What’s one thing you and your teachers have in common during the month of October? Watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The film came out in 1966 and was written by Charles M. Schulz. It’s a family-friendly short film that is a fun and easy watch for all ages due to its lighthearted nature and happy fall vibes.

“It’s the best Charlie Brown movie, hands down!” Upper School history teacher Allison Baal said. In 2020, Apple TV+ bought the rights to the whole Peanuts franchise, but after an uproar from upset fans who watched the movie as a yearly tradition, Apple TV teamed up with PBS to reach a broader audience.

The deal only lasted for a year and recently PBS tweeted that they no longer have the rights to stream the Peanuts series. Fortunately, Apple TV+ announced they will be allowing non-subscribers to watch the holiday specials for free on certain days. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be streaming for free between October 28th and October 31st.

A fun fact many fans don’t know is that the classic scene where Lucy tricks Charlie into kicking a football was a comic strip before it became part of the film. Another fun fact is that when the film first aired, many kids from all over the country mailed candy to the studio because they felt bad for Charlie Brown (who only received rocks). “It’s one of the best Halloween movies of all time and my favorite part is when Charlie receives all the rocks instead of candy,” senior Colin McKinnon said.

“The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown movie is so good I can’t even put it into words. It is such a classic and if you haven’t seen it you are totally missing out!” junior Maia Larson said.