'It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' Special Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The classic show first premiered on Oct. 27, 1966.

ByABC News
October 19, 2016, 10:13 AM

— -- Linus has been waiting a long time for "The Great Pumpkin" to arrive. Fifty years, to be exact.

The classic Peanuts special "It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" premiered on Oct. 27, 1966.

In the beloved animated special — written by late "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz — Linus, Charlie Brown's blanket-loving pal, eagerly waits in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin, which he believes delivers toys to children.

Sally chooses to stay with Linus in the patch but lets him have it when — spoiler alert! — the Great Pumpkin doesn't show.

While Linus is preoccupied with the Great Pumpkin, the rest of the gang goes trick-or-treating (poor Charlie Brown gets rocks in his bag) and then celebrates Halloween at Violet's.

"It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" airs tonight at 8:00 ET on ABC.

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