Families and fans that enjoyed watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and most famously, A Charlie Brown Christmas might be disappointed to find out that their favorite specials are heading to Apple TV+, a streaming service that costs five dollars a month. All of these specials were known for standing the test of time and airing every year during the holiday season without fail. Anyone could count on the specials airing around their respective holiday for free on television, without the need for anything else. This news goes to show how cable television is slowly getting phased out in favor of streaming services. 

However, if you are fortunate enough to have an iPhone, Android, iPad, computer, or a TV that can run streaming services, there is some good news for you. Apple has announced that the Halloween special will be available for free from October 30 to November 1, the Thanksgiving special will be available for free from November 25 to November 27, and the Christmas special will be available for free from December 11 to 13. It is nice that Apple is offering these specials for free for those who want to watch them again and do not have them on DVD or do not have a subscription for Apple TV+.

I believe that the Peanuts specials should air for free this year with no streaming service involved, as it is a tradition for many people around the world, and to have their favorite specials not air on television because they need to buy a streaming service is not right. Apple obviously knows that many people care about these specials, which makes it more upsetting how they are locking them behind a paywall. 

Some may argue that it is just five dollars, but that is not the point. You never needed to pay five dollars for over fifty years, so there is no reason that you should have to now. It is nice that Apple is offering them for free, but I doubt they will continue to after this year. It is likely a plan that they have created to lure in customers to their relatively new streaming service and get more subscribers since they are the only place that has the famous specials.

Luckily, DVDs exist of almost all of the Peanuts specials, but, people have seen the news, and are now attempting to resell them on the secondhand market for double or even triple their original price. Despite these specials being around for so long, it is going to be near impossible to see some of them ever again. I am fortunate enough to have most of the DVDs and even a few of them digitally on my phone, but for most people, that is not the case.

All in all, it is a shame that the Peanuts holiday specials will not be airing on television for the foreseeable future, but, at least there are some alternatives as to how to watch them. I have enjoyed watching every Peanuts special for years. They are made in such a way that anyone will enjoy them no matter what age they are, which is all the more reason as to why they should air for free, on TV.