It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! is the 12th prime-time animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.[1] In the United States, it debuted on CBS on April 9, 1974 at 8 PM.[2] Thereafter, CBS aired it each Easter season from 1974 to 2000. ABC repeated the special in some years during the period 2001 through 2014.

It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!
Also known asA Charlie Brown Easter
GenreAnimated television special
Created byCharles M. Schulz
Directed byPhil Roman
Voices ofTodd Barbee
Melanie Kohn
Stephen Shea
Lynn Mortensen
Greg Felton
Jimmy Ahrens
Linda Ercoli
Bill Melendez
Theme music composerVince Guaraldi
Opening theme"Easter Theme"
Ending theme"Easter Theme"
Composer(s)Vince Guaraldi
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
Production
Executive producer(s)Lee Mendelson
Producer(s)Bill Melendez
Editor(s)Chuck McCann
Roger Donley
Running time25:05
Release
Original networkCBS
Picture format4:3
Audio formatMonaural
First shown inApril 9, 1974
Chronology
Preceded byIt's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974)
Followed byBe My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)

Summary

While most of the Peanuts gang is busy getting ready for Easter, Linus futilely tries to convince them that it is all a waste of time, and that the "Easter Beagle" will take care of everything. Only Charlie Brown's sister, Sally, believes him, although she remains skeptical after their Great Pumpkin misadventure on Halloween.

Peppermint Patty and Marcie attempt to color Easter eggs, but as it is Marcie's first time, she does not know how. Their first attempt fails as Marcie fries the eggs on a griddle (making fried eggs). The second attempt fails when she tries cooking more eggs on a waffle iron (for 4 of the eggs), then in a toaster (for 1 of them, which is unsuccessful because the egg cannot fit in one of the toaster's slots), and baking the rest of them (the same egg she tries toasting and the remaining 7) in the oven. In the third and final attempt, Peppermint Patty spends the last of her allowance on a third carton of eggs. In doing so, Peppermint Patty (after spending the last of her money with the third and final dozen of eggs) explains to Marcie about how the eggs must be cooked. The eggs are to be neither fried, roasted, toasted, nor waffled. They are supposed to be boiled. However, instead of putting them in shells-and-all (to make boiled eggs), Marcie puts the eggs into the pot of water (without the shells). This results with egg soup. Peppermint Patty has an outrage then screams to Marcie that she made egg soup. So that attempt one last time fails. At the end, Peppermint Patty has spent her whole allowance, is out of money, and cannot buy any more eggs. Therefore, she and Marcie end up with no colored eggs and are unable to make any more attempts.

Woodstock wakes up shivering in his nest after a cold spring rain. He goes for help to Snoopy, who buys him a birdhouse. At first Woodstock hates it, but soon makes it over into a bachelor pad, complete with television, contemporary artwork, a sunken bed, modern furniture, and a quadrophonic stereo system. Curious to see more of the inside, Snoopy gets his nose stuck in the entry hole and accidentally shatters the birdhouse, and so he buys Woodstock another house.

Much to Schroeder's chagrin, Lucy believes that Easter is the "gift-getting season", so she decides to have her own private Easter egg hunt, painting and then hiding the eggs herself to find them on Easter morning. But unknown to her, Snoopy follows close behind and snatches up each one of the eggs. Easter morning arrives, and so does the Easter Beagle, tossing eggs to everyone including Woodstock in his new birdhouse, to Lucy (whose hand Snoopy furtively shakes), and even Peppermint Patty and Marcie. But by the time he gets to Charlie Brown, Snoopy has run out of eggs, and he gives Charlie Brown an embarrassed smile instead.

At the end, when everyone (except Charlie Brown) has received Easter eggs, Sally (when she and Linus reunite with Lucy), tells Linus that he was right. There is an "Easter beagle". But Lucy responds angrily (saying, "SOME EASTER BEAGLE!"). She reluctantly believes Linus that an Easter beagle exists and angrily says that he gave her an egg that was one of her own eggs (saying, "HE GAVE ME MY OWN EGG!"). Charlie Brown did not get any goodies from the Easter beagle.

When everyone (minus Charlie Brown) has received an Easter egg from the "Easter beagle" (Snoopy), Marcie then asks Peppermint Patty what they should do with their eggs now that they have them. Peppermint Patty instructs Marcie that after you receive the eggs, you put a little salt on the eggs and eat them. Marcie does so (without removing the shell). After the Easter Beagle's visit, Sally becomes a believer. But as for Lucy, she quickly realizes that the Easter Beagle gave her one of her own eggs. Because of that, she is still brooding about it ten weeks later, and Linus suggests that she go and talk about it with Snoopy. She visits Snoopy's doghouse to pick a fight, but Snoopy takes the fight out of her with a disarming kiss on the cheek. Lucy smiles at that because Easter still made her happy. Then she says, "The Easter Beagle" as the special ends.

Voice cast

Production notes

Music score

The music score for It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was composed by Vince Guaraldi (except where noted) and conducted and arranged by John Scott Trotter.[3] The score was recorded by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on February 12, 20, 26 and March 14, 1974, at Wally Heider Studios, featuring Seward McCain (bass) and Eliot Zigmund (drums).[4]

The song "Snoopy and Woodstock" featured is an uptempo reworking of "Mystery Theme," the primary theme of It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974) which was broadcast two months prior to It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.[3]

  1. "Peppermint Patty"
  2. "Easter Theme"
  3. "Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Opus 2: I. Allegro con brio" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  4. "Snoopy and Woodstock" (aka Cue 4)[5]
  5. "Linus and Lucy"
  6. "Woodstock's Dream"
  7. "Background No. 1" (mistitled "Tisn't the Season")
  8. "Easter Theme" (second reprise, bunny-wunnie dance)
  9. "Woodstock's Dream" (version 2)
  10. "Snoopy and Woodstock" (reprise)
  11. "Background No. 2" (mistitled "Tisn't the Season")
  12. "Kitchen Music" (version 1)
  13. "Linus and Lucy" (second reprise)
  14. "Woodstock's Pad"
  15. "Woodstock's Dream" (version 3)
  16. "Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 116" (Music Box dance) (Johann Sebastian Bach)
  17. "Woodstock's Dream" (version 4)
  18. "Kitchen Music" (version 2, aka Cue 18, Take 1)[5]
  19. "Linus and Lucy" (third reprise)
  20. "Linus and Lucy" (fourth reprise)
  21. "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus. 92: II. Allegretto" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  22. "Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Opus. 92: I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace" (Ludwig van Beethoven)
  23. ""Background No. 3" (mistitled "Tisn't the Season")
  24. "Linus and Lucy" (fifth reprise)
  25. "Easter Theme" (third reprise, end credits)

No official soundtrack for It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown has been released. However, in the mid-2000s, recording session master tapes for seven 1970s-era Peanuts television specials scored by Guaraldi were discovered by his son, David Guaraldi. This resulted in the release of "Snoopy and Woodstock" (aka Cue 4) and "Kitchen Music" (version 2, aka Cue 18, Take 1)[5] being released on the compilation album, Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2 (2008).[6][5] In addition, a live version of "Woodstock's Pad" (mistitled "Then Came You") was also released in 2008 on Live on the Air from a Vince Guaraldi Trio concert originally recorded on February 6, 1974 (exactly two years to the day before Guaraldi's untimely death).[6][7]

Voice talent

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was the last special for Todd Barbee. He would be replaced by Duncan Watson, respectively.

Television

The program's rights are held by ABC Television, where it runs annually. It ran annually on ABC from 2001 up to April 11, 2006.[8] In 2007, the network, without any explanation, did not air the program, but it returned on March 18, 2008, as filler programming against American Idol. The TV special was watched by 6.32 million viewers, in fourth place behind Idol, NCIS and The Biggest Loser, and fifth place if Spanish-language Univision is counted.[9] ABC didn't air the special in 2011 or 2012, but it aired on Easter Sunday 2013 along with Charlie Brown's All-Stars (1966), watched by 2.56 million people, tied for fourth place behind the end of the NCAA Championship Basketball Game between Duke and Louisville and a rerun of The Voice.[10][11] The special aired again with Charlie Brown's All-Stars on Easter Sunday in 2014. To date this is the last broadcast airing of the special.

Home media

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown was released to DVD twice, first on March 4, 2003 by Paramount Home Entertainment and again on February 19, 2008 on a Remastered Deluxe Edition DVD from Warner Home Video. It was also released in the UK by Firefly Entertainment in 2004, with Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown.

VHS releases of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown have, in the past, been available in the 1980s from Kartes Video Communications, Media Home Entertainment and subsidiary Hi-Tops Video and in the 1990s by Paramount.

References
  1. Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-1452110912.
  2. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts Song Library: It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown TV Specials, Volume 2 at AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: Vince Guaraldi and the Lost Cues from the Charlie Brown Television Specials, Volume 2". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  7. Live on the Air at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  8. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown - Home - ABC.com Archived 2012-07-07 at Archive.today
  9. FOX Cuts In on ABC Tuesday. Zap2It.com. 19 March 2008. and Fitzgerald, Toni. Miss Guided lands short of the mark Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Media Life. 19 March 2008.
  10. Sunday Final Ratings: 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted Up & Unscrambled CBS Numbers 2 April 2013.
  11. Peanuts Animation and Video List. 30 March 2013.
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