Directed By: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman
Starring: Todd Barbee, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea
Tag line: "Spend Thanksgiving with Good Ol' Charlie Brown"
Trivia: Peppermint Patty and Marcie are voiced by male actors
Charlie Brown (voiced by Todd Barbee) finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Peppermint Patty (Christopher DeFaria) invites herself, as well as her friends Marcie (Jimmy Ahrens) and Franklin (Robin Reed), over for Thanksgiving dinner. Aside from the fact that he has no idea how to prepare a proper turkey diner, Charlie Brown and his family, including sister Sally (Hilary Momberger), are already going to his grandmother’s house for the big meal. Not wanting to disappoint his friend, he turns to Linus (Stephen Shea) and his dog Snoopy for help, and together they concoct a very unusual Thanksgiving feast consisting of jelly beans, popcorn, and toast. But will this satisfy the finicky Peppermint Patty?
Even though I was only 4 years old at the time, I do remember watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving when it was first broadcast in 1973, so it does hold some sentimental value for me. What’s more, the special has its share of memorable moments, like Linus’ retelling of the first Thanksgiving Feast and Snoopy enjoying a meal with his little bird pal, Woodstock (the Vince Guaraldi tune “Little Birdie”, which accompanies Woodstock’s appearance, has also stayed with me over the years). That said, I was never a big fan of Peppermint Patty’s, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was a big reason why. Aside from being such a pushy character, I couldn’t understand why she reacted so negatively to the meal Charlie Brown and his pals prepared; when we were kids, my brother and I loved the thought of having popcorn and candy for Thanksgiving dinner, and the fact that she didn’t feel the same way always stuck in our craw.
Still, I enjoy A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and while it’s certainly not the best of the Charles Shultz’s Peanuts specials, it was as much a holiday tradition in my house as A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.