Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!

Last updated
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!
HappyNYCB-TC.jpg
Genre Animation
Created by Charles M. Schulz
Written byCharles M. Schulz
Directed by Bill Melendez
Sam Jaimes
Voices of Chad Allen
Jeremy Miller
Melissa Guzzi
Elizabeth Lyn Fraser
Aron Mandelbaum
Jason Muller
Kristie Baker
Bill Melendez
Composers Ed Bogas
Desirée Goyette
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Lee Mendelson
Charles M. Schulz
ProducerBill Melendez
Camera setupNick Vasu
Running time28 minutes
Production companies United Media Productions
Bill Melendez Productions
Lee Mendelson Film Productions
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseJanuary 1, 1986 (1986-01-01)
Related

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! is the 30th prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It aired on the CBS network on January 1, 1986. [1] The special focuses on Charlie Brown's difficulty finishing a book report over the holidays. [2] It was the last film made by Bernard Gruver, following his death on June 14, 1985, and it was considered to be his posthumous farewell. Another New Year's special, Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne , was released on Apple TV+ on December 10, 2021.

Contents

Plot

While all the kids are happy that they get time off for Christmas vacation, Charlie Brown dreads how his teacher at the last minute assigned a book report on War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. There is one major distraction on his mind, the big New Year's party all his friends are attending, with Peppermint Patty continuously convincing him to attend. Charlie tries inviting the object of his desires, the Little Red-Haired Girl, but gets his hand caught in the mail slot.

With the party on his mind, he attempts to try to find another way to write the report, even going to a bookstore to find an audiobook and computer game of it, all to no avail. While at the party, he tries to finish the book on the front porch of the house, but falls asleep and misses the clock's striking of midnight but is more devastated when Linus reveals that he ended up dancing with the Little Red-Haired Girl, who showed up after all.

At the end of the special, Charlie hands his book report to the teacher and gets a D minus. Despite the poor grade, Charlie Brown is proud that he made an honest effort and avoided an outright failure. However, the teacher announces that the entire class will be made to read and report on Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment , overwhelming him even more.

Cast

Home media

The special was released on VHS by Kartes Video Communications in 1987 and by Paramount Home Video on September 28, 1994. Paramount would re-release the VHS in clamshell packaging on October 1, 1996. Warner Home Video released the special on DVD on October 6, 2009 as a bonus feature for the Remastered Deluxe Edition of I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown . [3]

It was re-released as part of the box set Snoopy's Holiday Collection on October 1, 2013.

Related Research Articles

<i>Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown</i> 1977 film directed by Bill Melendez, Phil Roman

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown is a 1977 American animated adventure comedy film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman, and the third in a series of films based on the Peanuts comic strip. It was the first Peanuts feature-length film produced after the death of composer Vince Guaraldi, who was originally intended to score the film, and used the same voice cast from the 1975 and 1976 TV specials, You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown, and It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, and the same voice cast member from the 1974 TV special, It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown. However, Liam Martin voiced Linus van Pelt for the last time in the movie, and went on to voice Charlie Brown in the 1978 TV special, What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!. This would be Stuart Brotman's final role before his death from a brain aneurysm in 2011.

<i>The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show</i> American animated television series

The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show is an American animated television series featuring characters and storylines from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts as first presented for television in the Peanuts animated specials. It aired Saturday mornings on the CBS network from 1983 to 1985.

<i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i> 1973 television special

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is the tenth prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on November 20, 1973, and won an Emmy Award the following year. It was the third holiday special after A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in 1966.

<i>Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Dont Come Back!!)</i> 1980 American animated comedy-drama film

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown is a 1980 American animated mystery comedy film produced by United Feature Syndicate and distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman. It was the fourth full-length feature film to be based on the Peanuts comic strip.

<i>Its Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown</i> 1984 television special

It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown is the 27th prime-time animated musical television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1984.

<i>Youre in Love, Charlie Brown</i> 1967 television special

You're in Love, Charlie Brown is the fourth prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on June 12, 1967. This was the second non-holiday-oriented Peanuts special, following Charlie Brown's All Stars!.

<i>Hes Your Dog, Charlie Brown</i> 1968 television special

He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown is the fifth prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally broadcast on the CBS network on February 14, 1968.

<i>Its the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown</i> 1974 animated television special by Phil Roman

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the United States, it debuted on CBS on April 9, 1974 at 8 PM.

<i>Its Arbor Day, Charlie Brown</i> 1976 animated television special

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown is the 15th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The subject of the special is Arbor Day, a secular holiday devoted to planting trees. It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown premiered on the CBS network on March 16, 1976, which is near the dates in which most U.S. states observe Arbor Day. This is the first special to feature the character Rerun van Pelt, who had debuted in the Peanuts comic strip in March 1973.

<i>Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown</i> 1980 television special

Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown is the 20th prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on the CBS network on October 24, 1980. The special won an Emmy Award in 1981 for Outstanding Animated Program.

<i>Shes a Good Skate, Charlie Brown</i> 1980 animated television special

She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown is the 19th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz and a spin off around Peppermint Patty and Marcie. It originally aired on the CBS network on February 25, 1980, making it the first Peanuts special of the 1980s. It is also one of the few Peanuts animated specials to feature clear and intelligible adult voices. From 2010-2019, ABC had the rights to air this special, which it paired with Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!

<i>A Charlie Brown Celebration</i> 1982 animated television special

A Charlie Brown Celebration is the 23rd prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz, who appears in a live-action prologue, and the first hour-long special. It originally aired on the CBS network on May 24, 1982, and consists of a number of stories adapted from the comic strip.

<i>Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown?</i> 1983 US animated television film

Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? is the 24th prime-time animated television special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on February 21, 1983. In the special, Charlie Brown tries to cope with learning that Linus and Lucy are moving away. The special is adapted from a storyline from the comic strip that lasted from May 9 to May 21, 1966.

<i>Snoopys Getting Married, Charlie Brown</i> 1985 Peanuts television special

Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown is the 28th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on March 20, 1985.

<i>A Charlie Brown Valentine</i> 2002 animated television special

A Charlie Brown Valentine is the 40th animated television special based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It features the Peanuts characters during the week leading up to Valentine's Day. It is the second Valentine's Day-themed Peanuts special, following Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975).

<i>I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown</i> 2003 television special

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown is the 43rd prime-time animated television special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The special first aired on ABC on December 9, 2003. The special is about Linus and Lucy's younger brother, Rerun, wanting a pet dog for Christmas.

<i>Its Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown</i> 1992 animated Christmas television special

It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is the 36th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1992.

<i>Youre in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown</i> 1994 animated television special

You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown is the 37th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. It premiered on January 18, 1994 on NBC. It was the last new Peanuts special to air on television until A Charlie Brown Valentine in 2002, and the last before Schulz's death in 2000.

<i>Charlie Browns Christmas Tales</i> 2002 animated Christmas television special

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales is the 41st prime-time animated TV special based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It originally aired on ABC December 8, 2002. It was thereafter broadcast each Christmas season after that through to 2019 as a companion segment in an hour-long slot featuring an unedited version of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

<i>Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown</i> 2011 Peanuts special

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is the 45th Peanuts animated television special, released in 2011. It was the final primetime special based on the comic strip, before the franchise moved to Apple TV in 2020. The special is the first one produced without Bill Melendez on the production team, following his death in 2008. It is also the first special without the direct involvement of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, Lee Mendelson Productions or Bill Melendez Productions. In addition, it is the first Peanuts special produced in part under Warner Bros. Television, which holds the home media distribution rights to the Peanuts specials.

References

  1. Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. p. 21. ISBN   978-1452110912.
  2. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays--Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 128. ISBN   9781476672939 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. "Warner announces a new 6th October release for the Charlie Brown feature". DVDActive. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.