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'''''A Charlie Brown Christmas''''' is an animated holiday special based on the ''[[Peanuts]]'' [[comic strip]] by [[Charles Schulz]].  Originally airing in 1965 on [[CBS]] (where it aired until 2000, before switching to present network [[ABC]] in 2001), it was the first of many animated specials based on the strip, and has since gone on to become one of the most successful, popular, and enduring animated specials in history.

'''''A Charlie Brown Christmas''''' is an animated holiday special based on the ''[[Peanuts]]'' [[comic strip]] by [[Charles Schulz]].  Originally airing in 1965 on [[CBS]], it was the first of many animated specials based on the strip, and has since gone on to become one of the most successful, popular, and enduring animated specials in history.

Written by Schulz himself, and directed and animated by [[Bill Melendez]], ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was a groundbreaking piece of television in many ways.  The young characters were voiced by actual children, something that had not been done before that point.  Another major point of departure from the orthodoxy of the day was the absence of a [[laugh track]]; Schulz believed that the audience was capable of figuring out when to laugh.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-05-charlie-brown-christmas_x.htm</ref>

Written by Schulz himself, and directed and animated by [[Bill Melendez]], ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' was a groundbreaking piece of television in many ways.  The young characters were voiced by actual children, something that had not been done before that point.  Another major point of departure from the orthodoxy of the day was the absence of a [[laugh track]]; Schulz believed that the audience was capable of figuring out when to laugh.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-05-charlie-brown-christmas_x.htm</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>

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==References==