Obviously, everyone loves Peanuts. A Charlie Brown Christmas is part of our holiday tradition, as well as the Thanksgiving and Halloween specials. I think the rest of the Peanuts canon is just starting to get lost to time, because until Apple TV became their new home, I forgot that there were other television specials and movies featuring our favorite beagle and friends. So when I discovered a bunch of the old Peanuts on Apple TV, I was filled with joy.
The new stuff is really cute, too. They don't have as much melancholy or as many Charlie Brown crash outs as we associate with Peanuts, but it still gives you the sweetness and the timelessness of the originals. Its three series, Snoopy in Space, The Snoopy Show, and Camp Snoopy, are really great. They're super cozy, and can get fantastical with the best Snoopy stories can. It makes you nostalgic for a childhood where you were just out with your friends, riding your bikes around without adults around. But, it’s the specials where this new Peanuts really shines.
The specials put their focus on a character and craft a more serous story around them. And that's what we really love about Peanuts. How it can get serious and into more of those darker emotions. Charlie Brown's depression is basic tenet of the character, so to be able to explore the deeper emotional realities of the gang is a real treat, beyond them just being stock types. And it gave the chance for side characters to have their long overdue spotlight, like Franklin and Marcie. Also the musical special. More musical specials please. We get richer storytelling and character development, and a richer animation style.
I don't know, it's all just very sweet, but not like you are overdosing on cuteness like with a lot of children's tv. It also doesn't shy away from real feelings and issues, but it's not super serious or maudlin. It's calming and relaxing, like I'm being taken care of when I watch it.