A beloved Halloween classic won’t air on broadcast TV this year for the first time in decades.
And while CBS nor ABC will be airing “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” fans of the 1966 animated special will still be able to watch the 25-minute program for free on Apple TV+.
The streaming service acquired exclusive rights to all Peanuts programs earlier this month. That includes the beloved Halloween special, as well as other specials such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”
And while AppleTV+ usually requires a membership, the Halloween special will be available for free from Oct. 30 until Nov. 1 as a special treat. The special became available for members on Monday.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” features Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they celebrate Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.
Other holiday specials will also be available for free for a short time around their respective holidays. Apple TV+ will launch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” on Nov. 18, and the special will be available for free from Nov. 25 until Nov. 27.
The Peanuts gang will also deck the halls with the premiere of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ on Dec. 4. The holiday special will be available to customers for free from Dec. 11 until Dec. 13.
New animated Peanuts originals coming to Apple TV+ include a second season of the Daytime Emmy-nominated “Snoopy in Space,” and a slate of brand-new specials that will find the Peanuts gang marking Mother’s Day, Earth Day, New Year’s Eve and Back to School.
New series and specials join the previously announced “The Snoopy Show,” premiering Feb. 5, 2021; a brand-new Peanuts 70th anniversary documentary film from Imagine Documentaries and WildBrain set to premiere next year and the Daytime Emmy Award-winning “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10.”
— Brandon Champion/PennLive/Tribune News Service
