‘Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection Limited Edition’ Out October 1

BURBANK, CALIF -- The Peanuts comic strip is turning 70 and to celebrate, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the release of a Blu-ray collection comprised of three iconic animated holiday specials packaged in a limited-edition Snoopy doghouse giftset. Titled Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection Limited Edition, it will be released on October 1, 2019 and includes: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas, as well as six additional Peanuts specials that are re-mastered/restored with brand-new special features. All nine specials will be released on Blu-ray with a digital copy. The box set comes with two additional, keepsake collectibles, including a Snoopy figurine and a Charlie Brown holiday book. This is a numbered, limited edition set with only 25,000 total sets available. Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection Limited Edition will retail for $99.99 SRP ($141.00 in Canada).

For 70 years, Peanuts have entertained fans with their adventures. The first holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, was produced by Lee Mendelson, directed by Bill Melendez and featured a catchy jazzy score by pianist Vince Guaraldi, won an Emmy Award and served as the springboard for dozens of successful television specials, which followed in subsequent years.

Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts premiered in seven newspapers in 1950 and went on to become one of the most popular and longest running comic strips. At the peak of its popularity, Peanuts was published in over 75 countries and was translated into 21 languages. Peanuts developed into a powerful brand in entertainment after taking the leap from print to television, film, books, music, merchandise, and theme parks.

“Peanuts is an enduring classic. After 70 years, it continues to be a favorite with fans of all ages due to its timeless messages and appeal,” commented vice president family & animation marketing, Mary Ellen Thomas. “Peanuts characters are recognized globally. They have influenced pop culture and continue to captivate the hearts of viewers of all ages. To commemorate Peanuts’ milestone, 70th anniversary, we created this unique collector’s item, which pays tribute to the beloved cartoon with three of its most widely- recognized television specials which are available fully remastered and restored on Blu-ray, in this new, beautiful limited-edition set.”

Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection Limited Edition featured specials:

• It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – This Emmy Award-nominated special, finds the Peanuts gang outfitted in costumes, ready for trick or treating and crashing Violet’s Halloween party. Charlie Brown is in a ghost costume (with more eyeholes cut out than needed), Lucy dressed as a witch and Snoopy in a World War I flying-ace costume. Linus decides to steadfastly hold vigil in the pumpkin patch as he awaits the Great Pumpkin. 
• It’s Magic, Charlie Brown – Snoopy puts on a show after he checks out a book on magic tricks from the library. With Marcie and Sally as his assistants, he performs many tricks (some that work and some that don’t) before an audience. The grand finale features the biggest trick of all, making Charlie Brown disappear. To everyone’s amazement, Snoopy makes him invisible but doesn’t know how to bring Charlie Brown back. Will Snoopy find a way to reverse the trick?
• Charlie Brown’s All-Stars – Nominated for two Prime Time Emmys, in this special, Charlie Brown is faced with a difficult moral dilemma; should he accept brand new uniforms and give the rest of the gang a chance to be part of an official little league baseball team even if it means that due to policy, Snoopy, Lucy, Patty, Violet and Frieda must be kicked off?
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – In this Emmy Award-winning special, Peppermint Patty invites herself to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Marcie and Franklin are soon added as dinner guests. Charlie Brown admits that his culinary skills are limited to “cold cereal and maybe toast.” Snoopy and Woodstock transform the ping-pong table in the backyard into a dinner table.  As the guests arrive, they are each served two slices of buttered toast, some pretzel sticks, popcorn and jellybeans. Peppermint Patty is outraged at the meal and berates Charlie Brown until embarrassed and dejected, he leaves the table and goes back into the house.
• The Mayflower Voyagers – In this special from the This is America, Charlie Brown series, the Peanuts kids become pilgrims sailing to the New World aboard the Mayflower and endure the first hard winter on Plymouth Plantation.
• Play It Again, Charlie Brown – Nominated for an Emmy Award, this special focuses on Lucy’s undying and unreciprocated love for the piano playing child prodigy, Schroeder. In an effort to win Schroeder’s affection, Lucy, under Peppermint Patty’s advice, invites him to perform in a concert at an upcoming PTA meeting. Schroeder accepts and immediately begins rehearsing. Lucy, delighted with Schroeder’s acceptance, thanks Peppermint Patty. Peppermint Patty, however, mentions she forgot to tell Lucy that only rock music will be featured in the program and that Schroeder won’t be able to play Beethoven. Lucy is left in anguish, knowing Schroeder will refuse to perform anything other than classical music and tries to find a way to break the news without his dropping out of the program.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – In this Emmy and Peabody Award winning classic, Charlie Brown is upset by how commercial the Christmas holiday has become. To coax him out of his holiday blues, Lucy suggests he direct the school’s Christmas pageant and decorate a glorious tree. Charlie Brown concedes. The tree he finds however, is puny, prompting everyone to ridicule him.  
• It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown – This is the second Christmas-themed Peanuts special since A Charlie Brown Christmas. Holiday preparations include Charlie Brown selling wreaths door-to-door to make extra money, Peppermint Patty sweating out an important book report and the entire crew appearing in a Christmas pageant.
• It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown – Originally broadcast in 1984, this special is comprised of several clever parodies inspired by popular early ‘80s dance trends ranging from disco to break dancing as well as a series of top 40 hit songs from the era. It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program

Brand-new Bonus Content*:

• It’s Not the Holidays without Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown! (Featurette)
• Brand new audio commentary for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas.

*Bonus content may not be in high definition. Audio and subtitles may vary.

Digital

Peanuts 70th Anniversary Holiday Collection is already available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox. The collection is also now available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

Source: Warner Home Entertainment

AWN Staff Editor