How are new Peanuts specials possible?

[dwmitch]

This has been on my mind for the past week. Thanksgiving night a brand new Peanuts special aired (Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown). I thought it was like He's a Bully, Charlie Brown where Schultz was working on it when he passed away and someone else finished it.

Then my brother told me that it was completely new and the guy behind it was the author of Pearls Before Swine.

Only one problem, though. When Charles Schultz announced his retirement he specifically said he didn't want anyone else to continue the Peanuts gang. So how did Stephen Pastis get the rights to make a new Peanuts special?

I mean I'm not complaining. The way he handled it I wouldn't mind seeing more Peanuts specials from him. He stuck to the comics, even finding a way to work the very first comic strip featuring Charlie Brown ever published into it, but given Schultz's statement I'm having a hard time figuring out how his estate was able to give Pastis permission for it.

[greed]

The estate isn't under real obligation to continue following the deceased wishes as I understand it. At least here. Might be different in the States but I think this kind of law is relatively similar across most of the Anglosphere at least.

Also it's possible that the reported "not wanting anyone to continue with the Peanuts characters" statement was aimed at the comics mostly and that TV specials had an allowance.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

He's dead. I'm sure he'll get over it.
Following the wishes of old frumpy dead men has got us in enough trouble don't you think.

[Amake]

Maybe he shouldn't have sold out Peanuts to every chocolate egg surprise manufacturer and pez dispenser maker and shirt designer and toy builder and happy meals dealer and animated TV show producer and newspaper cartoon syndicate and everyone else who came knocking on his door if he was concerned about creative control of his work. Contrast Bill Watterson, a writer of absolute integrity.

Really I'm just bitter from my years in the secondhand toy store where like 10% of all the toys ever were Peanuts figures and Peanuts dolls and Peanuts chalkboards and Peanuts notebooks and Peanuts backpacks and Peanuts frisbees and Peanuts calculators and Peanuts plastic flowers and Peanuts jump ropes and Peanuts building blocks and other Peanuts crap.

[Betty Elms]

The estate didn't just give Pastis permission to do what he pleased, the estate made it. I helped work on this in its earlier stages (organizational work and helping to time some jokes in the editing of the animatics.) The extent of the estate's involvment in ensuring everything about the animation of the special was sufficiently Peanutsy stretched out the production time considerably.

I think Schulz's request just pertained to the comics, like, they're still merchandising the franchise.

[dwmitch]

Really I'm just bitter from my years in the secondhand toy store where like 10% of all the toys ever were Peanuts figures and Peanuts dolls and Peanuts chalkboards and Peanuts notebooks and Peanuts backpacks and Peanuts frisbees and Peanuts calculators and Peanuts plastic flowers and Peanuts jump ropes and Peanuts building blocks and other Peanuts crap.

I envy you. Other than a bath toy that belonged to my older brother and a wall hanging my first girlfriend gave me I haven't been able to find any Peanuts merchandise. You never see them at flea markets and yard sales around here.

I helped work on this in its earlier stages (organizational work and helping to time some jokes in the editing of the animatics.)

If what you say is true then I would like to ask for your hand in marriage ;)

Seriously, the gang was a huge part of my life growing up. I didn't use clocks and calenders to measure time. I measured it based on when the next Peanuts special would air. Even as an adult there's something about Charlie Brown and Linus that speaks to me.

For someone involved with the production to answer my question is as big a deal to me as a Star Wars fan meeting one of the guys who handled the Death Star models.

[Solid Snake]

If what you say is true then I would like to ask for your hand in marriage ;)


Psssh, smooth
(You'll learn this eventually, dwmitch: When Snake of all people is deriding your mackin' abilities, you've officially hit rock bottom.) :P

Anyway, I'm just glad it's not Calvin and Hobbes that's getting the crappy holiday specials treatment. All other comics can be ruined to their estates' content, but Calvin and Hobbes better never be touched by anything remotely resembling a spinoff.

[Krylo]

Anyway, I'm just glad it's not Calvin and Hobbes that's getting the crappy holiday specials treatment. All other comics can be ruined to their estates' content, but Calvin and Hobbes better never be touched by anything remotely resembling a spinoff.

http://i39.tinypic.com/muk30z.jpg

[POS Industries]

Legally touched by anything remotely resembling a spinoff.

Also moving this to media subforum for obvious reasons.

[Magus]

My only problem with these new ones was that the voice actors didn't sound right. This has been occurring ever since they came out with some new ones back in the '90s or something.