Product: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Rating: 5.0
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.
I enjoy Méhdi"Christmas Treasures",Josh Groban ,Mannheim Steamroller etc.and this a magnificent production that I also enjoy just as much.The first prime-time Peanuts special introduced Charles M. Schulz's timeless gang to the world of television and was awarded both an Emmy and a Peabody award. Originally broadcast December 9, 1965, on CBS -- years before Seasonal Affective Disorder entered our lexicon -- the story is driven by Charlie Brown, sort of a tyro Scrooge made even more miserable by the increasingly crass commercialism of holiday cheer. Charlie agrees to direct the school Christmas pageant and in the process tries to discover the true meaning of the holiday. Although its animation is dated and its evangelism is unsubtle, A Charlie Brown Christmas -- like all the Peanuts holiday specials -- is so good-hearted that it's very easy to overlook its flaws. Linus wrapping his blanket around the tiny, stunted tree remains among the most endearing images ever produced for network television. For grown-ups, this is how Charlie Brown and Snoopy and Sally will always be remembered, stumbling and dancing around the school stage in a childish torrent of goodwill. For kids, the simple charm of the white beagle with black ears and his friends will likely beguile them from here to next Tuesday. The new DVD is unedited and includes footage that was shorn after the initial broadcast, as well as the more recent special, It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.Also Recommended:MéhdiChristmas Treasures,A True Gem.