'I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown' Viewers Learn How Great Rerun Is

I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown aired on ABC Friday night, introducing viewers to one of [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown aired on ABC Friday night, introducing viewers to one of the most underrated Peanuts characters, Rerun van Pelt — and they loved him!

The special is one of the more recent ones, debuting in December 2003 that finds Lucy's youngest brother Rerun wanting his own dog for Christmas after seeing how well Charlie Brown and Snoopy get along. However, Lucy and Rerun's mother does not think it's a good idea.

Rerun then decides to spend more time with Snoopy, but the dog quickly gets tired of him. So, Snoopy wrote to his brother Spike, who agrees to leave the California desert to visit.

Lucy was shocked to see how skinny Spike is, so she fattened him up. But Spike quickly lost all that weight because he was so nervous while riding in Rerun's carriage with his mother.

One fan realized that Rerun has a pretty difficult life. After all, he has to live with Lucy.

"The only good Charlie Brown Specials are the ones with either Peppermint Patty or Rerun," added another viewer.

In the end, Rerun's mother still refused to let Rerun get a dog and Charlie Brown was stuck trying to find someone — anyone — to take care of Spike. Eventually, Spike just decides to head on home.

Rerun got one last chance to play with Snoopy, but suddenly found himself pulling Snoopy on a sleigh instead. So, Rerun ended up agreeing with his mother and decided that dogs can be too much trouble. Then again, not all dogs are as picky as Snoopy or imagine themselves as the Red Baron.

There was some eyebrow-raising scenes in the special, too.

Since I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown debuted, there have only been two other Peanuts specials — 2006's He's A Bully, Charlie Brown and 2011's Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown. However, that could soon change. Last week, Apple won a bidding war to bring the Peanuts gang to its streaming service with a new animated series.

The new show will be produced by Canadian-based DHX, which will make short-form programming covering different topics to educate children. The first shows could be available as soon as next year.

Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, created by the late Charles M. Schulz, remain popular characters more than 60 years after the comic strip debuted. In 2015, 20th Century Fox brought the characters to life with the CG-animated The Peanuts Movie, which grossed $246 million worldwide.

The specials, which now air on ABC, also continue to win over viewers every year. A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on Thursday, drawing 5.19 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, making it the top-rated show of the night.

Photo credit: ABC

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