For the first time since 1966, the Charlie Brown Halloween special will not air live on broadcast television for Halloween.
The beloved classic 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' — plus 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' — will only air online on Apple TV Plus in 2020. But you won't need an Apple TV Plus subscription in order to watch them.
Apple TV Plus subscribers can stream the Halloween Special right now, but Apple will also make the film available for everyone to watch for free from October 30 through November 1.
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"It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Watch it for free from October 30 to November 1 and get ready for more Peanuts specials this holiday season. https://t.co/Ue6e351CTq #PeanutsHalloween #GreatPumpkin pic.twitter.com/Tn0n3UKadsOctober 19, 2020
To watch the film, you'll need to download the Apple TV app, which is available on iPhones, iPads, Apple televisions, Apple TV 4K and HD streaming boxes, Samsung Smart TVs from 2018 onwards, Amazon Fire TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Roku streaming sticks.
Once Thanksgiving season rolls around, Apple TV Plus subscribers can enjoy the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special starting on November 18, or you can stream it for free between November 25 and November 27.
Finally, for a little Christmas cheer, Peanuts fans can stream the Charlie Brown Christmas special for free from December 11 until December 13, but Plus subscribers get access from December 4 onwards.
More Apple TV+ Charlie Brown specials on the way
Soon, Peanuts fans will have a Charlie Brown special for major holidays throughout the year to look forward to, but they'll need an Apple TV Plus subscription to enjoy them.
Animation studio WildBrain announced that it had partnered with Apple TV and Peanuts Worldwide to produce new film specials for Mother’s Day, Earth Day, New Year’s Eve and Back to School, all of which could presumably stream in 2021, but it's unclear if they will be for Apple TV Plus subscribers only.
WildBrain currently makes Snoopy in Space, an Apple TV show that was made free to watch for non-subscribers earlier this year, and which has been renewed for a second season. And it will also produce The Snoopy Show, another Snoopy-focused series set to debut February 5, 2021 on Apple TV Plus.
The Peanuts content on Apple TV Plus doesn't stop there. The app will also stream a 70th-anniversary Peanuts documentary sometime in 2021.
