The Corner Penthouse

Warner Brothers recently released the Peanuts: Ultimate TV Specials Collection (75th Anniversary) Blu-ray. Read on to find out more about it...

[ SYNOPSIS ]

Since Charles Schulz first introduced the kid with the zigzag shirt, fans of all ages have loved the Peanuts gang. This 75th-anniversary compilation features 40 TV specials that celebrate the charm and humor that have established Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and their friends as cultural treasures. Watch your most beloved specials - and discover new favorites - in this comprehensive collection.

[ DISC BREAKDOWN ]

DISC 1
01. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (25:31)
02. Charlie Brown's All Stars! (1966) (25:09)
03. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) (25:18)
04. You're in Love, Charlie Brown (1967) (25:24) (EDITED - SEE NOTE BELOW)
05. He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968) (25:10)
06. It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (1969) (25:32)
07. Play It Again, Charlie Brown (1971) (25:15)
08. You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972) (25:21)
09. There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown (1973) (25:04)

DISC 2
10. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) (25:26)
11. It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974) (25:19)
12. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974) (25:17)
13. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975) (25:18)
14. You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975) (25:19)
15. It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (1976) (25:15)
16. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977) (24:27)
17. What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown (1978) (24:28)
18. You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown (1979) (24:32)

DISC 3
19. She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown (1980) (24:28)
20. Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown (1980) (24:17)
21. It's Magic, Charlie Brown (1981) (24:24)
22. Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown (1981) (24:20)
23. A Charlie Brown Celebration (1982) (48:17) (SD UPSCALE)
24. Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? (1982) (24:23)
25. It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown (1983) (47:43) (SD UPSCALE)

DISC 4
26. What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? (1983) (23:59)
27. It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984) (24:24)
28. Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985) (24:28)
29. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985) (48:13)
30. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! (1986) (24:25)
31. Why, Charlie Brown, Why? (1990) (23:47)
32. Snoopy's Reunion (1991) (23:19)
33. It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) (23:04)

DISC 5
34. It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown (1996) (23:07) (SD UPSCALE)
35. A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002) (25:09)
36. Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (2002) (17:49) (SD UPSCALE)
37. Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown (2003) (25:33)
38. I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003) (41:16)
39. He's a Bully, Charlie Brown (2006) (21:40)
40. Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011) (45:44)

* "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" is edited. At the very end, Charlie Brown's last line ("Good grief! How will I LIVE until September!?") after the screen fades to black is missing entirely. Presumably, the person who edited the master just looked at the video preview window on their monitor and ignored that the audio continued briefly. The unedited version is on the Peanuts 1960's Collection DVD.

[ SPECIFICATIONS ]

All but the last special are presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The last one is in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. None of the specials are rated. Audio languages include English. Subtitle languages include English SDH.

[ SPECIAL FEATURES ]

There are no special features for any of the specials.

[ WHAT'S MISSING ]

It's a bit weird to call a collection "Ultimate" when it's missing a significant amount of content that would have made it the "Ultimate" collection for all intents and purposes. First, there are several pre-AppleTV specials missing. (All AppleTV content from 2018 to the present is under a different license.) Do be aware that the This is America, Charlie Brown episodes, the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show episodes, the Peanuts By Schulz shorts (seven DVD volumes), and the Peanuts Motion Comics are all available separately on DVD, and are not considered specials, so they are not included in the list below.

• Snoopy: The Musical (1988) (1 hour) (no DVD or Blu-ray release)
• It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown (1988) (1 hour) (no DVD or Blu-ray release)
• You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown (1994) (no DVD or Blu-ray release)
• It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown (1997) (direct-to-video) (VHS out-of-print, never released on DVD or Blu-ray)
• It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown (2000) (direct-to-video) (VHS & DVD out-of-print)

Second, NONE of the extras from the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases of the individual specials are included here. Some of those were released by Paramount, and some by Warner Brothers. It is inexcusable for the Warner-owned extras to be omitted here. The Blu-ray case has enough room for a sixth disc, which could have housed all of the pre-existing extras. This is a problem for me as I own three of the older DVD releases, and the Holiday Collection Blu-ray, and really was hoping this set would 100% replace them. Maybe I'll try to borrow the DVDs I don't have from my local library, rip the extras, and author my own complete supplement DVD that I'll share with everyone at some point.

Anyway, the list below was compiled using the four other releases I own and the list of Paramount DVDs and Warner DVDs and Blu-rays at the Peanuts Wiki. Runtimes for extras I don't have come from DVD Compare. Even if this list is not 100% complete, it still shows just how much stuff is unnecessarily missing from this so-called "Ultimate" set.

• The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas (16:26) (Paramount: I Want a Dog for Christmas DVD) (personally confirmed)
• We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown (13:58) (Warner: It's the Great Pumpkin DVD, Holiday Collection BLU/4K) (personally confirmed)
• A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas (16:01) (Warner: Charlie Brown Christmas DVD, Holiday Collection BLU/4K) (personally confirmed)
• Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic (12:28) (Warner: Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD, Holiday Collection BLU/4K) (personally confirmed)
• Unlucky in Love: An Unrequited Love Story (14:36) (Warner: Be My Valentine)
• In Full Bloom: The Peanuts At Easter (15:30) (Warner: It's the Easter Beagle)
• The Polls Don't Lie: The Making of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (12:10) (Warner: You're Not Elected DVD) (personally confirmed)
• Dust Yourself Off and Pick Yourself Up, Charlie Brown (11:30) (Warner: You're a Good Sport DVD)
• Together Again: A Peanuts Voice Cast Reunion (9:49) (Warner: Snoopy's Reunion/Snoopy and Friends DVD)
• Vince Guaraldi: The Maestro of Menlo Park (36:56) (Warner: Peanuts 1960's Collection DVD)
• Woodstock: Creating Snoopy's Sidekick (12:43) (Warner: Peanuts 1970's Collection, Vol. 1 DVD)
• Sibling Rivalry: Growing Up Van Pelt (11:08) (Warner: I Want a Dog for Christmas DVD)
• Animating a Charlie Brown Musical (9:00) (Warner: You're a Good Man DVD)
• You're Groovy, Charlie Brown: A Look At Peanuts in the 70's (18:24) (Warner: Peanuts 1970's Collection, Vol. 2/Charlie Brown and Friends DVD)
• Snoopy's Home Ice: The Story of the Redwood Empire Ice Arena (22:15) (Warner: He's Your Dog DVD)
• Deconstructing Schulz: From Comic Strip to Screenplay (12:28) (Warner: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket DVD/BLU) (personally confirmed)
• Happiness Is...Finding the Right Voice (11:55) (Warner: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket DVD/BLU) (personally confirmed)
• 24 Frames a Second: Drawing and Animating a Peanuts Movie (14:24) (Warner: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket DVD/BLU) (personally confirmed)
• Deleted Scene with introduction by director Andy Beall (3:44) (Warner: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket DVD/BLU) (personally confirmed)

[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]

No digital copy code voucher is included inside the slightly thick five-disc blue Blu-ray case (each disc on its own page, no overlaps). A slipcover is included, along with a 28-page booklet (placed in between the case and the slipcover in my copy, though it easily fits inside the case). The booklet lists all of the specials and their airdates, along with character bios. Some specials have a synopsis and some do not. Nowhere is there a disc breakdown, nor are the titles printed on the disc faces. Feel free to print out my Disc Breakdown at the top of this review.

[ NOTES ]

Peanuts: Ultimate TV Specials Collection (75th Anniversary) is available on Blu-ray and DVD. Had it included all of the pre-existing extras (even in SD), this would have easily been "highly recommended". Given that none of it is here, and it was all produced by Warner Brothers (aside from one thing), I have to downgrade this to just "RECOMMENDED WITH A CAVEAT". It's nice to finally have all of the specials in one place, but to have all of the extras, you have to buy 14 more videos! The only one that provides something more than a missing extra (though it gives you three) is the Peanuts Holiday Collection 4K+Blu-ray set, since you also get the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials in 4K Ultra High Definition.

This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.