Many fans of the Peanuts holiday specials will be happy to learn that classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will actually air on television this year, following a backlash that upset people. This is a major reversal after Apple TV+ secured the rights to Charles Schulz’s adored cartoons. Apple and PBS announced a new partnership that allows the public station to broadcast the specials alongside their debut on the streaming service. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will also air on PBS and PBS KIDS on November 22nd at 7:30 p.m. local time / 6:30 p.m. CT. A Charlie Brown Christmas will air on PBS and PBS KIDS on December 13th at 7:30 p.m. local time / 6:30 p.m. CT.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The holiday specials, both based on Charles Schulz’s classic Peanuts comic strip, will also stream ad-free and in HD on Apple TV+. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will premiere on the service on November 18th and will be available for free from November 25 through November 27. A Charlie Brown Christmas will join the Apple TV+ streaming library on December 4th. The holiday special will be available for free from December 11 through December 13.
For the last 20 years, ABC has been the home of the beloved Peanuts holiday specials. Before that, they aired on CBS. Before this announcement, fans worried that Apple’s exclusive rights to the Peanuts characters would mean the end to a holiday television tradition founded in 1965. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted o Apple TV+ in October and also streamed for free for a few days near Halloween.
Apple TV+ is also the home to the ongoing animated series Snoop in Space. Apple is also producing new Charlie Brown specials that sees the characters reacting to Mother’s Day, Earth Day, New Year’s Eve, and the first day back at school.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung, LG, Sony, and VIZIO smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and at tv.apple.com.
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’s premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America.
