Somebody Call Snoopy, Because We've Narrowed Down the Best Charlie Brown Movies

The film that started it all. In his feature-film debut, we are introduced to Charlie Brown, a meek yet kind boy, as he starts his first baseball game of the Little League season. This movie is responsible for establishing Charlie Brown’s character, as well as giving the audience a look into his life and cherished friends including Lucy, Patty, Pig-Pen, Linus, Sally, and more. Though it has a special place in history, A Boy Named Charlie Brown doesn’t hold the same weight as the later TV specials.

The Peanuts gang are all under investigation in It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown. When a rainstorm blows away Woodstock’s bird nest, Woodstock enlists the help of Snoopy to find it. Taking on the persona of Sherlock Holmes, Snoopy goes door to door asking Charlie Brown and his friends hard-hitting questions regarding the nest. With playful wit and charm, It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown is bound to make you laugh.

Following the success of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown’s All Stars joins Charlie Brown and his friends as they are fighting to win in Little League. After a devastating loss in his first game of the season, Charlie Brown struggles when he has to make a decision between his friends and the sport he loves to play. Though this special is less popular than some of the other Charlie Brown titles, it is a valuable and timeless lesson about friendship, loyalty, and integrity.

Airing nearly 30 years after the original Charlie Brown Christmas special, It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown gives viewers the nostalgia from the classic with a modernised twist. Released in 1992, the special has several different storylines that all revolve around Christmas, including Snoopy dressing up as Santa, Charlie Brown selling wreaths, and a musical snowman (that is just Woodstock in disguise). The magic in a Charlie Brown Christmas special is unparalleled, which is why this falls on the list of the most beloved movies.

As Christmas break is quickly approaching, Charlie Brown and friends are excited to make plans. Unfortunately, those plans are cut short by a mean teacher’s last-minute assignment. Over Christmas vacation, Charlie Brown is plagued with reading and writing a book report on Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Throughout the special, Charlie Brown finds crafty ways to get out of the boring assignment while making plans for New Year’s Eve. The frustrations and stress of completing work over a holiday break are universally felt, making this a timeless classic.

Love is what makes the world go ’round. In this Charlie Brown special, love is in the air as Valentine’s Day preparations are underway. The special centers on Charlie Brown and his friends as they fill out valentines for everyone at school. Anticipating that he will receive an influx of valentines, he brings a briefcase to school, only to get a single candy heart with a nasty message on it. This bummer for Charlie Brown can be a nice moment of commiseration for you, as a little Valentine’s Day disappointment is something most people have experienced.

Often watched as an accompaniment to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Mayflower Voyagers tells the story of the Mayflower and the pilgrims arriving to America. In the special, Charlie Brown and his friends ride on the Mayflower with the pilgrims but run into some trouble when a powerful storm hits. In the end, all on board the Mayflower make it across the ocean safely. Combining a little history with the lighthearted nature of Charlie Brown and wrapping it around the Thanksgiving holiday places this special in the top five list.

Comforting, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud humorous at points, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a special that can’t be missed on Thanksgiving. As the gang prepare to go to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, Peppermint Patty intervenes and hosts dinner at her house. Enlisting the help of Snoopy and Woodstock, the Thanksgiving meal ends up consisting of buttered toast, jellybeans, pretzel sticks, and popcorn. A stark contrast to what many are familiar with in terms of Thanksgiving dinner, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving leaves viewers laughing the whole time.

Rules are rules; you can’t have Halloween without the Great Pumpkin. In It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the gang of friends are in full gear preparing for fall and Halloween. There are beautiful autumnal colours, costumes, and trick-or-treating. What else could you want?

On a cold, wintry day, A Charlie Brown Christmas makes you feel like you are being wrapped in the cosiest blanket. The beautiful snowy scenery, the humour of Charlie Brown finding the perfect Christmas tree (only to find the most limp, bare one), the timeless “Christmastime Is Here” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” songs, and the message of friendship put this timeless special at number one.