Best TV Show of the Week

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on ABC

By catherine Nailog

On Halloween, nothing heralds the holiday more than a fun family viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Airing on Thursday, October 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, the show has been given the honor of Best TV Show of the Week.  Linus was the sole believer in the Great Pumpkin, an entity similar to Santa Claus. Every year he faithfully wrote a letter to the Great Pumpkin, indicating his profound belief in him and hoping to receive gifts on Halloween.  Regardless of what his friends, and his sister, Lucy, said about the Great Pumpkin’s non-existence, Linus’s faith didn’t waver.

Lucy, Charlie Brown and their friends  were dressed in their costumes.  They were  about to set off for their evening of Halloween festivities, but first visited Linus in his pumpkin patch, where Lucy hoped that this year he would join them.  But as usual, Linus declined and stayed in his pumpkin patch. Sally chose to stay with Linus because of her crush on him.  Linus eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Great Pumpkin and explained to Sally that the Great Pumpkin would rise out of a pumpkin patch that was deemed to be “the most sincere” and free of hypocrisy.

As the Peanuts gang trick-or-treated, Lucy remembered to ask for an extra piece of candy for her “blockhead” brother Linus.  The group made out with quite a few treats, with the exception of Charlie Brown, who ended up with a bag full of rocks.  Prior to attending a Halloween party, the group visited Linus and Sally at the pumpkin patch.  They teased them about missing out on trick-or-treating and the Halloween party all for the no-show  the Great Pumpkin.  Lucy defended Linus to the group, but privately she questioned him. Linus assured her that he would be there at his pumpkin patch.  The Great Pumpkin still hadn’t shown up at the pumpkin patch, and Sally became angry at Linus for missing out on Halloween.  She left him in the pumpkin patch alone.  Linus was determined to stay in the pumpkin patch to see his beloved Great Pumpkin, even if he was all by himself.  Lucy woke up early the next morning to find Linus not in his bed.  She got dressed, went out to the pumpkin patch and discovered Linus covered in a small blanket, shivering.  She brought him back home and put him to bed.

Later on, Charlie Brown and Linus spoke about their disappointing Halloweens. When Charlie Brown referred to Linus’s Great Pumpkin as “stupid,” Linus stayed true to form and defended the existence of the Great Pumpkin. Linus was adamant that the Great Pumpkin will appear next year and that all he needed to do was find an even better and more sincere pumpkin patch.

The Peanuts gang never disappoints in providing an entertaining and humorous evening of television viewing for the whole family.  Linus was determined that this year would be the year he would see the Great Pumpkin.  It was touching to see his overwhelming faith in someone who didn’t get the same respect as Santa Claus.  His devotion was never shaken even when faced with taunts of being “a blockhead,” “crazy,” and “stupid.”  The depiction of Linus who whole-heartedly believed in the Great Pumpkin to the degree of  sacrificing trick-or-treating and a party was a wonderful portrayal of dedication.  It was especially heartwarming to see that though Lucy was critical of Linus and his commitment to the Great Pumpkin, she still loved and cared for her brother enough to get an extra piece of candy for him while trick-or-treating and to bring him home when he was freezing in the pumpkin patch.  One’s family will always be there for support, no matter how crazy or foolish one behaves, and that is why It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown deserves to be the Best TV Show of the Week. 

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org