It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is the 35th prime-time animated TV special based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was produced in 1992 but unlike previous specials it wasn't shown on CBS, and remained unseen until Paramount released it on video in 1996 alongside 1966's Charlie Brown's All-Stars. The special was released by Warner Home Video on October 9, 2012, on the DVD Happiness is ... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go!

Plot

The special follows the spring training of Charlie Brown's baseball team, which is having problems. A child named Leland (Frieda's little brother) joins the team. Lucy points out that they are the only team without uniforms, so Charlie Brown and his team train hard for the first game of the season. Thanks to Leland, Charlie Brown's team wins, 27 to 26, therefore getting their uniforms (A recurring plot line is that Leland is so short the other team's pitcher either constantly walks him or beans him in his batting helmet). However, the team loses their next game because Leland has to quit because their new uniforms are too big for him, with Charlie Brown saying at the end, "It's not how you look, it's how you play the game."

Voices

• Justin Shenkarow- Charlie Brown
• John Christian Graas- Linus van Pelt
• Marnette Patterson- Lucy van Pelt
• Gregory Grudt- Leland
• Travis Boles- Schroeder
• Elisabeth Moss- Girl Player
• Jessica Nwafor- Franklin
• Michael J. Sandler- Boy Player on Opposing Team
• Noley Thornton- Frieda
• Bill Melendez- Snoopy/Woodstock

Music crew

• Music by: Judy Munsen
• Additional Music by: Henry Mancini
• Arranged by: Mort Lindsey

Notes

• This special never aired during prime time (the first Peanuts special to have the [dis]honor), but was shown on certain cable TV networks afterwards.
• Appearances of Frieda and her little brother Leland who first appeared in It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown.
• This is the fifth time Charlie Brown's team has won a ball game in animated specials. The other times are,"A Boy Named Charlie Brown", "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown," the "Baseball" segment of the "Snoopy's Cat Fight" episode of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show (where Charlie Brown is too sick to play and Linus fills in), and the "baseball" segment in the "You Can't Win, Charlie Brown" episode of Charlie Brown and Snoopy (with Rerun on their team, but they had to forfeit the game because Rerun had gambled that his team would win).
• This is the second time Mr. Hennessy offers Charlie Brown and his team uniforms (the first time being 1966's Charlie Brown's All-Stars) but this time they had to win a game to get the uniforms. Also Hennessy is briefly seen onscreen resembling animation producer Bill Melendez.
• This is the last episode to not have music written by Vince Guaraldi in it (It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown was the revival of Guaraldi's music).
• While the baseball players were screaming, the girl player looked just like Marcie, without glasses.

External links

• It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown at the Internet Movie Database