Streaming Friday (or really Thursday night, per typical Apple TV+ practice), Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical — the first Peanuts musical in more than three decades — sees Charlie Brown and the gang trying to save their beloved summer camp from going bust. And the music part is no joke here, featuring songs from singer-songwriter Ben Folds and other award-winning composers. Watch the recent trailer below.
Reviews so far seem quite positive. The New York Times talked about the show’s “new direction,” depicting Charlie Brown’s triumph while celebrating Charles M. Schulz’s legacy 25 years after his death and 75 years after the birth of his iconic comic strip. Nerds that Geek calls the musical numbers “a real treat.” The San Francisco Chronicle said it “charms with heart and songs” and “hits the right notes.”
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical special features star-studded musical talent
The new animated special Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical features an impressive lineup of musical contributors, Apple TV+ noted. Emmy Award-nominated singer, songwriter and New York Times bestselling author Ben Folds has created original songs including “When We Were Light,” “Look Up, Charlie Brown” and “Leave It Better” specifically for the production. Additional music comes from Emmy Award-nominated composer Jeff Morrow and Broadway veterans Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, who contributed tracks like “Best Time Ever” and “A Place Like This.”
A summer camp story with heart
The plot centers around Charlie Brown’s love for summer camp as he approaches his final year there, according to Apple TV+. While Charlie Brown wants to make his last summer special, his sister Sally feels nervous about attending camp for the first time. The story takes an adventurous turn when Snoopy and Woodstock discover a treasure map that leads them on an exciting quest nearby.
The gang’s summer plans face a major challenge when they learn their beloved camp is closing due to declining enrollment. This news particularly devastates Charlie Brown, who has deep emotional connections to the place. However, Snoopy and Woodstock’s treasure hunt reveals something unexpected. Instead of gold or jewels, they find musical instruments and photographs from past summer concerts held at the camp.
Inspired by their discovery, Charlie Brown rallies the entire Peanuts gang to organize their own concert as a way to save the camp and preserve its legacy. The special emphasizes themes of community, preserving cherished places and the magic of summer camp experiences.
Watch the trailer for Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical on Apple TV+
Part of Apple TV+’s Peanuts celebration
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical joins Apple TV+’s extensive Peanuts collection as the platform serves as the exclusive streaming home for all Peanuts content. The timing is particularly significant as 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the whole gang created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.
The special is produced by Peanuts and WildBrain, with direction by Erik Wiese and writing by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano. Apple TV+ continues to expand its family-friendly offerings with recent additions including Camp Snoopy, the second season of Frog and Toad, and animated adventure WondLa.
For Apple TV+ subscribers looking for quality family entertainment, this musical special promises to deliver both nostalgia and fresh musical energy to the beloved Peanuts characters.
Watch Peanuts and more on Apple TV+
While you wait for the new musical, you can stream plenty of Peanuts classics on Apple TV+. Get it by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 580 wins and 2,787 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
More than 200 exclusive movies and TV shows call Apple TV+ home (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso). The service also offers documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
This Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical special post published on July 30, 2025. It republished August 14 with news of the show beginning to stream.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
