A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

***A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving*** is an Emmy award-winning animated television special based on the *Peanuts* comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, directed by Phil Roman and Bill Melendez. It originally aired on CBS on November 20, 1973.

## Plot

Charlie and Sally Brown are planning to go to their Grandmother's for Thanksgiving dinner, when Peppermint Patty calls Charlie Brown, and invites herself to have Thanksgiving dinner at his house. Shortly thereafter, she calls two more times, saying that Marcie and Franklin will also be attending. Charlie Brown tries to explain that this is not possible, but Peppermint Patty keeps prattling on with little regard to Charlie's words.

When Linus comes over, Charlie Brown explains his predicament. Linus then proposes a solution: have two dinners. One can be in the afternoon with the other kids, and then Charlie Brown can still go to his Grandmother's as planned. Charlie Brown is not convinced of this idea, as his culinary expertise is limited to preparing cold cereal and maybe toast. Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock offer to help Charlie Brown prepare for the dinner.

Linus recruits Snoopy and Woodstock to help set up the guest area, as well as prepare the meal. Sometime later, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin arrive. After everyone has a seat, Linus says grace and gives a speech in regards to what Thanksgiving is about.

Once grace is finished, Snoopy serves the food that has been prepared: buttered toast, jellybeans, pretzel sticks, and popcorn. Upon seeing the food available, Peppermint Patty grumpily shouts at Charlie Brown regarding its poor quality, saying that they should have been served a real Thanksgiving dinner. Embarrassed at the situation, Charlie leaves the table.

Once he has gone, Marcie asks her friend if she was being too rough on Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty vehemently says that they should have been served a real Thanksgiving Dinner. Knowing her friend's personality well, Marcie asks if Charlie Brown had intended to invite them over, or if Peppermint Patty invited herself, and somewhat forced her and Franklin to come along. Upon realizing what a jerk she has been, Peppermint Patty asks Marcie to talk to Charlie Brown and tell him that she is sorry for the harsh words and what she has done.

Marcie discusses things with Charlie Brown, who still feels that he has ruined the day for everyone. However, Marcie explains that Thanksgiving is about what Linus said in his speech: it's about being together and being thankful like the Pilgrims were. As they finish talking, Peppermint Patty appears and apologizes in person for her attitude.

As he looks at the clock, Charlie Brown realizes that he is late for dinner with his grandmother. He quickly dials her up, and explains what happened. When his Grandmother finds out that his friends have not eaten dinner yet, she insists they all come to eat at her place.

Shortly thereafter, the kids start on their trip to Charlie Brown's grandmother's condominium, leaving Snoopy and Woodstock alone at home. As soon as they leave, the two friends set up a table outside the doghouse, where Snoopy serves up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the two of them.

## Trivia

* The special was initially sponsored by Dolly Madison Cakes and Coca-Cola.
* Many viewers sent complaints to CBS about Woodstock eating a turkey with Snoopy, seeing it as an act of "bird cannibalism"! Charles Schulz insisted that Woodstock join Snoopy in carving and eating a turkey, despite Lee Mendelson's protests.
* This marks Peppermint Patty's sixth appearance in a Peanuts TV special; following "*You're in Love, Charlie Brown*", "*He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown*", "*It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown*", "*Play It Again, Charlie Brown*", & "*There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown*".
	+ This also marks Marcie's second appearance in a Peanuts TV special; following her debut in "*There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown*".
* Marcie calls Peppermint Patty "Priscilla" because Linus made a reference to Myles Standish. Priscilla Mullen and Myles Standish are characters in *The Courtship of Miles Standish*.
* This special received that year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming (which went to Charles M. Schulz). It was also nominated for Outstanding Children's Special, but did not win. *There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown*, which was broadcast in the same year, did not receive any nominations.
* Sally states that she did not finish all of her Halloween candy. This can be considered a continuity error because in the earlier special *It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown*, Sally does not go trick-or-treating but remains in the pumpkin patch with Linus instead. The two specials do not, however, necessarily both take place in the same year or even within the same continuity.
* This is the first special where Charlie Brown is voiced by Todd Barbee, who'd previously voiced Linus's opponent Russell Anderson in *You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown*.
* This is the last special where Sally Brown is voiced by Hilary Momberger, Peppermint Patty is voiced by Christopher DeFaria, and Lucy van Pelt is voiced by Robin Kohn.
* Oddly enough, despite the background music sounding very Beethoven-themed, Schroeder is not seen, heard or mentioned in this special.
* Lucy van Pelt only appears in the special's teaser, in which she, once again, suckers Charlie Brown into the old "I'll-hold-the-ball-and-you-come-running-up-and-kick-it" gag.
* This special's airings in 2006 and 2007 were paired with *He's a Bully, Charlie Brown*.
* Linus breaks the fourth wall by stating that the episode is unlikely.
* Peppermint Patty and Marcie are voiced by male actors.
* When Peppermint Patty informs the gang that they're invited to Charlie Brown's grandmother's house, this is the only time she calls him "Charlie Brown" instead of "Chuck".
* Snoopy's fight with the folding lounge chair appears to have been inspired by W. C. Fields' similar struggle with a chair in 1934's "It's A Gift."
* Charlie Brown is referred to as "Chuck" 26 times throughout the special.
* In later years (2000s-plus) this special came under criticism over the fact that Franklin, the only Black character, is depicted as sitting alone on the long side of the dinner table. However, this was most likely a coincidence.