'Welcome Home, Franklin' special gives backstory on beloved 'Peanuts' character

Welcome Home, Franklin special gives backstory on beloved Peanuts character

• News

Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin races onto Apple TV+ in February.
Photo: Apple TV+

Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin shows how Franklin joined the Peanuts gang. The special will debut on Apple TV+ in mid February.

Also this winter, Apple’s streaming service will release season two of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock from the Jin Henson Company. The second season of Sago Mini Friends is on the schedule, too.

Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin premieres soon on Apple TV+

The Peanuts character Franklin is about to get an origin story. Instead of simply appearing, as he did in the comic strip in 1968, the upcoming Apple TV+ special will flesh out the boy’s background.

In Welcome Home, Franklin, he’s always on the move because his dad is in the military. He’s had to become skilled at making new friends. But “when Franklin tries his usual strategies with the Peanuts gang, he has trouble fitting in,” Apple explains. “That’s until he learns about the neighborhood Soap Box Derby race. He’s sure that winning the race will also mean winning over some new friends.”

Long-time Peanuts fans should know the actual backstory. As Wikipedia explains:

“A Los Angeles schoolteacher named Harriet Glickman wrote to Schulz on April 15, 1968 (eleven days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.), urging him to introduce a black character into Peanuts.”

Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin will premiere on Apple TV+ on February 16.

More children’s programming from Apple

Apple offers a wide array of programs aimed at kids, and there are fresh episodes coming this winter.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock season two will bring big changes to the Rock, and the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs will be forced to confront their past and celebrate their interdependence. But they’ll overcome their challenges together with hope, silliness and brand new songs.

The new episodes of the Emmy-winning series are set to appear Friday, March 29. In the mean time, season one is ready to stream now.

And Sago Mini Friends season two will be out before the end of January. This children’s series features friends who play, explore, imagine and celebrate daily.

New episodes are scheduled for Friday, January 26. Or enjoy season one now.

Watching any or all of these comes with a $9.99-per-month subscription to Apple TV+. That’s a lower price than all of its larger rivals for a service with no commercial interruptions.

Source: Apple