Charlie Brown and Snoopy from ‘Peanuts‘ are two characters whose legacy will never change. They have been a global favorite duo since the 1950s that has helped shape a generation to grow, and even after that. During those days, the Peanuts characters were a syndicated daily and Sunday strip comic that was made by the beloved comic artist, Late Charles M. Schulz.
The comic has inspired many TV series, such as Peanuts classics, specials, and short movies. And ‘Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10‘ is one of those charming little projects that you can tell was made with a smile on its face.
There’s something comforting about seeing Snoopy woven into real NASA history
The show was released in 2019 on Apple TV+ as a mockumentary short that asks the kind of question only Peanuts fans or space buffs would know about. For those who don’t know, let’s go back to May 1969, when NASA sent their brave man on a Lunar Orbit mission through Apollo 10.
During that time, Snoopy was made the official mascot for the administration, and the way things have always been portrayed, everyone out of entertainment basis asked what if Snoopy wasn’t just a mascot, and what if he actually went to the Moon? It’s sweet, silly, and surprisingly respectful of both Charles Schulz’s legacy and NASA history.
When we look at the 9-minute show, we realize that the setup is simple and entertaining. We see Ron Howard show up as himself, fully leaning into the idea that he is on a quest to uncover the “classified truth” about Snoopy’s role in the Apollo 10 mission by showing us classified documents where words like ‘Blockhead’ have been used.
Then there’s Jeff Goldblum, who plays a dramatic, overly serious “Space historian” with the exact kind of charm only Goldblum can deliver. The short mixes talking-head interviews, fake archival footage, and classic Peanuts animation, creating a tone that feels like a space-themed Saturday Night Live sketch crossed with a love letter to Schulz.
One of the best parts is that the special is rooted in a real slice of NASA history, and that is that the Apollo 10 lunar module really was named after Snoopy, and the command module was nicknamed Charlie Brown.
NASA literally adopted Snoopy as a safety mascot in the 1960s, and the Silver Snoopy Award remains one of NASA’s highest honors for employee excellence. The short plays with these facts, stretching them just enough to pretend Snoopy himself suited up and made “one small step for beagle-kind.”
Even its brief runtime feels intentional
The whole thing was also released as part of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 10, which was indeed a turning point for all mankind, as the mission was rehearsed for the Moon landing just months before Apollo 11.
The real crew (Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan) took Snoopy-themed gear into space, and the Charlie Brown command module still survives at the London Science Museum. Those real historic footprints give the mockumentary a surprisingly sturdy backbone.
Critically, the special went over as well. It even picked up a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Class Special, which is impressive for something that runs under ten minutes. Reviewers called it nostalgic, clever, and exactly the kind of gentle humor that lines up with Schulz’s style.
A few people wished it were longer because, realistically speaking, it takes a good five to six minutes for a movie to start, but then again no one can really complain about it. As there is another show called ‘Snoopy in Space‘ that runs for eight minutes each episode. And keeping that in mind, the intent of his show was never to be a full Peanuts special.
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