Peanuts

November 2021

I have loved Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the other Peanuts characters that Charles Schulz created since I was a little boy. I read the comic strip in the Charlotte Observer daily, and I have fond memories of watching “Snoopy Come Home” and “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” (which, in my opinion now as an adult, were both actually sad movies). I like the art work of Charles Schulz, and I like the humor the comic brought to the table. The older I get, the more I realize how dark some of it actually was. (Hmmm... maybe there is something wrong with me, but there are a lot of other Peanuts fans out there too, so...) There were of course the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials that became holiday staples, adored by most. I also enjoyed the Peanuts remake that came out a few years back.

I recently found a documentary about Charles Schulz on Apple TV called Who Are You, Charlie Brown?. I actually did not know much about the Peanuts creator before watching this documentary, and I found it fascinating. If you're a Peanuts fan and subscribe to Apple TV+, I would definitely recommend giving it a watch. I have watched it twice so far.

Also on Apple TV+ (and I promise this is not a pitch for that service, these things just happen to be on there) is the Snoopy Show. It is a refreshing, modern take on the Peanuts world. I have enjoyed watching it with my nine-year-old daughter, who also very much loves Peanuts. We both find it to be incredibly funny (albeit in different ways), and the animators have done a terrific job making the Peanuts characters more “modern” while still preserving the traditional character dynamics. It is a little less “sad, poor Charlie Brown” than the Peanuts cartoons of yesteryear. The jazz infused soundtrack is phenomenal. Again, if you're a Peanuts fan and have not already done so, definitely give this one a watch.

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