Classic Peanuts Special That Launched A Genre Tradition Is Officially Streaming’s Biggest Hit

Published Oct 26, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

A classic Peanuts special that launched an entire genre tradition has officially become the biggest hit on streaming, and at the perfect time too. Peanuts TV specials have been a staple for decades, featuring characters from the classic comic strip in various scenarios. The most prominent of these specials revolved around various holidays, with the most prominent being those highlighting the American holidays that happen at the end of the year. This includes A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which sees the group organizing an original Thanksgiving meal, and the heartfelt messages of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

But before either of those holidays show up on the calendar, there's still one more to consider: Halloween. In 1966, the first ever Peanuts holiday special, titled It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, was released. The special follows Charlie Brown as he goes trick-or-treating, while his friend, Linus, sits in a pumpkin patch in hopes of catching a glimpse at the cryptic Great Pumpkin, a myth that he believes in despite the doubt of others. It's considered a classic among Halloween specials and a first for the Peanuts overall.

Apple TV Viewers Are Shouting It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Image via MovieStillsDB

Now, viewers on Apple TV are tuning in to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown just one week before Halloween, making it the most successful hit on streaming in the process. According to data from October 26, 2026, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has become Number 1 movie for Apple TV in the United States. The special surpasses major new releases like Tenzing and Matchbox to dominate streaming at the perfect time of year.

The special used to air on broadcast TV every year from 1966 onward, becoming a staple of the Halloween season in the process. However, this ended following the acquisition of rights by Apple TV, with the special now being an exclusive to the streaming platform. This is what's led the special to become such a massive hit, since it's the only place to watch it now that it doesn't broadcast yearly. It's bittersweet, since it no longer airs on TV, but data shows how popular it remains in spite of its absence.

The Halloween Special Launched A Still-Ongoing TV Tradition

Although It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown no longer airs on broadcast TV, it did begin a trend that continues into the present day. The special was the very first Halloween TV special ever produced, making it the originator for all other Halloween TV specials that came after. This means everything from Garfield's Halloween Adventure to The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes all owe the Peanuts their existence. It's because of this special that so many others were created.

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With It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown performing so well, it's clear there are many viewers who are in the Halloween spirit ahead of the holiday's arrival. It's also a good sign for Peanuts specials on the platform in general, since there appears to be a continued interest following the franchise, even though it's not on broadcast TV anymore. With the Halloween special doing so well, it's a good sign for the franchise as a whole as the holidays continue to roll out.