'Charlie Brown' Holiday Specials Won't Air on TV This Year and People Are Pissed
After five decades of holiday tradition, the Peanuts cartoons have been snatched in an exclusive deal with Apple

Following an exclusive deal with Apple TV+, the Peanuts cartoon — as well as its Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday counterparts — are moving from cable to streaming, breaking longstanding traditions for families everywhere.
While the platform has announced plans to stream the Halloween special for free from October 30 to November 1 in response to ongoing outrage, some are complaining that the move excludes families who don't have access to reliable internet.
Understandably, the reaction online has been far from pleasant, with some suggesting the switch is yet another disappointment in a long year full of tragedies.
For now, a years-old upload of The Great Pumpkin remains available to stream on YouTube. Though, pending the new deal with Apple, it may not stay up for very long.
Watch it in full while you can below, where you can also find some of Twitter's reactions.
Far be for me to tell anyone what to air, but after 54 years, 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' on broadcast TV is a right, not a privilege. pic.twitter.com/OgGyAs9zxp
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) October 21, 2020
charlie brown holiday specials no longer airing on tv is gonna be my villain origin story
— no (@miskeencore) October 21, 2020
Charlie Brown won't broadcast on TV this year 💔
— Mychal (@mychal3ts) October 21, 2020
No "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", no "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" & no "A Charlie Brown Christmas"...
How dare you, 2020!
Our anxieties already had anxieties pic.twitter.com/wcPYUostWK
NO CHARLIE BROWN HOLIDAY SPECIALS????? 2020 HAS TAKEN EVERYTHINY FROM ME pic.twitter.com/honsMMt4s6
— basillhalward struggle tweets (@basillhalward) October 21, 2020
are you kidding me?? we can't even have charlie brown?? this year, of all years... pic.twitter.com/eaKCkf4Fdi
— lee (@LuxCallida) October 21, 2020
people finding out appletv+ broke the annual tradition of charlie brown holiday specials being on tv pic.twitter.com/LfCFVBXpi1
— SlamGrim (@SlamGrene) October 21, 2020
Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts kids are all not taking it very well about their specials no longer airing on broadcast TV... pic.twitter.com/6QWieR8gWk
— Zak Wolf (@wiley207) October 21, 2020
#2020PeanutsSpecials
— Nathan Robson #42 Black/female/LGBTQ lives matter! (@NathanMisao) October 21, 2020
We All Need a Security Blanket, Charlie Brown pic.twitter.com/LWydqsPNKU
Ayo guys "The Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown isn't gonna be on TV this halloween for the first time in 54 years. We can't let this happen.
— 🦋𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕒𝕤🚨(ℝ𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕝) (@DerbyCityLucas) October 21, 2020
Rt to spread awareness pic.twitter.com/P6jWdBwY1M
Who had no Charlie Brown specials on their 2020 Bingo Card? pic.twitter.com/hxqZOmalZ7
— Mister Race Bannon (@MrRaceBannon) October 21, 2020
"It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" won't be aired on network television this year...a decades long tradition is no more....simply because Apple now owns the rights. Another swift kick in the taint by 2020.
— KC Jonathan (@KCJonathan15) October 21, 2020
To this I say....FUCK You. 🖕🏼
And good morning everyone ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LYWXmRIAY6
I can (and have) put up with a lot from 2020, but being the first year to not air It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown since it's release in 1966 is a bridge too far. 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/sZXduwKXss
— Jill is still Pissed Off ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 (@jill4olemiss) October 21, 2020
Good morning everyone except the people at @AppleTV who decided to take Charlie Brown away from people who don't use their services. You assholes can get herpes in your eyelids.
— 👻☠ Nec-Roy-nomicon🧟♂️🎃 (@CulinaryGeekRoy) October 21, 2020
So many crappy things in 2020, and now the classic Charlie Brown Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas franchise will no longer air on broadcast television. The "Great Pumpkin" special originally aired on CBS on October 27, 1966. Now you have to subscribe to Apple TV+. #fail pic.twitter.com/qOJDJmO12u
— Kevin Lighty - WCIA 3 Chief Meteorologist (@KevinLighty) October 21, 2020