[7.3/10] This is more mild and cute than some Charlie Brown specials, but it’s fun as a sort of holiday hangout. There’s some of the sweet cynicism that I think of when I think of *Peanuts*. Little bits like Lucy suckering Charlie Brown in to trying to kick the football as an important “Thanksgiving honor”, good ol’ Charlie himself lamenting that holidays always depress him, and Sally griping about how Thanksgiving just means more work at school and having to remember historical figures she can’t keep straight all have the wry sensibility that I like from this gang. Heck, there’s even an early complaint about Christmas Creep! But those kinds of moments are few and far between.

Instead, the special is mostly low-stakes sitcom-esque shtick and miscellaneous antics from Snoopy and Woodstock. Both are enjoyable on their own terms, but don’t quite have the punch of the group’s usual fractured take on holiday mirth.

For the former, Charlie Brown gets roped into putting on an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner for Peppermint Patty, who invites herself (and Marcy and Franklin) over for the holiday without being asked. Ol’ Chuck trying to make a meal aligned to his level of culinary skill for them, pouting when it’s not well-received, and eventually getting an apology from Marcy is amiable enough. There’s not much to it, but the general warmth of the story carries it, and the group all heading to Charlie’s grandmother’s house at the end is a nice note to go out on.

Likewise, Snoopy and Woodstock doing all the work -- from setting up the table to preparing the toast and popcorn for the “feast” -- is all pretty standard funny animal business. But it’s good. The animation of their mini-misadventures is nicely rough and expressive, and the backgrounds have an inviting, autumnal glow that helps set the mood. Those sequences also put Vince Guaraldi’s beautiful score in focus, which is never a bad thing.

Overall, this one is closer to pleasant Turkey Day wallpaper than a stone cold classic like the Xmas or Halloween specials, but it’s still a nice one to watch when the fourth Thursday in November rolls around.

**EDIT**: I’m bumping this one up a point upon realizing that what I wrote off as a silly sitcom trope was actually good ol’ Chuck Schultz parodying *The Courtship of Miles Standish* by adapting it for the elementary school scene. There’s cleverness there that went over my head (largely by dint of my not really knowing the poem), and this special deserves credit for it.

To start off with I give this one a 68% rating, I rate the Great Pumpkin 85% and The Christmas Special 80%.

This one is also good, but it does not quite match the other 2 as it's the 3rd in the Charlie Brown Holiday specials, it just does not have the feel that the other 2 had, they were great from start to finish, kept me interested & were funny at times.

This one was actually a bit boring in several scenes, it did not have that normal Charlie Brown cute feel all the way through, only at times did I think I was watching something similar to the 1st 2.

Also I missed the original voice of Charlie Brown, Peter Robbins, who as a child voiced Charlie Brown in cartoon classics such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966).

Robbins died by suicide January 18th 2022, He was 65, he was replaced at age 14 as he did his last Charlie Brown in 1969. Robbins, born Louis G. Nanasi, was the first to play the lovably insecure lead character of the Peanuts gang created by cartoonist Charles Schulz. he suffered from bipolar disorder and fought addiction, completed a prison stint in 2019 after making criminal threats to law enforcement and others.

Even at the age of 61 I still watch all 3 Charlie Brown Holiday Specials every year as part of our annual Family tradition, it began when I was little, I continued it on with my 4 Kids & grand kids, & now it's just my Wife I enjoying them, and this one just adds 1 more to the list.

Overall it's just a bit slower moving than the other 2 specials and I watched it in 4K, but I believe I prefer it in it's original lower quality form.

Also where is Lucy? how could she not be around & either be invited or invite herself as Peppermint Patty did & the song they sing early in the Movie, I really did not care for it at all.

I gave it just under 70% rating but only because it's Charlie Brown & most of the gang, & it's a Holiday Special & the little ones should enjoy it, but this one is probably going to be too boring for any older kids, otherwise I would have rated it much lower, if it had been 1st in the series it would be rated barely a 60%.

There is some hate behind this for no reason aside from what Lenin said about having to destroy the culture. A lot of culture and traditions have been under attack due to false pretenses lately haven't they?

Anyway, like Christmas and The Great Pumpkin: You love it first because it is a wonderful and beautiful story. Then you love it because it has become nostalgic. And then you love it because it has become a generational tradition.

In other words it stands the test of time, just like the Thanksgiving pick-up football game stands the test of time. Just like the dinner, and the family affair that it depicts stands the test of time.

In other words, it is a timeless and beautiful depiction of our culture and traditions.

No wonder people want to destroy it,