This Is America, Charlie Brown

I have never seen this episode 1 of 8 in the Series. Neither have I seen any of the other 7. I'm ready to remember my history surrounding the reason why Thanksgiving is a National Holiday and the traditions we have developed from this holiday. This is a good history lesson and reminder for all, especially children. So far, I have only seen this one about the Mayflower voyage. I'm eager to see the others in this series though. ABC played this bonus cartoon immediately after 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' and that was cool. It definitely sheds light on a memory about an important piece of our American history.

This is a wonderful series! No grade school history class should be without it. Heck, no HIGH school history class! Each episode deals with a different period of American history including the Mayflower, famous inventors, the pioneer days, the forging of the Constitution and the space age. Featuring some wonderful music from America's heritage and great (don't laugh, I mean it) performances by Charlie and his friends, this is a prize-worthy tribute to our nation.

Early in the episode, we hear Peppermint Patty singing the 1892 song "Daisy" (full title of which is "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)"). This song was used in the movie "2001: A Space Oddysey", at the moment HAL begs for his life. The use in 2001 is significant because it was the first song ever performed by a computer, specifically, the IBM 704, at Bell Labs in 1962. On a surface level, this moment functions as an homage to the early days of artificial intelligence, but it also poses an important question about sentiency and humanity.

HAL's scheming and logic fade to simplicity as the computer regresses by 40 years, back to a time when computers were programmed to bring joy to those around them. The song takes HAL back to its childhood, and emphasizes that Dave is killing that child just as much as he is dismantling a malfunctioning computer system. Adding to the overall themes and interpretations of 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL's callback to an earlier system command suggests that evolution may be just as possible for computers as it is for humans, given a sufficient level of sentience.

The quality that went into these shows were amazing. During the 1980's nobody could hold a candle to the quality of programming CBS was running. Whether it was their prime time specials featuring Peanuts and Garfield or their Saturday morning lineup, CBS showed quality animation.

In this series of specials, we see the peanuts gang explore the history of America. Coming the all American spirit of the characters with a very mature look at history, we're rewarded with a splendid display of what animation can be when it is done correctly.

I just can't believe these specials are now 16 years old. We need more quality programming like this on TV today.