It’s not the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Between all the streaming options, network exclusives, and syndication options, it can make finding a desired program feel like reading a road map upside down. For those looking to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this autumn, you won’t find it on broadcast TV this year.
Based on the comic book strip by artist Charles M. Schulz, The Great Pumpkin first debuted on CBS on October 27, 1966. Airing this program became an annual tradition in the years following and for some is synonymous with the fall holiday. It also expanded its presence to PBS and PBS Kids; however, the network’s social media pages confirmed it won’t air it this year. Why, and where can fans watch it instead?
PBS won’t be airing ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ on TV this year
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
On September 28, Twitter user @Lizzs_Lockeroom posted a clip of the title screen for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, with the caption, “Knock, knock @PBS @PBSKIDS ?!?!” With some brands already airing Christmas-themed commercials and some stores outright having winter decor on their shelves, it follows that any promotional material for this fall classic should have been circulating by now if PBS were to air it.
RELATED: Did ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Singlehandedly Terminate Aluminum Christmas Trees?
But both networks confirmed that would not be the case. PBS Kids replied to the post, saying, “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.”
Fans will have to go to Apple TV+ instead
Back in 2020, Apple TV+ secured the sole rights to air not just It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but all Peanuts-related specials. This was met with pushback from fans, culminating in online petitions to return the movie to cable. PBS formed a partnership in 2021 in time to air the program on that network, but now all Snoopy movies are back exclusively on Apple’s streaming platform. With this total ownership, Apple TV+ is also able to create new entries into the franchise, which includes a new movie, It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown. Before this, there was The Peanuts Movie in 2015.
Reportedly, Apple TV+ will allow for free streaming of The Great Pumpkin from October 28th through October 31st. Apple TV+ is a paid subscription service that offers a seven-day free trial period before charging $4.99 a month. Will you be tuning in to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this month?
