Over the years, added commercials caused those shows to be edited way down, to still for in the 30 minutes slot. We have watched them on dvd for years now, and get the full show. We can get them for free from the library.

If you only want to watch one show, there's a cheapo way to do it. I think there's a 7 day free trial available. If it works like other ones, you need to go through a full subscription routine, including providing a credit card number. But if you cancel within the trial period, there's no charge. Alternatively, I think it's $5 per month on a month to month basis, not a lot of money if there are several things you want to watch.

It's not worth taking this action just to get Apple+ but those who have bought an Apple product - iPhone, iPad, Mac, AppleTV, etc - get a one year free subscription to Apple+. We bought a new iPad a few months ago and so have it for free. One of the things we watched was Tom Hanks' new movie. Not one of his best but worth seeing.

Elmer, I wondered what Tom Hanks' movie was like.

That stinks.

No more, "I got a rock!"? Well then, I think I will continue NOT to own an Apple phone or other product they put out.

Not sure if carabubble's comment relates to the movie or to The Charlie Brown piece's availability.

To respond to jasdip's question, my take on the movie was that it was okay. Not terrific, not terrible. Okay.

The little bit here, little bit there video content providers seem to be gathering momentum and taking customers from the traditional sources - cable, telcos (who increasingly have fiber-optic services), and the two Sat-TV companies. We dropped our traditional source 6 months ago, not for cost reasons but because the special capability we relied on most was being discontinued so there was no reason to stick with it. We replaced it with a streaming provider that features the special capability that we want to have. It costs less. We've added to that a couple of the small supplemental services that are pretty inexpensive. Overall, we get more of what we want, have the capability we want, and are paying about 40% less. Again, cost wasn't the driver, but I encourage anyone who has or can get decent internet service who's clinging to a traditional video provider to explore the alternatives. Whether it's Apple+, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Netlix, Prime, MHz, or whatever, there are more choices now than before and they're pretty good.

I still watch it every year and I can get it on demand, four-year-old great-grandson watches it with me now.

No sense trying to celebrate the Holidays then. Not without Charlie. Even

the adults in our families love it.

Oh! I meant the availability!!! Watching the Christmas shows is always a tradition. Even now, as a less than one-year-old grandparent, I watch them on TV every year. I think it will stink if all these different shows are bought up by different companies who keep the shows behind their gates.

I loved watching. I remember as a kid they came on only the one time.

"companies who keep the shows behind their gates"

But the keys to the "gates", as you call them, are available to everyone at nominal cost. And with that comes the possibility to watch the programs as much as you want and at the time(s) the viewer chooses.

It may not matter to you but the reason this is happening is that streaming over the internet allows the content owners to more of the resulting revenue themselves rather than pass it along to third parties and receive themselves a smaller piece of the pie.

It's being offered for free from Oct 30-Nov 1. Don't need an apple device, just the app. The other holiday shows are the same, streaming for free right around the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Thank goodness I have my Charlie Brown DVD.

I've had the VHS since it first came out and now I have them all on DVD-no worries. Halloween night The Great Pumpkin will be on as kids ring our door bell! I've tried a few of these streaming services-while they are free- and thus far I can't say there is enough content for me to pay the fees they are asking even though they aren't horrendous as a rule. We just lost our free year of Disney Plus and we won't miss it. Peacock was great for binge watching Downton Abbey this summer but again their premium offerings just don't really appeal. TV traditions are falling. I remember well waiting each year for Cinderella/The Wizard of Oz/Charlie Brown/Little Drummer Boy/Rudolph.....I'm glad I saw this coming and own copies of them all.