The “Charlie Brown” holiday specials fans have grown accustomed to watching on TV will no longer be broadcast on traditional network television this year. Apple TV will stream the three holiday shows, and started with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” in October.
Apple is giving nonsubscribers an opportunity to watch the specials for free. Those who don’t subscribe to the Apple TV+ streaming service can watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” for free from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free Dec. 22 through Dec. 25.
Nonsubscribers were able to stream “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” from Oct. 28 through Oct. 31.
Apple announced it had acquired three Charlie Brown holiday specials in 2020. In addition to streaming “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” Apple TV+ also said it would air new originals featuring the “Peanuts” characters.
PBS was still able to air Charlie Brown specials in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, they ran the Christmas and Thanksgiving shows. Last year, they aired all three.
This year, however, PBS revealed the Halloween special is moving to a different pumpkin patch this year.
“Regretfully, PBS does not have the rights to distribute the Peanuts specials this year,” PBSKids wrote in a tweet. “We’ll all have to watch for the Great Pumpkin in a different pumpkin patch this Halloween.”
Subscribers can access all three specials “now and every day,” Apple said in its press release. Apple had a similar viewing structure for the specials in years past.
