Charlie Brown's All Stars! (1966 TV Short) User Reviews

Three strikes and out, Charlie Brown

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 29 November 2010]

In this second ever Peanuts TV special Charlie Brown is in the bad books of the rest of the gang (as if he's ever in their good books) for being utterly hopeless at baseball and losing every game. He's a curse on their team and they'd all rather spend summer doing their own individual thing.

But when he arranges to have personalized shirts made for the team they come back, though he neglects to tell them it's on the condition that Snoopy and the girls get kicked out.

He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Old Blockhead just can't do anything right. For a 1966 effort the colors and sound in this one were surprisingly good. It may not have the lasting appeal of the seasonal specials, but it's still worth watching.

not quite a Peanuts classic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 30 March 2016]

Charlie Brown's baseball team is horrible and his whole team blames him. It's the start of a new season. After another embarrassing loss, everybody quits to do something fun for the summer. Hardware store owner Mr. Hennessey offers to sponsor the baseball team. The team reunites for the promise of uniforms. Hennessey then withdraws since girls and dog are forbidden in the league. Charlie Brown keeps the secret to himself. The team does a lot better but Charlie Brown's bonehead play loses the game. Everybody blames him until Linus reveals the secret. The team makes a manager's uniform for Charlie Brown out of Linus' blanket.

This takes a large section of the Peanuts world and sets it for the second TV special after "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It suffers by comparison. It tries to have a lesson but it doesn't work as well. The message is a little muddled. It also doesn't have anything iconic like the Charlie Brown tree or The Great Pumpkin. It's fine for loser Charlie but it needs to say something more beautiful about losing.

"I hate it when they try."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 23 April 2014]

The second Peanuts TV special is a baseball-themed one. Charlie Brown sucks at baseball and his team, frustrated with "that old blockhead" for losing them the first game of the season, quits. Shortly after Charlie finds out the team has the chance to join the Little League, with a sponsor who will pay for new uniforms and everything. Everyone's excited and eager to play again, even with sucky Charlie Brown. But then the news is handed down to Chuck that the team can't have the girls or Snoopy on it. So he struggles with how to tell them, knowing they will rip him a new one. Lots of funny lines in this one but also lots of heart. Love the ending.

A gem buried under The Easter Beagle

[rowley-648-706114 · 10/10 · 1 April 2013]

If you're a fan of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" will not disappoint. It has the heart and warmth of the other two, a sweet story and the feel of Charles Shultz's comic strip, a quality that seemed to diminish after the first three episodes. Maybe it's just me, but everything after "The Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown specials seemed forced and lightweight.

I watched "All Stars" with my family last night when it was paired with "The Easter Beagle." Nobody sat still during Easter Beagle, but all were seated and laughing during All-Stars.

For me, everything came together for the first three specials; a sweet and solid story with a nice message, great Vince Guaraldi jazz and voices that suited the Peanuts characters wonderfully; particularly the voices of Charlie Brown and Linus. I read that one of the producers had heard Peter Robbins' voice in a mall and knew immediately that he would be perfect for Charlie Brown. They credit his voice and characterization as one of the reasons the Christmas special was so effective.

Second Animated Program? I Didn't Know This!

[richard.fuller1 · 10/10 · 10 April 2009]

Charlie Brown playing baseball must have been established with this program.

I always wondered why toy figures of Charlie Brown had him in a baseball cap.

I remember this program, and likewise, I remember the accompanying storybook (Charlie Brown and Linus on the pitcher's mound in the rain at the end was effective).

Lately, ABC has realized that airing new Christmas or Valentines Day specials simply makes fans go 'what happened to the old one?' so now they air Charlie Brown as a full hour, the old one accompanying the new one.

Works for me.

I hadnt seen the Easter one in DECADES, do you hear me!!! All Stars aired in connection with the old Easter one, so I sat and watched it.

It seemed incredibly crudely done, but as I watched it, I realized which one it was.

From there, I was then very amazed by the story.

Charlie Brown wasn't as easily defeated here (which was the way he sort of began in the comic strips, kind of like Sluggo to Lucy's Nancy, or Tubby to Lucy's Little Lulu).

This time, he took the slings and arrows from his 'friends' with a bit more endurance.

What makes this one so funny is they were really sending some ammunition his way! Lucy: "Don't expect us to be doing all that cheering from the outfield. 'Yay, Charlie Brown! You can do it! You're a great pitcher, Charlie Brown!' -- Fact is, you can't do it, Charlie Brown, and you aren't that good a pitcher. That makes us hypocrites. You wouldn't want us to be hypocrites, would you, Charlie Brown?" Sherman: "I don't like being on a losing team, Charlie Brown. It's depressing. You're different. You seem to get some satisfaction from losing." Something like that.

I remember many of the situations and jokes from the comics.

"Slide, Charlie Brown, Slide" was actually the title of one of the reprint books.

Yet this episode was made wholly unique when Charlie Brown got a store to sponsor the team with uniforms, then was told he would have to remove the girls and Snoopy from the team.

Charlie Brown couldn't do it and the team turned on him.

Only later did they learn why and feel utterly crushed.

I don't think at any time Charlie Brown has made such a supreme sacrifice for his ungrateful friends and likewise they in turn sought to make amends to the ol' blockhead.

Which then brought us to the ending.

Devotion.

That's what you can say about our boy named Charlie Brown.

Devotion.

A Possibly Ignored But Brilliant Special

[KinoBuff2021 · 7/10 · 25 January 2023]

'Charlie Brown's All Stars!' is that classic Peanuts fun you would see in the comics. It was the second TV special after 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (1965), and it certainly helped carry those recognizable Peanuts characters from comic strips to animation.

Charlie Brown is trying to play baseball with his friends, but can't ever help his team out. Finally given the chance to help them with a sponsorship, Charlie Brown is faced with an ethical dilemma concerning his love of baseball and his friends.

This was a pretty good special. Although it is not like the holiday specials, it is different as this summer special has different motives. Even though there is some things that they are trying out as it was still new to animate the Peanuts it gets over those bumps and gets to home. The one-liners, animations, and classic Snoopy montage make this an unforgettable classic!

You Blockhead Charlie Brown

[Terryfan · 9/10 · 7 January 2015]

It has been a long time since I've done a review of one of my favorite comics as a kid Charlie Brown and the Peanut gang.

This time around Charlie Brown and the gang have a baseball team however they have the biggest losing record in the history of the game.

Charlie Brown's team quits to enjoy summer because they have lost 999 games and have reach their breaking point. Charlie Brown promises them Uniforms if they return to the team.

However he gets news that may throw that plan off. That's enough of the plot you should check it out to see what happens.

The animation is pretty good for 1966 with details to the characters and the background of the special.

This special has many moments that will make you bust into laughter as the peanuts were known for. Even Snoopy will get you laughing.

The voice acting being down by children was a smart choice and it works for each character they have them voice.

The story is one that you can appreciate and relate to.

Charlie Brown's all stars is a special film for children and adults so you can enjoy this with your whole family.

If you're a fan of the Peanut gang then you will love this special.

I give Charlie Brown's All Stars an 9 out of 10

Feel Bad for Charlie Brown

[shelbythuylinh · 7/10 · 14 December 2021]

As really except for Linus and a lesser extent that of Schroder that really the kids need to cut him some slack. And that over in wanting to win one baseball game as the kids shunned him.

While he tries to tell the others about the new uniforms as they are excited but the sexist anti-pet owner doesn't want to give them the uniforms there. As he must choose either integrity or letting the kids down again.

Charlie has the biggest heart there is out there.

Sad Boy Charlie Brown

[ashfordofficial · 3/10 · 26 November 2021]

A bunch of children with lack of morale led by Charlie Brown, who keep getting bullied by his fellow female friends.

A bleak, gloomy and depressing atmosphere latched into these kid's lives. They only witnessed failure after failure. I'm worried about their mental health.

It's Baseball Season

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 14 December 2013]

Second animated special based on the cartoon strips of Charles M. Schulz is about poor luckless Charlie Brown's attempts to win at least one game, and break a long losing streak. Charlie gets some initially good news when he is offered the chance to join an official little league, and get to wear real uniforms, but even that hope is dashed when he is informed that the league won't accept either girls or pets(Snoopy). How can Charlie break this news to the gang without the risk of them walking away from the game forever, and him in particular? Lightweight special is stuck between two classics, and is just too flimsy and silly to be remembered. Best for Baseball fans.

This movie did not steal home

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 4 November 2015]

"Charlie Brown's All Stars!" is the rare occasion of a Charlie Brown sports movie. Just like the others, it runs for 25 minutes, was written by Charles M. Schulz and directed by Bill Melendez. This was is going to have its 50th anniversary next year, so it's one of the very early Charlie Brown films from the 1960s. And it's all about baseball. The bunch keep losing their games because Charlie Brown simply sucks at the game and not even great plays by Snoopy (voiced by Melendez himself) and the red-haired girl cheering for Charlie can make him a winner here. So, it's all set for Charlie's usual depressed state. Apart from that, it is also about new team uniforms and a lesson on friendship at the ending. At 9-10 minutes, this may have been a good watch, but at almost 30, this 2-time Emmy-nominated piece sadly isn't. Really drags occasionally and Charlie standing at each base for ages and talking instead of running is just the most unrealistic thing ever. Not recommended.