(FOX NEWS) – "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a beloved holiday
television tradition for generations of American families, debuted
to overwhelming popular acclaim despite network fears of failure
on this day in history, Dec. 9, 1965.

Expectations were low for its success, according to several
accounts of the history of the broadcast.

CBS executives were underwhelmed by the slow pace of the
production; and the network had battled behind the scenes
with "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz over the inclusion
of a scene lifted straight from the New Testament of the Bible.

Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz 
(November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000)