A Special Charlie Brown Special
While
perusing the television schedule for the annual showing of It’s A Wonderful
Life, I discovered another interesting phenomenon of the holiday season: the Charlie Brown special.
At one time, there were only one or two (A
Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown), or so I
thought. A quick check of the Internet
and I learned further that there are now 45 Peanuts specials.
Obviously,
I’ve missed a few over the years.
This year
marks the second annual showing of Happiness Is a Warm Blanket. The plot
summary is thus: the Peanuts gang tries to help Linus overcome his
dependency on his security blanket. The
title sums up the whole idea nicely and ties it to the iconic Peanuts phrase
“Happiness Is a Warm Puppy”. I think the
more succinct title, It’s an Intervention, Charlie Brown could have worked as
well, but only on a more cynical level.
Yes, a nice
fuzzy feel good title that will lure the Black Friday weary shoppers to their
televisions, where they sit comfortably with their loved ones, munching a bowl
of popcorn, and reminiscing about the days
when the specials were brought to you by Dolly Madison cakes, who were
swallowed up by Hostess, who are now heading for that big corporate
graveyard in the sky.
Cupcake
makers can fade, but Charlie Brown will be a blockhead forever.
In any case,
it spurred my imagination to conjure up other titles for Peanuts specials which
should be taped very soon. Herewith are
my suggestions for future Peanuts specials:
Your Dog is a Bi-Polar, Delusional,
Psychotic Mess Who Thinks He’s Human, Charlie Brown!
You’re Peppermint Patty’s Beard,
Charlie Brown!
Lucy Is A Bitch, Charlie Brown!
Peppermint Patty and Marcie’s
Adventures in Provincetown!
Schroeder is an Unemployed Liberal
Arts Graduate, Charlie Brown!
Oh No! The Mean Cat Next Door
Swallowed Woodstock,Charlie Brown!
It’s Peppermint Patty’s and Marcie’s
Civil Union, Charlie Brown!
Don’t Let Snoopy Buy That AK-47,
Charlie Brown!
(Thank you
for reading! Snoopy! Good to see
you! Um...root beer?)
posted by todd gunther | 5:13 PM
2 Comments:
I'd DVR any of those episodes!
The title suggestions are too funny!
FYI: Years ago Venus gave me a vintage Charlie Brown Halloween action figure set. I set it up in my office, and over the years, my colleagues have given me Charlie Brown and Friends Christmas sets and accessories. As today is my birthday (53!), I may receive more.
I have the cd's of the original two specials mentioned above; they came boxed with other, newer titles. But none are or ever will be as good as the first two.
I need to go rehearse Linus' on-stage monologue about the true meaning of Christmas...
Love,
Janey
PS: Thanks for the birthday card! :-)
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