"There's a fundamental irony to the family of Peanuts specials: While several of the Charles Schulz–scripted and post-Schulz-era installments complain about the evils of consumerism, there have been (to date) 45 Peanuts specials produced since the first — and, spoiler alert, best — one, A Charlie Brown Christmas, premiered in 1965.
Many of the short, frequently seasonal programs follow formulas established in the early specials, several of which were directed by Bill Melendez and scored by the inimitable Vince Guaraldi. But even some of the more recent shorts, like Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, are fun, and all of them are available online (even the ones that have only been released on VHS, like Snoopy: The Musical). Few of them possess the early specials' zeal for childlike play, but that doesn't mean they're not worth watching (or rewatching) this holiday season. In most cases, at least."
