- Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
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Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is a Peanuts television special that was released in 2011. The special is the 45th in the series and the first without the late Bill Melendez on the production team. It is also the first special without the involvement of Lee Mendelson Productions nor Bill Melendez Productions (it is unknown, though, if Lee Mendelson also worked on this special).[1] The special was released on DVD on March 29, 2011, and first aired on television on October 1, 2011, on Teletoon in Canada. The special will premiere in the United States on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011 on FOX, the first Peanuts special to air on the network; all other Peanuts specials have aired on ABC and CBS. Ironically, the U.S. debut of the special will be competing directly with a Peanuts special that will be airing at the same time on ABC ("The Mayflower Voyagers" from This Is America, Charlie Brown).[2]
It was announced by one of the hosts at the 2010, 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when a Snoopy balloon (in his flying ace outfit) passed by. As quoted: "Snoopy fans will be happy to know that next year, a new Peanuts animation will be flying your way."[3]
The teleplay for the Peanuts special was written by Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis. After the death of Bill Melendez, the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock were provided by director Andrew Beall.
This special is particularly notable in that the characters/animation are done in an early-1960s style, and uses only characters from that time period (including the original Patty and Shermy) and even pays homage to the very first Peanuts strip from October 2, 1950 (when Charlie Brown has a flashback sequence).
The movie was scored by Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh.[4]
Contents
Plot
Linus is pushed to his limits when he learns his grandma is coming to visit and plans on ridding him of his childish security blanket. As Grandma’s arrival looms closer the Peanuts gang tries to help Linus learn to cope without his fuzzy crutch. Lucy is particularly eager to cure Linus' dependency using her own psychiatric techniques, and while Charlie Brown tries to help he just doesn't have the heart to see Linus suffer. All the while Snoopy is constantly agitating matters because he wants the blanket for himself. In the end, insightful Linus points out that everyone has their own type of “security blanket” and in life a little security is a valuable thing.
Voices
- Austin Lux: Linus
- Amanda Pace: Sally
- Trenton Rogers: Charlie Brown, Schroeder
- Grace Rolek: Lucy
- Shane Baumel: Pig-Pen
- Blesst Bowden: Violet
- Ciara Bravo: Patty
- Andy Pessoa: Shermy
- Andy Beall: Snoopy, Woodstock
- Bill Melendez: Snoopy, Woodstock (archival audio)
Blu-ray and DVD release
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown was released on Blu-ray and DVD March 29, 2011 by Warner Home Video and includes the following:
- Deconstructing Schulz: From Comic Strip to Screenplay
- Happiness Is...Finding the Right Voice
- 24 Frames a Second: Drawing and Animating a Peanuts Movie
- Deleted Scene featuring an introduction by Director Andy Beall
- Jerk Chicken Short: "Cop-A-Doodle Doo"
- THX Optimizer
References
- ^ Charlie Brown and Snoopy on TV: Peanuts Animation and Video List
- ^ KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH TWO ALL-NEW ANIMATED SPECIALS THIS THANKSGIVING ON FOX
- ^ 2010 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006205/
External links
- http://fivecentsplease.org/tv/peanuts-tv.html
- Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown at the Internet Movie Database
- http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Charlie-Brown-Peanuts-Specials-Happiness-is-a-Warm-Blanket/14837#ixzz19BYqkHgu
Categories:- Peanuts television specials
- 2011 television films
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