The first Peanuts TV special, the well-known "A Charlie Brown Christmas," originally aired in 1965. 27 more followed by the time 1985 rolled around, when this special was made. "It's Your 20th" commemorates them, and celebrates their success and popularity.
This was already well-traveled material, as CBS and Charles Schulz previously produced anniversary specials in 1976 and 1979. They must have had decent ratings then, to go to the well here once again. Regardless, it's a trip down memory lane most Peanuts fans should enjoy.
Schulz explains the origins and his motivations for creating some of his characters. At one point the viewer is given a glimpse of the real voice actors for some of the gang. Schulz also reveals his inspiration for a few of his creative decisions, like why sports often feature in the specials, or current events like the '80s fitness craze. There is likely to be at least one fact revealed you didn't know before watching this (for me, it was learning that a typical 30-minute TV special requires 30,000 individual photos of animation cels). Yes, 30,000!
Overall I found it to be an interesting peek behind the curtain of the world of Peanuts.
7/10. Recommended for Peanuts fans. See it at the Internet Archive.
