I don't know for sure, but I recall when I was little the Peanuts specials seemed to run longer than they do now. Maybe it was because as a child I had no real concept of time, but I just wanted to find out if the specials were edited to allow for more commercial time?
It's not terribly important, but if you know anything about that, just post. Thanks.
Yes, I believe the special was an hour long (at least during the 70's and 80's).
Now it is only 1/2 hour long when aired on tv.
Well, my VHS clamshell version is 25 minutes long. I don't know if there would be 35 minutes worth of commercials for such a special. I think they only ran for a half hour, but as kids, we have no concept of time (or it seemed longer to us).
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The specials do seem shorter now than when I was younger. If it is 25 minutes on video than it is probably cut a bit to fit into the 30 minute time-slot, normally 1/2 hour shows are roughly 20 minutes to allow for commercials. Although the whole "concept of time" does play into it. Each minute being a shorter percentage of your life as you age effects the perception I believe. Ever notice how the older you get the faster time seems to go by?
I think they are pretty much the same. I never recall them being an hour long.
One thing I have noticed... the older ones seem more "fluid" in their story and writing with some of the latter ones seeming like they were simply a few related Peanut's comic strips animated and thrown together.... say a few words, build up to the "punch" then start over again.
The specials were usually aired 2 at a time, so you'd get Charlie Brown followed by Fat Albert for a total "Special" time of 1 hour. I just wish they'd show them all again...who remembers the Charlie Brown New Year special?
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They did show the entire 25 minutes in a 1/2 hour segment along with commercials.
Who else here remembers Snoopy as the Zinger-Zapper for the Dolly Madison commercials?
In more recent years, the networks have edited out more of the program to include more commercials.
Now they run between 7-10 minutes of them as opposed to the 5 from years ago.
I think the trick-or-treating scenes (I got a rock) were the ones they cut first.
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"I got a rock" scene was in last nights ABC primetime run of it.
shareI was so ready to watch this with my 4 year old daughter who is so excited about Halloween this year. Is it just me, or did the "I got a rock." seem to happen like 3 times before, now only once.
Ahhh TV editing!
It's not just you. As other writers have mentioned, they've cut several short clips out of the special so there could be a few more minutes of commercials - they did this with the Christmas special, as well. The thing to do: Buy the DVDs! You get the complete special, no cuts, plus it will last a long time.
shareDon't know about the Great Pumpkin, but the Christmas special is now shown on TV in its entirety but time compressed (i.e. ran at a slightly faster speed) to allow more commercials.
Elvis is DEAD
Don't know about the Great Pumpkin, but the Christmas special is now shown on TV in its entirety but time compressed (i.e. ran at a slightly faster speed) to allow more commercials.
Now they run between 7-10 minutes of them as opposed to the 5 from years ago. I think the trick-or-treating scenes (I got a rock) were the ones they cut first.
That's what I mean. I seem to recall Charlie Brown saying, "I got a rock," more than once in the special years ago.
I just finished watching it on ABC (west coast) and Charlie Brown did say "I got a rock" three times.
shareIn more recent years, the networks have edited out more of the program to include more commercials.
Now they run between 7-10 minutes of them as opposed to the 5 from years ago.
I think the trick-or-treating scenes (I got a rock) were the ones they cut first.
Here's the McDonald's ad. It is amazing what you can find on YouTube...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MRc4F-75Qe0
I've noticed that in recent years that Ronald has been replaced by another guy. Just doesn't seem the same. Still, he's the only non-scary clown I can think of. At least he was until the health police made him evil.
God, I thought I was the only one that remembered the Dolly Madison commercials during the Peanuts specials.
Exterminate!
Your right. The VHS tape has a running length of about 25 minutes. At one point in time, a TV show or special had just one, maybe two sponsors who ran fewer commercials. As other people have mentioned, Dolly Madison was the sole sponsor for this Charlie Brown special and only ran a 2 or 3 minute spot at the midpoint of the show.
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Yeah, that was my favorite scene, where Schroeder plays happy, upbeat WWI-era numbers like 'Pack Up Your Troubles' and 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' - Snoopy cheerfully marches in time, but Schroeder alternates into weepy, sentimental numbers causing Snoopy to sniffle, weep, and then let out a big embarrassing howl. While the networks have shown (justifiable) respect to 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and running it uncut, they give this one short shrift, to my bummedness.
share"While the networks have shown (justifiable) respect to 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and running it uncut, they give this one short shrift, to my bummedness."
Not entirely true, [email protected]:
During the end credits when the kids are sing, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", the entire song is completed and the final scene shows all the kids standing around the newly decorated tree. Now, the last couple of bars and the remainder of the lyrics are faded out so they can't be heard. I personally would be happy to forgo 15 seconds of station promos in order to hear the characters sing the entire song. With the rising cost of prime airtime at such a premium, the networks are always more concerned with their bottom line than viewer satisfaction. Think of "The Wizard of Oz", and the hatchet job the network does when aired on regular network TV; the only time you get to see it the way it was originally meant to be viewed is when TCM has it scheduled for multiple airings. I believe the only way to enjoy our childhood memories of these classic animated features will be to purchase them for the home movie collection.
Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for
They don't cut off "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" for the sake of time; it's because there was originally an onscreen credit, or sometimes a voice-over, for Coca-Cola, which are no longer applicable. Here is the original 1965 ending (a B&W print), before modifications in 1968; Snoopy moves his mouth as if also singing, and Charlie Brown "blushes" before starting to sing. The onscreen Coca-Cola credit appears at the song's original ending:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_oCutN7_W4
Hear the voice-over here, from 1969, where the final onscreen credit has been cut off, but the song ending can still be heard with "The End":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th1GdWQiYPM
Everything seems bigger when you're little! :)
shareI have an old airing from the early 80's. In it, they actually cut down on the gang's tricks or treats segment. They cut out the several times that Charlie Brown got a rock, as well as Lucy's asking for an extra piece of candy for her 'stupid brother.'
It's hard to believe, but they were even editing these shows back then. Like my copy of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' from 1986, where they cut out Linus knocking a tin can with a snowball from his blanket, before Lucy comments about the blanket.
It's me, your lovable dictator! Uh-oh. -Bender, Futurama
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I gotta give some props to ABC for showing the entire special without cuts made for television time, although they did have to do it to "You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown," which is a shame because they cut some of the best parts of that special, including the extended scene with Charlie Brown and Sally at the beginning and the hilarious call-in scene between Lucy and some callers who can't make up their mind on what questions to ask. On another note, did anyone else notice how Charles Schulz was able to turn a 30 minute call-in show into a 3 minute segment? I always thought that was something in itself!
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Well, I remember on some airings how the trick-or-tricking scene had been cut down by half, where they omitted Lucy getting twice as much candy as the others (so her brother Linus would have his share). The cut was like this: after the commercial break, the scene would fade in to the Peanuts trick-or-treating at a door, then cutting to Lucy saying 'trick-or-treat' as candy was dropped into her bag, then cutting to the peanuts saying, 'I got a popcorn ball! I got a pack of gum! I got a rock!', and then the Peanuts asking CB about Snoopy as they walk down the sidewalk. Anyone remember those cuts? : )
shareIn the old days, "half-hour" programs used to have 26 minutes to work with. And then it was 24. Now it's 22. So they likely cut certain portions to fit into that window -- ugh.
Fortunately, they don't do that for Charlie Brown Christmas. Instead they just add the brief "Charlie Brown Christmas Tales" to fill it out as if it were an "hour-long" program. It's way subpar in comparison, but it's far more preferable to cutting a single frame of the original classic.
They did used to seem longer.
shareTonight's 30 minute ABC airing has had ads for Zicam, McDonald's, Fisher Price, promos for new sitcoms for Reba McIntire and a few other products. I do miss the old ads for Dolly Madison. I just never cared for the Charlie character because he was treated badly. I just wanted Lucy to get her comeuppance. Just another bully.
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