‘There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy’ Boss Explains the Dog’s Toughest Day
What To Know
- The latest Snoopy special leaves our favorite dog unhoused.
- A collection of deep-cut characters play into the plot.
- Executive producer Mark Evestaff is ready to showcase Woodstock next.
If every dog has his day, Snoopy is having his worst day ever in There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy, the latest original special under Apple’s “Snoopy Presents” banner. And TV Insider has a sneak peek at the emotional mess that awaits our favorite four-legged pal.
After Charlie Brown and Sally hold a yard sale (because Sally is always about getting her bag!), the world’s most beloved Beagle is left bereft after his iconic doghouse is accidentally sold off. Without a clue as to how it went missing, Snoop and Chuck set out to initially find him a new crash pad and then, by tracking down items Snoopy sold off (including the accordion in the clip, a waffle iron and, despite being taller than the actual doghouse, a grandfather clock), hopefully locate whoever bought the house.
Much like Apple TV’s previous Peanuts content, the special is loaded with nods to classic comic-strips, Easter Eggs, deep-cut characters, and, because of the Snoopy of it all, several of his alternate personas.
“You know, the idea of Snoopy losing his home, this iconic thing that means so much to him in so many different ways, it represents not just his literal home, but also his imagination, his fantasy,” explains exec producer Mark Evestaff, adding that the sequence in which Charlie and Snoopy consider a series of hilariously different doghouses was actually inspired by the man behind it all.
Apple TV
“Charles Schultz had had a couple variations on the doghouse, so we lifted the inspiration from that and let the board artists and the designers have a bit of fun with that,” Evestaff admits. “And we definitely had a lot that hit the cutting room floor.”
Likewise, the storyline itself has a bit of history, as well. “Alex Galatis, our executive story editor, had this idea when we were working on The Snoopy Show years ago,” he offers. “But it just felt like too big an idea to be contained in the seven-minute structure that we were working with.”
He continues, “So, when we were presented with the idea of a longer special and the opportunity came up from Peanuts Worldwide and Wild Brain and Apple TV, this was the first one that was top of mind.”
Also important to Evestaff and the production team was honoring the essence of the 75-year-old Peanuts world.
“With the almost 18,000 strips that Charles Schultz drew, there’s always an idea that we can pull from,” he says. “So, it really is our goal to — stylistically and aesthetically — try to maintain that. With The Snoopy Show as well.”
He adds, “And of course, we have an incredible team of over 100 people working on it. Our director, Rob Boutelier, is a massive fan, I mean, that’s the big thing about this group: Everyone’s a fan first, pretty much. And so they bring their own instincts, their own ideas to the table and as long as we have this firm foot in this foundation that was built, and as long as we don’t mess it up, that’s sort of how we proceed.”
As for what’s next, Evestaff is on the same page as we are: It is time for a Woodstock-centric special!
“You’re right there with me,” he agrees. “I believe he’s got the legs to do it. So, yeah, you can have my back when I try to pitch something like that.”
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy, Friday, July 31, Apple TV
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