When Is ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ Airing on TV This Halloween?
Halloween season 2026 is upon us, which means that it’s time for all your favorite traditions, including carving jack-o-lanterns, indulging in fun-size candy bars, and, for many families, watching the 1966 classic Peanuts special It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. But if you’re waiting to catch the show in its classic primetime TV airing, you may be as disappointed as Linus in his pumpkin patch: while the special aired for free on network TV every year 1966 through 2020, a deal with Apple + TV has kept it off the airwaves for over the past five years. However, people without Apple+ TV subscriptions can stream the special for free at any time on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, 2026.
The special, which first aired on CBS 60 years ago, jumped channels to ABC in 2001, where it stayed until 2020, when Apple+ TV’s purchase of the rights to the entire Peanuts catalog kept viewers from watching the special anywhere but on the streaming platform.
The deal with Apple+ TV has been extended through 2030, so the special will definitely not be returning to network TV within the next five years.
How to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for free in 2026
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Viewers can watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on October 16 and 17 by going to the Apple+ TV page for the special, where there should be a free watch option. In the 48 hour free period, viewers can watch the special as many times as they like.
Apple+ TV will also offer similar free watch periods for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on November 14 and 15, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 12 and 13.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was conceived after the success of the previous year’s A Charlie Brown Christmas — network executives specifically requested a “blockbuster,” which they received. In its original airing in 1966, it tied Bonanza for number one program in its timeslot.
Halloween Traditions
October 2026
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