The Christmas season is here and there are plenty of ways to get into the spirit of the season. One way is to watch a Christmas special on TV, and one of the best is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” For decades it aired on TV, but that’s no longer the case: it’s now an Apple TV+ exclusive.
Now, the fact that this institution is on a streaming service may make you exclaim, “Bah! Humbug!” and send Apple a stocking full of coal, but stop, sip some eggnog, and relax–yes, I’m talking about you, Uncle Fred
How to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free on Apple TV+
On December 16 and 17, anyone with an Apple ID can watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Anyone with an Apple device has an Apple ID, but if you don’t, Apple IDs are free and you don’t need a credit card to sign up. Once registered, you can watch in several ways:
- Via the TV app on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- On smart TVs with the Apple TV app.
- On the web at tv.apple.com.
- On an Apple TV device.
Apple offers all the classic Peanuts specials for the holiday season that used to air on TV. There is still one holiday special left for the season, “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” but it seems unlikely that it will be available for free.
In case you missed them and your holiday season wouldn’t be complete without watching them, you can watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” on Apple TV+, but they are not more free. You must have an Apple TV+ subscription.
Years ago, Apple acquired the rights to the Peanuts cartoon series featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and other memorable characters. Since then, Apple has released new Peanuts shows such as “The Snoopy Show” and “Snoopy in Space,” as well as new movies including Peanuts in space: the secrets of Apollo 10
Subscription TV streaming service Apple TV+ costs $9.99/£8.99 per month. Apple TV+ is also included in Apple One subscription plans, which include other Apple services, such as Apple Music, Apple News+, and up to 2TB of iCloud storage. Apple One plans cost between $19.95/£18.95 and $37.95/£36.95 per month. There are ways to get Apple TV+ for free, though – see: All the Ways to Get Apple TV+ for Free.
For more information about Apple TV+, read our Apple TV+ FAQ. We also have a detailed list of current Apple TV+ shows and upcoming shows.
