ABC presents “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown” “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” Dec. 29

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

To get you primed to ring in 2015, ABC will present two animated New Year’s favorites (and a bonus Charlie Brown special) back-to-back on Dec. 29.

First in the lineup is the 1986 Peanuts special Happy New Year, Charlie Brown in which our intrepid, yellow-shirted hero wonders if he should forgo the gang’s New Year’s Eve festivities to finish Tolstoy’s War and Peace before school resumes. Toting the tome with him from Lucy’s pre-party dance class to Marcie’s and Peppermint Patty’s New Year’s Eve bash in hopes of combining business and pleasure, Charlie finds himself distracted by dreams of welcoming in 1986 with a certain little red-haired girl.

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

Immediately following Happy New Year, Charlie Brown is 1980’s She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. In the half-hour special, Peppermint Patty heads to her first major ice skating competition with her canine coach Snoopy and ever-faithful cohort Marcie by her side. When disaster looms, it’s up to everyone’s favorite little yellow birdie Woodstock to save the day.

Rounding out the night is 1976’s Rankin/Bass stop-motion favorite Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, in which the famous red-nosed reindeer must help Father Time and Santa Claus find the baby New Year — aptly named Happy — or face the prospect of a Dec. 31 that never ends. Suspecting that the baby may have been whisked off to the Archipelago of Last Years, Rudolph must travel back through history (and a couple of fairy tales) to save the day — and the happy New Year.

RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEARHappy New Year, Charlie Brown and She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown air from 8-9pm ET on ABC. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year follows at 9/8CT.

“Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” photo: RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS
Peanuts image © 1958, 1965, 1986 United Feature Syndicate. All rights reserved.

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Lori just hasn't been the same since "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure" went off the air.