The holiday season has begun and that means it’s time for traditions. While “traditions” usually conjure up thoughts of centuries-old practices, some are a bit more modern, like the watching of holiday Peanuts specials on TV. The first of several holiday-themed episodes, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, is a Halloween classic that’s now exclusively on Apple TV+.
While Apple has allowed PBS to air the special in previous years, that’s not the case anymore. However, if you don’t subscribe to Apple TV+, you’ll still be able to partake in this great tradition, because Apple is making Great Pumpkin available for free to watch for a weekend. And those who currently subscribe to Apple TV+ can watch Great Pumpkin at any time, even in February if that suits you.
How to watch Great Pumpkin for free on Apple TV+
From October 21 to 22, anyone with an Apple ID (free to sign up) can watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. You can watch through these venues:
- Though the TV app on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- On smart TVs with the Apple TV+ app
- On the web at tv.apple.com
- On an Apple TV device
Apple TV+ has all the classic Peanuts specials for the holiday season that, for decades, used to air over broadcast TV. In addition to Great Pumpkin, Apple TV+ also has A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (free on Nov. 18 and 19) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (from on Dec. 16 and 17). Apple TV+ also has Happy New Year, Charlie Brown but it is not listed as free-to-view.
A few years ago, Apple acquired the rights to the Peanuts cartoon series that stars Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and other memorable characters. Since then, Apple has aired new Peanuts shows such as The Snoopy Show and Snoopy in Space, and new movies, including Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10, Lucy’s School, and It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown.
The Apple TV+ subscription television streaming service is $6.99/£6.99 per month and can be renewed annually for $69/£69. Apple TV+ is also included in the Apple One subscription bundles, which include other Apple services, such as Apple Music, Apple News+, and iCloud storage. Apple One bundles are priced between $16.95/£16.95 and $32.95/£32.95 per month.
For more information about Apple TV+, read our Apple TV+ FAQ. We also have a detailed list of current Apple TV+ shows and upcoming shows.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.