December 06, 2005
Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!
Be sure to join the politically-incorrect brigades watching A Charlie Brown Christmas tonight at 8 pm on ABC:
It's been forty years since A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted on network television, instantly becoming one of the most popular holiday specials of all time. Written by Charles M. Schulz, with Bill Melendez directing and Lee Mendelson as Executive Producer, the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program, despite initial concerns about the show's leisurely pace, jazz soundtrack, religious theme, and use of children's voices. In December 2005, A Charlie Brown Christmas was named "Best Christmas Special," by TV Guide.
InfoPlease notes that:
Even Schulz admitted that he was probably the only person who could have gotten A Charlie Brown Christmas made. Television executives hated it from the start.It was criticized as being too religious—Linus quotes straight from the King James Bible (Luke 2:8-14). It was criticized for featuring contemporary jazz, an offbeat choice for a cartoon. It was criticized for not having a laugh track. It was criticized for using the voices of real children (except for Snoopy, who was voiced by animator Melendez).
But it was an instant hit with viewers and reviewers alike.
I'm sure the Llama Butchers aren't the only ones with tears in their eyes when Linus finishes his speech.
Update: Great article from 2000 - the year Charles Schulz died - here. Hugh Hewitt's site also has a recent article by Mary Katharine Ham, who notes, "Thank goodness Shulz made it in 1965. That baby would be a Veggie Tales straight-to-video these days."
Posted by kswygert at December 6, 2005 01:17 PM