Celebrating 50 Years on TV of A Charlie Brown Christmas! Jill Schulz Interview & a Giveaway

I am so happy to bring some exciting news to you today:  I am serving as a 50 Years on Television for A Charlie Brown Christmas Brand Ambassador!  Each month we’ll be sharing inside stories about “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and hosting some great giveaways to go along with them.

I bet many of you are like me: you grew up watching Charlie Brown on television during the holidays, and not just Christmas – there are Halloween and Thanksgiving specials as well, to name a few!  (Anyone else remember Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown?  One of my very favorites!) But nothing can compete with A Charlie Brown Christmas, can it?  The joy I felt every time I sat down to watch the show hasn’t faded as an adult, and I still look forward to its airing every year.

Speaking of its airing, did you know that this is its 50^th year on television?!  That’s incredible, isn’t it?  There aren’t too many other specials aired frequently, let alone every year for a full 50 years, which really speaks to the timeless and classic appeal of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

As part of my exciting ambassadorship, I’ll be taking part in interviews from people very close to Charlie Brown, starting this month with Jill Schulz, daughter of Charlie Brown creator Charles Schulz!  Jill kindly took the time to share her personal memories of her father, the Schulz family Christmas traditions, and how A Charlie Brown Christmas has touched her life.

Jill Schulz, right

A little information about Jill Schulz before we begin:

As the daughter of PEANUTS creator Charles Schulz, Jill Schulz grew up with Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy as much as with her own four brothers and sisters! Jill’s professional path also involved entertaining audiences: She spent more than 20 years competing and performing as a figure skater, including touring nationally and internationally in shows such as Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice, as well as in performances at Radio City Music Hall. While training and working in Los Angeles, Jill spent several years working in film, stage, television, and dance. During this time she was recruited by Rollerblade, Inc., to perform as the premiere national Rollerblade spokesperson, as well as the lead performer and choreographer for Team Rollerblade.

I was absolutely thrilled to speak with someone so close to Peanuts and who has been involved in so many interesting things.  The conversation between Jill and the Charlie Brown Ambassadors was lively and fun, and I’m happy to share some of the great topics we discussed.

What was it like to celebrate Christmas in the Schulz family?

“We had a pretty typical Christmas, except that we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. Typically, we’d have neighborhood friends and kids coming over and my mom cooked a great big dinner. Then we’d wait for Santa Claus, I’d always sneak back down and open a window because I thought there was no way he could fit down the chimney.”

“In the morning, we’d get a special present. One year I got a puppy, but it was a little disconcerting because I thought I was getting an Old English Sheepdog like the one from Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, but my puppy wasn’t furry and didn’t have a tail.”

“Once the TV show came out, that became a tradition: both Christmas and Halloween, they became something we’d gather around TV to watch. But to me, it just seemed like a normal family Christmas.”

Why do you suppose after 50 years, it’s still resonating with people?

“Because the characters, the experiences they have, in the strip and the TV show are things that every generation has, does, and will continue to experience in life. Football with Charlie Brown. Everyone experiences losing. Everyone comments on commercialism. It’s been happening for years, will continue to happen. Siblings teasing each other, fighting, even if they love each other.”

“All of these things are extensions of his own personality or things he would observe in others. He was always observing everybody, whether in the coffee shop at the ice rink, or on trips. He was a great observer of human nature. Like many of us, he hung onto and had a clear vision of his feelings as a child. That comes across in the strip and the special.”

Who’s your favorite Peanuts character and why?

“My absolute favorite is Snoopy because I like his imagination and his free spirit, how he imagines whatever he wants to be. I had a pretend friend as a kid that everyone teased me about. And because he’s a dog and I love rescue animals. Then it would be Linus, because I like how calm he remains, how philosophical he is.”

Was there anything in the special that was similar to your childhood?

“There are elements that are supposed to come from my family. Like Lucy’s crabbiness came from Meredith. I’m told that Linus has a blanket because I always had a blanket.” But I can’t say there’s anything specific in the special.”

“Dad was active in Sunday school when we were much younger, he taught there on Sundays for many years. So the Linus speech was something very important to him.”

“Lee Mendelson tells the story of meeting with the top guys at CBS—they said they loved the special, ‘But you need to take the Linus’ speech out.’ When Lee told Dad that he said, ‘Tell them to just forget it then.’ Now it’s become the most iconic part of the entire TV special. It’s one of my favorite parts because I know how important it was to my father.”

When producing the Christmas ice show at Knott’s Berry Farm, Jill suggested building a show around the special, and having the Linus character come to the center of ice, putting a spotlight on him and having him give the speech.

“The people at the theme park were kind of nervous, just like long ago. ‘Maybe we need to edit it.’ Because it was so important to my dad, I said, ‘We need to do it exactly as it happened in the TV special.’ Now the ice performance has a huge following, and one of guests’ favorite parts is seeing that performed live by the Linus character.”

Tell me about ice skating and Snoopy.

“Way back when I was 9 or 10 and ice skating, they decided to build a Snoopy costume to have him in the ice show. My mom made the first Snoopy costume. Someone else was supposed to be in it, and he didn’t show up. So I was the first skating Snoopy, skating to Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head. It was hard to see—I remember falling over on the ice, but I got up and waved. I’m too claustrophobic now, so can’t do it anymore.”

For about 20 years, Charles Schulz used to produce big ice shows – with Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton – in Santa Rosa at Christmastime. Jill would skate in the show.

“We’d do an entire month of dinner theater-style productions that my dad produced. He’d invite his cartoonist friends, have a special table by the ice, invite friends to be at his table. That was a special memory and you can’t repeat it.”

“The TV special is the one thing that continues to stay with us, which makes it even more amazing. People say, ‘I want my kids to know it.’ Even with all the other media out there for kids, parents are surprised how much it means to them.”

Listening to Jill Schulz was fascinating, and I’m so glad to have been a part of the conversation.  We also have upcoming interviews with Sally Dryer (voice of Violet in A Charlie Brown Christmas), musician David Benoit, who was greatly influenced by Peanuts composer Vince Guarldi, as well as Lee Mendelson, the Emmy-award-winning producer of A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Make sure to check back for those in the coming months!

And finally, before you go:  I know it’s only September, but you can launch the holiday joy early as you anticipate the 50^th airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas in December.  Enter our giveaway to win this fabulous Peanuts prize pack:  a soft and huggable Snoopy plush to bring cheer both day and night, and the charming Be Joyful book to keep you in a Peanuts spirt year round.  Giveaway is open to US residents who are 18 and older.   Ends 9/18/14.  Good luck!

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