Charlie Brown is sad because Christmas is coming up: “I know no one likes me. Why do we need a holiday to emphasize it?” Whether we are willing to admit this or not, Charlie Brown’s attitude towards Christmas here is quite common. Lucy seems to be a bit nicer in this episode. She offers to help Charlie find involvement by having him direct a Christmas play.

From here, Charlie seems to get upset about the commercialized aspects of Christmas. (Even Sally wants $10.s and $20.s from Santa) Later, we go to the play being rehearsed. Charlie feels that no one has the spirit of Christmas. (Though Charlie himself is not quite sure what it is.) The gang decides they need a tree, and Charlie and Linus go to find one. It is interesting that Linus all of a sudden backs Charlie Brown’s feelings: “Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it’s getting too dangerous.” They find a tree that looks on the frail side, but Charlie does not hesitate for a moment to pick it. It is interesting how Linus does NOT rebuke Charlie for this decision. But he DOES warn Charlie that his choice may not be appreciated. (“You’re doing a nice thing, but don’t expect to be popular for it.”)

Naturally, Charlie is mocked and scoffed at for his compassion rooted choice. At this point, the smart Linus reveals the true meaning of Christmas. (A fragment of “Luke” 2:1-20 which is used for the Christmas Eve Mass) This is when the gang starts to realize that Charlie really did a wonderful thing (showing compassion) that kept with the spirit of Christmas.

My one slight complaint is that a comment Linus makes at the start, seems inconsistent with his character: “Charlie Brown, you’re the only one I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas, and turn it into a problem.” Throughout the episode, Linus does seem to be aware of the problem that Christmas has become too commercialized, that in some ways Christmas has gotten dangerous, that the true meaning of Christmas may not be such welcome news to everyone, and that one may get scorned (as Charlie Brown does) for trying to uphold the true meaning of Christmas.

But that said, this is a really wonderful Christmas show.

If you already own the remastered DVD, I wouldn’t necessarily rush out and buy this. If you don’t have the remastered DVD, it’s a must buy because you get the Blu-ray and remastered DVD (and the “free” download) for a halfway decent price.

The antidote to that can be found in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” where everyone’s favorite round-headed kid tries to find out the real meaning of Christmas. Simply animated and told, this special little story reminds us why we have Christmas, without resorting to sentimental goop or silly humor. It’s both funny and heartwarming.

Charlie Brown is depressed. It’s Christmastime, and he knows he should be happy, but instead he feels let down. Even worse, everyone is into the commercial aspect of it — even his dog! When he asks Lucy for help, she offers him a job as a pageant director. He agrees, hoping it will get him in the spirit.

Of course, it’s a disaster — Snoopy mimicks and licks Lucy, Pigpen grosses out his onstage “wife,” and everyone dances to Schroeder’s piano. Finally Charlie Brown goes out to buy a big glitzy Christmas tree, but he ends up buying a tiny scraggly one instead. As the others laugh at him and his poor little tree, he cries out, “Isn’t there ANYONE who can tell me what Christmas is all about?” And Linus tells him.

This disc also contains a sequel special, “It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.” Instead of a real storyline, it’s a series of light subplots and vignettes, based on the comic strips by Charles Schultz. It’s not as striking as the original, but it is lots of fun.

As the story goes on, Peppermint Patty struggles with her holiday book reports, and Linus tries unsuccessfully to tell Sally about the meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown tries unsuccessfully to peddle wreaths door to door (“It isn’t even Thanksgiving yet!”), and sells his comic book collection so he can buy his crush a pretty pair of gloves.

And finally, there’s an upcoming holiday pageant — Sally has been cast as an angel, with only a one-word line: “Hark!” She messes up, of course. And Peppermint Patty hopes to be cast in the role of Mary, but is shocked to find out that Marcie has been cast instead (“Mary never wore GLASSES!”)… and that she’s gotten the role of a sheep.

“Charlie Brown Christmas” is sort of an antidote to those wretched Christmas specials they trot out every year . It was made with a shoestring budget and a jazz soundtrack, and after seeing it, the network executives believed it would be a massive flop. Well, shows what they knew.

There’s something in Charlie Brown’s search for yuletide meaning that really yanks the heartstrings. Not to mention the climactic moment when Charlie Brown cries out for the meaning of Christmas — Linus calmly announces that he can tell him. He goes up to the podium, and quietly reads from a relevant Bible passage. “Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people…” Its simplicity is what makes it so beautiful.

But there’s lots of humor too — birds dancing with candy canes, Sally’s Christmas demands, and disastrous holiday pageants (“Woof! Meow! Moo! Whatever!” yells Peppermint Patty in her sheep costume). One of the most entertaining subplots is poor Linus repeatedly trying to tell Sally about the meaning of Christmas, only to have her say angrily, “If I get socks again for Christmas, I’ll get even MORE crazy!”

As for the blu-ray edition, it’s obviously getting the uber-super-mega-high-def treatment (although I suspect this matters more for the bright colors, not the famously simple drawing style). And it seems the extras are the same as the new “deluxe” edition: aside from the “Christmastime Again” special, we get “A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It will also apparently have standard-def and digital editions bundled in as well.

Whether it’s for the nostalgic value or the message, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is sure to entertain. An absolute must-have for the holidays.