Peanuts

From Muppet Wiki

Peanuts is a popular comic strip about a group of thoughtful children created by Charles M. Schulz. The strip began running in newspapers on October 2, 1950, and ended on February 13, 2000, the day after Schulz's death, after which newspapers began to rerun older strips under the title Classic Peanuts. The strip is known for its memorable characters, including perennial loser Charlie Brown, blanket-carrying philosopher Linus, fussbudget Lucy, and Charlie Brown's imaginative dog, Snoopy. At its peak, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages. The comic strip has spawned many television specials, four animated feature films, two stage musicals, and two television series.

Muppet Mentions

The January 22, 1988 strip mentions Kermit the Frog.

References

• Snoopy is quoted in the documentary Youth '68.

• A picture of Snoopy can be seen briefly in a Sesame Street live-action film "Round Things." The insert appeared in the Sesame Street Pitch Reel and the first test show, as well as later episodes of the series.

• At the end of a Sesame Street News Flash skit, when it literally "rains cats and dogs," one of the props used is a Snoopy doll.

• The Muppet Babies episode "Comic Capers" made extensive use of Peanuts. Without Nanny to read them the comics, the babies persuade Baby Kermit to interpret a Peanuts Sunday strip. Later, Baby Kermit as Charlie Brown, Baby Rowlf as Schroeder, Baby Piggy as Lucy, and Baby Skeeter as the Peppermint Patty-like "Butterscotch Skeeter". In another scene, Baby Scooter, inside a computer, is turned into a variety of comic strip icons, including Charlie Brown. Clips from the various Peanuts animated specials were also used, and a brief scene of Charlie Brown being drawn appeared in the song "The Sunday Funnies."

• Snoopy: The Musical featured the original song "Just One Person", which has been used in many Muppet productions over the years.

• A scene featuring Elmo piloting a plane in Elmo's World: Transportation is underscored by Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy" theme, used in the Peanuts television specials.

• In the book One Frog Can Make a Difference, Kermit expresses his disgust with being kissed by princesses by recalling a famous Peanuts moment: "Remember how when Snoopy kissed her, Lucy used to say, 'Yecch. Dog lips'"?

• In Elmo's Potty Time, Gordon is reading a Peanuts comic to Baby Bear and his sister Curly.

• In one Sesame Street segment, the Two-Headed Monster uses a newspaper in a number of ways. A Peanuts comic strip can be seen on the front of the newspaper.

• In Elmo's Christmas Countdown, when Stan the Snowball finds out that Stiller the Elf is in the story, he says that Stiller is famous, "like The Grinch, or Frosty, or that round-headed kid who picked out that crummy tree", referring to A Charlie Brown Christmas.

• In Sesame Street Unpaved, it's pointed out that Telly Monster shares his astrological sign, Libra, with Charlie Brown ("another great worrier").

Connections

Several performers and crew members have worked on Peanuts adaptations, as well as with the Muppets.

• Roger Bart played Snoopy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999, Broadway revival)
• Kristin Chenoweth played Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999, Broadway revival)
• Clark Gesner, author of the original You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, produced framing segments and inserts for the early production pilots and test episodes of Sesame Street. Although the framing segments were abandoned, some of the inserts were kept.
• Whoopi Goldberg hosted Heres to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years (2000).
• Larry Grossman composed the songs for Snoopy: The Musical (1975, stage)
• Jeremy Miller voiced Linus in Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986, TV), Snoopy: The Musical (1988, TV), and one episode of This is America, Charlie Brown (1988, TV)
• Joe Raposo was the musical supervisor, arranger, and composed additional music for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1971, Broadway debut)
• Judy Sladky plays the costumed Snoopy in various live appearances
• Frank Welker voiced various historical characters in This is America, Charlie Brown (1988-1989, TV)
• B. D. Wong played Linus in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999, Broadway revival)