[NEWS] New & classic "Peanuts" animated shows stream exclusively on Apple TV+

[Your Name]

From AppleInsider.com ...


New and classic Charlie Brown & Snoopy series
to exclusively stream on Apple TV+
---------------------------------------------
Everything from brand-new animated "Peanuts" specials to the famous
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.

Following its Daytime Emmy-winning success with "Peanuts in Space:
Secrets of Apollo 10," and its series "Snoopy in Space," Apple TV
has signed a new deal to bring more Charlie Brown to Apple TV+.
Working with production companies including WildBrain and Peanuts
Worldwide, Apple TV+ is to see a mix of new shows and classic
specials.

Starting on October 19, those classics include "It's the Great
Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." This Halloween show from 1966 will be
stream for free from October 30 to November 1. Similarly, the 1973
"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" will be on Apple TV+l, and freely
stream from November 25 to November 27.

Apple has not said whether the most famous "A Charlie Brown
Christmas" will be made free to watch over the holidays. However,
it has announced that the show will be streamed as an Apple TV+
exclusive on December 4.

This is specifically a streaming exclusive, so it's not clear yet
whether the show will continue to air on ABC as it traditionally
does.

Alongside the classic series, the brand-new shows will include
the previously-announced "The Snoopy Show." This is due to launch
on February 5, 2021, and Apple has also announced a second season
of "Snoopy in Space."

WildBrain, along with Imagine Documentaries, is also producing a
new "Peanuts" 70th anniversary documentary for the streaming
service.


<https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/10/19/new-and-classic-charlie-brown-snoopy-series-to-exclusively-stream-on-apple-tv>

[Your Name]

From AppleInsider.com ...


How to watch 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' for free
=============================================================
After decades of regular airings, it appears that "It's the
Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" won't be on broadcast
television - but this and every "Charlie Brown" annual
viewing tradition can continue. Here's how just about anybody
can watch, for free, using Apple TV+ and a browser.

Apple's recent deal to stream new and classic Charlie Brown
shows has had one casualty. For the first time in generations,
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will not air on US
broadcast television. It will certainly, though, be available
for free on Apple TV+ and you won't even have to install an
app to see it.

Made by CBS in 1966, it has become less a TV show and more a
tradition as it's been screened at least once around Halloween
for the last 54 years. Now those TV network rights have lapsed
and the show has been caught up in Apple's overall Charlie
Brown deal.

However, while the deal means that the show won't be on
broadcast television, Apple has confirmed that it will be
available for free - for a limited time.


When you can watch
------------------
Apple is not making all of the "Charlie Brown" specials and
series available at once. Instead, it's introducing them over
the next few months and it's doing each one in two steps.

First all paying Apple TV+ subscribers will be able to see
them from a certain date. Then, second, they will be made free
for a limited time.

So "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," has already
arrived on Apple TV+ - it began streaming on October 19 - but
it will be free to watch from October 30 to November 1.

Similarly, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is due to arrive for
Apple TV+ subscribers during November. It will be freely
streamed from November 25 to November 27.

The most famous "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is coming to
Apple TV+ on December 4. According to Vulture, Apple has
indicated that the show will stream for free from December 11
to December 13, though this has not yet been confirmed.


Where to watch "Charle Brown" on Apple TV+
------------------------------------------
You can watch these and any other available Apple TV+ shows and
series through four different routes. This includes the official
Apple apps, such as that on the iPhone.

However, there is there is also the Apple TV set-top box, and
then there are selected smart TVs.

But, nearly any user on any platform can watch online via any
modern browser. Browser streaming may be the most convenient for
people who solely want to catch these specials, and don't have
an Apple device.


How to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on Apple TV+
without a subscription
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. In any modern web browser, go to tv.apple.com
2. Find the show and press Play
3. Either watch it on your computer, or stream it to a
television of your choice

Alternatively, while Apple is promoting the show, you can also go
directly to its page online.

You can also stream from the iPhone, or iPad version of the
Apple TV app. Plus you can watch on those apps on iPhone, iPad,
Mac and Apple TV.

Through the official app, the show will be presented with just a
regular Play button, and you won't be pressed into subscribing
Apple TV+. At least, not quite as much as usual.


What this means for Apple
-------------------------
Viewers have been used to watching these "Charlie Brown" specials
for free on network television for the last couple of generations.
The fact that they will be free on Apple TV+ is better than Apple
demanding payment for what's seen as part of the fabric of
American holidays.

However, it's still not a great look for Apple. We don't know,
and may never find out, what happened here. Certainly the rights
period for "Charlie Brown" were expiring. Maybe Apple swooped in
and outbid ABC, or maybe ABC made its own decision not to renew.

The odds are, though, that ABC will be seen as the victim. Apple
will not be seen as the savior of this holiday tradition.
Similarly, we can't tell whether Apple's decision to offer free
streaming is their own largess, or a contractual requirement from
the rights owners.

What we can know is Apple is not helping itself with how
preposterously hard it is to find a given show on the service.
Online and on all the Apple TV+ apps, specific shows are either
promoted prominently or buried away.

On the tv.apple.com website, though, it's worse. If you go to
that site, you can watch any Apple TV+ show that is free - or
any show at all if you're already a subscriber - but there
isn't even a search feature.

Instead, you get presented with a long list of Apple TV+ shows
and mostly all that links them is that they're the ones Apple
has decided to promote. If you are a subscriber then you may
also see whatever you've last been watching on the app.

Doubtlessly each "Charlie Brown" show will be promoted there
during its free period, just as is currently happening with the
Halloween special. But if Apple wants this to lead to people
exploring more and signing up, it needs to make finding your
way around a lot easier.

ABC viewers are not going to be in a good mood when they come to
Apple TV+, so Apple really should not frustrate them when they
get there.


<https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/10/21/how-to-watch-its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-for-free>

[Your Name]

From McRumors.com ...


Peanuts Fans Unhappy With Specials Being Limited to Apple TV+,
Petition Tops 100,000 Signatures
--------------------------------------------------------------
Apple has a content deal with WildBrain, the company behind
the popular "Peanuts" franchise. The deal includes original
content like "The Snoopy Show," and, as announced earlier this
month, Peanuts specials for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween,
Mother's Day, Earth Day, New Year's Eve, and more.

Longtime Peanuts fans are unhappy with the news that Peanuts
specials are going to be limited to Apple TV+, and have created
a petition urging WildBrain to bring the content back to
broadcast TV.

"For over 50 years, we have celebrated the holidays
with the airings of the Peanuts holiday specials on
TV - first on CBS, then on ABC. To our shock and
dismay, last night it was announced that Apple had
swiped the football from us and claimed the
specials for their ‌Apple TV‌ platform, leaving us
devoted fans who have grown up with Charlie Brown
and the Peanuts gang in the dark, unable to watch."


<https://www.change.org/p/wildbrain-studios-bring-the-peanuts-specials-back-to-broadcast-tv>


The petition urges Peanuts fans to "stand up to Apple and
WildBrain" with the aim of getting Peanuts back on television.
At the time of writing, it has gathered more than 100,000
signatures, though it's not clear if the petition will be
successful.

Apple and WildBrain likely anticipated Peanuts fans being
unhappy with the ‌Apple TV‌+ exclusivity. The Halloween special,
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," premiered on ‌Apple TV‌+
on October 19 for ‌Apple TV‌+ subscribers, but Apple is also
making it free to watch from October 30 through November 1.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" launches on November 18 for ‌
Apple TV‌+ subscribers and will be free from November 25 through
November 27, and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will be available
for subscribers on December 4 but will be free from December 11
to December 13.

Though the classic specials will be available for free in the ‌
Apple TV‌ app, watching them still requires having access to the
app in the first place on an iOS device, Mac, ‌Apple TV‌, or other
compatible device.


<https://www.macrumors.com/2020/10/27/peanuts-wildbrain-apple-tv-plus-petition/>

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Your Name
From McRumors.com ...
Peanuts Fans Unhappy With Specials Being Limited to Apple TV+,
Petition Tops 100,000 Signatures

Is there anything more futile than an online petition?

[Timothy Chow]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Your Name
From McRumors.com ...
Peanuts Fans Unhappy With Specials Being Limited to Apple TV+,
Petition Tops 100,000 Signatures

Is there anything more futile than an online petition?

Whether the online petition had anything to do with it, I don't
know, but apparently the holiday specials will air on PBS.

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/charlie-brown-pbs-apple-peanuts-tv-streaming-1234834757/

---
Tim Chow