When Charlie Brown joyfully returns to his friends with the spindly little tree, the rest of the “Peanuts” gang ridicule his choice. “I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about,” the utterly defeated Charlie Brown sighs.

A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted to acclaim, and it has since embedded itself in holiday tradition. But what many don’t know is how close this beloved classic Christmas special came to never making it on air.

A "Charlie Brown Christmas" will not air on any broadcast television network this year. Apple acquired the rights to all Peanuts properties 2020, which means only Apple TV+ subscribers have the ability watch them on demand.

Here's what to know. Where can people stream 'A Charlie Brown Christmas?' You can stream the show on Apple TV +, which requires a subscription. The platform gave people the chance

A Charlie Brown Christmas took from a number of Peanuts strips, but this 1961 storyline was the biggest inspiration

Schulz, the man who birthed the lovably hard-luck Charlie Brown, was known to have wrestled with self-doubt. Yet when it came to taking the reins of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in 1965, the “Peanuts” creator was a thinker of unwavering confidence and cool-headed belief,

Back in the 1960s, commercial realities almost derailed Schulz’s special.

The final Christmas story in Charles Schulz's classic Peanuts series was a spotlight on the character who basically replaced Charlie Brown as the lead