It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Although thousands of Halloween TV specials bombard us each October, one stands out as a can't-miss for anyone with children or anyone who ever was a child. The complete lack of scariness makes this the classic feel-good movie of the season. It is one film that is appropriate for children of every age, even very young children. It brings up the same nostalgic feelings that the Peanuts comic strip does, and gets me in the Halloween spirit every year. If you haven't seen it yet, spend some time this October to watch it with the children in your life. It's perfect with warm popcorn and orange candy corn. So for a change from the movies that give you nightmares, try the Halloween special that will give you sweet dreams of great pumpkins.

I was born in 1966. Since I can remember, I've been a Peanuts fan. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown was a must watch show for me every Halloween since about the age of 4. Eating a TV dinner and watching it in the den was the highlight of Halloween. It got me primed to go trick or treating.

As an adult with children in their 20's, I still stop what I'm doing to watch Linus sit in the pumpkin patch with Sally. I know that its silly but at the end of the show, I always feel let down just like Linus. My kids shake their heads when I start going off that by now he should know better.

I will be an old woman and still watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It reminds of a simpler time when kids could off in groups to trick or treat. You could get popcorn balls and candy apples along with other goodies. If Halloween fell on a school day, teachers kept you busy working a cool project in hopes of keeping you calm.

The thing I loved most about this Charlie Brown Halloween special was the sheer simplicity of it. The creators obviously aimed this at people of all ages; It is just so funny and cute, it's impossible not to love. There is no horror, thriller, or gruesome bloody scenes. It shows what Halloween is really about- the fun of trick-or-treating, and being with your friends.

Linus believes in the 'Great Pumpkin', the Santa Claus of Halloween. He misses out on Halloween to stay in the Pumpkin Patch, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to pick his pumpkin patch as the most sincere. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and the gang get invited to Violet's halloween party. The gang save Sally goes trick-or-treating as well. Sally decides to stay with Linus.

Don't miss out on this! A must see for Halloween.

Now what would Halloween, my favorite holiday, be without Charlie

Brown and the Great Pumpkin? Not to date myself, but I remember the very first time it aired on

CBS at the ripe old age of 7! I've never missed it since! Nothing encapsulates childhood, camaraderie and the spirit of

Halloween more than this Charles M. Schultz classic. Charlie

Brown and his bag of rocks, Snoopy and the Red Baron, Linus'

ingenious use of his security blanket for a ghost costume, Vince

Guaraldi's great score, and of course, bossy Lucy and her

sarcastic voice of reason - I think we all know a 'Lucy' growing up! All the feelings of anticipation, excitement and fear so commonly

associated with this spooky holiday is captured here - even the

feeling of great disappointment when awakening the day after and

knowing one must wait another FULL year for this greatest of

holidays to come again - another year to plan and live out your

fantasy. Well, at least there's Charlie Brown Xmas to get us over

the hump! Good Grief!!

This special is great. I love the background music, especially the upbeat tempo played while Charlie Brown dances because he has finally been invited to a Halloween party...by mistake. The scene with Snoopy and the Red Baron is an abrupt switch from the storyline, but it is very well done; 5 minutes or so without any talking.

Did anyone notice how big the moon is in the pumpkin patch? It is huge!