| Why, Charlie Brown, Why? | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Animated television special Drama Comedy Family |
| Created by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Written by | Charles M. Schulz |
| Directed by | Sam Jaimes |
| Voices of | Kaleb Henley Brandon Stewart Adrienne Stiefel Jennifer Banko Olivia Burnette Bill Melendez Lindsay Sloane Brittany Thornton Dion Zamora |
| Composer | Judy Munsen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lee Mendelson |
| Producer | Bill Melendez |
| Camera setup | Nick Vasu |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Lee Mendelson Film Productions Bill Melendez Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | March 16, 1990 |
| Related | |
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Why, Charlie Brown, Why? is the 33rd prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on March 16, 1990, and was also nominated for an Emmy.[1] It is the second Charlie Brown special of the 1990s.
Hymn
This special also included a brief rendition of the hymn "Farther Along", sung by Becky Reardon. The song played in the background as an angry Linus tries to make sense of Janice's illness.
Cast
- Kaleb Henley as Charlie Brown
- Brandon Stewart as Linus Van Pelt
- Adrienne Stiefel as Sally Brown
- Jennifer Banko as Lucy Van Pelt
- Olivia Burnette as Janice Emmons
- Dion Zamora as schoolyard bully
- Brittany Thornton as Janice's curly-haired sister
- Lindsay Sloane as Janice's red-haired sister
- Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock
Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Marcie, Franklin, Violet, and Shermy make cameo appearances.
Production and reception
The idea for Why, Charlie Brown, Why? was conceived by Sylvia Cook, a registered nurse at the Stanford Children's Hospital. In December 1985, Cook sent a letter to Charles M. Schulz, asking him to produce a short animated film about cancer for young patients featuring the Peanuts characters. Schulz was initially doubtful because of the anticipated high production costs. Eventually, Cook received input from the American Cancer Society, which convinced Schulz to produce, rather than just a five-minute film, a half-hour special about the subject. Producer Bill Melendez and CBS initially balked at this idea, but eventually agreed to do it because of Schulz's enthusiasm for the project. The script of the special was completely written by Schulz, with Cook and the American Cancer Society serving as consultants .[2]
The special has been shown in hospitals and in public education systems, primarily elementary schools and junior high schools, as a method for explaining the subject to children, and is also a part of the Pennies for Patients fundraiser campaign organized by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Paramount Home Video released the special on VHS on January 9, 1996, and debuted on DVD in 2015 as part of the Peanuts Emmy Honored Collection.[3] The special is available on iTunes. The special has rarely aired on US television since its original premiere; Disney Channel has re-aired it while Nickelodeon and ABC, which at different points have withheld the rights to the Peanuts specials, have not. It has been seen on Boomerang in some European countries. The special is also streaming on Apple TV+, remastered to high definition.
A book adaptation of the special, titled Why, Charlie Brown, Why? A Story About What Happens When a Friend is Very Ill, was published by Pharos Books some weeks before the special's premiere on CBS, and was reissued in 2002. The original printing featured a foreword by actor Paul Newman.
Critical reaction to the special was overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers praising it for its realism and poignancy, and for Janice's bravery in facing her disease.
The first airing of this special brought in an 8.7 household rating and a 16 percent audience share, ranking 65th out of 86 shows that week, and was watched by 15 million viewers.[4]
Nominations
Why, Charlie Brown, Why? was nominated for the Emmy for an Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) and the Humanitas Prize.[1]