You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown
Original airdate: October 28, 1975.

You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown
Original airdate: March 19, 1979.

Available at Amazon.

Warner Bros.' latest Peanuts release on DVD highlights two athletic-themed episodes...

The first episode opens with three short vignettes about tennis, where Snoopy is humiliated by both an automated ball server, and by Woodstock in a one-on-one game. Linus and Sally want to play tennis at the local court, but the big kids have commandeered the courts, and aren't likely to move any time soon. Sally yells at the kids to get off, or Linus is going to get medievel on them, prompting him to run away.

Peppermint Patty comes around, informing everyone about an upcoming motocross race, suggesting Snoopy should enter (he does as "The Masked Marvel"), and convincing Charlie Brown to enter. He and Linus pool their money to buy a fairly poor quality bike, which will have the kids "money ahead" even if the bike "walks". The grand prize for the race? Two tickets to the Pro Bowl.

The race begins, with Snoopy and Charlie Brown having a crash on the first turn, and Charlie Brown loses his helmet. There's a mix-up enroute to the hospital, and Snoopy is admitted into the hospital while his owner ends up in a kennel. Charlie Brown escapes, gets Snoopy out of the hospital, and they return to the race. Linus outfits Charlie Brown with a pumpkin as a helmet, since the rules dictate you need one to compete. Snoopy's showing off causes his bike to breakdown, and he reenters the race on the ball server from earlier in the episode. When he comes back, Snoopy builds up a large lead, and he stops to have a picnic. Charlie Brown takes advantage, and overtakes Snoopy after he gets stuck in a mud pit. Despite winning, Charlie Brown is disappointed to learn that he won't be going to the Pro Bowl after all, since the race organizers couldn't secure tickets. In its place, he gets a gift certificate for five free haircuts.

The next episode sees Charlie Brown enter the Junior Olympics at school when his family's vacation plans fall through. The decathlon is the only event open, which he accepts the challenge. Peppermint Patty, in charge of the event, helps oversee Charlie Brown's training, along with Marcie and Snoopy. Worried about whether or not Charlie Brown could win, Peppermint Patty enters Marcie in the event as a backup.

The first day, after meeting the competition (Marcie, Snoopy as the Masked Marvel again, and the obnoxious defending champion Freddie Fabulous from Fremont), Charlie Brown does well enough in the first five events to place third overall. Snoopy somehow ends up in last place. On day two, a nervous Charlie Brown performs badly in the 110m high hurdles, but gets a tough pep talk from Peppermint Patty. He does well in the pole vault, as well as the discus and javelin throws, which puts him in first place. The final event is the 1500m run, and after Charlie Brown takes the lead, he closes his eyes and dreams of his victory, ultimately running off the track, off school grounds, and out of contention. Marcie wins the race, and the entire decathlon. Freddie and Snoopy were disqualified for fighting during the race.

Recommended DVD, although these two episodes aren't classics.