This Day in Pop Culture for November 20

1973: ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ Airs for the First Time

On this day in 1973, CBS aired A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special for the first time. It played every year on that network until 2000 where it moved to ABC and continued until 2020 when Apple+ TV purchased the rights to the special. (They have allowed PBS to allow the special independently from the streaming service.) This was Charles Schulz’s tenth TV special, but over the years it has risen to become one of the more popular ones. It was the first TV special to feature Snoopy’s fine feathered friend, Woodstock and Franklin, the first African American character in the series. While some praised Schulz for adding diversity to the cartoon, others pointed fault that Franklin had to sit by himself during dinner! He shouldn’t feel too bad though. Lucy apparently wasn’t even invited. (Image: Apple TV+)

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