You're in Love, Charlie Brown

This third "Peanuts" TV special broke new ground -- the previous two, of course, were the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", but this one doesn't deal with a holiday. Well, technically it does, as it's set on the last days before summer vacation, but while children doubtless view that as a holiday, it really isn't. Instead of being a new story, it was largely composed of adaptations of various "Peanuts" strips, including part of one that was also incorporated into "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown".

Perhaps the most interesting thing about it is that it is clearly a "try-out" of sorts for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown". In both that feature-length animation and in this half-hour special, we see Lucy, Violet and Patty dancing around Charlie Brown singing a mocking song. I suspect that the dance in "You're In Love" was done to see whether the animators could make such a musical sequence "work". It's notably less effective here, but the practice made perfect.

This was also the TV introduction of the newest member of the "Peanuts" family, Peppermint Patty. In this one, as yet unaccompanied by Marcie, she's very much as she was in her introduction, and the other characters aren't quite sure what to make of her -- "Chuck?" wonders Charlie Brown aloud, while Lucy is perplexed by her reference to her as "Lucille".

Probably the worst part of it is the frankly creepy scene where Charlie Brown crawls, spider-like, over the school fence as he tries to sneak into school. This is a kid who's supposedly one of the worst athletes in history, and he's able to do that? Come on. Also, why does the Little Red-Haired Girl sign her note to him, "The Little Red-Haired Girl"? (On the other hand, considering the low quality of one of the few episodes that featured her as an active character, 1977's "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown", maybe I should be more thankful that the animators didn't see fit to give her a name yet ...)

I used to pretend I was the little red headed girl....seriously=o) Who doesn't feel an "ouch" moment when thinking back to that first crush. Well Charlie Brown's life is one huge "ouch" moment. But that's why we LOVE him!

'You're in Love, Charlie Brown' is pretty good and pretty cute.

Given it was released in the 1960s it is still finding itself with some of the characters, but this special is a pretty good tone setter for decades to come. Bringing the comic strip characters to life is no easy feat but this special succeeds with charm.

Charlie Brown is in love with the Little Red Haired Girl and after realizing it he must get the courage to talk to her even when faced with outside actors not making it easy.

To put it simply, this special is lovable and too endearing to not feel for Charlie Brown. This was the first special to deal with love and certainly sets the standard for the Peanuts and poor ol' Charlie Brown.

Its cute! Its a classic! Give it a watch!

Fourth animated special based on the Charles M. Schulz cartoon strips is a non-holiday tale about how poor lovesick Charlie Brown becomes enamored of the Little Red-Haired girl in his class that he doesn't have the courage to talk to. His friends Linus and Peppermint Patty try to help, but only make his embarrassment worse. Meanwhile, the school term is ending, and Charlie has only one more day to tell her before the long summer, assuming he doesn't botch it of course! OK story isn't one of the best, but does feature the debut of both Peppermint Patty and the Little Red-Haired girl, and is amiable enough to keep the viewer interested. Stay with it until the end.

Charlie is in love with 'the little red-headed girl', the very one he fancied in 'Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown'. But he's not got the courage to talk to her and frequently makes a laughing stock of himself with every attempt. Plus, everybody is making fun of him and Snoopy is not lending a sympathetic ear, as usual.

The emotional turmoil Charlie suffers is alarmingly true. Everybody remembers their first crush and how awkward it made them feel. It's little touches of reality like this in the far-fetched but wonderful world of Peanuts that make it so timeless. Though it was made in 1967 there is nothing in this TV special that dates it in any way.