A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

The one where Snoopy takes over the kitchen while Peppermint Patty loses her cool 🦃


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🍿 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

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🏢 Studio & Context

Created by Bill Melendez Productions and Lee Mendelson Film Productions, written by Charles M. Schulz himself. This is the third holiday Peanuts special after A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). By the early ’70s, the formula of heartfelt lessons wrapped in Schulz’s dry wit was firmly established.


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🖌️ Animation Style

Like the other Peanuts specials, the animation is simple and rough around the edges. Mouths don’t always match up, background characters are stiff, and there are noticeable pauses between lines. But that’s exactly the charm — it feels hand-drawn, imperfect, and warm. There’s something timeless about Peanuts minimalism: the kids’ voices are real children, and Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy score floats over the whole thing, making it feel cozy despite the chaos on-screen.


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📖 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Charlie Brown finds himself in a jam when Peppermint Patty invites herself (and half the gang) to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. Problem? Charlie Brown isn’t exactly a master chef. With Snoopy and Woodstock running the “kitchen,” the crew ends up with a meal of popcorn, toast, pretzels, and jelly beans instead of turkey and stuffing. Chaos, comedy, and one moral lesson later, the Peanuts gang learns the real meaning of Thanksgiving: it’s about sharing, being together, and being thankful.


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👥 Character Rundown

Charlie Brown – Poor Chuck, once again stuck hosting something he never agreed to. Nervous, apologetic, and forever trying to do the right thing.

Peppermint Patty – The ginger-haired tomboy who barges in and basically bullies Chuck into throwing a feast he never promised. She’s rude, obnoxious, and downright ungrateful when she blows up at him for serving non-traditional food. But here’s the thing: Charlie didn’t have to do anything. He went out of his way, with Snoopy’s help, to whip up a meal that was actually fun and tasty in its own way. Patty acting like he ruined the holiday says more about her immaturity than it does about Charlie’s effort.

Marcie – Patty’s quiet voice of reason. She gently points out Patty’s rudeness and helps guide her toward apologizing.

Linus – Ever the philosopher, he gives a mini history lesson about the Pilgrims and the meaning of the holiday. He’s basically the glue that keeps everyone from tearing apart.

Snoopy & Woodstock – The true MVPs of this special. Snoopy takes over the entire “cooking” process with slapstick flair, fighting folding chairs and serving jelly beans like a gourmet chef. Woodstock, meanwhile, is the hype man — and later has the audacity to eat turkey at the end (the darkest gag in the whole special if you think too hard about it 🦃☠️).



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow

It runs just under half an hour, which means it doesn’t overstay its welcome. The first half is all about setup (Patty inviting herself, Snoopy’s kitchen chaos). The middle is the disaster meal itself. The final third delivers the heartfelt “lesson learned” moment and then pivots into a comedic Snoopy epilogue.


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✅ Pros

Snoopy’s chaotic cooking montage is peak slapstick.

Vince Guaraldi’s score makes even toast and popcorn feel jazzy.

The emotional payoff lands — Patty’s apology and Charlie’s forgiveness feel genuine.

That bittersweet ending with Woodstock eating turkey is morbidly funny in hindsight.



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❌ Cons

Peppermint Patty is very unlikable for most of the runtime. She comes off as rude and selfish, which might rub modern viewers the wrong way.

If you want “holiday atmosphere,” this one is lighter than the Christmas and Halloween specials — no snow, no spooky vibe, just a simple backyard meal.

The “lesson” feels a little rushed, especially compared to A Charlie Brown Christmas.



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📝 Final Thoughts

It’s not as iconic as the Christmas or Halloween specials, but it’s still a warm little slice of Schulz magic. The food may be questionable, but the heart is there. Plus, Snoopy serving jelly beans as a Thanksgiving main course has become legendary in its own right.

⭐ Rating: 7.5/10


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🚨 Spoiler Warning 🚨

The following section contains full spoilers for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.


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🦃 Spoilers

The gang gathers at Charlie’s house expecting turkey and gravy, but instead they’re served a “feast” of toast, popcorn, jelly beans, and pretzels thanks to Snoopy’s antics. Peppermint Patty loses it, yelling at Charlie and calling him a terrible host. Charlie, crushed, feels like he’s ruined Thanksgiving.

It’s Marcie who steps in to calm things down, pointing out to Patty that she invited herself over and should be grateful for Charlie’s effort. Patty realizes her mistake and apologizes sincerely to Charlie, who accepts with his usual humility.

Just when things seem patched up, Charlie gets a call from his grandma inviting everyone over for a real Thanksgiving dinner. The kids pile into the car, cheering at the thought of actual turkey.

The epilogue? Snoopy and Woodstock finally sit down at their own private table and dig into a roasted turkey with all the fixings — including Woodstock himself chomping down on turkey meat. A strange, ironic gag that only Peanuts could pull off, leaving viewers with a mix of laughter and “wait a minute…”