You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown is the 14th prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975. It has been released to DVD by Warner Home Video.

Plot
Peppermint Patty arrives on a small motorcycle and alerts the kids about an upcoming motocross race, and suggests that Charlie Brown and Snoopy enter. Linus volunteers to be the pit crew and the two pool their limited financial resources to purchase a shabby old bike. Snoopy enters the race under the pseudonym of The Masked Marvel and Marcie is on hand as the announcer. Charlie Brown and Snoopy crash within minutes of the start of the race, and an ambulance fetches them.

In the confusion, Snoopy is admitted to a regular hospital while Charlie Brown ends up at the vet. After regaining consciousness, Charlie Brown escapes and retrieves Snoopy from the hospital. Upon return, Linus informs Charlie Brown that motocross rules dictate that all drivers must be fitted with a helmet, which was lost during in the crash. Linus proceeds to outfit Charlie Brown with a hollowed-out pumpkin as a helmet and Charlie Brown, demoralized with such ridiculous headgear, returns to the race.

As the race continues, all the other competitors have fallen out of the race due to various mishaps in a variety of mud traps, reducing Charlie Brown as the only remaining entry as his old bike proves to have remarkable reliability and power despite its poor speed. He then comes in first and is cheered, only to learn that the organizers were unable to afford the original grand prize of Pro Bowl tickets. As a consolation prize, Charlie Brown is given a certificate for five free haircuts — much to his dismay, as his dad is a barber and he has little hair of his own to cut. At the end of the day, Linus consoles Charlie Brown by telling him that the fact that he won against overwhelming odds is more important than receiving a prize.

The next day, a confident Charlie Brown is ready to pitch another baseball game, saying to the team that in spite of his 980 straight defeats, has come to understand what winning is, and is certain that he will win this game. Instead, a line drive plows past him, causing his clothes to go flying.



Voice cast

 * Duncan Watson: Charlie Brown
 * Liam Martin: Linus van Pelt
 * Gail M. Davis: Sally Brown
 * Melanie Kohn: Lucy van Pelt/Loretta
 * Stuart Brotman: Peppermint Patty
 * Jimmy Ahrens: Marcie
 * Bill Melendez: Snoopy/Woodstock

Production notes
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown was the last Peanuts television special to air during Vince Guaraldi's lifetime. Guaraldi was putting the finishing touches on the soundtrack for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown on February 6, 1976 when he was felled by a sudden heart attack. It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown would air posthumously on March 16, 1976. It was also Duncan Watson's second time voicing Charlie Brown — his first was the previous special, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, as he would return for the feature film, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown in 1977.

You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown won Schulz his third Emmy Award for Outstanding Children Special. He previously earned the award for A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.