Christmas shows like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas" have been holiday traditions for half a century.
But once again in 2023, Charlie Brown is no longer airing on network TV.
Recent holiday seasons have not been the same without “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on network TV, ever since it left CBS and ABC.
Apple snapped it up in 2020 and has been been streaming it on Apple TV+ since then. In 2021 and 2022 they allowed PBS stations to air it once on traditional TV, but are no longer doing that.
So you need to access Apple TV+. But the problem is that Apple is not one of the most popular streamers.
How to see it free
Don't want to pay to subscribe to Apple TV?
Not to worry: You can watch the show, and any Charlie Brown holiday special free with a 7-day trial to Apple TV+.
The only catch? You have to give your credit card, and you must cancel in 7 days or you will start being charged.
However, not wanting to be the Grinch (more on that below), Apple announced you will be able to stream “A Charlie Brown Christmas on Apple TV + completely free on Saturday Dec. 16 to and Sunday Dec. 17, 2023.
Just go to Apple's Charlie Brown Christmas webpage, and you can watch it on your phone, iPad, or laptop, and "mirror" to your smart TV.
But there is a catch for this one, too: You must have an Apple password or ID, meaning that if you are an all-Android family, you won't be able to access the free version.
What about Grandma?
But from the doesn't that stink file, the fact that Apple’s freebie offer doesn't help grandma or grandpa who don't stream and just watch cable or antenna TV.
You can buy grandma a DVD of the show as Walmart, Target and Amazon still offer "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on DVD for about $10.
The only thing missing: The old Dolly Madison snack cake commercials that used to air during the broadcast.
As for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," you can watch that free on network TV on Christmas Day (check your local listings), just like the Jim Carrey movie version, and Ralphie's A Christmas Story, which you can watch free every two hours on Christmas.
As always don’t waste your money.
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