How to watch the ‘Peanuts’ holiday specials this season

Charlie Brown Christmas
Apple

Good grief! It’s that time of year again, Charlie Brown.

This year, everyone will get a chance to celebrate the holiday season with one of the world’s favorite boys, his dog and all his friends thanks to Apple TV+.

For a limited time during the holiday season, the subscription-based streaming platform will make three of the iconic “Peanuts” specials — “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — available for free to everyone.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock share Thanksgiving dinner together.
Amazon

For decades, these specials were annual must-watch programming for families every holiday season. The animated mini-movies typically aired for free on network TV, either on the holiday or before.

However, in 2018, Apple bought the rights to all “Peanuts” content and eventually pulled the specials off of network television. In 2020, PBS aired the specials alongside Apple TV when fans complained about missing the shows on network TV. In recent years, Apple TV+ has opened the beloved holiday specials to all viewers, with weekends dedicated to each show.

This year, the “Peanuts” gang will be celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on the following weekends:

  • Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22: “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.”
  • Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19: “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”
  • Saturday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 17: “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

During that time, anyone wanting to watch these shows can download the Apple TV+ app on their smartphone or smart TV device. Once on the Apple TV+ streaming platform, viewers can watch their favorite “Peanuts” holiday special as often as they’d like during the free-weekend event.

charles schulz animated peanuts characters celebrating halloween on a pink background
Apple

If you are a big “Peanuts” fan and a few weekends aren’t enough, you can watch these specials year-round by subscribing to Apple TV+. Right now, the streaming platform is offering a 7-day free trial. Once the trial ends, the subscription costs $6.99 monthly.

Either way, mark your calendars for three weekends of holiday fun with the “Peanuts” gang!

MORE: Hallmark Channel has announced its 2023 ‘Countdown to Christmas’ movie lineup

Entertainment, Holiday & Seasonal, Movies & TV, News

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About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World.

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