History YMMV / ACharlieBrownChristmas

* FirstInstallmentWins: This special still reigns as by far the most popular ''Peanuts'' special, to the point some aren't aware how many there are outside this and ''It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'' (there's dozens).

* MisaimedMarketing: In the original broadcast, there were ads for Coca-Cola in opening and closing credits… in a show that protests the commercialization of Christmas. [[note]] Note that Schulz was never averse to merchandising ''Peanuts'' itself even before 1965 – he had already worked with Bill Melendez producing ''Peanuts''-themed commercials for Ford.[[/note]]

** This could also be FridgeBrilliance: when Sally says "All I want is what I have coming to me, all I want is my fair share", she sounds very forced but that could very well be because she's parroting something she heard an adult say.

* NotSoCrazyAnymore: The joke about Sally asking Santa for "tens and twenties" has dated rather poorly due to inflation. Granted, even in the new millenium that's still rather a lot of money to give to a child Sally's age, but you need to imagine that she's asking for ''hundreds'' to translate the sheer excess to the present day. [[note]] $10 in 1965 money equals about $75 in 2015 money.[[/note]]

** Linus's bible monologue.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: During the psychiatric booth scene, close-ups on Lucy reveal that she's phasing through the booth.

* {{Glurge}}: ''Very'' up for debate, as the special has gone down in history as '''''the''''' Christmas special, and a majority hold it in high regards to this day. However, those who hadn't exposed themselves to the special for most of their life were able to catch on to some discrepancies the special carries, most notably of which being the cast using the decorations from Snoopy's contest-winning house to decorate the tree, even though the special had earlier denounced such practices when Charlie Brown read the flyer advertising it.
** For those who're aware of the original broadcast, ''(see MisaimedMarketing below)'' the glurge-y implications become just a smidge worse.

** For those aware of the original broadcast, ''(see MisaimedMarketing below)'' the glurge-y implications become just a smidge worse.

* {{Gluge}}: ''Very'' up for debate, as the special has gone down in history as '''''the''''' Christmas special, and a majority hold it in high regards to this day. However, those who hadn't exposed themselves to the special for most of their life were able to catch on to some discrepancies the special carries, most notably of which being the cast using the decorations from Snoopy's contest-winning house to decorate the tree, even though the special had earlier denounced such practices when Charlie Brown read the flyer advertising it.

** This was neither Music/VinceGuaraldi's first participation in a ''Peanuts'' filmed adaptation: his first work was for the previous and unsold documentary, ''A Boy Named Charlie Brown'' in 1963. In fact, his signature creation, "Linus and Lucy," was created for that film and since it was unused for public viewing, he simply played for the Christmas special.

** This isn't the first time the Peanuts characters were seen in animated form. The earliest, animated appearance of Charlie Brown and friends was in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHtX2FEVyA series of commercials]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x58TMNiQ_5Y for Ford that began in 1959.]] Also in 1959, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwYV3RM4Q3w Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the other characters]] would appear on "The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show"/"The Ford Show" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QCfkHxKf5M to introduce the host.]]

** This isn't the first time the Peanuts characters were seen in animated form. The earliest, animated appearance of Charlie Brown and friends was in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHtX2FEVyA series of commercials]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x58TMNiQ_5Y for Ford that began in 1959.]]

* OlderThanTheyThink: This isn't the first time the Peanuts characters were seen in animated form. The earliest, animated appearance of Charlie Brown and friends was in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EHtX2FEVyA series of commercials]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x58TMNiQ_5Y for Ford that began in 1959.]]

* ToughActToFollow: There have been, to date, three other ''Peanuts'' Christmas-themed TV specials after this one (''It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown'', ''Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales'', and ''I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown''), but they all lurk in the shadow of this one since it has become so widely known and celebrated. It's telling that the second of those airs to fill up the remaining hour of current airings, yet most people wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about if you were to bring it up. ''It's Christmastime Again'' usually gets included with DVDs of the original.

* ToughActToFollow: There have been, to date, three other ''Peanuts'' Christmas-themed TV specials after this one (''It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown'', ''Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales'', and ''I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown''), but they all lurk in the shadow of this one since it has become so widely known and celebrated. It's telling that the second of those airs to fill up the remaining hour of current airings, yet most people wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about if you were to bring it up.

** Getting an artificial tree for the holidays is presented as just another example of tacky commercialism at work. These days, eco-conscious people are more likely to use artificial trees because they'd rather not ''kill'' a defenseless tree every year, or support the operations that grow and harvest them en masse, just so it can shed needles all over their living room for a couple of weeks. There's also the fact that real Christmas trees are highly flammable due to being dead. But naturally, of course, this is also influenced by the half-century-plus remove from [[AluminumChristmasTrees how kitschy the artificial trees of the 1960s in question could be]].

** The shots at holiday commercialism and presentation of the Biblical/non-materialistic TrueMeaningOfChristmas have only become more relevant.

** The shots at holiday commercialism and presentation of the Biblical TrueMeaningOfChristmas have only become more relevant.

** Getting an artificial tree for the holidays is presented as just another example of tacky commercialism at work. These days, eco-conscious people are more likely to use artificial trees because they'd rather not ''kill'' a defenseless tree every year, or support the operations that grow and harvest them en masse, just so it can shed needles all over their living room for a couple of weeks. But naturally, of course, this is also influenced by the half-century-plus remove from [[AluminumChristmasTrees how kitschy the artificial trees of the 1960s in question could be]].

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Sums up the initial thoughts of the network before the special aired. The creators as well -- when Charles Schulz, Lee Mendelson, and Bill Melendez saw the final cut for the first time, they thought this would be the last animation ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' would ''ever'' do.

** The kids dancing to "Linus and Lucy".

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Music/VinceGuaraldi's soundtrack qualifies from beginning to end. Many people have credited it as their first exposure to jazz. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM "Linus and Lucy"]] in particular is pure EarWorm for anyone who's ever heard it. And became '''the''' iconic ''Peanuts'' tune, to the point that it's the official ThemeSong for the franchise in all but name.

* HilariousInHindsight: In one part, Charlie Brown [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments makes Lucy fly backwards through the air]] [[SuddenlyShouting with his loudly proclaiming "THAT'S IT!"]] 46 years later, we got [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim a computer game that allows you to do the same]].

** The overt biblical message might be a little uncomfortable or unwelcoming for those who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. CBS actually worried about this at the time. By 1965, Christmas was already largely secularized, especially on television, so one of their major complaints about the special was in fact Linus's Bible recitation; they feared a backlash from the less-religious (keep in mind this was years before the rise of the Christian Right as a political and media force).

* {{Jerkass}}: Lucy, Violet, and Patty as usual. Some of the characters are nicer (Lucy is notably kinder than her usual characterization), but everyone takes a moment in jerkass (except Linus, Sally, and Pig Pen) when they all laugh at him. They at least sing with him at the end.

* ValuesDissonance: The overt biblical message might be a little uncomfortable or unwelcoming for those who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. CBS actually worried about this at the time. By 1965, Christmas was already largely secularized, especially on television, so one of their major complaints about the special was in fact Linus's Bible recitation; they feared a backlash from the less-religious (keep in mind this was years before the rise of the Christian Right as a political and media force).
** Getting an artificial tree for the holidays is presented as just another example of tacky commercialism at work. These days, eco-conscious people are more likely to use artificial trees because they'd rather not ''kill'' a defenseless tree every year, or support the operations that grow and harvest them en masse, just so it can shed needles all over their living room for a couple of weeks.

* {{Jerkass}}: Lucy, Violet, and Patty as usual. Some of the characters are nicer (Lucy is notably kinder than her usual characterization), but everyone takes a moment in jerkass (except Linus, Sally, and PigPen) when they all laugh at him. They at least sing with him at the end.

* {{Jerkass}}: Lucy,Violet, and Patty as usual. Some of the characters are nicer, but everyone takes a moment in jerkass (except Linus) when they all laugh at him. They at least sing with him at the end.

* NotSoCrazyAnymore: The joke about Sally asking Santa for "tens and twenties" has dated rather poorly due to inflation. Granted, even today that's still rather a lot of money to give to a child Sally's age, but you need to imagine that she's asking for ''hundreds'' to translate the sheer excess to the present day. [[note]] $10 in 1965 money equals about $75 in 2015 money.[[/note]]

* Jerkass: Lucy,Violet, and Patty as usual. Some of the characters are nicer, but everyone takes a moment in jerkass (except Linus) when they all laugh at him. They at least sing with him at the end.

* ValuesDissonance: The overt biblical message might be a little uncomfortable/unwelcoming for those who celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. CBS actually worried about this at the time. By 1965, Christmas was already largely secularized, especially on television, so one of their major complaints about the special was in fact Linus's Bible recitation; they feared a backlash from the less-religious (keep in mind this was years before the rise of the Christian Right as a political and media force).