For the first nine entries of A MarkInTexas Made-For-TV Thanksgiving Dinner, I discussed the various specials in roughly chronological order of their debuts. So, by rights, this should have been the third or fourth entry, after The Mouse on the Mayflower and The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn't, and either right before or right after B.C.: The First Thanksgiving, which also debuted in 1973. But it felt weird to put what is easily the most iconic Thanksgiving special in the middle of the pack like that, surrounded by shows that have long since been forgotten. Indeed, as the uproar over Apple purchasing the rights of the Peanuts specials for their fledgling streaming service showed, Charlie Brown and company remain evergreen, even though it's been over 20 years since Charles Schultz died.
Of the Big Three Peanuts holiday speicals, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is the weakest, as it doesn't really have the heart or pathos of A Charlie Brown Christmas or It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This one goes more for humor, and the moment when Peppermint Patty berates Charlie Brown for his Thanksgiving dinner doesn't come close to matching the emotional trauma of Charlie Brown's hope that his sad little tree being what saves the pageant being crushed by the derisive laughter of his so-called friends. But still, being more interested in laughs than emotions is not a sin, and the special is quite funny.
The plot is pretty simple. Charlie Brown finds himself with three unplanned-for Thanksgiving guests when Peppermint Patty invites herself, Marcie, and Franklin over for dinner, even though the Browns won't even be home, as they'll be at Charlie Brown's grandmother's condo for the big meal (naturally, Charlie Brown is so overwhelmed by the sheer force of Peppermint Patty that he can barely get a word in edgewise while on the phone with her). Linus comes up with an elegant solution--since his family doesn't have to be at his grandmother's until 4:30, they can serve their own dinner earlier in the afternoon. Of course, being kids who aren't exactly adept at cooking, they have no idea how to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. It's Snoopy (and Woodstock) to the rescue, preparing a meal that is decidedly non-traditional. Given the number of people who are being forced, for the first time, to cook Thanksgiving dinner themselves this year, Snoopy's dinner of popcorn and toast and jelly beans might be more relatable than ever.
The special does limit the cast list, with Lucy being limited to the cold opening (where she once again yanks the football away from the ever-gullible Charlie Brown), and Sally being the only other major character. The decision to include Franklin as one of the guests was probably a political decision by Schultz and the producers, given that the civil rights movement was still going on and integration was still being resisted in large portions of the South. That said, it seems like the producers hedged their bets by giving Franklin one long side of the table to himself while crowding Charlie Brown, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and Snoopy onto the other side. Also, given the recent meme that Peppermint Patty and Marcie are lesbians, it seems obvious that both have a big crush on Charlie Brown, who remains utterly oblivious.
After briefly seeming like it would not air on broadcast TV for the first time in decades, Apple struck a deal with PBS, which aired it last weekend (PBS will also air A Charlie Brown Christmas in December). In this pandemic year, when every other Thanksgiving special over the years has been largely forgotten, it's good that some traditions will last. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving may not be the finest Peanuts special, but it's excellent annual comfort food and the best of the all the Thanksgiving specials.
Next time: This is it for A MarkInTexas Made-For-TV Thanksgiving Dinner. On Saturday, however, will be the first installment of this year's A MarkInTexas Made-For-TV Christmas, when I'll be taking a look at one of the most beloved of British Christmas specials.
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