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It's a Miracle Charlie Brown! The Peanut Holiday Specials Will Be Back On TV This Year

From Woman's Day

UPDATE 11/18: After backlash from Peanuts fans, Apple announced on Nov. 18 that it is teaming up with PBS to air the holiday specials A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas add-free on PBS on Nov. 22 and Dec. 13 respectively. So this holiday season will not end up being a year without a Charlie Brown.

ORIGINAL: A moment of silence for one of our fallen holiday movies. This year, for the first time in almost six decades, the Charlie Brown holiday movies will not be aired on television. But if you're anxiously searching how to watch the Peanuts holiday specials in an effort to save Christmas, you can stop. Although they won't be on TV, the beloved movies will be on the Apple TV+ streaming service.

The streaming service announced this week that it has teamed up with Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions to become the new home for all things Peanuts. That means it is the new host of the holiday specials including A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The Peanuts specials have been a mainstay on ABC for the past 20 years, after the network bought the rights from their original network, CBS, in 2000, according to Vulture.

Apple TV+ also announced it has new original programming featuring the Peanuts characters in the works that will revolve around holidays and special occasions including Earth Day, Mother's Day, and New Year's Eve. So despite Linus and Charlie Brown leaving cable TV, they'll be entering the streaming world with even more stories to share.

And just because these classic holiday movies won't be constantly playing on TV this year doesn't mean they're inaccessible. Each film's release on the streaming service will have a short grace period in which viewers can watch the movie for free. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Oct. 19, and will be free from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, Apple said in its press release. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available starting Nov. 18, and free to stream Nov. 25 through Nov. 27. A Charlie Brown Christmas will be free to stream Dec. 11 through Dec. 13.

And since there's really no limit to the joy that holiday movies can bring you, here are some other holiday flicks to stream this year.


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