January 1st, 2021 
Michael Lyons 
If you think about, New Year’s Day is the perfect holiday for Charlie Brown. With the holidays behind us for another year and nothing ahead of us but the grey days of January and our blank tax returns, it’s easy to feel as defeated as everyone’s favorite “lovable loser” does all year long.
It’s a wonder then, that it took so long for Charlie Brown and New Years to come together. In fact, it was a little over twenty years since his TV debut in A Charlie Brown Christmas, that we got Happy New Year, Charlie Brown.
Debuting on January 1st, 1986, it’s probably one of the most seldom-seen of all The Peanuts TV Specials (in fact, mention it to someone and they may be shocked that it even exists). However, most of the regular “Peanuts TV Special Crew” returns for Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, including creator Charles Schulz, who based the plot of the special on a series of comic strips, in which Charlie Brown was racing the clock to finish a book report before the end of Christmas vacation.
This premise is how Happy New Year, Charlie Brown opens, during the last day before Christmas break, with Charlie and Linus in school and their teacher assigning a book report on War and Peace. No grammar school student in the world most likely has to read Leo Tolstoy’s massive novel, but word is that it was Schulz’ favorite book. Also, the thought of a child trying to read War and Peace in a little over a week’s time only compliments the humor of the special.
To add to this, Peppermint Patty calls to ask Charlie (a/k/a “Chuck”) to her New Year’s Eve party, but Charlie is conflicted, as he has to finish reading the massive novel and write the book report, so he begins to look for a “short cut.” He goes to the store searching for the novel in a comic book form, a record or even a cassette (how about that for a “date stamp” on the special).
The Little Red-Haired Girl, Charlie Brown’s crush, is also in this special. Charlie is usually too shy to talk with her, but in this special, he musters up the courage to send her an invitation to the New Year’s Eve party.
When the party does finally roll around, Charlie Brown still hasn’t finished War and Peace, so he takes it with him to the party, thinking he can finish it there. He even steals away from the party and goes out on the front porch of Patty’s house to read, but, in perfect Charlie Brown fashion, he falls asleep, not only missing out on midnight and the New Year, but the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl, as well.
To pile on to this, the special ends with Charlie Brown back at school, after Christmas break, learning that he received a “D-“ on the book report (the teacher adds a note that the report looks like it “was written after midnight on the last day of Christmas vacation”). Linus then informs Charlie Brown that their next assignment is to read Crime & Punishment, after which poor Charlie faints and Linus says, “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown.”
The special was much like a number of other Peanuts specials, with some new additions. One of the biggest was The Little Red-Haired Girl. She was first referred to in the Peanuts comic strip in 1961, but never by name and was never seen.
The character’s first appearance in a TV Special was in 1977’s It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown and she returned for Happy New Year, Charlie Brown. In both, not only is she seen, she is referred to by name as Heather.
Another recurring character in the “Peanuts universe,” Rerun, the baby brother of Linus and Lucy, makes an appearance in the special. This character first appeared in the comic strips in 1972 and has since appeared in several TV specials before Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, but has a central, comedic role in this special.
During a funny scene, Rerun assists his brother and sister to blow up balloons for the party. Each time Rerun attempts to inflate his balloon, however, they all come out square, to Linus’ surprise. Linus attempts to teach his younger brother the correct way to inflate balloons, but they keep coming out humorously square.
Another differentiator about Happy New Year, Charlie Brown is the fact that it’s a musical, of sorts. While music has been a large part of the other Peanuts specials (Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” is a Christmas anthem now), this special features two songs.
One is “Slow, Slow Quick! Quick!,” where Charlie Brown is at dance school and the other is the immensely catchy “earworm,” “Musical Chairs,” which Peppermint Patty sings at her party.
The special doesn’t have the iconic, or emotional connection of The Great Pumpkin or Christmas favorites. Also, Happy New Year, Charlie Brown misses an opportunity around details, by choosing to exclude any reference to Christmas in the background – there are no lights, trees, etc. – which makes it feels somewhat disconnected from the season.
The special celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, having debuted on January 1, 1986 on CBS and has been available through the years on VHS and an airing on ABC in 2008. Most recently, it’s been made available as a bonus feature on the DVD of the 2003 special, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown may pair Charlie Brown with the holiday that seems perfect for the perennial “also-ran,” but he and The Peanuts gang are the perfect group to spend this finale to the Christmas Season with. After 2020, they all give us hope that this will be the year we all finally get to talk to The Little Red-Haired Girl.
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