Charlie Brown and pals are returning this holiday season on Apple TV+. The streamer has officially announced For Auld Lang Syne, a new Peanuts special stemming from Apple’s partnership with WildBrain, resulting in Peanuts becoming exclusive to the service. Debuting on Dec. 10, For Auld Lang Syne is also the first Peanuts special not to include “Charlie Brown” or “Snoopy” in the title.
In For Auld Lang Syne, the “Peanuts gang experience a disappointing Christmas because Grandma can’t visit, Lucy resolves to throw herself the best New Year’s eve party ever, while Charlie Brown struggles to accomplish just one of his resolutions before the clock strikes twelve.” This is the second Peanuts special to honor New Year’s eve, following the airing of Happy New Year, Charlie Brown on CBS in 1986.
Like its predecessors, the new animated special is based on Charles M. Schulz’ classic Peanuts comic strip. WildBrain Studios is producing. For Auld Lang Syne comes from a story by Alex Galatis and Scott Montgomery, and is written by Galatis, Montogomery, and Clay Kaytis. Kaytis also served as director. Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano serve as executive producers alongside Paige Braddock for Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, and Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Amir Nasrabadi, and Anne Loi for WildBrain Studios. James Brown is producing, Timothy Jason Smith is serving as pre-production producer, and Cassie Price is associate producing, all for WildBrain.
Apple TV+ also serves as the streaming home of the newest iterations of the Peanuts series along with the classic titles all together in one library. Part of the deal with WildBrain, which was forged last year, also includes plans to develop other new specials related to different themes for the Peanuts kids to explore. On the agenda are other Peanuts specials that will tackle Mother’s Day, Earth Day, and Back to School.
The streaming service also hosts the 70th anniversary documentary Who Are You, Charlie Brown? along with the doc Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10. This year, the newest show from the franchise, The Snoopy Show, also debuted on Apple TV+, following the arrival of Snoopy in Space in 2019. Meanwhile, classic Peanuts specials will be available to stream on the streaming service.
When it was announced that Apple TV+ was becoming the home of Peanuts, many fans had publicly lambasted the company for taking Charlie Brown and friends off of television. For decades, it had been a family tradition to watch specials like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on TV over the holiday season, and there were petitions launched for Apple to keep the shows airing on TV like they used to. It was a successful movement as Apple will allow certain specials to air on TV at certain times.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream this fall, but they’ll also be made available for free on PBS. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs on PB and PBS Kids on Oct. 24, followed by A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Nov. 21 and A Charlie Brown Christmas on Dec. 19. As for the new special, For Auld Lang Syne, that will debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, Dec. 10. This information comes to us from Yahoo Entertainment.