Just in time for Christmas, Lee Mendelson (producer of the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas) came on TV Time Machine to talk about the beloved Peanuts special.
As with many successful people, Mr. Mendelson attributed his break in being able to produce A Charlie Brown Christmas, to luck and serendipity. In reality, it was the fact that he worked for many years toiling at TV station KPIX in San Francisco and his decision to start his own production company that created the very luck that led to Lee Mendelson meeting Charles Schultz.
In 1963, Lee Mendelson’s production company had produced a TV documentary about Willie Mays. Charles Schultz had seen the special and was impressed by it, so when Mr. Mendelson approached Schultz with the idea of creating a holiday special featuring the Peanuts gang, Charles Schultz was all for it. Aired in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas was an instant success.
And the rest they say… is history!
Jim Benson, Host of TV Time Machine
Jim Benson TV Time Machine Blog 