I love the Peanuts holiday movies to death, especially It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Of course, nostalgia is the biggest contributor to my enjoyment, but the rustic and expressive hand-drawn animation along with the exquisite music by Vince Guaraldi makes this a timeless classic for all demographics (that I even prefer over the Christmas special). It’s simply one of those movies that has to be on around the holidays, and it always has been for my family and hundreds of thousands of others like mine. This year, however, many families may have to eschew this tradition, because It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and all other Peanuts holiday specials are becoming Apple TV+ exclusives.
One may wonder why this made headlines. Admittedly it is a strange reason for an outcry. After all, practically everybody is familiar with the concept of streaming exclusives. In fact, many essential films and shows, both old and new, are exclusive to one platform or another. But having the Peanuts holiday specials taken off traditional television is different. Its ties to the holidays and annual familial traditions have transformed the movies into something sacred, and the public’s response to its removal reflects this. But Apple’s actions display a lack of concern for any status those movies may have or what those movies represent, and I fear that this could be the beginning of a dangerous trend in the entertainment world.
Entertainment has gone digital, and I’m sure even the most old-fashioned entertainment purists will acknowledge just how convenient finding and consuming media has become due to streaming services. Gone are the days of needing to travel to a video store or a record shop to pick out movies or albums that you might not even be in the mood for by the time you get around to them. Platforms like Netflix and Spotify offer you millions of entertainment options and tailored suggestions for just a few dollars a month. The only caveat comes when you’re looking for one specific piece and it’s not on your streaming service. This is disappointing, no doubt, but it never meant the end of your search. You could always find practically everything available for individual purchase on platforms like Google Play or Amazon. This was inconvenient and more expensive, but it was always an option. The removal of the Peanuts holiday specials from TV might mark the beginning of a dangerous trend that will remove that option.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is currently unavailable to watch or buy on any major (legal) site outside of Apple TV+. It’s not on Netflix, Hulu, Google Play, Vudu, or even
Amazon. DVDs and Blu-Rays are always an option, but sales of disc players have been trending downward for decades, and the amount of families with a DVD or Blu-ray player is decreasing. The digitization of entertainment has always been a win for consumers in terms of availability and affordability, but recently we’ve been regressing. For example, in 2016, Frank Ocean, one of the biggest artists in the world, released his second studio album Endless as an Apple exclusive, and to this day the only way to listen to it legally is by paying for Apple Music’s monthly subscription. Many of the most popular shows released over the past few years have been relegated to platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus. What we’re seeing now is effectively the return of cable, and until there’s some sort of streaming service bundle plan, digital entertainment is going to exclude more and more people who don’t want to or can’t pay for multiple streaming services.
A movie can be so much more than a movie. Taking away access for people not willing to pay can mean taking away essential feelings, memories, and connections. The impact of the lack of compassion from big media companies extends beyond It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but it still sucks some won’t be able to watch one of the best Halloween movies ever.