Peanuts 1970’s Collection Vol. 1

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Six more of Charlie Brown’s misadventures are rounded up in this set.

Good ol’ Charlie Brown. Ever since his debut in 1950, Chuck and his pals, collectively known as the Peanuts, have become a pop culture phenomenon that has lasted ever since. Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty…these are all names that are easily recognizable to virtually every person in America and probably a good percentage beyond these shores. From their origins as newspaper strip icons to the television specials that brought them into the multimedia conscious to spokespeople (and spokesbeagles, in Snoopy’s case) for various brands, the Peanuts gang has shown very little sign of slowing down. Almost a decade after the death of creator Charles Schulz, the strip still appears as reprints in many major papers, while a couple of the TV specials are still a staple of annual holiday airings.

Continuing their goal to release the entire Peanuts television special catalog, Warner Bros has now brought us Peanuts 1970s Collection Vol. 1, which is comprised of the first six specials that aired in the decade of wood panelling. These half-hour specials aren’t as well known as the first few Peanuts cartoons from the 1960s; there’s no Great Pumpkin or sad little Christmas trees in need of attention here. Still, the spirit of the strip is ever-present and while the half-dozen specials here aren’t exactly memorable, they’re entertaining.

The two most well-known specials included are probably You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown - in which Charlie and friends try to help Linus in a school election – and It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown - which takes some of the themes of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and simply changes holidays. Two of the cartoons—Play it Again, Charlie Brown and It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown are hitting DVD for the first time (Paramount, the previous rights holder, never quite got around to releasing the entire series). A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and There’s No Time for Love, Charlie Brown round out the set. There’s No Time for Love is notable for having very little plot until almost halfway through, instead relying on almost-sketchlike bits that I’m guessing were adapted straight from the comic strips.

Overall, the prints look great, continuing WB’s improvement over previous releases in this regard. There’s still the occasional softness of image, but it’s a drastic improvement nonetheless. The only special feature is a short bit regarding the bird Woodstock, Snoopy’s sidekick.

The Peanuts 1970s Collection doesn’t go far beyond where the series had already been, but it does at least continue the charming, if not exactly gut-busting, humor of the series.

I also want to note that at the same time, Warners is releasing I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown on DVD as part of its “individual Peanuts titles” series. As with others in the series, it comes with an extra special, Happy New Year, Charlie Brown and a short documentary, this one detailing Linus and Lucy’s family. I’m still not happy about the way they’re releasing the series in two different formats, but at least they’re hitting them with enough speed and regularity that those who prefer one over the other don’t have to wait too long for the next installment to show up.

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