It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!

The peanuts gang are up to their usual mischief in preparation for Easter Sunday, but no one seems to be listening to Linus. He swears that the Easter Beagle will come and make the celebrations complete. Typically no one listens to him, he is little bit 'Ralph Wiggum' remember.

Though Snoopy ends up being that very Beagle, he's far too busy trying to help out Woodstock. The poor little bird is freezing in his cruddy little nest full of cold water. So Snoopy goes off to the mall (already advertising Xmas goodies!) to buy him a bird house. With hilarious results.

After much hijinks and endless trips to the mall for eggs (Marcie keeps smashing them as she doesn't know how to do egg-painting) Snoopy saves the day and proves Linus right after all. Sigh! They don't make 'em like this anymore. I'll take Snoopy over Spongebob any day.

What else is there to say about the Easte Beagle. As usual Snoopy steals the show. Good Old Snoopy always steals the show in the Peanuts specials. However, not only would it not be Easter without Snoopy, we also need to include Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Who cannot love the misadventures of the Peanuts gang? Their specials are what makes the holidays of the year great. From Peppermint Patty struggle to teach Marcie to color Easter eggs. From Snoopy buying the perfect birdhouse for Woodstock. To Linus always having a way of words for the Easter Holiday. To Good Old Charlie Brown, as always, dreading the holiday. Snoopy as the Easter Beagle is a must for Easter and something generations of people can enjoy every year at Easter. The Easter Beagle is Easter.

The Peanuts gang is preparing to celebrate Easter. Peppermint Patty and Marcie struggle to make Easter eggs, Snoopy tries to help Woodstock find a new home, and Linus is once again waiting on an enigmatic holiday figure. It's not the Great Pumpkin this time, though. It's the Easter Beagle. One guess on who that will turn out to be. Charlie Brown takes a backseat in this one, as his friends get most of the plot. It's a sweet, smart, funny cartoon, as all of the '60s and '70s Peanuts specials were. They're timeless really. Oh and the groovy soundtrack is a plus. It's not on par with the Christmas or Halloween classics, but it's still pretty good.

Like the Valentine's Day this episode is charming fun. You can't beat a cool Vince Guaraldi soundtrack, wry Charles Schulz humor and the earnest kid's voice actors not to mention some great catch the Beethoven references. This will not disappoint and has much to offer on so many levels. I have not seen it in years, but it cracks me up as much now as it did then. It even has some commentary on modern commercialism which is always heartening. While not as classic as the Christmas and Haloween episodes, it is up there with some of the best, certainly better than the ones which post-dated Vince Guaraldi death. Keep it on the shelf and bring it out in the spring. It will be a tradition you will be proud of!

In my opinion, this is an excellent holiday special which is very hip and hilarious. However, I couldn't bear seeing Marcie (voice of Peter Robbins) having to boil all those Easter eggs herself while Peppermint Patty yelled at her so she would do it right. In addition, the thing that really makes this special worth watching is the score, especially "Linus And Lucy." When that song is performed, I always get warm and tingly. I would have to say that's my favorite song of this special. If you ask me, Charles M. Schulz was a really good artist. In conclusion, I highly recommend this excellent Easter special which is very hip and hilarious to everyone, especially all you fans of the comic strip who have not seen it. When you see it, prepare to smile and have a good time.