“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is one of the most beloved and enduring TV specials in American history, and if you did watch the show you were not the only one as, although the exact number varies annually, it is estimated that millions of people watch or rewatch the special each year. The animated show that has been a winner of both an Emmy and the Peabody award has aired annually since it premiered on Dec. 9, 1965. Charles M. Schulz created the original Peanuts comic strip, the first of which ran on October 2, 1950, appearing in just seven newspapers; however, when Schultz died in 2000, the strip was by then published in approximately 2,600 newspapers.
Most of the topics in the strip were carefully researched, i.e. when the subject dealt with a legal or medical issue Schultz discussed it with lawyers and physicians and if Schroder was playing the piano, he included that selection’s sheet music. Schultz was a lifelong baseball fan, and the sport was often featured prominently in the Peanuts comic strip. However, when it came to baseball, Charles Schulz was his own expert as he did play baseball as a kid, organized the neighborhood boys into a team, managed the team for which he was the pitcher.
By the early 1960s, “Peanuts” had become a cultural phenomenon, and the idea of creating a TV special based on the comic strip was an appealing prospect. However, Schulz was initially hesitant about bringing his beloved characters to television, fearing that the transition from print to screen might compromise their integrity. Once he agreed he insisted on maintaining creative control over the project. He wrote the script, which reflected his deep-seated values and beliefs. The central theme of the special was a commentary on the commercialism of Christmas, embodied in Charlie Brown’s quest to find the true meaning of the holiday.
Then, to direct the special, Schulz brought in animator, Bill Melendez, who had previously worked on the Peanuts characters in the “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” documentary so was familiar with Schulz’s vision. He used a simple, hand-drawn animation style that mirrored the comic strip’s aesthetics. And perhaps one of the most iconic elements of the special is its music which was composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. His soulful and melancholic compositions, including the now-famous “Linus and Lucy” theme, perfectly complemented the mood of the special and have since become synonymous with the Peanuts gang.
According to “Peanuts” historian, Scott McGuire, “to be the show by which all others are measured is an accomplishment indeed” and according to Charles Solomon, animation historian and author of “The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials,” the show, “set the pattern for virtually all of the subsequent ‘Peanuts‘ specials establishing the half-hour special as a staple of network television.”
Frequently there is a story behind how events come about and this special is a great example as it might not have been made were it not for Willie Mays. Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” Willie Mays was born in Alabama in 1931 and made his debut in baseball as center fielder with the New York Giants in 1951and by 1954 was playing against Cleveland in the World Series. During game 1 Mays caught a ball that had been batted 425 feet and then immediately threw it to second base ending what would have been a game winner for the Cleveland team.
Known as “The Catch,” the play is recorded as one of the greatest World Series moments in history. Though the New York Giants won the series they still faced problems filling seats for their games since they were in direct competition for fans with a team across the city, the New York Yankees. To resolve that problem after the 1957 season the team moved to California and became the San Francisco Giants. As chance would have it, in 1958 Charles Schultz moved his family to the San Francisco area and since Willie Mays was one of his idols he attended the Giants games and in fact, Willie Mays name is mentioned several times in the Peanuts strip.
In the 1962 World Series the Giants suffered a heartbreaking loss in the bottom of the ninth during Game 7 when Mays teammate, Willie McCovey hit what would have been a game winning line drive that was caught ny the New York Yankees 2nd baseman. No one took the loss harder than Charlie Brown as he exclaimed in the strip, “Why couldn’t McCovey have hit the ball even two feet higher?” The following year Mays worked with television producer Lee Mendelson in creating a successful hourlong documentary, “A Man Named Mays,” featuring many interviews with Mays about his life on and off the field. Later, while reading a Peanuts strip featuring a baseball theme, Mendelson came up with the idea to do a documentary on Charles Schultz that would compare the best player, Willie Mays, to the worst, Charlie Brown.
Initially, Schultz had reservations about doing the documentary but, according to the website for the Charles M. Schultz Museum, he later changed his mind and agreed when he learned that Mendelson had produced “A Man Named Mays.” The cartoonist reportedly said, “If Willie can trust you with his life, maybe I can do the same.” When completed the documentary “A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” proved to be an informative examination of both Schultz and his “Peanuts” strip. Scott McGuire noted that even the Giants team were involved as one segment showed an event at Candlestick Park, where the team played, when they held a “Charlie Brown Appreciation Day” in which a cut-out of Charlie Brown takes the pitcher’s mound, and the skies open up with heavy rain starting to fall on him.
McGuire said that the documentary, “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” also marked the beginning of animation and a move to film for the “Peanuts” strip as between the live-action segments the production showed brief animated sequences, drawn by Bill Melendez’s studio to include the gang playing baseball; Lucy pulling away the football as Charlie Brown tries to kick it; and Snoopy stealing Linus’ blanket. This also was the first Peanuts-related show scored by musician, Vince Guaraldi.
At first there appeared to be little interest from anyone in the documentary until Time magazine ran a cover story about “Peanuts.” Following that the McCann-Erickson Agency asked Lee Mendelson, Charles Schulz and Bill Melendez to create an animated Christmas special that Coca-Cola would sponsor. They had less than a week to prepare an outline, which was approved and were given six months to create what became “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Completing the production was fraught with challenges. The tight budget and schedule meant that the team had to work quickly and efficiently. They opted for a minimalist approach to animation, which included rough, simple lines and static backgrounds. One of the most controversial decisions was Schulz’s insistence on using real children’s voices for the characters, rather than professional adult voice actors. This decision added an element of authenticity but also posed challenges, as the inexperienced young actors sometimes struggled with their lines. Despite the limitations, this style ultimately contributed to the charm and authenticity of the special.
The rest is history because the production team’s hard work paid off as it would be the first in a long line of animated “Peanuts” TV specials. As for Willie Mays, he retired in 1973 following a two-year stint with the New York Mets. Today, many sportswriters regard him as the greatest all-around baseball player to ever suit up for the majors. To date only six major league baseball players have more homeruns to their credit. In an indirect way, Mays gave Charlie Brown a helping hand and every Christmas since has been all the better for it. Just an FYI: In October 2020, the streaming platform Apple TV+ acquired the classic “Peanuts” television specials, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” In 2020 and 2021, PBS aired the special, but beginning in 2022, it airs only on Apple TV+. But don’t declare “good grief” if you’re not a subscriber. You can stream the iconic holiday special free from December 22nd through the 25th.
