Apple is making good on its promise to release new Peanuts content with today’s premiere of Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical. It’s the first Peanuts musical in 37 years, with the last one, Snoopy: The Musical, debuting way back 1988. The new cartoon introduces some catchy new songs (and a jazz piano score, of course) as Charlie Brown and friends attempt to save their beloved summer camp Cloverhill from destruction.
The 40-minute special directed by Erik Wiese is centered around Charlie Brown’s younger sister Sally, who hates summer camp after arriving for the first time. It’s up to her brother, in his last year at camp, to help change her attitude. In the other major plot line, the kids discover that Cloverhill is set for destruction, so Charlie Brown comes up with a plan to put on a festival to save it. Snoopy isn’t the main character this time, but is the source of much comic relief (pitching a “pup” tent and sleeping on top of it like his doghouse).
The special uses digital animation to try to capture the style of Charles M. Schultz’s original drawings. During one poignant song (When We Were Light), the animation reverts to Schultz’s 1950s style as Charlie Brown reflects on his early camp days — something that’s bound to hit older adult viewers right in the feels.
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The creators behind the special are none other than Craig and Charles Schulz, the son and grandson of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schultz. “The thought jumped in my mind, wouldn’t it be exciting to see the characters, you know, actually sing and Dance,” Craig Schultz told The New York Times. He also felt that musical numbers would give the special an extended life.
Apple has more Peanuts content in the pipeline, including a new feature-length Snoopy movie. Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical is now available for streaming on Apple TV+.
