 |
ABC TELEVISION NETWORK CONTINUES A HOLIDAY TRADITION WITH THE ANIMATED CLASSIC, "A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS," AIRING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6
Whoopi Goldberg Hosts New Behind-the-Scenes Documentary on the Beloved Christmas Special
The classic half-hour animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, will air for the first time on the ABC Television Network on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). In addition to the original Emmy Award-winning special, a behind-the-scenes story of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, will air immediately following the special.
PEANUTS focuses on the anxieties and joys of childhood as expressed by an ensemble cast of children who often seem wise beyond their years. Among them are the lovable Charlie Brown, who perseveres despite continuous failure; the philosophical, blanket-carrying Linus; the fussbudget Lucy, who dispenses psychological advice for a nickel from behind a concession stand; and toy-piano virtuoso Schroeder. Central to the comic strip is Charlie Brown's dog, Snoopy, who first stood on his hind legs in 1958 and became extremely popular for his imaginative adventures as a number of characters.
In the digitally-remastered 1965 special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant, and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus' help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is.
For the very first time, a 17-minute behind-the-scenes story of how "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was created will air immediately following the special. Hosted by Academy Award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, the mini-documentary will include interviews with producer Lee Mendelson, animator/director Bill Melendez and the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz -- who will show how the PEANUTS characters almost never made it to television. In addition the original cast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from 37 years ago will be seen for the very first time. The story also includes a tribute to composer Vince Guaraldi ("Linus and Lucy," "Christmastime is Here").
The cast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" includes Peter Robbins ("Charlie Brown"), Christopher Shea as ("Linus"), Tracy Stratford ("Lucy"), Chris Doran ("Schroeder") and Sally Dryer ("Violet").
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was executive-produced by Lee Mendelson and created and written by Charles M. Schulz. Bill Melendez is the producer and director, and Vince Guaraldi is the music composer.
|
|
|
 |
.gif)
.gif)
