A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated film. The film, since its release, has become an iconic part of many American families' Christmas celebrationsHowever, producer Lee Mendelson and director Bill Melendez originally believed that they "killed Peanuts" with the special. After Lee Mendelson died on Christmas Day 2019, his son, Jason Mendelson, while speaking to People in an exclusive interview, said that his father agreed to make the Christmas special for CBS before locking things in with Peanuts creator Charles Schulz or Melendez.The three had previously worked on the never-aired documentary A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Lee called Schulz, who was also known as Sparky, and informed him that he'd sold A Charlie Brown Christmas. Lee's son Jason recalls,"And Sparky said, 'What's that?' And my father said, 'Something you and Bill and I have to write this weekend."Jason continued,"It was absolutely imperative for both Sparky Schulz and for my father that these children, that it be authentic, that it be real. In a Charlie Brown CHristmas, which was the first special, the story is about Children going through emotional, confusing, deep times."The film involves Charlie Brown being repelled by the commercialism around him and wanting to find the true meaning of Christmas."Lee and Bill thought they may have killed Peanuts" - A Charlie Brown Christmas' creator's sonJason Mendelson said that his father, along with Schulz and Melendez, believed that they had killed the special since the Christmas special involved kids exploring sad and difficult feelings. While some viewers believed the special was too much for a younger audience, the creators believed that if it didn't portray a child's true emotions, the show would have "lost that innocence and that truth."Jason Mendelson added,"And the thing, is all of those decisions, the decision to use the child's voices, to use the jazz music, to not have a laugh track, to have the show be very serious and very thoughtful? Lee and Bill thought they may have killed Peanuts."At the time, when the creators sent the final draft to the network, they ddin't get a "great feedback." However, despite its melancholy theme, A Charlie Brown Christmas special was a success after its release. The film won a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program and a Peabody Award in 1966, to the creators' surprise.