Saturday, November 19, 2005

Quote of the Week

"There will always be an audience for innocence in this country." —Charles Schulz

That is a refreshing thought, and it could be very accurate. I came across it as I was wondering when "Charlie Brown's Christmas" will be televised this year. I have watched that cartoon special almost every December since 1965, when I was in fifth grade, age 10. I still enjoy it to this day, own the video, and hope to get the DVD perhaps this year. I think the quote above answers some of why I enjoy it. I also love the music and the falling snow. I am often "snowsick" at this time of year...wishing for snow, though I now reside in a climate that would not permit such a weather event. I miss snow from my Midwest roots until about mid-January.

So, doing a web search for the 2005 broadcast, I found more information about the show that was interesting to me. At www.factmonster.com/spot/cbrown1.html, I found out that the critics saw no value in this show, but the viewers made it a big hit...

"The basics of the cartoon were laid out within a few hours. It would include ice-skating; a pageant (Mendelson and Schulz had both flubbed parts in school shows); a mix of Christmas carols and Guaraldi's contemporary jazz; and the message that Christmas is really about the joyful miracle of Jesus's birth. Schulz wanted 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' to have the religious meaning that was central to his own experience of Christmas. And though the special was made in California, Schulz wanted it to include snowy scenes that recalled his native Midwest.

Even Schulz admitted that he was probably the only person who could have gotten A Charlie Brown Christmas made. Television executives hated it from the start. It was criticized as being too religious—Linus quotes straight from the King James Bible (Luke 2:8-14). It was criticized for featuring contemporary jazz, an offbeat choice for a cartoon. It was criticized for not having a laugh track. It was criticized for using the voices of real children (except for Snoopy, who was voiced by animator Melendez).

But it was an instant hit with viewers and reviewers alike. On Thursday, December 9, 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas was seen in more than 15 million homes, capturing nearly half of the possible audience. That week it was number two in the ratings, after Bonanza. It won critical acclaim as well as an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program and a Peabody Award for excellence in programming." -- from FactMonster

3 comments:

Glen said...

I've learned so much! About Charlie Brown and Charles Schultz--and that I should check in with my favorite blogger in the world cuz you never know when she is going to post a "Quote of the Week."

You never know what week that will be.

Glen said...

I remember watching the show very early in my life. I wonder if I saw it when it premiered in 1965, I would have been 9 years old. It didn't seem that controversial to me.

Who would have thought I would have benn an audience for innoncence?

Mrs. Coral Kenagy said...

This is an awesome entry! I never knew these delicious tid bits about Charlie Brown and his Christmas.
Schultz was genius material!