‘Peanuts’ First Black Character Franklin Gets His Own Special
Apple TV+ released the official trailer for Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin. The story follows Franklin Armstrong as he moves to a new town and struggles to fit in and meet friends. In the short trailer, Franklin starts conversations with other children, only to be ignored after each attempt. The character soon learns about a neighborhood Soap Box Derby race and figures that winning the competition would help him gain friends.
The trailer also shows where Charlie Brown and Franklin first meet and the moments leading up to the race. The pair becomes partners and try to win the race together.
Background of Franklin’s Character
Many were introduced to Franklin’s character more than 50 years ago. Until now, very little was known about his backstory. CBS News reported that Franklin joining the “Peanuts” cast happened after retired teacher Harriet Glickman pushed the cartoon’s creator Charles Schulz and other comic artists to integrate their work and include Black characters after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Franklin first appeared in the comic strip for the first time in July of that same year.
In David J. Bradley’s “The Dark Truth of Peanuts” YouTube video, he dives into the controversies of the cartoon comic. He mentions (at around the 1:42:00 mark) that Franklin appeared at a time when the Civil Rights Movement still had so much of a battle on their hands and that there was some racist backlash to his introduction. Apparently, many newspapers pulled the short, and Schulz was sent many threatening letters. Additionally, he said that in the comic Franklin only appears 11 times from 1975 to 1982.
Recently, some viewers criticized the treatment of Franklin’s character in the cartoon’s holiday special. In the show, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, there is a dinner scene where Franklin sits alone, in a beach chair, at a dinner table on the opposite side of his white friends who are all sitting in wooden chairs. Many viewers pointed out the separation of the characters and took to social media to call out the differences.
In 2021, the voice behind Franklin in that 1973 holiday special, Robin Reed, spoke with MSNBC about the criticized special. “It’s so very easy to get offended or upset,” Reed said in an interview. “But we have to remember that at that time, that actually represented progress.”
In the upcoming film centered around Franklin’s origin story, the trailer shows that scene revisited. The “Peanuts” group of friends invited Franklin to sit and eat with them.
After checking out the trailer, viewers shared their thoughts on social media. And for the most part, the comments seem to be quite positive. One person wrote, “Franklin finally gets a proper seat at the table 56 years later. This is how you take steps to right wrongs.” Another person said, “They came through with a special for Franklin. That’s how you honor a Black Peanuts character!”
Emmy Award winner Raymond S. Persi directed the film, while Robb Armstrong and Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano, co-wrote the special from an original story by Armstrong and Scott Montgomery. Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Uliano, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, and Logan McPherson executive produce the animation.
“Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin” premieres on Apple TV+ on Feb.16. Take a look at the official trailer below.
These Black TV Shows Ended Way Too Soon
Girlfriends
This show never got the proper ending it deserved. Girlfriends followed four friends: Joan, Maya, Lynn, and Toni, as they attempted to navigate adult life. Girlfriends premiered on UPN on September 11, 2000, and aired for six seasons on the network before moving over to The CW for seasons seven and eight. Though a popular show, it was canceled in 2008 after an eight-season run. According to TV Series Finale, The CW decided not to produce any more episodes due to the show being too expensive to film. The final season was also during the Writers Guild of America strike.
South Side
The beloved show that melded humor and commentary showcasing Chicago life has been canceled after three seasons. In February, Deadline reported that HBO Max announced the show’s cancelation. “While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a fourth season of South Side, we are so proud of the rich world Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin created,” an HBO Max spokesperson told Deadline. After the announcement from the streaming service, Riddle
The show that never lost one fan. SOUTH SIDE means so much to us and the city of Chicago and to me personally. We’re shopping it around and with luck we will do more episodes, but until then, I want to thank the amazing cast, crew and fans of @southsidechi #SouthSide pic.twitter.com/YBvR9Q29RQ
— Diallo Riddle (@diallo) February 22, 2023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1628452578974638081%7Ctwgr%5E3e2a10f4c945a02f4dd2ad4283309c9634cd6d1c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblockclubchicago.org%2F2023%2F02%2F21%2Fhbo-max-cancels-south-side-the-comedy-that-gave-chicago-its-spotlight%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted that the team hopes to find the show a new home to do more episodes. So, there’s something more to do with the show. Hopefully, we get to see it.
Legendary
The ballroom competition show at HBO Max was canceled after 3 seasons. Legendary judge Leiomy Maldonado
LEGENDARY HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN CANCELLED. THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE SHOW. ON TO THE NEXT…
— Leiomy not “Lei” (@leiomy) December 6, 2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed the cancellation Tuesday, tweeting, “Thank you everyone who supported the show. On to the next…” All three seasons featured a star-studded guest roster. From Issa Rae, Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach, Keke Palmer, and others. Who knows who else could’ve graced the show?
61st Street
Despite a 2-season order and completion of Season 2 production, the legal drama starring Courtney B. Vance and Aunjanue Ellis was stopped at AMC after only airing one season. Following the sudden cancelation of AMC Network’s 61st Street, executive producers confirm the series is looking for a new home as reported by Deadline.
Kindred
The drama was based on Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 novel about a young Black woman who is pulled back and forth in time. This former FX show had a massive cliffhanger at the end of season 1… and then the show was canceled. Fans of the show were obviously disappointed.
