While there are many traditions most of us hold near and dear when it comes to holidays, some stand out more than others. One of those Halloween traditions is that we always watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Most of us can remember the excitement of returning from a long night of trick-or-treating to dump out our bags of candy and rifle through the goods, hoping our parents would allow us to partake in at least a few samples before bed. The excitement of finding your favorites (or, if you were REALLY lucky, a full-sized candy bar), mixed with the letdown of seeing the duds (and I’m not just talking about the milk variety), is one of the most memorable parts of Halloween night. Even with the occasional disappointing treat (looking at you, black licorice), you knew it could always be worse — you could be like poor Charlie Brown and get rocks.
The antics of the Peanuts gang are well-known by virtually anyone familiar with pop culture, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown stands out as one of the most famous specials in the franchise. Premiering on October 27, 1966, during a primetime slot on CBS, it was the third special for Peanuts, and the second that was holiday-themed, following A Charlie Brown Christmas.
The special was an instant hit, gaining such popularity that CBS would continue to air it annually before it would cycle through other networks like ABC before finding its home with PBS beginning in 2021.
Directed by Bill Melendez, who was also at the helm for other Charlie Brown specials, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown features the entire main cast of the cartoon, including Charlie Brown himself, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and Sally as they prepare for the festivities of Halloween.
Familiar plot points such as Snoopy in his Flying Ace costume fighting the Red Baron and Lucy pulling away that football before Charlie Brown can kick it are, of course, a part of it, but it focuses primarily on Linus. More specifically, it’s about Linus and his yearning to see The Great Pumpkin.
According to Linus, The Great Pumpkin is an abstract, supernatural entity who rises from the pumpkin patch every Halloween night to deliver toys to children who believe in him. Each year, he writes a letter to The Great Pumpkin, despite the skepticism and teasing he gets from the other kids, who make it clear they think it’s foolish for him to believe in something that doesn’t exist.
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Despite this, Linus’ faith remains unwavering, and inexorably, every year, he sits in the pumpkin patch awaiting the appearance of The Great Pumpkin. Ultimately the outcome is the same, and Linus is left embarrassed and dejected over another Halloween where he does not see his beloved Great Pumpkin.
It’s that unshakable faith that Linus possesses that remains one of the most endearing qualities of the show. The Peanuts characters are synonymous with being depicted as wise beyond their years, displaying adult-like qualities and ideals, and frequently pondering philosophical quandaries. It’s a charming and refreshing departure from this formula, then, to observe Linus in his age-appropriate state of staunch conviction on the existence of The Great Pumpkin.
There’s a sweet naivete to this side of him that is reminiscent of the annual anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus that most children experience at some point in their lives. For adults, this provides a sense of nostalgia and the ability to reminisce over the days when we were all a little more innocent and steadfast in our beliefs.
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Nostalgia is the reason we keep up with traditions. As a kid, I, too, would look forward to coming back home after a night of collecting candy, where I would empty the contents of my bag and indulge in way too many sweets. And invariably, on the TV, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown would be playing.
Partaking in the same custom with my kids today, and seeing how it can still evoke all those feelings and sentiments over fifty-five years later, is a testament to the impact a show can have. It’s a chance for us to be transported back to a simpler time when we were allowed to give in to guilty pleasure, go crazy with our favorite candy, and have the innocence to believe in whatever we desired.
At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want?
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