the Great Pumpkin in the previous holiday special, I’m glad Thanksgiving brought him back to the boy who seemed smarter beyond his years, and versed in history. Speaking of the Halloween special, it always amused me how in that holiday outing, Charlie Browns little sister Sally threatened Linus that “If you try to hold my hand, I’ll slug you” … yet in this Thanksgiving special, she playfully suggests to Linus that they “Could hold hands under the table”. I’m just the kind of guy who would notice something like that.

   Eventually, all the kids come over for their pre-Thanksgiving dinner, which leads into misunderstandings, arguments, and close friends making-up. In the end, it’s a story about togetherness, and that the greatest thing about any holiday … beyond material possessions, or a magnificent feast … is simply family and friends being there for one another. While predictable, and even reminiscent of the moral in the previous Christmas special … it still really works here, and it’s a great message for kids. In fact, back when I watched this special during my childhood years, I felt this one had the easiest message to both listen to and take to heart. As the special comes to a close, we get that classic epilogue with Snoopy and Woodstock having a private turkey dinner together, which is all around a great scene … but it also makes Snoopy look like a jerk for keeping his special turkey dinner a secret from the kids when they needed it. Also, it's kind of surreal that Snoopy’s bird friend Woodstock is … well … eating a bird for dinner … that always amused me.  

Without going into a full review, I quickly wanted to comment on Charlie Browns second Thanksgiving special in 1988 titled …    

“The Mayflower Voyagers”

This was actually the first episode of an eight-part TV miniseries titled “This is America, Charlie Brown”. In this series, Charlie Brown and friends are present during the events in early American History, from the Mayflowers arrival at Plymouth Rock, to the creation of the Constitution, and so forth. For their first episode, the Peanuts are seen among the 30 children of the original Mayflower Voyage. We follow both the kids, and the Pilgrims over the course of a year, as they battle the harsh treatment of the journey, rapidly changing weather, and even a deadly plague. In the end, Charlie Brown and the gang meet Native Americans Samoset and Squanto, who teach them how to utilize the land … which leads into the first Thanksgiving. 

It’s kind of a neat change-up to see the Peanuts gang acting out parts in American history, as well as finally seeing adult’s … who can all speak with real voices, and not just a Tuba sound effect. Speaking of voices, this marked the first time that Charlie Brown was voiced by a girl, which is certainly different … and apparently, it’s a trend for these Thanksgiving outings. The animation in this special is splendid, with some of the brightest colors, and more details on display then any of their previous TV offerings at that point. It’s also cool to see all the people Linus previously spoke of during his prayer back in the original Thanksgiving special. Honestly, while “The Mayflower Voyages” isn’t a classic like the original, I find myself liking it just as much, if not more so.

   For my money, both “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “The Mayflower Voyagers” are great specials to watch around the fall season. There’s just a simple charm and appeal from Charlie Brown and friends that I always feel completes any holiday event. With our short number of Thanksgiving specials to select from, I’m glad the Peanuts gang provide us with two excellent options to go along with the festivities. If you haven’t seen either of them in a while, or at all, I’d say check them out this Thanksgiving season.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1973 TV special “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” … and continue to enjoy the Holiday specials you Love!