Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Thank you Coca-Cola for Charlie Brown! (links)


Like a lot of people, it is an annual tradition in my house to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every December.  But, while watching the documentary included on the blu-ray, I learned many things I did not know about this holiday classic. 



Did you know:

-You can thank Coca-Cola for making it happen.  They wanted to sponsor a Christmas special, the network contacted Charles Schulz and in six months they whipped it together.

-It was the first Charlie Brown special, previously the comic had been animated for a car commercial.

-The music was just a semi-random choice they hoped would work. Vince Guaraldi took the job and the first thing he presented was the now classic "Linus and Lucy" theme.

-The producers and the network thought it was a near miss, try again next time.  The network did not like the amateur child voice actors, the lack of a laugh track or the jazzy soundtrack.

-More than 50% of America tuned in to that first broadcast in Dec 1965. (Today, a "big" number would be 8-12%)  It won an Emmy and a Peabody award and grew so popular, it has played EVERY year since.  
And, started a 15 year relationship between Schulz and the producers to create more specials.

So, thank you Coca-Cola for this yearly treat!







May your holidays be bright!





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