How to watch ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’: When is it on TV or where can I stream it?

A holiday-season classic that turned 50 in 2023, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving won’t be on US television this year - but it is available to stream for free this weekend.

Why isn’t A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on TV anymore?

A program that first aired on CBS on November 20, 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving won an Emmy the year after its TV debut in the US.

It has been a Thanksgiving staple for many Americans over the past five decades, and makes up one third of a trio of iconic specials: 1965 saw the premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas, a year before the release of the Halloween show It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

But while you may remember watching the Charlie Brown holiday specials on TV as a kid - either on CBS or ABC - this is no longer an option. Apple purchased the rights to the Peanuts shows in 2020, and they have been on the tech giant’s streaming platform, AppleTV+, ever since.

How to stream A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for free

Although Apple did strike a deal with PBS that allowed the TV channel to show the specials in 2021, no such agreement has been reached in subsequent years.

However, even if you don’t have a subscription to AppleTV+, Apple says you will be able to stream A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving free of charge on Saturday November 23 and Sunday November 24.

In an announcement in September, Apple also revealed that non-subscribers will be given free access to A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday December 14 and Sunday December 15.

If you do have a subscription to AppleTV+, you can stream the 25-minute Charlie Brown holiday specials whenever you wish.

How much does AppleTV+ cost in the United States?

A subscription to AppleTV+ costs $9.99 a month in the US. If you aren’t sold on adding another streaming service to your catalog, you can always take advantage of the platform’s seven-day free trial and cancel before your credit card is charged.