'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' Not Airing on TV This Year

This year, the Peanuts Halloween special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will not air on broadcast TV. For decades, the specials starring Snoopy and the gang have been a staple of TV programming around the holidays, but over the last few years the streaming industry has changed that. Those who want to watch for the Great Pumpkin to rise from his patch in 2023 will have to do so on Apple TV+.

Apple has become the new home for the Peanuts holiday specials in the age of streaming, and slowly it has stopped licensing the specials for broadcast TV. However, the company is once again offering It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for free this year – presumably both as a public service and a means of enticing new subscribers. You can watch the special for free on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22 on the Apple TV+ app. Otherwise, the service costs $6.99 per month after a seven-day free trial.

Regretfully, PBS does not have the rights to distribute the Peanuts specials this year. We’ll all have to watch for the Great Pumpkin in a different pumpkin patch this Halloween.

— PBS KIDS (@PBSKIDS) September 29, 2022

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown premiered on CBS in 1966 and aired there every year until 2001, when it moved over to ABC. It aired on ABC until 2020, when Apple acquired the rights to the special. Even then, it struck a deal with PBS so that there would be an option to watch the special on TV in 2021. However, last year PBS announced that that deal wouldn't be renewed.

"Regretfully, PBS does not have the rights to distribute the Peanuts specials this year," the post read. "We'll all have to watch for the Great Pumpkin in a different pumpkin patch this Halloween." Apple has not announced any plans and no other networks have hinted about them either. At this point, it would be difficult for a network to promote a broadcast event on such short notice.

Apple acquired the rights to the Peanuts and all their beloved holiday specials in 2020, presumably hoping to draw in streaming subscribers with familiar content that is a staple to the holiday season. Apple TV+ is available here with a seven-day free trial, and after that, it costs $6.99 per month. Doubtless, the company hoped that most people would see this as an acceptable price for their favorite holiday special, especially since they can cancel at any time. However, in 2020 many commenters on social media griped about the hassle and the unwelcome change to their routine.

This may be a part of why Apple made a deal with PBS in 2021, but it's clear that the company still hopes to get customers in the door with these legendary specials. These days, Apple TV+ is also available in the Apple One subscription bundle and is now more accessible and ubiquitous than the year it launched. You can find the Peanuts specials there throughout this holiday season.