A Charlie Brown Valentine

Infobox Television|show_name=A Charlie Brown Valentine


caption= Screenshot from special
genre= Animated TV Special
format=
camera=
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creator=
creative_director=
developer=
presenter=
starring=
voices=Wesley Singerman
Corey Padnos
Lauren Schaffel
Nicolette Little
Bill Meléndez
Jessica D. Stone
Emily Lalande
Christopher Ryan Johnson
narrated=
runtime=22 min (30 min with commercials)
theme_music_composer=
opentheme=
endtheme=
composer=
country=USA
first_run=February 14, 2002
network=ABC
language=English
imdb_id=0283987
tv_com_id=

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" is an animated television special, based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip "Peanuts". It features the "Peanuts" characters during the week leading up to Valentine's Day. It was the first "Peanuts" special to be produced for ABC after previous programs aired on CBS, airing on the network for the first time on February 14, 2002. The special was released to DVD and VHS on January 6, 2004.cite web | url=http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Brown-Valentine-Christopher-Johnson/dp/B0000E32X4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1204330154&sr=1-3| title="A Charlie Brown Valentine" DVD at Amazon.com| publisher=Amazon.com | accessdate=2008-02-29] cite web | url=http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Brown-Valentine-Christopher-Johnson/dp/B0000E32X6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=video&qid=1204330252&sr=1-2| title="A Charlie Brown Valentine" VHS at Amazon.com| publisher=Amazon.com | accessdate=2008-02-29]

This was the first "Peanuts" special to be produced after Schulz's death in 2000. It is also the first in many years to not feature adult voices in it; instead, the classic muted-trombone "wah-wah-wah" sounds (originated by "Peanuts" jazz composer Vince Guaraldi) are used for adult speech. It also utilized the drawing style similar to the comic strip, with a white outline around Lucy's hair and Snoopy's ears. This was dropped in future specials. The majority of the background score throughout the special is reused Vince Guaraldi jazz music cues, including some that have not been heard in years (such as the original "Charlie Brown Theme"), and a jazzy rock version of "Linus and Lucy" during the Valentines' Day dance. It also depicts the Little Red-Haired Girl in full view, though she remains unnamed in this special (in contrast to her first full-view appearance in "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown" when she was named Heather).

Valentine's Day had been the subject of a previous special, "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" (1975).

Plot

As Valentine's Day nears, Charlie Brown finds himself once again wishing he could gather the courage to ask the Little Red-Haired Girl to the Valentine's Day dance. Meanwhile, he remains unaware that Peppermint Patty likes and wants to ask him to the dance.

Voice actors

Release

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" was first broadcast on February 14, 2002. [cite web| url=http://web.mit.edu/smcguire/www/cb-valentine-pr.html| title="A Charlie Brown Valentine" broadcast date |publisher= |accessdate=2008-03-02] The special was then released to VHS and DVD on January 6, 2004, retailing at $14.98.

Reception

"A Charlie Brown Valentine" received extremely positive response. When the special re-aired on February 8, 2008, it attracted 5.36 million viewers,cite web | url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/mediaweek/20080212/ad_bpimw/primetimemeteredmarketratingsweekendhighlights| title="A Charlie Brown Valentine" attracts 5.36 million viewers| publisher= Yahoo! | accessdate=2008-03-02] placing it at #2 on the primetime ratings for that night.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0283987|title=A Charlie Brown Valentine
* [http://abc.go.com/specials/charliebrownsvalentine/ "A Charlie Brown Valentine" at ABC]