It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown (2000)

It's true that It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown is not a "classic" Peanuts animated special like the first one (A Charlie Brown Christmas), made 35 years earlier with the Vince Guaraldi jazz score -- but that doesn't make it "noncanonical" as some have complained. So let's look at the facts. First, the drawings of Charlie and Lucy Brown and the others have cleaner, simpler lines -- they look more generic and less uniquely Schulzesque. (This disc was released in the same year of his passing after an illness made him unable to draw the strip himself.) Most importantly, this retelling of a fairy tale also breaks with tradition by depicting extensive scenes of the actions and dialog of adults -- always something previously avoided in the child-centric Peanuts universe -- however, the adults (two silent parents, six fussing maids, and eight singing and dancing town administrators) only appear within the body of the fairy tale itself! (Perhaps the Peanuts gang could have populated the entire program as they did in the Mayflower crossing and first Thanksgiving portrayals but I think rejecting this show on such grounds alone is making a mountain out of a molehill.) Lastly, however, the fairy tale is framed front and back by maybe 5 minutes of Peanuts gang animation. So I'd say while not exactly noncanonical, this disc is definitely non-Schulzical (and, some would say, nonsensical). If you agree, console yourself by watching the "exclusive" interview with Charles Schulz as he explains the origins and characters of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Pigpen, and Woodstock. You'll see that nonsense is entirely within the Schulzian realm! (Guaraldi's famous theme song is called Whimsy Salad after all.) Also important, I don't think the music and dance scenes drag on more than in any classic Peanuts animation (and I love the line-dancing, soccer-playing mice)! So in closing, if you ever visit St. Paul (Schulz's hometown and mine too) be sure to visit O'Gara's Grill, the former site of Sparky's dad's barber shop. Or be sure to visit Santa Rosa with the Charles Schulz skating rink, gallery, and museum across the street from Schulz's home! 3 stars.