I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown is one of the Peanuts made-for-television specials. The hour-long special first aired on ABC on December 9, 2003. It was released to DVD and VHS by Paramount on October 26, 2004 and Warner Home Video released it as a remastered deluxe edition on DVD on October 6, 2009.
Plot
Having seen the relationship between Snoopy and Charlie Brown, Rerun van Pelt is desperate for a dog for Christmas; however, his mother and Lucy do not believe that Rerun is ready for or capable of caring for a dog and they refuse. Frustrated, Rerun asks Charlie Brown if he can play with Snoopy. While initially cooperative, Snoopy quickly tires of Rerun's idea of fun and games, and after a while Snoopy begins to snub Rerun.
Instead, Snoopy commissions Spike, one of Snoopy's siblings, to make a trip to the Twin Cities. When Spike arrives, the van Pelts are appalled to see Spike's notoriously slender figure and take him in. After a short stay, Spike regains significant weight but decides ultimately to return to his home in the desert. That's when Rerun finally agrees with his mother and Lucy that dogs are too much trouble.
Cast
- Jimmy Bennett: Rerun Van Pelt
- Ashley Rose Orr: Lucy Van Pelt
- Corey Padnos: Linus Van Pelt
- Adam Taylor Gordon: Charlie Brown
- Hannah Leigh Dworkin: Sally Brown
- Nick Price: Schroeder
- Jake Miner: Franklin and Pigpen
- Kaitlyn Maggio: Little girl
- Bill Melendez: Snoopy/Woodstock/Spike