It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

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It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
Also known asA Charlie Brown Easter
GenreAnimated television special
Created byCharles M. Schulz
Directed byPhil Roman
Voices ofTodd Barbee
Melanie Kohn
Stephen Shea
Lynn Mortensen
Jimmy Ahrens
Linda Ercoli
Bill Melendez
Theme music composerVince Guaraldi
Opening theme"Easter Theme"
Ending theme"Easter Theme"
ComposersVince Guaraldi
John Scott Trotter
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerLee Mendelson
ProducerBill Melendez
EditorsChuck McCann
Roger Donley
Running time25:05
Production companiesLee Mendelson Film Productions
Bill Melendez Productions
Original release
NetworkCBS
Related

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.[1] In the United States, it debuted on CBS on April 9, 1974 at 8 PM.[2]

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's Special at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1975. It was one of two Peanuts specials nominated that year, along with Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, but they both lost to Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus (another Bill Melendez production).[3]

Synopsis[edit]

While most of the Peanuts gang is busy getting ready for Easter, Linus futilely tries to convince them that it is all a waste of time, and that the "Easter Beagle" will take care of everything. Only Charlie Brown's sister, Sally, believes him, although she remains skeptical after their Great Pumpkin misadventure on Halloween.

Peppermint Patty and Marcie attempt to color Easter eggs, but as it is Marcie's first time, she does not know how. Their first attempt fails as Marcie fries all the eggs on a griddle (making fried eggs). The second attempt fails when she tries cooking more eggs on a waffle iron (for 4 of the eggs), then in a toaster (for 1 of them, which is unsuccessful because the egg cannot fit in one of the toaster's slots), and roasting the remaining 8 (the same egg she tried toasting, and the remaining 7) in the oven. In the third and final attempt, Peppermint Patty spends the last of her allowance on a third carton of eggs. After she spends the last of her money with it, she explains to Marcie that the eggs are supposed to be boiled. Marcie boils them as told, but she again does it incorrectly (instead of keeping the shell on, she cracks the eggs out of the shells into a pot of water). Outraged, Peppermint Patty screams to Marcie that she made egg drop soup. At the end, Peppermint Patty has spent her whole allowance, is out of money, and cannot buy any more eggs. So Peppermint Patty and Marcie end up with no colored eggs and can't make any more attempts.

Woodstock wakes up shivering in his nest after a cold spring rain. He goes to Snoopy for help, who buys him a birdhouse. At first Woodstock hates it, but soon makes it over into a swinging bachelor pad, complete with television, contemporary artwork, a sunken bed, modern furniture, and a quadrophonic stereo system. Curious to see more of the inside, Snoopy gets his nose stuck in the entry hole and accidentally shatters the birdhouse, and so he buys Woodstock another one.

Much to Schroeder's chagrin and annoyance, Lucy believes that Easter is the "gift-getting season", so she decides to have her own private Easter egg hunt, painting and then hiding the eggs herself to find them on Easter morning (using a paper pad and pencil to write down their locations). But unknown to her, Snoopy follows close behind and snatches up each one. Easter morning arrives, and so does the Easter Beagle, tossing eggs to everyone including Woodstock in his new birdhouse, to Lucy (whose hand Snoopy furtively shakes), and even Peppermint Patty and Marcie. But by the time he gets to Charlie Brown, Snoopy has run out of eggs.

When everyone (minus Charlie Brown) has received an Easter egg from the "Easter beagle" (Snoopy), Marcie then asks Peppermint Patty what they should do with their eggs now that they have them. Peppermint Patty suggests putting salt on them and eating them, which Marcie then does without removing the shell, commenting that it “tastes terrible”. After the Easter Beagle's visit, Sally becomes a true believer. As for Lucy, she realizes that the Easter Beagle gave her one of her own eggs, thus, is still fuming 2 months later. Linus suggests that she goes and talks about it with Snoopy, so she visits Snoopy's doghouse to pick a fight. However, Snoopy takes the fight out of her with a disarming kiss on the cheek, at which Lucy swoons in excitement for next Easter.

Voice cast[edit]

Production notes[edit]

Soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack for It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was composed by Vince Guaraldi (except where noted) and conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter.[4] The score was recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Quartet on February 12, 20, 26, and March 14, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Guaraldi (piano, electric piano, electric harpsichord, electric guitar), Seward McCain (electric bass), Tom Harrell (trumpet) and Eliot Zigmund (drums).[5]

The song "Snoopy and Woodstock" featured is an uptempo reworking of "Mystery Theme," the primary theme of It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974) which was broadcast two months prior to It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.[4]

  1. "Peppermint Patty"
  2. "Easter Theme"
  3. "Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Opus 2: I. Allegro con brio" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  4. "Snoopy and Woodstock" (aka Cue 4; version 1)[6]
  5. "Linus and Lucy" (bridge section; version 1)
  6. "Woodstock's Dream" (version 1)
  7. "Background No. 1" (gumball interlude)
  8. "Easter Theme" (first reprise, bunny-wunnie dance)
  9. "Woodstock's Dream" (version 2)
  10. "Snoopy and Woodstock" (version 2)
  11. "Background No. 2 (pumpkin patch interlude)
  12. "Kitchen Music" (version 1)
  13. "Linus and Lucy" (bridge section; version 2)
  14. "Woodstock's Pad"
  15. "Woodstock's Dream" (interior mall vamp; version 3)
  16. "Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 116" (Music Box dance) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
  17. "Woodstock's Dream" (alternate interior vamp; version 4)
  18. "Kitchen Music" (version 2, aka Cue 19, Take 1)[6]
  19. "Linus and Lucy" (version 1)
  20. "Linus and Lucy" (version 2)
  21. "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus. 92: II. Allegretto" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  22. "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus. 92: I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  23. "Background No. 3"
  24. "Linus and Lucy" (bridge section; version 3)
  25. "Easter Theme" (second reprise, end credits)[4]

No official soundtrack for It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown has been released. However, in the mid-2000s, recording session master tapes for seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials scored by Guaraldi were discovered by his son, David Guaraldi. This resulted in the release of "Snoopy and Woodstock" (aka Cue 4; version 1) and "Kitchen Music" (version 2, aka Cue 19, Take 1)[6] being released on the compilation album, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2 (2008).[7][6] In addition, a live version of "Woodstock's Pad" (mistitled "Then Came You") was also released in 2008 on Live on the Air from a Vince Guaraldi Trio concert originally recorded on February 6, 1974 (two years to the day before Guaraldi's untimely death).[7][8]

Voice talent[edit]

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was the last special for Todd Barbee; He would be replaced by Duncan Watson.

Television[edit]

CBS aired It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown annually during each Easter season from 1974 to 2000.

ABC ran the special annually from 2001 up to April 11, 2006.[9] In 2007, the network, without any explanation, did not air the program, but it returned on March 18, 2008, as filler programming against American Idol. The TV special was watched by 6.32 million viewers, in fourth place behind Idol, NCIS and The Biggest Loser, and fifth place if Spanish-language Univision is counted.[10] ABC refrained from airing the special in 2011 or 2012, but it aired on Easter Sunday 2013 along with Charlie Brown's All-Stars (1966), watched by 2.56 million people, tied for fourth place behind the end of the NCAA Championship Basketball Game between Duke and Louisville and a rerun of The Voice.[11][12] The special aired again with Charlie Brown's All-Stars on Easter Sunday in 2014. To date this is the last broadcast airing of the special.

Apple TV+ has held exclusive rights to the special along with all other Peanuts productions since 2021. It was not included among the specials that Apple TV+ must provide for free in short windows surrounding their holidays (or to PBS for free over-the-air airings) and thus it will only be available to subscribers.[13]

Home media[edit]

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was released to DVD twice, first on March 4, 2003 by Paramount Home Entertainment and again on February 19, 2008 on a Remastered Deluxe Edition DVD from Warner Home Video. It was also released in the UK by Firefly Entertainment in 2004, with Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown.

Earlier home media releases of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown have, in the past, been available in 1982 on the CED format, on VHS in 1986 and 1988 from Media Home Entertainment and subsidiary Hi-Tops Video, respectively and by Paramount Home Video on March 9, 1994 in a slipcover package and on October 1, 1996 in clamshell packaging.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-1452110912.
  2. ^ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Outstanding Childrens Program Nominees / Winners 1975".
  4. ^ a b c Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts Song Library: It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  5. ^ Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown TV Specials, Volume 2 at AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  8. ^ Live on the Air at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  9. ^ It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown - Home - ABC.com Archived 2012-07-07 at archive.today
  10. ^ FOX Cuts In on ABC Tuesday Archived 2008-03-23 at the Wayback Machine. Zap2It.com. 19 March 2008. and Fitzgerald, Toni. Miss Guided lands short of the mark Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Media Life. 19 March 2008.
  11. ^ Sunday Final Ratings: 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted Up & Unscrambled CBS Numbers 2 April 2013.
  12. ^ Peanuts Animation and Video List. 30 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Peanuts holiday specials won't air on TV for 1st time in decades". WGRZ. Tegna Inc. October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.

External links[edit]

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