TV Show Info
Show Name: It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
Studio: CBS
Genre(s): Cartoon/Seasonal
Release Date(s): November 27, 1992
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Kind of a representation of what this does to Christmas…
Christmas is here again, and the Peanuts are getting ready for it. Charlie Brown is trying to sell wreaths for money to buy gifts (with the help of Sally), Peppermint Patty is facing a book report and a major role in the Christmas pageant, and the whole group is waiting to see what will come on Christmas morning. The holiday is coming fast, and Charlie Brown and his friends are ready!
Directed by Bill Melendez, It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown premiered on CBS on November 27, 1992 and was seen as a follow-up to the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). It was panned by critics and is only occasionally seen on television after airings of the original Christmas special. It usually can be found on DVD or Blu-Ray packaged with the original.
You can’t fault Sally’s honesty
I remember when this special premiered. A Charlie Brown Christmas has such a special place in the Christmas memories of many people (myself included), and I figured lightning could strike twice…I was really wrong.
That doesn’t work about It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is that is has no heart. The show is comprised of Christmas strips essentially that Charles Schulz wrote over the course of Peanuts, illustrated, and put together. There is no story and not much of a message. The first Christmas special is loved because of its simplicity, but it still has a story. There are moments that aren’t part of the story (like catching snowflakes, hitting cans off fences, Sally’s letter to Santa Claus), but it is mixed in with a greater story. It’s Christmas Time Again has no greater story. It is just a collection with “Christmas” as the main theme.
At least Peppermint’s costume rocks
The music for It’s Christmas Time Again also doesn’t help. The legendary Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts score is still there but it is jazzed up by David Benoit. It feels like they are just tampering with a classic when they mess with the music. A nice score could have helped this special overcome mediocrity.
It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown is kind of painful to watch. It probably isn’t because it is the worst Christmas special (it isn’t), but it is because it feels like the makers are treading on hallowed ground. The story just isn’t the same as the first one, and the idea of making this second special seems more commercial (which is even talked about within the special)…everything that A Charlie Brown Christmas was against. Definitely watch A Charlie Brown Christmas…and skip this sad follow-up.
Related Links:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
