Legal Brief for December, 2023

A Charlie Brown Christmas

'Tis the season to depart from my usual "serious" commentaries on sundry legal issues, and to take a time out to look at a topic involving the Christmas season.  In my humble opinion one of the great joys of this time of year is to watch, for yet another time, the animated special A Charlie Brown Christmas.  If you have never seen it please take my advice to heart and make this year the year that you see it.  You will enjoy Charlie's struggle to find the true meaning of Christmas amid what seemed to him the ever increasing commercialism of the season.

Here are some interesting facts about the show:

1. It was broadcast on CBS on December 9, 1965 (pre-empting The Munsters - that undoubtedly upset some Munsters fans!).
2. It was based on the comic strip Peanuts, written and drawn by Charles M. Schultz.  The comic strip had debuted in 1950 and by the mid-60's had developed into a public favourite.
3. The show's genesis can be traced to the Coca-Cola Company, which in early 1965 was looking for a Christmas special to be a sponsor for.  A New York ad agency connected Coca-Cola with Mr. Schultz and a rough outline was prepared and approved by the powers that be at Coke in June 1965, leaving less than six months to get it produced.  There followed a mad scramble to flesh out the script, cast for actors, develop a musical sound track and hire musicians and animators.
4. Schultz's goal for the special was to focus on "the true meaning of Christmas".  He was insistent that there be a reading from the Bible and that there be overt Christian messages throughout.  This was a reflection of Schultz's strong personal faith.  He also wanted to feature lots of outdoor scenes of snow and skating, which was a homage to his Minnesota childhood.
5. The producers wanted to use a laugh track but Schultz rejected the idea.  Schultz also came up with the idea of having jazz music as the primary soundtrack, which was considered unorthodox at the time.  The soundtrack turned out to be a huge success, and it was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.
6. The production was completed about two weeks before the scheduled air date on CBS.  At a private showing in a theatre a few days before the launch the producers were horrified at what they had created.  "My golly, we've killed it," exclaimed Bill Melendez, the co-producer.  Not all shared that opinion however.  One of the lead animators said, "this is the best special we'll ever make.  This show is going to run for a hundred years.”
7. CBS gave the show a budget of $76,000.00, which was a minimal amount even for that day and age.  The producers overshot that mark by 30%, spending an extra $20,000.00 of the network's hard earned money.
8. The show was an instant hit the night it aired in 1965, and its appeal has only grown in the nearly 60 years since.  It is well on its way to achieving the prediction of being "run for a hundred years.”

I wish you a Happy Christmas and all the best for 2024, and happy watching the antics of Charlie and his pals!