Ever since Apple TV+ revived Charles M. Schulz's beloved Peanuts franchise in 2019, they have captured the spirit and look of the classic comic strip and animated specials. That enduring tradition continues with Apple TV+'s latest original special, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie, putting a well-deserved spotlight on the usual supporting character Marcie. Directed by veteran animator Raymond S. Persi, who has helmed recent Peanuts specials for Apple TV+, the franchise continues to embrace its timeless appeal while relating more and more to modern audiences and the challenges they face.
With Franklin's tenure as class president at the local elementary school nearing its scheduled end, the Peanuts gang faces several lingering issues at their school that require a natural problem-solver to fix. After constantly helping her best friend Peppermint Patty, including serving as her faithful golf caddy, Marcie definitely has effective ideas about how to help her classmates but isn't interested in the heightened profile that comes with the class president position. And as Marcie addresses her anxiety at the prospect of taking such a public position, Patty enters a major golf tournament without her usual buddy.
Like every other modern Peanuts story or special, One-of-a-Marcie has that distinct feeling that it could easily take place in the '60s or today. A whole team of producers, including Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paige Braddock, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, and Logan McPherson, work to maintain the aesthetic that Schulz imbued the comic strip with for decades. This is coupled with an original script written by Betsy Walters, who previously wrote for the Apple TV+ original series, The Snoopy Show and Snoopy in Space, continuing to faithfully capture the heart of these iconic characters in new situations.
But the real sense of poignancy comes from Marcie herself, of course, with cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman lending his expertise as an introvert consultant in Marcie's inner struggle throughout the special. The mental health messaging isn't particularly heavy-handed, but it's certainly prominent and feels like the most relatable element to modern audiences. Marcie has always been content with letting Peppermint Patty take the limelight, and seeing her out of her element provides the special with its central conflict as she explores her own emotional vulnerabilities.
Overarching story and individual character arcs aside, the art style employed is gorgeous and vibrant, with beautiful compositing between characters in the foreground and the static backgrounds. The backgrounds have a distinctly hand-painted quality in some environments. There are several fantasy sequences across the special as Marcie considers several problems and seamlessly changes up the visuals in an immersive way. There's a warm and inviting quality to the animation style permeating throughout this special, appealing to both longtime Peanuts fans and newcomers to the franchise alike.
Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie continues to prove that the Peanuts are still in good hands with Apple TV+ as the streaming service's television revival of the property only grows stronger with each project. Engaging and thoughtful while never losing sight of its own sense of fun, One-of-a-Kind Marcie moves briskly along as it places its eponymous protagonist center stage. And with the next planned special focusing on Franklin, it won't be long before fans can get even more new Peanuts adventures on Apple TV+ as the franchise's future forges confidently ahead.
Directed by Raymond S. Persi, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres Aug. 18 on Apple TV+.