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Peanuts: Apple TV+ Special Gives Franklin Rightful Seat at the Table

Apple TV+'s Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin fixes an issue that many Peanuts fans have had since the classic Thanksgiving special.

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Article Summary

  • Apple TV+ special "Welcome Home, Franklin" addresses past Peanuts Thanksgiving issue.
  • Franklin gets a new seat at the table, correcting a visual misstep from the 1973 special.
  • Directed by Raymond S. Persi, with an original story by Robb Armstrong and Scott Montgomery.
  • The updated Peanuts narrative shows the show's commitment to representation and unity.

Setting aside the underlying sadomasochistic dynamic between Lucy & Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty's clear anger/control issues, what's not to love about 1973's A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving? The animated classic featuring Charles M. Schulz's beloved Peanuts characters told a touching tale of friendship, family, and hope. It also features one really odd and awkward moment – one that the upcoming Apple TV+ special Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin looks to rectify. In the Thanksgiving special, the gang gathers together for their Thanksgiving meal – where Linus delivers another one of those "Linus speeches." But as you can see from the image below, something weird happened with the seating. For some reason, Franklin (voiced by Robin Reed) is the only one sitting on the left side of the long table – Linus & Marcie are at the ends, and Charlie Brown, Sally, Peppermint Patty, and Snoopy are on the right side. Considering the messages that the special was trying to convey, it probably wasn't the best look in the world when it comes to unity & togetherness. Now – over fifty years later – Franklin is finally getting his rightful seat at the table…

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Image: Peanuts YouTube Screencap/Apple TV+

Directed by Emmy Award winner Raymond S. Persi (The Simpsons, Wreck-It-Ralph) and co-written by Robb Armstrong (Jump Start), Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz & Cornelius Uliano – from an original story by Armstrong and Scott Montgomery (The Snoopy Show) – the upcoming Apple TV+ animated special offers Franklin's origin story as he gets used to his new hometown and some potential great friends. While the trailer above offers a number of reasons to check it out when it hits screens on February 16th, it's the scene beginning at the 1:05 mark that won us over. Sure, it might not be Thanksgiving dinner – but it's pretty clear that the writers had that visual from the Thanksgiving special in mind when Linus tells Franklin to join them where they're sitting at the table – a seat between Linus and Charlie Brown. Those are the moments when a creative team proves that they understand a franchise and its fandom – and the importance of giving Franklin his due.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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