You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown is the eighteenth Peanuts TV special. It was originally aired on the CBS network on March 19. 1979, making it the last Peanuts TV special of the 1970s. It has been released to DVD by Warner Home Video as a bonus feature to You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown.
Plot
This special begins with Peppermint Patty telling some friends that there is someone in their school for every event in the Junior Olympics, except for the decathlon. Nobody wanted to enter that competition, because it is a very tough one. Suddenly, Charlie Brown comes, and asks if there are any spots left for the Junior Olympics that he could enter. Lucy then tricks Charlie Brown, and tells him the decathlon is open, and is an easy one. Charlie Brown accepts to join the decathlon.
Peppermint Patty, who is Charlie Brown's trainer for the event, starts training him, with Marcie watching, and Snoopy following. Charlie Brown finds the training very difficult, and wonders if he is really suited for the event. Charlie Brown has trouble with everything he practiced, and when Patty soon realizes he might not be suited for the event too. She then decides to enter Marcie in the event as well, as a backup for Charlie Brown.
The next day is the day of the decathlon. Peppermint Patty introduces Charlie Brown to his competitors, Marcie, Freddie Fabulous from Fremont, and the "Masked Marvel", who is Snoopy wearing a mask.
For the first event of the decathlon, Charlie Brown comes in last place, but Patty tells him he did well anyway. For the rest of the events for that day, all the players did well on some events, and not so well on others, with Charlie Brown being able to have a good finish on a couple. At the end of the first day, Freddie and Marcie are tied in first. Lucy says that she figured Charlie Brown would be his typical blockhead self, but that is not so due to his second place status. The Masked Marvel is currently dead last.
Day two starts off bad for Charlie. First he feels nervous due to the increased pressure, then he performs badly in the 110m high hurdles (knocking down all but one hurdle and finishing last by a mile). However, after a tough talk from Peppermint Patty, a great showing in the pole vault and first-place finishes in the discus and javelin throw catapults him into first place.
It all comes down to the final event. The 1500m race. If Charlie Brown wins, he wins the decathlon. The race starts, and Charlie Brown and Marcie wish each other good luck. When they start running, Charlie Brown takes the lead, making Lucy the think the world is ending. However, Charlie Brown starts thinking about how he thinks he will win, and does not keep his eyes on the track. He fails to see a section of the track that curves and instead runs on a cordoned off section meant for sprints.
The next day, Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty are sitting under a tree. Charlie Brown apologizes for losing, and Patty says it is okay, because the school won anyway. It is then revealed that Fabulous Freddie got in a fight with the Masked Marvel, and both were disqualified for unsportsmanslike conduct. Marcie was the one who broke the tape, and thus won the 1500 meter race, making their school win. Marcie arrives and Charlie Brown congratulates her on the win. Marcie, in turn, replies, "You're a great competitor and a real gentleman. I think you're the greatest, Charles." She then lifts up her glasses and winks at Charlie Brown, making him blush.
Notes
- This special was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (as was Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown).
- This is the first time in both comics and specials, that Marcie's eyes are shown. The second was The Peanuts Movie. Clara's eyes were shown through her glasses, but it is unknown if Clara and Marcie are the same people.
- Charlie Brown's grunting as he tries to lift the barbell is the same grunting Daffy Duck made in the 1965 Warner Bros. cartoon Tease for Two when Daffy tries lifting a rock. This grunting was supplied by Mel Blanc.
- Although in this special, Charlie Brown was shown to be in the same school as Peppermint Patty and Marcie, the comic strip and other animated specials have indicated that the two girls go to a different school across town.
- This special is the third Peanuts animated cartoon to depict teenagers. The previous two being the movie, Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown and the special, It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown.
- This special was one of the very first two Peanuts specials released on VHS, on a set released by Media Home Entertainment in June 1984 with Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown.
Voice cast
- Arrin Skelley - Charlie Brown
- Patricia Patts - Peppermint Patty
- Casey Carlson - Marcie/Crowd
- Michelle Muller - Lucy/Girl
- Daniel Anderson - Linus/Crowd
- Tim Hall - Freddie Fabulous
- Scott Beach - Announcer
- Bill Melendez - Snoopy/Woodstock (briefly)
Sally did appear but she is silent.