Peanuts

Rating: U

Other connected films/TV series: Snoopy and Charlie Brown, The Peanuts Movie

Running time, or each episode length: 7 minutes

Genre: Children’s animation

Overview: Created by a French-Italian-American team, this is a remake of the classic Peanuts TV series.

What you liked:

It has managed to stay close to the charm and joy of the original Peanuts series. The episodes are both funny and thought-provoking.

What you didn’t like:

It’s short, it’s sweet, it holds the attention of a small child and a large adult. What is there not to like?

Thoughts for parents:

In 2014, a team of animators remade the classic comic strip by Charles Schulz. I grew up in America and my Mum’s maiden name is Schultz, so I was always going to be surrounded by Peanuts. This remake sticks very closely to the original concept. The images hold the hand-drawn cartoon beauty and the voice-overs are American, which appeals to a wider audience. The programme deals with issues like disappointment, friendships, truth telling, school and relationships in an approachable way. It can lead a parent to open up a conversation about the topic alongside what the Bible has to say. For example, there is an episode called Security in which Lucy tries to help Linus let go of his security blanket. This could lead into a parent-led conversation about how God surrounds us with His protection and His love covers us like a security blanket. The episodes are now available on YouTube.

Star rating: 5 stars