ABC premiered an all-new animated hour-long PEANUTS Christmas special at 8:00 pm on Dec. 9, 2003. I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! Was produced and animated by the same team that made the now classic PEANUTS specials from the famed comic strip by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.
I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. ReRuns big sister is stressing him out, so he turns to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement. The unpredictable beagle is busy so ReRun asks him to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after all but then the real trouble begins.
The main characters are all present from the nearly 50-year-old franchise who enchanted viewers in the understated holiday special, A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, which premiered on CBS in 1965.
The newer voice cast includes Jimmy Bennett as ReRun, Adam Taylor Gordon as Charlie Brown, Ashley Rose Orr as Lucy Van Pelt, Corey Padnos as Linus Van Pelt, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Sally, Nick Price as Schroeder, Jake Miner as Pig Pen/Franklin, Kaitlyn Maggio as the little girl and Bill Melendez as Snoopy.
I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! was exec produced by Lee Mendelson. The animation was produced by Bill Melendez who directed it with Larry Leichlite. The music was written by Vince Guaraldi and David Benoit, performed and arranged by Benoit. Animation was by Eddy Houchins, Shawn Cashman and Dave Brain.
