A Charlie Brown Valentine on ABC (2/15/2003)

[Pavan]

The Peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Valentine, produced and animated by the same team that gave us the now classic Peanuts holiday specials and taken directly from the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz’s famed comic strip, will air Saturday, February 15 (8:00-8:30 pm ET), on the ABC Television Network. (Rebroadcast. Original Airdate: 2/14/02)

The debut of A Charlie Brown Valentine in February 2002 gave ABC its highest adult eighteen to fourty-nine rating (3.5/10) with entertainment programming in the half-hour in nearly one year – since 3/22/01. Among adults eighteen to thirty-four (3.5/12), ABC saw its strongest delivery with entertainment programming in the time slot in well over one year – since 12/28/00.

A Charlie Brown Valentine marked the first newly created programming from the Peanuts team in several years. In this special, Charlie Brown finally works up the courage to call the little redhaired girl to ask her to the Valentine's Day dance. But once again he ends up broken-hearted and empty-handed when he dials the wrong number and reaches Peppermint Patty instead.
Peanuts focuses on the anxieties and joys of childhood as expressed by an ensemble cast of children who often seem wise beyond their years. Among them are the lovable Charlie Brown, who perseveres despite continuous failure; the philosophical, blanket-carrying Linus; the fussbudget Lucy, who dispenses psychological advice for a nickel from behind a concession stand; and toy-piano virtuoso Schroeder. Central to the comic strip is Charlie Brown’s dog, Snoopy.

Cast members include Wesley Singerman (Charlie Brown), Lauren Schaffel (Lucy), Corey Padnos (Linus), Emily Lalande (Peppermint Patty), Jessica D. Stone (Marcie) and Christopher Ryan Johnson (Schroeder).