I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Original airdate: December 9, 2003.

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales
Original airdate: December 8, 2002

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Rerun Van Pelt, envious of Charlie Brown owning Snoopy, wants a dog for Christmas, but his family thinks he'll shoot his eye out. Actually, no, they just think Rerun isn't capable of the responsibilities of caring for a dog. He usually asks Charlie Brown if he can play with Snoopy, even offering to buy him for sixteen cents. Snoopy quickly tires of Rerun's idea of fun and games, and begins to snub the youngest Van Pelt. Instead, Snoopy asks his brother Spike to come in from Needles, California. Horrified at his lack of weight thanks to living in a desert, the family takes him in. Spike gains some weight, but opts to return to California after a while.

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales is another series of vignettes:

Snoopy tries to get Lucy to join him in the skating show, but obviously, she's only interested in Schroeder. Snoopy dresses like Santa Claus to work as a bell ringer to raise money, choosing to play "Oh! Susanna" on accordion, which isn't very Christmasy.

Linus Van Pelt can't decide what kind of letter he should to send to Santa, and also tries to win the heart of a strange girl in his class who changes her name every day.

Sally Brown decides to give everyone paper airplanes for Christmas, and discovers that "Samantha Claus" is actually Santa Claus, causing her great embarrassment at school. She also decides to go "fall down" a tree for Christmas, since she doesn't know how to chop one down.

Meanwhile, Lucy struggles with "being nice", hoping to get Schroeder and Linus to give her presents. Also, Charlie Brown and Sally prepare for Christmas together.

Recommended.