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TV This Week

‘The Great Pumpkin,’ a nice distraction

Charlie Brown special is everything a cartoon should be

October 31, 2012

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After days of obsessively following the path of Hurricane Sandy, whose horrific impact is still being assessed, the distraction of Halloween is blessedly here.

And there’s nothing that has come to symbolize Halloween better on broadcast than “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” which makes its annual appearance on ABC tonight at 8 p.m.

“Pumpkin” is the rare children’s cartoon that’s fantastical without being too syrupy sweet or so bad it’s impossible for parents to watch without rolling their eyes. Its humor is laced with reality.

Linus’ faith in the Great Pumpkin endures no matter how many times it is tested. But Lucy’s cynicism and Charlie Brown’s depression give the story a nice balance that keeps kids and parents equally amused.

It’s been a few years since “Pumpkin,” which debuted in 1966, actually aired on Halloween. Because many families will be out trick or treating tonight, that could mean that despite its timeliness ratings are actually a little lower than usual.

Last year the show drew 7.4 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, and a 2.3 adults 18-49 rating, airing on a Thursday night four days before Halloween. Those were the special’s best numbers on both measures in at least three years.

A look at this week's top TV draws
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	ABC	"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (A, K)	The classic "Peanuts" special, which originally premiered in 1966.
8 p.m.	CW	"Arrow" (D)	Arrow tries to prove that a murder suspect is being framed.
9 p.m.	CBS	"Criminal Minds" (D)	The team looks into four men who have separately gone missing in rural Oregon.
9 p.m.	ABC	"Modern Family" (C)	Jay and Gloria have a garage sale to help raise funds for Manny and Luke's school.
10 p.m.	FX	"American Horror Story" (D)	A severe storm erupts, creating an opportunity for a group of patients looking to escape the asylum.
10 p.m.	Syfy	"Face Off" (R)	Season finale. Live edition in which viewers select the season's winner.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	Fox	"The X Factor" (R)	The first part of the wildcard round.
8 p.m.	ABC	"CMA Awards" (A)	The 46th annual event, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.
9:30 p.m.	TNT	"NBA Basketball" (S)	Rematch of the Western Conference finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
9:30	NBC	"Parks and Recreation" (C)	Leslie meets Ben's parents for the first time.
10 p.m.	CBS	"Elementary" (D)	Holmes believes someone is killing terminally ill patients in a hospital.
10 p.m.	MTV	"Jersey Shore" (R)	Mike's rules for being in a relationship apparently differ from those of the girl he's seeing.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	CBS	"Undercover Boss" (R)	Season premiere. First up this season is the CEO of Modell's Sporting Goods.
8:30 p.m.	ABC	"Malibu Country" (C)	Series premiere. Reba McEntire stars as the ex-wife of a country star who tries to get her own singing career going.
9 p.m.	NBC	"Grimm" (D)	A murder case could be connected to a Grimm.
9 p.m.	Fox	"Fringe" (D)	One of the team members makes a startling choice amid devastating events.
10 p.m.	TLC	"Brides of Beverly Hills" (R)	Season premiere. Hulk Hogan's ex, Linda Hogan, is featured.
10:30 p.m.	ESPN	"NBA Basketball" (S)	Battle of Los Angeles between the Lakers and Clippers.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 p.m.	Fox	"College Football" (S)	High-flying Oregon takes on USC in Los Angeles.
8 p.m.	NBC	"Horse Racing" (S)	Live coverage of the 29th Breeders' Cup.
8 p.m.	CBS	"College Football" (S)	A rematch of last year's national championship game between Alabama and LSU.
9 p.m.	Hallmark Channel	"Christmas Song" (M)	Yes, it's a new Christmas movie airing before Election Day.
9 p.m.	Discovery Channel	"Plane Crash" (N)	Behind the scenes of a planned remotely controlled plane crash, staged in an effort to improve airline safety.
11:30 p.m.	NBC	"Saturday Night Live" (C)	Comedian Louis C.K. hosts, with musical guest Fun.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	Fox	"The X Factor" (R)	The wildcard round continues on a special night.
8:20 p.m.	NBC	"Sunday Night Football" (S)	The Cowboys face the Falcons in Atlanta.
9 p.m.	AMC	"The Walking Dead" (D)	The group gets separated, throwing lives into danger.
9 p.m.	Lifetime	"Left to Die" (M)	An American woman is put in an Ecuadorean prison after being falsely accused of drug trafficking.
9 p.m.	Bravo	"Real Housewives of Atlanta" (R)	The Atlanta edition of the franchise kicks off its fifth season.
10 p.m.	WE	"Bridezillas" (R)	Season finale. Former "Bad Girls Club" cast member Natalie Nunn gets married.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.