Why, Charlie Brown, Why?

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Linus feeling Janice's forehead.

Why, Charlie Brown, Why? is one of many prime-time animated TV specials based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired in 1990 and was also nominated for an Emmy.^[1]

1 Story
- 1.1 Ending
2 Hymn
3 Nominations
4 Cast
5 External links

[edit] Story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Janice, a friend and classmate of Charlie Brown and Linus goes home ill one day. They soon find out that she is in the hospital with leukemia. The news hits Linus especially hard, as he appears to be falling for her. He and Charlie Brown comfort and support her and keep her company while she is treated in the hospital. He begins to see life differently, especially when he challenges his sister Lucy's narrow-minded attitude towards Janice's illness ("You could catch leukemia from her and give it to me! ... She probably got [the disease] because she's a creepy kid."). However, his eyes are really open when Janice comes back. She has lost her hair because of her chemotherapy, and wears a cap to cover her bald head. This attracts the attention of a schoolyard bully, who soon finds himself told off by an enraged Linus.

[edit] Ending

Some time and lots of extensive treatments later, Janice tells Linus she has a surprise for him, and she reveals the surprise at the end of the show while playing on the swings: her long blonde hair has grown back.The ending is quite open; the hair regrowing tells the viewer that the chemotherapy has ended. This opens two possibilities:

In one scenario, the chemotherapy has succeeded, and she has returned to full health.
In the other scenario, the chemotherapy failed, and Janice and her family has decided to stop medication and live for the day, and remain happy to the end.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Hymn

This special also included a brief rendition of the classic hymn "Farther Along," sung by Becky Reardon. The song played in the background as a tearful Linus struggled to make sense of Janice's illness.