A yearly tradition is getting smashed like a pumpkin. The beloved Peanuts holiday specials will not be airing on television this year. Instead, fans of Charlie Brown and the gang will have to either snatch up a DVD of their favorite specials, or tune in to Apple TV+ in order to follow their yearly tradition. In the very least, Apple has confirmed that even non-paying members can watch the specials.

When Apple purchased the exclusive rights to the Peanuts characters in 2020, the big controversy of the year was It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown being dropped from broadcast. The classic has aired on TV consistently since its 1966 premiere, originally on CBS and then later on ABC. After the outcry of Great Pumpkin, Apple was able to team up with PBS to air the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials ad-free. It was an option that fans were pleased with. In 2021, PBS aired Great Pumpkin, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This year, however, PBS announced on its official Twitter account that it did not have the rights to go for a third year.

Apple is still trying to make everyone happy, however. The streaming service is still allowing for non-subscribers to view the holiday specials free of charge on their service, though the window to watch them is still limited. Here are the dates.

  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be available from October 28th until October 31st. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available from November 23rd until November 27th. A Charlie Brown Christmas will be available from December 23rd until December 25th.

For those that have an AppleTV+ subscription, the specials are available year-round, along with the various other classic Peanuts specials both old and new. The streaming service will be adding two more of the classic specials to the library on December 2nd, I Want a Dog for Christmas and Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales.

Good Grief

In a recent press release, Apple TV+ gave out special instructions on how to tune in for the holiday specials. Folks that want to tune in just have to follow the simple two-step process.

  • Go to tv.apple.com or download the Apple TV app from the app store wherever you watch shows and movies. Search for “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and hit Play to stream for free from October 28–31. Or, available anytime with an AppleTV+ subscription.

This news was not without its share of backlash. For some households, the internet isn’t strong enough or they don’t have a streaming device. Thankfully, the specials are abundant on home media, so finding a DVD with the Peanuts gang shouldn’t be an impossible task. Regardless of how you tune in, it’s still a sad time for families that have a visit from Charlie Brown and the gang as part of their yearly holiday traditions. It’s going to be a dark and lonely Halloween out there in the cold pumpkin patches. Just be sure to bring a blanket and a friend this year!