A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first, and still the best, of all the specials based on Charles Schultz Peanuts comic strip. The special used children as voice actors, giving it a unique sound that fits perfectly with director/producer Bill Melendez's adaptation of Schultz artwork. Vince Guaraldi's classic score is similarly perfect for the spare animation and naive voice actors. The special somehow also manages the feat of reminding us of the religious meaning behind the Christian holiday and decrying the rampant capitalism of the season without sounding preachy (or catering to a specific Christian denomination or outlook), which is, depending on your own beliefs, either impressive or the cynical reason the special has outlasted so many other Christmas specials (see also the feat of decrying the commercialism of Christmas with a special that originally included the characters advertising products). Personally I try to watch the special in the spirit it's creators clearly intended.![]()
