*hits Internet*
So grab the cookies and milk/egg nog/wine/vodka (just don't mix the beverages) and enjoy.
STORY: Created solely to fill in the remaining time in the hour after ABC showed the unedited A Charlie Brown Christmas, this is a series of vignettes taken straight from the strips, broken up into five segments centering around a different character.
The most self-centered of the children fails to see the point of year-long altruism; hangs onto Linus and Schroeder; and argues with baby bro over whether or not gifts to sisters are commanded by the Bible.
Chuck Biz scribbles to Santa; waits with Sally to catch a glimpse of Annual Gift Man; and helps baby sister through a particularly befuddling experience.
Good ol' dependable Peanuts; nothing is changed from the source material, so no weak attempt to appeal to a newer generation weaned on video games, horrid NickToons, and trans fat. A solid 8. I applaud the concept and execution of this holiday hodgepodge, and what's more, Charles Schulz also wrote a fair amount of Great Pumpkin-related strips that never made it into the Halloween special, including a great run where Peppermint Patty falls under the spell of Linus' fantastic myth. If so inspired, Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelsohn could cull a good 25-minute show from those.
MUSIC: Wisely, the soundtrack revisits Peanuts standards both holiday and otherwise. When a show starts out with "Skating", that's a good show. 10
ANIMATION: Crisp, with tight lines and standard coloring. Nothing too bold to detract from the action. Special nod to Schroeder on the ice in Lucy's segment, looking splenderiffical in a green wool cap and green-and-black striped sweater. 7.5
VOICES: This is where the score drops a bit. Wesley Singerman does Charlie Brown to the tune of a 6, basically with no personality in his delivery, and a refusal to clear his throat. Hannah Leigh Dworkin (here we go with the full names again!) is only slightly better (6.5) because she at least shows some range (meaning from nails-down-a-chalkboard to makes-nails-down-a-chalkboard-sound-like-a-flute-pattern). Schroeder is voiced dully by Christopher Ryan Johnson (6). That is the fate of anyone who does Schroeder. They're just gonna sound dull.
Corey Padnos does a little better as Linus (7), but I still have my qualms with old boy; see below.
Tim Deters is hilarious as Rerun. Drastically different from the voicing of just one year later given by Jimmy Bennett, the littlest Van Pelt here has a bully's rasp and kindergartner's grasp of English. Score an 8, with a full extra point for the mammoth struggle that practically manifests itself onto the screen as each successive sentence escapes his mouth.
Serena Berman does a nice Lucy (8); firm and even-pitched. The way she nonchalantly utters, "Look, beagle" is great. But would you could you should you believe that the top voice acting performance is from Lauren Scheffel as..."Her". Yes, the girl in school who infuriated a smitten Linus with her revolving door of first names. With an almost-adult enunciation and vocal tone, Scheffel scores a 9, transforming a throwaway character into the standout.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, I BOUGHT YOU A WII!
Sally was a goldmine in the strip. No voice vacillations in animation can take that away. As such, she scores twice here for her proud lack of guile: first, seeing Snoopy come home after having his headwear pulled down over his body by an unamused Lucy: "There's a stocking cap coming up the street!" Then, she visits her brother as he tries to doze off to share a recent vision--sugar plumes dancing in her head.
"What are sugar plumes?"
"Pieces of round candy", Charlie Brown explains, forming an "o" shape with his fingers.
"Oh good. I was afraid I was freaking out."
Snoopy does a neat twist that turns his head into a shrimp cocktail.
That book is either about an animal as Santa or all those early Christmases at the Von Erich house.
Another fabulous reading moment comes when we see Linus lugging around a tome with "Holy Bible" written boldly on the front. I wish they'd made it the Luther Bible instead, a li'l shout out to Germany and a bird-flip to the King James diehards.
Let's take a moment to give it up for some fantastic glares!
My face twists similarly whenever I pass by a Wal-Mart.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, I BOUGHT YOU A PLAYSTATION 3!
Really, only one part of this show rubs me wrong, and you can see Linus in the midst of it in the capture immediately above. After Sally has called him her "Sweet Babboo", blanket boy snaps and yells, "That is so stupid! That is so humongously stupid!"
It seems a sizable crustacean crawled into his largest orifice and spawned, 'cause Linus got 'tude for days. Bill Melendez' direction to Corey Padnos: "Sound like a total twat, kid!" Linus readings require flowing subtlety, not this forced annoyance. Chris Shea wept; then he opened the mail, saw his check, and got over it.
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Well, I actually saved the best for last. And it also involves the middle Van Pelt child.
When Linus' attempt to send "Her" a greeting card fails (no such address), he reaches the end of his rope and wearily concedes defeat. This mercurial little girl is not to be his. But as he holds up the returned envelope, the eagle-eyed viewer will spy a delightful in joke.
Like you thought they could have lived anywhere else!
Charlie Browns Christmas Tales Charles Schulz Peanuts Snoopy Charlie Brown
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