The Story Behind ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’

Nothing about the holiday comic strip brought to life was conventional — from its jazz soundtrack and Bible verse to the child actors used to voice the now-classic Christmas classic. For over 50 years, we’ve been part of Charlie’s seasonal depression, Lucy’s pageant and the puny but perfect little tree wrapped by Linus’ blanket.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the first of many Peanuts animated TV specials, movies and series.

Learn what it took to get “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on the air from insider Jason Mendelson, son of Peanuts legend Lee Mendelson. Lee produced "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and even wrote the lyrics to the famous theme song.

As a child, Jason voiced several Peanuts characters and has countless stories about the holiday special and the show’s beloved music, including the bumpy path it took to get the music just right.