Spending your holidays with the Peanuts gang is a beloved annual tradition dating back to 1965, when A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on television, bringing Charles Schulz’s classic comic strip characters to life. This festive favorite was so well-received that it sparked an entire franchise of animated specials – with 45 in total – that were broadcast on various networks between 1965 and 2011, almost a decade after Schulz’s passing in 2000.
Although the Peanuts brand is now owned by Apple TV+, which has launched a new series of specials aimed at a younger generation and has a movie in the works, the original 58-year run remains a nostalgic gem for Boomers, Gen-X, and millennials alike. But are all of the specials deserving of the nostalgic treatment? Here’s Yahoo Entertainment’s official ranking of the 45 Peanuts specials, including a few that may have fallen under your radar.
45. Someday You’ll Find Her, Charlie Brown (1981)
In this misguided half-hour special, Charlie Brown goes from lovelorn lonely heart to full-on stalker. With a lack of humor or charm, it’s undoubtedly the worst of the Peanuts cartoons.
44. It’s the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown (2000)
This poorly animated special unsuccessfully tries to insert the Peanuts characters into the classic fairytale and was only released on home video, never making it to television.
43. What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown (1978)
Watch Snoopy get in touch with his feral side when he’s forcibly enlisted in an Arctic dog sled team. It’s a nightmare that left the special less than memorable.
42. It’s Spring Training, Charlie Brown (1996)
A remake of a superior special, this one skipped a television airing due to its cringeworthy clip of Franklin rapping, making it unsuitable for the network.
41. It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984)
In this hip and topical special, Peanuts makes a futile attempt to poke fun at Flashdance and early ’80s music videos, ending with a surreal dance climax.
40. Snoopy’s Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985)
Snoopy proposes to gal-pal Genevieve but immediately freaks out about being married, leaving viewers with a strange moral about the pitfall of marriage.
39. A Charlie Brown Celebration (1982)
An hour-long anthology special, lacking any memorable shorts, making it instantly forgettable.
38. I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
In this special, Rerun invites his brother Spike to visit, only to leave the canine with a whole lot of nothing. A somewhat downer ending.
37. You’re In the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown (1994)
The gang teams up to compete in a “punt, pass, and kick” competition, bringing to light Linus’s disappointing reaction to losing to a girl.
36. Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales (2002)
Consisting of five segments, this special aired two years after Schulz’s death and lacks the holiday magic of its predecessors.
Looking to continue reading our ranking? Visit us at [Yahoo Entertainment’s website] for the full list of 45 Peanuts specials, where we break down each one and why to (or not to) remember them.
