peaygolf
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When “A Charlie Brown Christmas” first aired on December 9, 1965, TV executives—and even some of the show’s creators—were convinced it was going to flop.
"Peanuts," the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, was incredibly popular. Featuring beloved characters such as the hapless Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy, the franchise set especially high expectations for the TV special.
But Charlie Brown’s animated debut was unlike anything seen on television at the time.
The special broke several cartoon conventions of the era. It hired actual kids as voice actors, featured a spare jazz soundtrack and did not include a laugh track. Most controversial of all, it was a children's Christmas special featuring a lengthy quote from the Bible.
A week before its airdate, CBS held a test screening of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for executives.
“The general reaction was one of disappointment,” said former CBS executive Fred Silverman in the documentary The Making of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (2015). “There were specific negative comments about the music, the piano music, some of the voicing, which sounded kind of amateurish.”
Even the special’s lead producer and co-creator, Lee Mendelson, feared that it would not only bomb, but possibly take down "Peanuts" with it. Instead, more than 15 million American households tuned in for its premiere—half of all TV viewers at the time. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” went on to win awards and become a beloved holiday classic.
"Peanuts," the comic strip created by Charles Schulz, was incredibly popular. Featuring beloved characters such as the hapless Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy, the franchise set especially high expectations for the TV special.
But Charlie Brown’s animated debut was unlike anything seen on television at the time.
The special broke several cartoon conventions of the era. It hired actual kids as voice actors, featured a spare jazz soundtrack and did not include a laugh track. Most controversial of all, it was a children's Christmas special featuring a lengthy quote from the Bible.
A week before its airdate, CBS held a test screening of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for executives.
“The general reaction was one of disappointment,” said former CBS executive Fred Silverman in the documentary The Making of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (2015). “There were specific negative comments about the music, the piano music, some of the voicing, which sounded kind of amateurish.”
Even the special’s lead producer and co-creator, Lee Mendelson, feared that it would not only bomb, but possibly take down "Peanuts" with it. Instead, more than 15 million American households tuned in for its premiere—half of all TV viewers at the time. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” went on to win awards and become a beloved holiday classic.
