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Despite its iconic status today, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was not without controversy at the time it was created.  Network executives strongly opposed Schulz's decision to have Linus quote from Luke 2:8-14.  Schulz, however, was adamant, as the scene was crucial to the show's theme (Charlie Brown's search for the true meaning of [[Christmas]] amid a flood of [[commercialism]]).  Executive producer Lee Mendelson later recalled telling Schulz that "...you can't read from the [[Bible]] on network television"; both he and Bill Melendez worried that the show would be a failure.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-05-charlie-brown-christmas_x.htm</ref>

Despite its iconic status today, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was not without controversy at the time it was created.  Network executives strongly opposed Schulz's decision to have Linus quote from Luke 2:8-14.  Schulz, however, was adamant, as the scene was crucial to the show's theme (Charlie Brown's search for the true meaning of [[Christmas]] amid a flood of [[commercialism]]).  Executive producer Lee Mendelson later recalled telling Schulz that "...you can't read from the [[Bible]] on network television"; both he and Bill Melendez worried that the show would be a failure.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-05-charlie-brown-christmas_x.htm</ref>

Mendelson's concerns proved unfounded.  When it premiered on December 9, 1965, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' ranked number 2, with a rating of 28.8 and 46.6 per share.  In other words, nearly half of the people watching television were watching the special.<ref>Mendelson, Lee.  ''It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic.''  New York: Harper, 2006.</ref>

Mendelson's concerns proved unfounded.  When it premiered on December 9, 1965, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' ranked number 2 that week (after ''Bonanza''<ref>[https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/scott-whitlock/2017/12/24/how-creator-charlie-brown-christmas-got-gospel-past-cbs-execs How the Creator of ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' Got the Gospel Past CBS Execs] at NewsBusters</ref>), with a rating of 28.8 and 46.6 per share.  In other words, nearly half of the people watching television were watching the special.<ref>Mendelson, Lee.  ''It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic.''  New York: Harper, 2006.</ref>

A soundtrack album from ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was also recorded by jazz group the Vince Guaraldi Trio and was released in December 1965 (the same month as the special's premiere), which featured the special's three most notable songs: "Linus and Lucy" (which quickly became the theme for the ''Peanuts'' specials),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy] at YouTube</ref> "Skating"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4Y3sHyfsg Vince Guaraldi Trio - Skating] at YouTube</ref> and instrumental and vocal versions of "Christmas Time Is Here".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvI_FNrczzQ Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)] at YouTube</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PzetPqepXA Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)] at YouTube</ref>  The ''Charlie Brown Christmas'' soundtrack album became a best-seller, certified 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 19, 2016;<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=VINCE+GUARALDI+TRIO&ti=A+CHARLIE+BROWN+CHRISTMAS Vince Guaraldi Trio - ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'']</ref> prior to that, it was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011.<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/registry-by-induction-year.pdf 2002-2015 National Sound Registry (by year) (page 7)]</ref>

A soundtrack album from ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was also recorded by jazz group the Vince Guaraldi Trio and was released in December 1965 (the same month as the special's premiere), which featured the special's three most notable songs: "Linus and Lucy" (which quickly became the theme for the ''Peanuts'' specials),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy] at YouTube</ref> "Skating"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4Y3sHyfsg Vince Guaraldi Trio - Skating] at YouTube</ref> and instrumental and vocal versions of "Christmas Time Is Here".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvI_FNrczzQ Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)] at YouTube</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PzetPqepXA Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)] at YouTube</ref>  The ''Charlie Brown Christmas'' soundtrack album became a best-seller, certified 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 19, 2016;<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=VINCE+GUARALDI+TRIO&ti=A+CHARLIE+BROWN+CHRISTMAS Vince Guaraldi Trio - ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'']</ref> prior to that, it was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011.<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/registry-by-induction-year.pdf 2002-2015 National Sound Registry (by year) (page 7)]</ref>