What is the title of the first Peanuts television special?

The first Peanuts television special was titled A Charlie Brown Christmas.

This 1965 animated special was the first television program based on Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. It follows Charlie Brown as he struggles with holiday sadness, directs a Christmas play, and chooses a small, seemingly unimpressive tree. The story ultimately turns toward friendship, faith, and the meaning of Christmas.

The special was produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, with Schulz writing the script. The Coca-Cola Company commissioned and sponsored it, and the production was completed quickly on a modest budget. Its unusual combination of child voices, limited animation, a jazz score, and a direct religious message initially worried some people involved in the project.

The broadcast became a landmark. It premiered on CBS on December 9, 1965, attracted an estimated 15.49 million U.S. households, and won the 1966 Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program. The Vince Guaraldi soundtrack, especially “Christmas Time Is Here,” also became a seasonal classic.

The other options are related Peanuts works, but they came later or are not television-special titles: A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a 1969 feature film, while It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown premiered in 1966.