Charlie Brown holiday specials to air on WTTW-Channel 11

Could it be the Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch? You can tune in to find out when ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” airs on PBS Oct. 24. | ABC/File

It was news that sent the Charlie Brown universe into a tailspin last year: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was headed to AppleTV+ — for a streaming fee. So long to free television airings, which had been the norm since 1975. And worse, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” was nowhere to be found.

The social media fallout was brutal, and the streaming service announced it was granting broadcast rights to PBS in a “one-time only deal.”

But that was then.

PBS announced Tuesday that the beloved Peanuts gang holiday special will once again air on its network this year, along with “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

So locally, that means: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” will air on WTTW-Channel at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will air at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19.

The Great Pumpkin is coming to PBS!

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was notably absent from ABC last year, but it is returning to local TV on October 24th. Tune into PBS for the primetime special, or the PBS KIDS 24/7 Channel for a full night of Halloween specials. pic.twitter.com/vlLHd8clD5

— Peeebs (@ItsPeeebs) October 2, 2021