A Charlie Brown Christmas has been gracing our living rooms from Bar Harbor, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts and nationwide on network TV since 1965. According to People Magazine, it premiered on CBS to 15 million homes back then. I remember watching this holiday staple on channel 2 in New York City for the 1st time on my console black and white TV as this animated classic graced each Christmas season in my residence for 35 years.

Peanuts Worldwide
Roger Higgins/World Telegram // Wikimedia Commons
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The special presentation brought to us by Charles Schultz, ended up in our hearts for generations, and won a Peabody and an Emmy award.

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CBS Network
CBS Network
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After 35 years on CBS, ABC acquired the holiday favorite, which aired for the next 18 years. It was a complete shock when the beloved holiday classic disappeared from network television in 2022 as this "so-called" 21st century took away a yearly ritual: The Peanuts gang  brought us a comfortable Christmas classic filled with childhood memories steeped in tradition. It was appointment television for the holiday season.

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In 2020, Apple+ acquired the rights to these beloved Peanuts classics. If you recall, the streaming service made a deal with PBS, allowing the educational network to air the special in December 2020 and 2021, but since then, the deal between both parties hasn't been resurrected with reasons unknown.

However, there's good news. According to Apple+: You can stream the cartoon classic for free this season and dance along the way to Vince Guaraldi's "Linus & Lucy", but only for 48 hours on Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15. All you have to do is open the app when you're ready to watch it.

BOTTOM LINE: I would prefer watching this holiday staple on my Sears Silvertone TV set, just like I first did back in 1965. Plus, I'll order the DVD and watch it in my own leisure without going to apps or anything computer oriented. My tradition if you ask me.

(Some information obtained on this article courtesy of our sister station in New Bedford, MA  https://fun107.com/new-england-watch-charlie-brown-christmas-free-apple-tv/)

(Featured image courtesy of CBS-TV)

(Video clips of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" courtesy of www.youtube.com)

LOOK: 25 over-the-top Christmas displays from across America

To help get everyone in the mood for the upcoming holiday season, Stacker compiled a list of some of the most over-the-top Christmas displays across America.

Gallery Credit: Annalise Mantz & Madison Troyer

 

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