A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first animated television special based on the popular newspaper comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, and also the first Christmas special for the franchise. Acme is proud to ask you to join us in watching the perennial showing of this depressing little special.
When they first saw the show, CBS executives were horrified at the idea of an animated Christmas special with such a blatant message. They also strongly objected to the fact that the show had no canned laughter. In addition, they greeted Vince Guaraldi's jazz score as an intrusion in the special that audiences would never accept. However, when CBS learned to their astonishment of the special's spectacular ratings earned on its initial broadcast and the glowing reviews for it, the network promptly contracted the producers for more specials.
An interesting comparison of the original and revised print of A Charlie Brown Christmas program-
The original broadcast included some brief animated sections which included the logo of Coca-Cola, the show's original sponsor. These have been edited out of subsequent broadcasts and the video release. Right after the opening title, Linus crashed into a sign advertising Coca-Cola after being tossed by Snoopy. (Look at current versions and you'll notice that we never see where Linus lands!) The closing carol originally included the complete verse (instead of fading out) with a final on-screen "Merry Christmas from your local bottler of Coca-Cola" right after the United Feature Syndicate credit at the end.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Vince Guaraldi Trio -
Producer Lee Mendelson wrote the lyrics for Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time is Here music, and his son Glenn, along with his then sixth-grade class, sang the vocals.
Christmas Charlie Brown mashups
In honor of our depressed little pal: Let's all get in the mood and have a depressing Christmas -
Hard Candy Christmas Dolly Parton -
The song is about glumly considering options when things fall apart. Its only relation to the holiday comes in the form of a metaphor comparing a disappointment to a holiday where all you get is the worst kind of candy.
What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas? The Emotions -
Apparently, they sit around and listen to sad Christmas songs.
Silent Night/7 O' Clock News Simon and Garfunkel -
The voice of the newscaster is that of Charlie O'Donnell, who was then a radio disc jockey.
Christmas Lights Coldplay -
The words above the stage curtain in the video say CREDO ELVEM ETIAM VIVERE. This means "I believe Elvis lives" in Latin.
And what could be the saddest Christmas song written:
Faith in Santa Red Sovine -
What doesn't scream Christmas than a song about a homeless kid named Billy finds Santa and asks him if he can go live with Jesus in Heaven where the people are much nicer than the abusive family he ran away from, then dies. You may daub your eyes now, you just have a little dust in them. I know you are not crying.
Before you go - since you're in the mood, let's all get together and listen to William S Burroughs read his Christmas story, The Junky's Christmas.
Francis Ford Coppola produced this short Claymation film. The piece was directed by Nick Donkin and Melodie McDaniel. (Betcha didn't think you start with Charlie Brown and end with William Burroughs.)
Demand Euphoria!
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