Ozark Homescom Peanuts Doing It Again
The Peanuts gang and NASA have a history together; after all, the lunar landing module in the Apollo 10 mission was named "Snoopy." So the idea of having the gang explore the Houston Space Center, as well as sending Snoopy into space, seems like a natural one. Read on for more about the new Apple TV+ series Snoopy In Space.
SNOOPY IN SPACE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Snoopy (Terry McGurrin) dons his World War I flying ace helmet and flies his Sopwith Camel (aka his dog house) into space after he's buzzed by a rocket with a paw print on it.
The Gist: After Snoopy's fantasy about floating, then falling from space is over, Charlie Brown (Ethan Pugiotto) busts through with a telescope on his head; he's late for the school's space assembly. Snoopy is intrigued, so he and Woodstock (Rob Tinkler) go to the school and get in… eventually, as Lucy (Isabella Leo) throws them out. Snoopy falls in love with the idea of exploring space, especially the enthusiastic presentation from Franklin (Christian Dal Dosso), especially the idea of getting a parade for being a hero.
When he gets back, he tries to make his dog house take off like a rocket, with the help of Woodstock and the Beagle Scouts. "Why can't I have a normal dog?" Charlie Brown laments. But Charlie Brown and company, especially Franklin, encourage Snoopy to apply to NASA, as they're looking for new astronauts. He fills out the application, demonstrating how smart, humble, industrious, and loyal he is. After a long wait, he's turned down, but NASA invites him and the whole gang to Space Center Houston. They get in a school bus to go, but Snoopy gets the idea he'll sneak into the astronaut training center.
In episodes 2 and 3, Snoopy does just that, while the rest of the gang explore Space Center Houston (Charlie Brown, loyal as ever, tries to find Snoopy). Snoopy and Woodstock are kicked out, but get in again. Eventually, Snoopy dons a clever disguise (a mustache) and is led through the rigorous training by NASA's automated recruitment system, C.A.R.A. (Nicole Byer), but washes out when he doesn't take it seriously. Charlie Brown encourages him to "be who you are"; Snoopy returns and passes with flying colors, especially after saving Woodstock from getting sucked into the filter of the zero gravity pool.
Our Take: Snoopy In Space is basically a 100-minute movie split into twelve 8-plus-minute shorts. It's definitely not designed to be watched at random; one episode flows into the other just like any good streaming series does. Produced by Mark Evestaff and directed by Rob Boutilier (Craig Schulz, Charles Schulz' son, is also an EP), it most definitely serves an educational purpose, with a heavy emphasis on teaching lessons about space exploration, how astronauts train, what they do, and how much left there is to explore.
If you or your kids think that Snoopy In Space will be a sequel of sorts to 2015's The Peanuts Movie, you and they will be disappointed. This show reminds us more of the latter-day Peanuts specials that emphasized Snoopy over the various complexities of Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang. Snoopy has always been the id of Peanuts, just doing instead of contemplating. He's also the most confident character outside Lucy and maybe Peppermint Patty (Isis Moore). This makes for lots of physical humor, as Snoopy and Woodstock fumble and fight and stumble but ultimately go on amazing adventures. But the deeper aspects of Peanuts aren't there.
Not that Snoopy In Space needs that. The title pretty much tells us what it is about, as the gang will serve as Mission Control for Snoopy's mission to the International Space Station and the moon. But when Snoopy becomes the focus, with the rest of the gang becoming supporting players, some of the specialness of Peanuts is gone, leading us to think that this story could have been told with just about any characters, with Snoopy and company just there as branding.
What Age Group Is This For?: My four-year-old, who can't get enough of The Peanuts Movie, wanted me to turn this off in the middle of the third episode. That was a big sign that, while Snoopy In Space is good for all ages, the heavy concentration on imparting education about space travel makes the show more interesting to those kids who are actually interested in it. And we know those kids — even four-year-olds — are out there.
Parting Shot: At the end of the 3rd episode, C.A.R.A. gives Snoopy his space wings, and he asks for a parade. He has to be informed that parades are for when astronauts come home from space. But the gang, who is all assigned to help him on Mission Control, carry him out of the room in celebration.
Sleeper Star: The best part of Snoopy In Space is that Franklin gets a personality and dialogue. He's a character that's been underserved in the specials, so it's great that writer Betsy Walters has made him the space nut of the gang and arguably more into Snoopy's mission than even Marcie (Holly Gorski), the gang's designated genius.
Most Pilot-y Line: We love Nicole Byer, but it feels like C.A.R.A. is too dominant, even in the early going, and way, WAY too forgiving of Snoopy. Yes, it's a kid's show. But the show doesn't try to talk down to kids with its dialogue, why do it with its plotting?
Our Call: STREAM IT. If your kid loves Peanuts and loves space, then Snoopy In Space will be a fun ride. If your kid isn't interested in space travel — or is more of a Charlie Brown fan than a Snoopy fan — they may be disappointed.
Your Call:
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn't kid himself: he's a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, VanityFair.com, Playboy.com, FastCompany.com, RollingStone.com, Billboard and elsewhere.
StreamSnoopy In Space On Apple TV+
Source: https://decider.com/2019/11/02/snoopy-in-space-apple-tv-plus-stream-it-or-skip-it/