TV Q&A: Will ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ air this year?

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Q: Do you think ABC will actually skip showing “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” this year?

— Jackson via Twitter

Rob: I didn’t think that would be the case, but a search of TV listings found no showings through Oct. 30. An ABC representative said the network has no plans to air the show this year. This annual Peanuts special didn’t appear to be available on a streaming service when I searched on Oct. 16, the same day I started making inquiries with Apple TV+, which has “Snoopy in Space” and the upcoming “The Snoopy Show,” debuting Feb. 5 . Sure enough, on Monday Apple TV+ confirmed it will be the exclusive home of both new and classic Peanuts TV shows, including “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” which will be available for free to stream Oct. 30-Nov. 1. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will become available exclusively on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning Dec. 4 with a free window of availability Dec. 11-13. “Great Pumpkin” has also been released on DVD, most recently as part of a collection of holiday-themed Peanuts cartoons that includes the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials.

Q: As a night owl, I’ve been watching ABCs “World News Now” for years. WTAE has removed it and replaced it with “Live! With Kelly and Ryan” reruns. So disappointing. Any word on why?

— Nancy, Lawrenceville

Rob: My understanding is that ABC controls the time period and notified WTAE that it wanted the “LIVE!” rerun in place of “World News Now,” which still airs in the 3 a.m. time slot on ABC affiliates in other cities.

An ABC News publicist did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking comment.

Q: Just wondering if ABC has dates for “The Rookie” or “A Million Little Things” to return. Are they even back in production?

— Jennifer via Facebook

Rob: Both ABC dramas have resumed production but “The Rookie” does not have a premiere date.

“A Million Little Things” returns at 10 p.m. Nov. 19.

Q: On shows like “The Price is Right,” if a contestant wins a trip abroad, or say a gas range when only electric is available where they live and they don’t want to take it, is it possible to take the cash equivalent of any prize?

— Saundra, Springdale

Rob: “Price is Right” contestants always have the option to forego their prizes for any reason but they are not offered a cash equivalent.

Q: Season one of “The Anna Nicole Show” is available on DVD but season two is not. It used to be available streaming on Amazon but now says currently unavailable. Is there any place you are aware of showing reruns of season two?

— Becky via email

Rob: It appears there is not.

Q: You mentioned that the character of Michael in “The Boys in the Band” is a screenwriter. The only thing that is mentioned in the play is that he is on unemployment. Am I missing something?

— Peter via Facebook

Rob: From watching “The Boys in the Band,” I did not know what Michael’s occupation was. “Screenwriter” is what Netflix’s press notes said Michael does for a living. I figured maybe I missed it but if Peter missed it too, maybe Michael’s occupation was unclear in the movie.