Trying to figure out how to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to get into the festive spirit? While Apple TV still holds the rights to stream the classic holiday special year-round, it is once again being made available to stream for free in the run-up to Christmas Day.
Streaming service: Apple TV Plus
Run-time: 30 minutes
Director: Bill Melendez
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Original release date: Dec. 9, 1965
Like many of the best classic Christmas movies, the core message at the heart of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" still resonates all these years later.
Suffering from what seems like an undiagnosed case of seasonal affectedness disorder, this timeless special sees Charlie Brown striving to find joy in the holiday season, despite being distressed by rampant commercialism — something which has only grown worse in the nearly 60 years since it first aired.
But, after being mercilessly mocked by Lucy and others for picking a real tree rather than a fake one, Charlie Brown finally discovers the true meaning of Christmas and the holiday spirit.
Here's everything you need to know about how and where you can watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas".
How to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas from anywhere on earth
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is available to stream only on Apple TV Plus. For most of the year, you will need a subscription, but it will be available for free to anyone on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15, 2024.
If you're stuck abroad — in one of the few countries where Apple TV Plus isn't available — you will likely run into geo-fenced restrictions on the platforms and services you can use. But with the help of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you can watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and access all the other services you already pay for no matter where you are. Our favorite is NordVPN — find out why we love it in our NordVPN review.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.S. and want to view your usual U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Apple TV Plus and get ready for some festive fun, courtesy of "A Charlie Brown Christmas".
How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for free
In years gone by, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was available to stream on PBS or other networks, but this is no longer the case. That doesn't mean you can't watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" without picking up a new streaming service in 2024, though.
Similar to last year, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will be available to stream will be available to stream Apple TV Plus for free on Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15.
If you want to watch it even closer to Christmas itself, and you've not been an Apple TV Plus customer before, you could also wait till just before the big day and sign up for an Apple TV Plus 7-day free trial.
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Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
