A Charlie Brown Christmas (Blu-Ray)

How does a person review their childhood?"A Charlie Brown Christmas" first aired three months after I was born, so I don't remember a year of my life that it wasn't a part of my holiday season, first as a child, growing up and rooting for Charlie Brown and his little tree, as a high-schooler and college student, because it was a sweet memory, into adulthood, watching it with my own children, and hopefully, my eventual grandchildren."A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the Christmas special against which all future Charlie Brown specials, and many Christmas specials are measured.A perpetual holiday favorite, this is one the best half-hours of television ever created. Its combination of a melancholy tone, minimalist animation, and a jazz score was unlike anything else on TV at the time — and largely unlike anything on TV now, following the ever-unlucky but always-optimistic Charlie Brown as he undertakes the thankless task of directing the Christmas play, while he's also undergoing an existential crisis of sorts, questioning the commercialization of the holiday season to the point that he wonders "what's it all about?"It also bears mentioning that this special does better than anything else is giving viewers the literal meaning of Christmas by directly quoting the scriptures. For many, this special is first and sometimes the only place they hear the story of Christ's birth. Even in the '60s, this was a big thing to do, and today, it's something that simply wouldn't be done.Despite his recitation, Linus never comes off as preachy, mainly because Charlie Brown not only hears the message but applies it as well. Any Christmas special can show a nativity display or have Christian imagery, but this strikes an emotional level with the viewer. It's definitely a holiday message we all need to hear. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.What else needs to be said? The back-up feature, "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" is...there, as is an interesting "making of" feature. The picture and sound as as good as they can be, considering the original material is now almost 60 years old and was made on a small budget.All in all, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a beautiful, funny, touching reminder of a simpler time in all of our lives -- a time (and a special) that's always worth revisiting, no matter how many times you've seen it.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is twenty-five minutes long and first aired on television on December 9, 1965. Basically it is Christmas time again and Charlie Brown is depressed because of all the commercialism going around. Even Snoopy is getting caught up in the commercialism by decorating his dog house and entering in contest for money. Charlie Brown stops by Lucy's psychiatric booth. After going through a list of phobias, she decides that Charlie Brown needs involvement and suggests to him that he direct the school play. Charlie Brown agrees and heads over to the school, but the Peanut gang is in no mood to cooperate and this upsets him. Lucy suggests taking Linus with him to get a bright shiny aluminum Christmas Tree to put the play in the right mood. Charlie Brown returns with a tree that looks a stick with a few twigs on it. The gang laugh at him saying can't you do anything right. At this point Charlie Browns yells out: doesn't anybody know the true meaning of Christmas. At this point Linus makes his famous speech:"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."At this point Charlie Brown picks up the tree and leaves. Charlie Brown on his way home passes by Snoopy's doghouse and sees that it has won first prize. Charlie Brown takes a Christmas oornament off the doghouse and put it on the tree. The weigh of the bulb is too much for the scrawny tree and the tree leans to the ground and Charlie Brown flee thinking he has killed the tree. Unknown to Charlie Brown the Peanut gang has followed behind and when they arrive add the rest to the decorations on the tree to make it look fuller. Charlie Brown returns and is amazed to see what has happen to his tree. In the end everybody sings Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. There is one on going goof towards the end of the special. The tree that Charlie Brown buys, the number of needles and branches on the tree keep changing from scene to scene. Overall it is a good holiday special. A Charlie Brown Christmas gets an AAA+++.DVD FEATURESPlayScene Selection1. Christmas Time Is Here2. Holiday Let Down3. Letter To Santa Claus4. Director Charlie Brown5. The Perfect Tree6. The Meaning of ChristmasSet UpMain MenuThe companion video to this is It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown which is twenty-eight minutes and was originally aired on television November 27, 1992. As for Peanuts holiday specials are concern, this is an all-time low. The special is made up of mini shorts that have no continuity to them. In on short Charlie Brown is trying to sell Christmas wreaths door to door. In another short Peppermint Patty worries about her Christmas book report. This happens all through the holiday special. After the original airing, It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown was aired a few more times and has not air since then. It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown with it lousy storyline gets a D-.DVD FEATURESPlayScene Selection1. Big Holiday Bucks2. Vacation Reading3. Snoopy Claus4. The Joy of Getting5. Peggy Jean6. Mary Wears Glasses7. Hark8. Joy To the WorldSet UpMain Menu

This is the best Christmas cartoon to convey the true meaning of Christmas to little ones. We watch it every year more than once!