Although Valentine’s Day is all about love, what better way to celebrate the holiday then cuddling up on the couch and watching some romance-themed shows on television?
ABC will be airing “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Valentine” on Friday but before tuning into these animated tale based on the popular “Peanuts” comic strip, there are a few things you should know about these love-themed specials.
1. The first “Peanuts” production in years
“A Charlie Brown Valentine” marked the first newly created “Peanuts” special in several years. This was also the first “Peanuts” production since creator Charles M. Schulz’s death in 2000.
2. The inspiration behind the “red-haired” girl
The little “red-haired” girl that Charlie Brown is so infatuated with was based on Schulz’s real life crush Donna Johnson Wold. The author courted her for quite some time and tried to marry her, however, she ended up choosing another man.
3. The little “red-haired girl” revealed…sort of
“A Charlie Brown Valentine” marks the first time the audience gets a full view of the “red-haired” girl where she can be seen dancing with Snoopy.
4. The crew received some recognition
When Schroeder passes out Valentines in “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” he calls out the name Joanne Lansing. Lansing worked as an ink and art painter supervisor on the television special and also on several other “Peanuts” productions.
5. People felt bad for Charlie Brown
When Chuck didn’t receive as many Valentines as he expected in “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown,” children across America sent Valentine cards to the studio for the heart broken school boy.
“Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Valentine” will air back-to-back on Friday, Feb. 10, starting at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
There is a lot more than drawing that goes into inspiring the characters for the Charlie Brown Valentine’s Day specials. Photo: ABC
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