What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!: Difference between revisions

*What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!*
What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!
Genre	Animated television special
Created by	Charles M. Schulz
Directed by	Phil Roman; Bill Melendez
Voices of	Liam Martin; Bill Melendez
Theme music composer	Vince Guaraldi
Opening theme	"Linus and Lucy"
Composers	Ed Bogas; Judy Munsen; Vince Guaraldi
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Lee Mendelson
Producer	Bill Melendez
Editors	Roger Donley; Chuck McCann
Running time	30 minutes
Production companies	Lee Mendelson Film Productions; Bill Melendez Productions
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	February 23, 1978
Related
	It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977); Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown (1979);

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 23:34, 22 October 2024

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! is the 17th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on Thursday, February 23, 1978, at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on CBS. The special is unusual in that Snoopy and Charlie Brown are the only members of the Peanuts cast to appear in it.^[1] The plot is similar to that of Jack London's The Call of the Wild, and it centers on Snoopy having a nightmare about being an Arctic sled dog. This was the first special Bill Melendez directed since 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

In June 2010, the special debuted on DVD as part of the Peanuts 1970's Collection, Volume Two set by Warner Home Video.^[2] Before that it was released on CED format in 1983, and on VHS by Media Home Entertainment in 1985, Hi-Tops Video in 1988, and on September 6, 1995 by Paramount Home Entertainment along with It's Magic, Charlie Brown. The special occasionally saw airings on the American TV channel Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2000 as part of Nickelodeon's umbrella branding for Peanuts programming, You're on Nickelodeon, Charlie Brown!.

Plot

One winter day, Charlie Brown is trying to pretend to be a musher with Snoopy, but the dog has other ideas and gets Charlie Brown to pull while he has fun riding in the sled. When night comes and they are comfortably indoors, Charlie Brown is indignant that Snoopy is adjusting too well to home life, reminding Snoopy of the facts that Arctic dogs are only fed once a day, their meals largely consisting of cold meat and raw fish (to which Snoopy blanches and gives a look of "it's too bad to be them") and coming to the conclusion that Snoopy is "an overly civilized, underly 'dogified' dog". Snoopy makes a sumptuous dinner of five pizzas, vegetables and a milkshake, to which Charlie Brown retorts he hopes Snoopy can digest all that food. Snoopy then falls asleep atop his doghouse, but when he wakes up he finds himself in a polar region, to which he is made a sled dog for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska, presumably during the Klondike Gold Rush or the 1925 serum run to Nome.

Snoopy is cruelly mistreated, being run ragged by his owner (who is only seen in shadow or silhouette and only speaks in a much deeper version of the classic Peanuts adult "waa-waa-waa" language) and his quintet of the larger dogs. They deny Snoopy any food or water and take turns barking loudly at him to let him know he is indeed an outsider. One scene which breaks the snow scenes is where the sled master stops at a honky tonk, and a hungry Snoopy sneaks inside to snatch a sandwich and a mug of root beer sitting near a piano, where he feigns playing John Philip Sousa's "The Washington Post March". Snoopy later tries his hand at a game of poker, where he keeps a poker face until he laughs out loud revealing his improbable winning hand of five aces, which causes a brawl and leaves Snoopy to escape into the next room. He finds himself on stage with a painted backdrop of Paris and is cheered for his dancing. However, when the music changes and he impersonates a can-can dancer, Snoopy is thrown out of the bar and is back with the sled dogs, where he continues to be mistreated.

Unable to take any more, that night Snoopy breaks down crying, then once he's done he goes about converting to his "new life" to survive, baring his fangs and falling to walking on all fours. Snoopy challenges the lead dog to a fight and wins, becoming the "Alpha Male" of the sled dog pack. He also turns the tables on the rest of the dogs by denying them food and water. Eventually, he leads his owner over an ice-covered lake where the ice cracks and causes all the sled dogs and the owner to be swallowed into the water. Snoopy finds himself being pulled into the hole. As he grapples screaming for his life, Snoopy wakes up clinging to the side of his doghouse and is relieved that he was just having a nightmare. Snoopy later wakes Charlie Brown up and recounts his nightmare in pantomime, to which Charlie Brown allows Snoopy to spend the night inside with him, but not before Snoopy helps himself to a large ice cream sundae, reminding himself that his Arctic experience was indeed a nightmare.

Voice cast

Bill Melendez as Snoopy
Liam Martin as Charlie Brown

References

^ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 444–445. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^ Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Announcement for Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Volume 2 | TVShowsOnDVD.com Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine

External links

What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! at IMDb

[Woolery-1] Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 444–445. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

[2] Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Announcement for Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Volume 2 | TVShowsOnDVD.com Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|1978 film directed by Bill Melendez, Phil Roman}}
+{{short description|1978 animated television special directed by Bill Melendez, Phil Roman}}
 {{Infobox television
-| image                    = WhataNitemareCB-TC.jpg
+| image                = WhataNitemareCB-TC.jpg
-| genre                    = Animated television special
+| genre                = Animated television special
-| creator                  = [[Charles M. Schulz]]
+| creator              = [[Charles M. Schulz]]
-| director                 = [[Phil Roman]]<br>[[Bill Melendez]]
+| director             = [[Phil Roman]]<br>[[Bill Melendez]]
-| voices                   = Liam Martin<br>Bill Melendez
+| voices               = Liam Martin<br>Bill Melendez
-| theme_music_composer     = [[Vince Guaraldi]]
+| theme_music_composer = [[Vince Guaraldi]]
-| opentheme                = "[[Linus and Lucy]]"
+| opentheme            = "[[Linus and Lucy]]"
-| endtheme                 =
+| company              = [[Lee Mendelson Film Productions]]<br>[[Bill Melendez Productions]]
-| composer                 = [[Ed Bogas]]<br>[[Judy Munsen]]<br>Vince Guaraldi
+| composer             = [[Ed Bogas]]<br>[[Judy Munsen]]<br>Vince Guaraldi
-| country                  = U.S.
+| country              = United States
-| language                 = English
+| language             = English
-| executive_producer       = [[Lee Mendelson]]
+| executive_producer   = [[Lee Mendelson]]
-| producer                 = Bill Melendez
+| producer             = Bill Melendez
-| editor                   = Roger Donley<br>Chuck McCann <!-- not that [[Chuck McCann]] -->
+| editor               = Roger Donley<br>Chuck McCann <!-- not that [[Chuck McCann]] -->
-| runtime                  = 30 minutes
+| runtime              = 30 minutes
-| network                  = [[CBS]]
+| network              = [[CBS]]
-| picture_format           = [[Aspect ratio (image)#4:3 standard|4:3]]
+| released             = {{Start date|1978|02|23}}
-| audio_format             = [[Monaural]]
+| related              = {{Plainlist|
+* ''[[It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown]]'' (1977)
-| first_aired              = {{start date|1978|02|23}}
-| preceded_by              = ''[[It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown]]'' (1977)
+* ''[[Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown]]'' (1979)
-| followed_by              = ''[[Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown]]'' (1979)
-| related                  =
-| website                  =
 }}
+}}
-'''''What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!''''' is the 17th [[prime-time]] [[animation|animated]] [[television special]] based on the [[comic strip]] ''[[Peanuts]]'' by [[Charles M. Schulz]]. It originally aired on Thursday, February 23, 1978, at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on [[CBS]]. The special is unusual in that [[Snoopy]] and [[Charlie Brown]] are the only members of the ''Peanuts'' cast to appear in it.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987 |date=1989 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-2198-2 |access-date=27 March 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/animatedtvspecia0000wool/page/444/mode/2up |pages=444–445}}</ref> The plot is similar to that of [[Jack London]]'s ''[[The Call of the Wild]]'', and centers on Snoopy having a nightmare about being an Arctic sled dog. This was the first special [[Bill Melendez]] directed since 1973's ''[[A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving]]''.
+'''''What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!''''' is the 17th [[prime-time]] [[animation|animated]] [[television special]] based on the [[comic strip]] ''[[Peanuts]]'' by [[Charles M. Schulz]]. It originally aired on Thursday, February 23, 1978, at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on [[CBS]]. The special is unusual in that [[Snoopy]] and [[Charlie Brown]] are the only members of the ''Peanuts'' cast to appear in it.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987 |date=1989 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-2198-2 |access-date=27 March 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/animatedtvspecia0000wool/page/444/mode/2up |pages=444–445}}</ref> The plot is similar to that of [[Jack London]]'s ''[[The Call of the Wild]]'', and it centers on Snoopy having a nightmare about being an Arctic sled dog. This was the first special [[Bill Melendez]] directed since 1973's ''[[A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving]]''.
-In June 2010, the special debuted on DVD as part of the ''Peanuts 1970's Collection, Volume Two'' set by [[Warner Home Video]].<ref>[http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Charlie-Brown-Peanuts-Specials-Peanuts-1970s-Collection-V2/13335 Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Announcement for Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Volume 2 | TVShowsOnDVD.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215130640/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Charlie-Brown-Peanuts-Specials-Peanuts-1970s-Collection-V2/13335 |date=2010-02-15 }}</ref> Before that it was released on [[Capacitance Electronic Disc|CED]] format in 1983, and on VHS by [[Media Home Entertainment]] in 1985, [[Hi-Tops Video]] in 1988, and on September 6, 1995 by [[Paramount Home Entertainment]] along with ''[[It's Magic, Charlie Brown]]''. The special occasionally saw airings on the American TV channel [[Nickelodeon]] from 1998 to 2000 as part of Nickelodeon's umbrella branding for Peanuts programming, ''You're on Nickelodeon, Charlie Brown!''.
+In June 2010, the special debuted on DVD as part of the ''Peanuts 1970's Collection, Volume Two'' set by [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment|Warner Home Video]].<ref>[http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Charlie-Brown-Peanuts-Specials-Peanuts-1970s-Collection-V2/13335 Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Announcement for Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Volume 2 | TVShowsOnDVD.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215130640/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Charlie-Brown-Peanuts-Specials-Peanuts-1970s-Collection-V2/13335 |date=2010-02-15 }}</ref> Before that it was released on [[Capacitance Electronic Disc|CED]] format in 1983, and on VHS by [[Media Home Entertainment]] in 1985, [[Hi-Tops Video]] in 1988, and on September 6, 1995 by [[Paramount Home Entertainment]] along with ''[[It's Magic, Charlie Brown]]''. The special occasionally saw airings on the American TV channel [[Nickelodeon]] from 1998 to 2000 as part of Nickelodeon's umbrella branding for Peanuts programming, ''You're on Nickelodeon, Charlie Brown!''.
 == Plot ==
-One winter day, [[Charlie Brown]] is trying to pretend to be a musher with [[Snoopy]], but the dog has other ideas and gets Charlie Brown to pull while he has fun riding in the sled. When night comes and they are comfortably indoors, Charlie Brown is indignant that Snoopy is adjusting too well to home life, reminding Snoopy of facts that [[Arctic]] dogs are only fed once a day, their meals largely consisting of cold meat and raw fish (to which Snoopy blanches and gives a look of "it's too bad to be them") and coming to the conclusion that Snoopy is "an overly civilized, underly 'dogified' dog". Snoopy makes a sumptuous dinner of five pizzas and a milkshake, to which Charlie Brown retorts he hopes Snoopy can digest all that food. Snoopy then falls asleep atop his doghouse, but when he wakes up he finds himself in a polar region, to which he is made a sled dog of the [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race]] in [[Territory of Alaska|Alaska]], presumably during the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] or the [[1925 serum run to Nome]].
+One winter day, [[Charlie Brown]] is trying to pretend to be a musher with [[Snoopy]], but the dog has other ideas and gets Charlie Brown to pull while he has fun riding in the sled. When night comes and they are comfortably indoors, Charlie Brown is indignant that Snoopy is adjusting too well to home life, reminding Snoopy of the facts that [[Arctic]] dogs are only fed once a day, their meals largely consisting of cold meat and raw fish (to which Snoopy blanches and gives a look of "it's too bad to be them") and coming to the conclusion that Snoopy is "an overly civilized, underly 'dogified' dog". Snoopy makes a sumptuous dinner of five pizzas, vegetables and a milkshake, to which Charlie Brown retorts he hopes Snoopy can digest all that food. Snoopy then falls asleep atop his doghouse, but when he wakes up he finds himself in a polar region, to which he is made a sled dog for the [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race]] in [[Territory of Alaska|Alaska]], presumably during the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] or the [[1925 serum run to Nome]].
-Snoopy is cruelly mistreated, being run ragged by his owner (who is only seen in shadow or silhouette and only speaks in a much deeper version of the classic ''Peanuts'' adult "waa-waa-waa" language) and his quintet of larger dogs. They deny Snoopy any food or water and take turns barking loudly at him to let him know he is indeed an outsider.  One scene which breaks the snow scenes is where the sled master stops at a honky tonk, and a hungry Snoopy sneaks inside to snatch a sandwich and a mug of root beer sitting near a piano, where he feigns playing [[John Philip Sousa]]'s "[[The Washington Post (march)|The Washington Post March]]". Snoopy later tries his hand at a game of poker, where he keeps a poker face until he laughs out loud revealing his improbable winning hand of five aces, which causes a brawl and leaving Snoopy to escape into the next room. He finds himself on stage with a painted backdrop of [[Paris]] and is cheered for his dancing. However, when the music changes and he impersonates a can-can dancer, Snoopy is thrown out of the bar and is back with the sled dogs, where he continues to be mistreated.
+Snoopy is cruelly mistreated, being run ragged by his owner (who is only seen in shadow or silhouette and only speaks in a much deeper version of the classic ''Peanuts'' adult "waa-waa-waa" language) and his quintet of the larger dogs. They deny Snoopy any food or water and take turns barking loudly at him to let him know he is indeed an outsider.  One scene which breaks the snow scenes is where the sled master stops at a honky tonk, and a hungry Snoopy sneaks inside to snatch a sandwich and a mug of root beer sitting near a piano, where he feigns playing [[John Philip Sousa]]'s "[[The Washington Post (march)|The Washington Post March]]". Snoopy later tries his hand at a game of poker, where he keeps a poker face until he laughs out loud revealing his improbable winning hand of five aces, which causes a brawl and leaves Snoopy to escape into the next room. He finds himself on stage with a painted backdrop of [[Paris]] and is cheered for his dancing. However, when the music changes and he impersonates a can-can dancer, Snoopy is thrown out of the bar and is back with the sled dogs, where he continues to be mistreated.
-Unable to take any more, that night Snoopy breaks down crying, then once he's done he goes about converting to his "new life" in order to survive, baring his fangs and falls to walking on all fours. Snoopy challenges the lead dog to a fight and wins, becoming the "[[Alpha Male]]" of the sled dog pack. He also turns the tables on the rest of the dogs by denying them food and water. Eventually, he leads his owner over an ice-covered lake where the ice cracks and causes all the sled dogs and the owner to be swallowed into the water. Snoopy finds himself being pulled into the hole. As he grapples screaming for his life, Snoopy wakes up clinging to the side of his doghouse and is relieved that he was just having a nightmare. Snoopy later wakes Charlie Brown up and recounts his nightmare in pantomime, to which Charlie Brown allows Snoopy to spend the night inside with him, but not before Snoopy helps himself to a large ice cream sundae, reminding himself that his Arctic experience was indeed a nightmare.
+Unable to take any more, that night Snoopy breaks down crying, then once he's done he goes about converting to his "new life" to survive, baring his fangs and falling to walking on all fours. Snoopy challenges the lead dog to a fight and wins, becoming the "[[Alpha Male]]" of the sled dog pack. He also turns the tables on the rest of the dogs by denying them food and water. Eventually, he leads his owner over an ice-covered lake where the ice cracks and causes all the sled dogs and the owner to be swallowed into the water. Snoopy finds himself being pulled into the hole. As he grapples screaming for his life, Snoopy wakes up clinging to the side of his doghouse and is relieved that he was just having a nightmare. Snoopy later wakes Charlie Brown up and recounts his nightmare in pantomime, to which Charlie Brown allows Snoopy to spend the night inside with him, but not before Snoopy helps himself to a large ice cream sundae, reminding himself that his Arctic experience was indeed a nightmare.
 == Voice cast ==
@@ Line 44: / Line 42: @@
 == External links ==
-* {{imdb title|id=0076911|title=What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!}}
+* {{IMDb title|id=0076911|title=What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!}}
 {{Peanuts television specials}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown!}}
 [[Category:Peanuts television specials]]
 [[Category:1970s American television specials]]
 [[Category:1970s animated television specials]]
 [[Category:1978 television specials]]
-[[Category:CBS original programming]]
 [[Category:Television shows directed by Bill Melendez]]
 [[Category:Television shows directed by Phil Roman]]
-[[Category:1970s American animated films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
 [[Category:1978 in American television]]
 [[Category:CBS television specials]]

v t e Peanuts filmography
Animated specials	A Charlie Brown Christmas Charlie Brown's All Stars! It's the Great Pumpkin... You're in Love... He's Your Dog... It Was a Short Summer... Play It Again... You're Not Elected... There's No Time for Love... A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving It's a Mystery... It's the Easter Beagle... Be My Valentine... You're a Good Sport... It's Arbor Day... It's Your First Kiss... What a Nightmare... You're the Greatest... She's a Good Skate... Life Is a Circus... It's Magic... Someday You'll Find Her... A Charlie Brown Celebration Is This Goodbye...? It's an Adventure... What Have We Learned...? It's Flashbeagle... Snoopy's Getting Married... You're a Good Man... Happy New Year...! Snoopy! The Musical It's the Girl in the Red Truck... Why, Charlie Brown, Why? Snoopy's Reunion It's Spring Training... It's Christmastime Again... You're in the Super Bowl... It Was My Best Birthday Ever... It's the Pied Piper... A Charlie Brown Valentine Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales Lucy Must Be Traded... I Want a Dog for Christmas... He's a Bully... Happiness Is a Warm Blanket... For Auld Lang Syne It's The Small Things... To Mom (and Dad), With Love Lucy’s School One-of-a-Kind Marcie Welcome Home, Franklin
Feature films	A Boy Named Charlie Brown Snoopy Come Home Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) The Peanuts Movie
TV series	The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show This Is America... Peanuts Motion Comics Peanuts Snoopy in Space The Snoopy Show episodes
Documentaries	A Boy Named Charlie Brown Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz Happy Anniversary... Happy Birthday... It's Your 20th Television Anniversary... You Don't Look 40... Good Grief... : A Tribute to Charles Schulz Here's to You... : 50 Great Years The Making of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
Educational films	Tooth Brushing
Musicals	You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Snoopy! The Musical