Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales

Just watched this, the third of four Peanuts animated specials after "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" but before "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown", on ABC after the classic first one, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" came on. Done and first aired after the untimely death of creator Charles Schulz, it took some of his comic strip vignettes and compiled them for this show. What we get is Lucy trying to get a skating partner with the only choices between Snoopy and Schroeder. Guess who she wants? Next, Linus has a crush on a classmate who keeps changing her name. Then, Sally grabs a Christmas tree that falls down in a neighbor's yard which she only did because that neighbor kid said it's hers if it did so. Watch the cartoon if you want to find out what happens. There's other situations but I'll just say this was quite funny and is a fine tribute to the man long known as Sparky. Also, the late Vince Guaraldi's music is excellently interpreted by David Benoit here. So on that note, Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales is highly recommended.

I believe this is the Charlie Brown I'm thinking about.

Last year (2002), There was a new Charlie Brown Christmas movie on. This amazed me because Charles Schultz had retired the characters with him. I guess he had made this before he died because the writing credits are credited to him. I had taped this special but can't find where I taped it, hopefully I'll find it, otherwise I hope they sell t.

It was a very nice special, this must have been it because it's dated 2002. If it's on again this year, everyone should watch it!

It's 18 minutes. It's a series of Christmas theme vignettes without a continuous story. It's disjointed but it's still watchable. In the end, this is like a TV version of the newspaper comic strips. It has its charms but it doesn't last like the classic Christmas special. The most notable things are the side characters. Linus meets a mysterious girl who calls herself Jezebel and then proceeds to keep changing her name. I think that character has lots of potential. On the other hand, Sally has a fight with an angry kid over a small Christmas tree. The kid is off-putting and doesn't really fit the Peanuts style. It also pales in comparison with the iconic Charlie Brown tree. This is a functional Christmas special but it's nowhere near the classic.

I have noticed that a few people gave these "Peanuts Christmas Shorts" bad reviews. Perhaps far too many people compare this to "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Granted, I will say of all the Peanuts specials "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the best of the bunch. However, each of the Peanuts Holiday specials were good in their own way, this one is no exception. Depite the fact Charles Schulz had since passed away when this debuted, I want to thank Mr. Schulz for the Peanuts Gang. It just would not be Christmas without Charlie Brown, the world's favorite underdog, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. I most certainly will not end this review without Snoopy, his short is the best of the bunch. Lucy, Linus, Sally, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy offer their takes on Christmas. As usual it is Snoopy who steals the show. Charles Schulz, Christmas just would not be the same if it wasn't for you. Thank you so very much for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and all the Peanuts gang.

This was pretty bad. There was no overall story like in the original special. It was basically animated vignettes from the daily comic strip. It had no structure really, no theme, just little shorts strung together to make a "movie". And I won't even go into how inferior the voicing was compared to the original.

It isn't terrible...it is just a bad one to show after the original. It is cute and would probably entertain the kids, but it really isn't for the whole family like the first one was. (do I seem a little biased toward the original? Yes?) Go ahead and watch this one, but don't expect the charm of the original.