A Halloween tradition may not happen this year.
If your family watches “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” every Halloween without using a streaming service, you’re going to be out of luck.
The show will not be broadcast on PBS as it was last year.
PBS responded to a tweet inquiring when the cartoon would be aired, breaking the bad news to fans.
Regretfully, PBS does not have the rights to distribute the Peanuts specials this year. We’ll all have to watch for the Great Pumpkin in a different pumpkin patch this Halloween.
— PBS KIDS (@PBSKIDS) September 29, 2022
The “different pumpkin patch” that the tweet refers to is Apple TV+, according to Apple.
Apple TV+ will be unlocking the special, allowing anyone with the app to watch it for free for a limited time — from Oct. 28-31.
To watch it, viewers can download the TV app on their iPhone, iPad or Apple TV device, online at tv.apple.com, or on some smart televisions.
You will need to have an Apple ID to access the app and the cartoon, according to Apple.
If you will also be planning on watching “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” you will have the same issue later this holiday season. Those two specials will also be unlocked to nonsubscribers for a free but limited time, Apple said.
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will be free from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27, while “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be available to nonsubscribers from Dec. 22 to Dec. 25.
All three shows are available to subscribers of Apple TV+ every day, the company said.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” first premiered in 1966.
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