Review of Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown

Snoopy inadvertently joins a traveling circus and succumbs to the allure of show business after falling for pretty big top poodle Fifi. Meanwhile, poor Charlie Brown mourns the loss of his beloved beagle. Done with characteristic warmth and amiability by Charles M. Schulz, this TV special makes for a perfectly pleasant and harmless diversion thanks to its easygoing and lighthearted tone, pretty fluid and impressive animation, cheery'n'catchy score by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen, and a sweet and charming canine romance between Snoppy and Fifi. Of course, the always dynamic and personable Snoopy clearly dominates the proceedings throughout: Snoopy initially fumbles with doing flips and jumping through rings before mastering a daring high wire act and performing a dangerous trapeze routine with Fifi (Snoopy also gets renamed Hugo the Great!). Moreover, this show concludes on a nice realistic note with Snoopy having to leave Fifi behind when he decides to return to Charlie Brown. A fun little item.