It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a critically-acclaimed and very popular 1966 Peanuts TV special. It was the third Peanuts special. In it, Linus Van Pelt, Charlie Brown's security blanket-toting best friend, sitting in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night, waiting for the Great Pumpkin, who Linus believes rises out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and gives toys to all the good little children, just like Santa Claus does on December 24th every year.

As Linus and Charlie Brown's little sister, Sally Brown, sit in the pumpkin patch, the gang of Charlie Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Schroeder, Pigpen, Patty and Violet go trick-or-treating. Everyone gets candy except Charlie Brown, who always gets a rock in his bag. Meanwhile, Snoopy, dressed up as the famous World War I flying ace, goes on his Sopwith Camel (which is his doghouse) to shoot down the infamous Red Baron. Linus, missing out on trick-or-treating, also misses out on the Halloween party at Violet's house. At the pumpkin patch, Linus thinks he finally sees his mysterious hero, but instead he sees a silhouette of Snoopy in his World War I Flying Ace outfit. Sally is shocked, and Linus is shaking on the ground late at night, covered in his blanket, and Lucy sends him into the house. Linus proves to Charlie Brown at the rock wall that the Great Pumpkin will return next year.

The program was nominated for an Emmy award. The special was released in 1985 on video by Media Home Entertainment, in 1990 on video by Hi-Tops Video, and in 1994 and 2000 on video and DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Quote

• "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." -- Linus van Pelt in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown