Where to Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving This Year For Free

We have almost reached the midpoint of the month of November and that means just one thing: Thanksgiving is almost here. And when it comes to the holiday of gratitude, there are certain things that people look forward to every year — and we aren’t talking about turkey and all the trimmings. There’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Black Friday sales (for those who are into that sort of thing) and, of course, the beloved Peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. For many, it’s a must-watch holiday tradition that has been a part of the celebration for 51 years — and we’re telling you where and how you can watch it this year for free.

First airing on CBS on Tuesday, November 20, 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has long been a staple of holiday entertainment. The special aired nearly every year on CBS from its debut (it skipped 1982, 1983, and 1988) through 1989. During the 1990s, the special made its way to The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon before it landed ABC in 2001 along with the rest of the Peanuts specials and remained there until 2019. However, in 2020 Apple TV+ has exclusively had the rights to not only A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving but all of the Peanuts library, but that isn’t exactly bad news for fans of the special. Part of Apple TV+’s agreement is a provision that there must be a window in November where the special is available to be watched for free.

For 20204, the free viewing window for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is set for Saturday, November 23rd and Sunday, November 24th. During this time, you do not need a subscription to Apple TV+ to watch the special. It is completely free to stream for non-subscribers during this time. If you are an Apple TV+ subscriber, you aren’t bound to this narrow window. Subscribers have access to the special — as well as the rest of the Peanuts catalog, including other iconic specials such as It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas — year-round. Additionally, Apple TV+ does offer a free, seven-day trial for those wanting to check out the platform (and maybe binge some Peanuts holiday specials. We don’t judge.)

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As for what A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is about, the special — the first Peanuts TV special to feature its own entirely original script that did not rely on the existing comic strip — sees Peppermint Patty invite everyone to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving. While this sounds like it would be a fun gathering for friends, it’s actually a bit complicated as Charlie already has plans to go see his grandmother for the holiday instead. Meanwhile, Snoopy is also in the holiday spirit and decides to make his own version of the Thanksgiving meal with a little help from his friends.

Not only is the special charming and a little nostalgic (particularly for those who grew up watching it), the special has also been the topic of a lot of conversation online in recent years, including observations about Woodstock, Snoopy’s bird pal, who some think is participating in a form of cannibalism by eating Thanksgiving turkey as well as conversations (and criticism) about where Franklin, Peanuts’ only major black character at the time the special was made, is seated. That particular controversy is one that Jean Schulz, wife of Peanuts creator the late Charles M. Schulz, addressed in a blog post previously published on the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center Website.

“While it can’t be known now which animator drew that particular scene, you can be sure there was no ulterior motive. I fall back on Peppermint Patty’s apology to Charlie Brown explaining she meant no harm when she criticized his poor Thanksgiving offering, which goes something like: ‘There are enough problems in the world already without these misunderstandings,’” she wrote. “To suggest the show had any other messages than the importance of family, sharing, and gratitude is to look for an issue where there is none.”

Fans can watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for free on Apple TV+ without a subscription on Saturday, November 23rd and Sunday, November 24th.