document_title: Charlie Brown

question_text: when did the first episode of charlie brown come out

question_tokens: when did the first episode of charlie brown come out

text: Charlie Brown

text: History[edit]

text: His name was first used on May 30, 1948, in an early Schulz comic strip called Li'l Folks in which one boy has buried another in a sandbox and then denies that he has seen the other boy ("Charlie Brown") when asked. He made his official debut in the first Peanuts comic strip, on October 2, 1950. The strip features Charlie Brown walking by, as two other children named Shermy and Patty look at him. Shermy refers to him as "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" as he passes by, but then immediately reveals his hatred toward him once he is gone on the last panel. During the strip's early years, Charlie Brown was much more playful than he is known for, as he often played pranks and jokes on the other characters. On December 21 of the same year, his signature zig-zag T-shirt appeared; formerly, he only wore a plain one. On the March 6, 1951, strip, Charlie Brown first appears to play baseball, as he was warming up before telling Shermy that they can start the game; however, he was the catcher, not yet the pitcher.[6]

text: Charlie Brown's relationships with other Peanuts characters initially differed significantly from their later states, and their concepts were grown up through this decade until they reached their more established forms. An example is his relationship with Violet Gray, to whom he was introduced on the February 7, 1951, strip.[7] The two constantly remained on fairly good terms; a bit different from their now-known relationship. Charlie Brown often fed on Violet's mud pies. On the August 16, 1951, strip, she called Charlie Brown a "blockhead", being the first time Charlie Brown was referred by that insult.[8] November 14 of that year, Charlie Brown is first unable to kick a football, and Violet is responsible because fear of her hand being kicked by Charlie Brown resulted in her letting go of it.

text: Charlie Brown is introduced to Schroeder on May 30, 1951.[9] As Schroeder is still a baby, Charlie Brown cannot converse with him. On June 1 of the same year, Charlie Brown stated that he felt like a father to Schroeder;[10] in fact, for quite some time, he sometimes acted like a father to him, trying to teach him words and reading stories to him, and on September 24 of that year, he taught Schroeder how to play the piano, thus allowing Schroeder to become the prodigy he is known by Peanuts readers.[11] Then on that year's October 10, he told Schroeder the story of Beethoven and set the piano player's obsession with the composer.[12] Charlie Brown placed the Beethoven bust on Schroeder's piano on November 26, 1951.[13] Schroeder aged rapidly over time, catching up to Charlie Brown in age, and Charlie Brown became less like a father figure and more like a close friend to Schroeder. Charlie Brown had Schroeder become his catcher for the first time on the April 12, 1952, strip.[14] Around this point, their final relationship has pretty much been established.

text: On the sixth day of January 1952, Charlie Brown made his appearance on the first Sunday Peanuts strip.[15]

text: Charlie Brown is first seen interacting with the character Lucy van Pelt on March 3, 1952. He was on better terms with her than later in the strip, as they often made fun of each other out of mere playfulness. The November 16, 1952, strip is the first strip in which Charlie Brown was prevented by Lucy from kicking a football; on this strip she pulls it away because she fears that Charlie Brown will get her new football dirty, and then on the same strip, she holds it too tightly, so Charlie Brown is unable to kick it for a second time.

text: Charlie Brown first began flying a kite on April 25, 1952, strip.

text: Charlie Brown is first seen with Linus on the September 19, 1952, strip. Charlie Brown was unable to talk to him because he was introduced as an infant. Similar to Schroeder, Linus caught up to Charlie Brown in age and settled as being slightly younger than him., and on January 18, 1956, Linus befriended Charlie Brown, and eventually he would become Charlie Brown's best friend, and their current relationship was established.

text: On September 1, 1958, Charlie Brown's father was formally revealed to be a barber (after earlier instances in the strip that linked Charlie Brown to barbers by implication.)

text: In early 1959, Charlie Brown (and other Peanuts characters) made his first animated appearances after they were sponsored by the Ford Motor Company in commercials for its automobiles, as well as for intros to The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show. The ads were animated by Bill Meléndez for Playhouse Pictures, a cartoon studio that had Ford as a client.

text: In the 1960s, the Peanuts comic strip entered its Golden Age, and Charlie Brown reached heights higher than ever before, becoming known in numerous countries, with the strip reaching a peak of 355 million readers.

text: In 1960, the now-popular line of Charlie Brown greeting cards was introduced by Hallmark Cards.

text: While the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show ended in 1961, the deal between Charles Schulz and the Ford Motor Company lasted another three years. Schulz and animator Bill Meléndez became friends, and when producer Lee Mendelson decided to make a two-minute animated sequence for a TV documentary called A Boy Named Charlie Brown in 1963, he brought on Meléndez for the project.

text: Before the documentary was completed, Coca-Cola asked Mendelson if he had a Christmas television special. He said "yes." The next day he called Schulz and said they were making a Christmas special featuring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts characters, in which he collaborated with both Schulz and Melendez. Titled A Charlie Brown Christmas, it was first aired on the CBS network on December 9, 1965. The special's primary goal is showing "the true meaning of Christmas". Before its broadcast, the people involved in the special's creation were worried that it might be a project blow, with its unorthodox soundtrack and explicit religious message. It was, however, a huge success, with the number of homes watching the special an estimated 15,490,000, placing it at number two in the ratings, behind Bonanza on NBC.;[16] in other words, almost half of the people who were watching television were watching the special. It also received unanimous critical acclaim, and had a large legacy: according to author Charles Solomon, it established the half-hour animated special as a television tradition, inspiring the creation of numerous others, including How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) and Frosty the Snowman,[17] and served as an inspiration for dozens of young aspiring artists and animators, many of whom went on to work within both the comics and animation industries, among them Eric Goldberg (Pocahontas),[18] Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up), Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E),[19] Jef Mallett (Frazz),[17] and Patrick McDonnell (Mutts).[20] The special's score made an equally pervasive impact on viewers who would later perform jazz, among them David Benoit[21] and George Winston.[22] The special was honored with both an Emmy and Peabody Award.

text: The success of A Charlie Brown Christmas is followed by the creation of a second television special starring Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown's All-Stars, which was originally aired on June 8, 1966. Later that year, Charlie Brown made his appearance in a third Peanuts special: the Halloween-themed It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. For the rest of the decade, three television specials starring Charlie Brown (You're in Love, Charlie Brown; He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown; It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown) were created.

text: The stage adaptation of a concept album based on Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts characters, entitled You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, went into rehearsal in New York City on February 10, 1967.[23] Prior to its opening, the musical had no actual libretto; it was several vignettes with a musical number for each one.[23]On March 7, 1967, the musical premiered off-Broadway at Theatre 80 in the East Village, featuring Gary Burghoff as Charlie Brown.

text: On December 4, 1969, Charlie Brown starred on the first full-length animated feature based on Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown. The film was a box office success, gaining 6 million dollars in the box office out of its 1 million dollar budget, and was well received by critics.

text: Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy reached new heights on May 18, 1969, they became the names of the command module and lunar module, respectively, for Apollo 10[24] While not included in the official mission logo, Charlie Brown and Snoopy became semi-official mascots for the mission.[25][26] Charles Schulz drew an original picture of Charlie Brown in a spacesuit; this drawing was hidden aboard the craft to be found by the astronauts once they were in orbit (its current location is on a display at the Kennedy Space Center).

text: For this decade, the character appeared on twelve Peanuts television specials that were produced as a result of the success of the prior ones. Charlie Brown also appeared on two full-length animations (namely Snoopy, Come Home and Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, and released respectively on August 9, 1972, and August 24, 1977).

text: A Broadway production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown opened at the John Golden Theatre on June 1, 1971, and closed on June 27, 1971, after 32 performances and 15 previews, featuring Dean Stolber as Charlie Brown.

text: Charlie Brown went on to feature in fourteen more television specials, two of which are musicals (one of which is the animated version of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown).

text: Charlie Brown starred once again on a full-length animation, which was titled Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!), and was released on May 30, 1980.

text: Six television specials featuring Charlie Brown were produced during this decade.

text: Within the comic strip, a storyline got Charlie Brown the character Peggy Jean as a girlfriend; this relationship lasted for roughly nine years.

text: Final comic strip appearance[edit]

text: Charlie Brown made his final comic strip appearance on the final original Peanuts strip, which was published on February 13, 2000—the day after Schultz' death.

text: The strip began with Charlie Brown answering the phone with someone on the end presumably asking for Snoopy. Charlie Brown responded with "No, I think he's writing." The bottom panel consisted of the final daily strip in its entirety, reprinted in color, and included various Peanuts characters surrounding it. The very last panel consisted simply of Snoopy sitting at his typewriter in thought with a note from Schulz that read as follows:

text: Dear Friends,

text:
I have been fortunate to draw Charlie Brown and his friends for almost fifty years. It has been the fulfillment of my childhood ambition.
Unfortunately, I am no longer able to maintain the schedule demanded by a daily comic strip. My family does not wish "Peanuts" to be continued by anyone else, therefore, I am announcing my retirement.
I have been grateful over the years for the loyalty of our editors and the wonderful support and love expressed to me by fans of the comic strip.
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy... how can I ever forget them...
— Charles M. Schulz

text: Fittingly, Charlie Brown was the only character to appear in both the first strip in 1950 and the last in 2000.

text: Post-comic strip appearances[edit]

text: After the comic strip ended, Charlie Brown continued to appear in more television specials. On November 20, 2006, the special He's a Bully, Charlie Brown beat a Madonna concert special with its 10 million views, although Peanuts was no longer in its heyday. As of 2016, the latest of Charlie Brown's original television appearances is Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, which came out on October 1, 2011.

text: The Peanuts Movie[edit]

text: A 3D computer-animated major motion picture starring Charlie Brown was released on November 6, 2015, in order to introduce Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang to a new generation. It was directed by Steve Martino and written by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano. The director said of the character: "We've all been Charlie Brown at one point in our lives"[27]

text: The role was taken on by Noah Schnapp.

text: The film received largely positive reviews from critics[28][29] and audiences alike,[30] and grossed $246 million worldwide against its $99 million budget,[31] making it a box office success.

text: Martino said: "Here’s where I lean thematically. I want to go through this journey. ... Charlie Brown is that guy who, in the face of repeated failure, picks himself back up and tries again. That's no small task. I have kids who aspire to be something big and great. ... a star football player or on Broadway. I think what Charlie Brown portrays — what I hope to show in this film — is the everyday qualities of perseverance...to pick yourself back up with a positive attitude — that's every bit as heroic ... as having a star on the Walk of Fame or being a star on Broadway. That’s the [story's] core. This is a feature film story that has a strong dramatic drive, and takes its core ideas from the strip."[27]

text: Inspiration[edit]

text: Charlie Brown's traits and the events he underwent are inspired by those of Schulz, who admitted in interviews that he'd often felt shy and withdrawn in his life. In an interview with Charlie Rose in May 1997, Schulz observed: "I suppose there’s a melancholy feeling in a lot of cartoonists, because cartooning, like all other humor, comes from bad things happening.[32] Furthermore, both Charlie Brown's and Schulz's fathers were barbers and their mothers housewives. Charlie Brown's friends, such as Linus and Shermy, were named after good friends of Schulz, and Peppermint Patty was inspired by Patricia Swanson, one of Schulz's cousins on his mother's side. Schulz devised the character's name when he saw peppermint candies in his house.[33][34] Even Charlie Brown's unrequited love for the Little red-haired girl was inspired by Schulz's own love for Donna Mae Johnson, an Art Instruction Inc. accountant; When Schulz finally proposed to her in June 1950, shortly after he'd made his first contract with his syndicate, she turned him down and married another man.

text: Personality[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is a meek, gentle, innocent, kind-hearted character with many anxieties, and is depicted as being shy.[35][36] He is a child possessed with significant determination and hope but often fails due to his insecurities.[37] Charlie Brown is always referred to by his full name (with the exception of Peppermint Patty who calls him 'Chuck,' and Marcie and Eudora who call him 'Charles') and his usual catchphrase is "good grief". Like Schulz, Charlie Brown is the son of a barber. The character is an example of "the great American un-success story" in that he fails in almost everything he does with an almost continuous streak of bad luck; but still keeps trying with large efforts and work, resulting either in more losses or great victories. Some of these victories are hitting a game-winning home run off a pitch by a minor character named Royanne on a strip from 1993,[38] and his victory over Joe Agate (another minor character) in a game of marbles on a strip from 1995.[39] Although Charlie Brown is often unlucky within the strip's storylines, in some ways Charles M. Schulz created through the ever-persevering character "the most shining example of the American success story in the comic strip field." [35]

text: Charlie Brown is generally generous: for instance, on one strip where Lucy took all of his caramels when he lets her get one, he easily forgives her and offers her the sack he was carrying the caramels in.[40]

text: Charlie Brown cares very deeply for his family and friends, even if he was maltreated by them. His care for his sister is shown on a strip from May 26, 1959 [41](the strip in which his little sister Sally was born), when he exclaims: "A BABY SISTER?! I'M A FATHER! I mean my DAD's a father! I'M a brother! I have a baby sister! I'M a brother!" at her birth, and two strips later threw a celebration over it by handing over chocolate cigars to his friends. When Charlie Brown was maltreated by his companions (most often Lucy, Violet and Patty), he does not usually take out his anger on them, but often retaliates and even manages to turn the tables. An example is a strip from 1951, which features Violet and Patty telling Charlie Brown that they are not going to invite him to their party, with Charlie Brown replying that he does not wish to go their "dumb ol' party" anyway, leading the two girls to invite him.

text: Charlie Brown is also notable for being a budding cartoonist, creating his own comic strips; he would show these strips to the other characters. Being an admirer of comics, he also owns his own comic book collection; he has a taste for comic books like "Revolutionary War Comics", "Civil War Comics", and "World War I Comics".[42]

text: Christopher Caldwell has stated that "What makes Charlie Brown such a rich character is that he's not purely a loser. The self-loathing that causes him so much anguish is decidedly not self-effacement. Charlie Brown is optimistic enough to think he can earn a sense of self-worth, and his willingness to do so by exposing himself to humiliations is the dramatic engine that drives the strip. The greatest of Charlie Brown's virtues is his resilience, which is to say his courage. Charlie Brown is ambitious. He manages the baseball team. He's the pitcher, not a scrub. He may be a loser, but he's, strangely, a leader at the same time. This makes his mood swings truly bipolar in their magnificence: he vacillates not between kinda happy and kinda unhappy, but between being a "hero" and being a "goat"."[1]

text: The football-kicking theme[edit]

text: Another characteristic of the character, is his never getting a chance to kick a football, with one of the themes that recurred in the strip involving Charlie Brown attempting to kick a football before the ever-sadistic Lucy pulls it away to make him feel miserable and powerless. The two often talk, as Charlie Brown, being smart and knowing what she will do, often initially rejects the offer, but then appears to ultimately succumb to desperation and tries to kick the football. The humor of the strips with this theme, however, are not primarily slapstick but rely on the circumstances surrounding the event. Furthermore, no two of such strips have the same formula, as Schulz varied them significantly. Since 1952, this theme was featured once every year, usually during the autumn season (the years 1984, 1985 and 1990 did not feature this gag.) The first iteration of this theme appeared on November 14, 1951. In this instance, the ball holder was Violet who didn't pull the ball away but let go out of fear of having her hands kicked with the familiar result of Charlie Brown missing the kick and falling flat on his back. This has sometimes been parodied in pop culture, especially in satires, frequently involving Charlie Brown kicking Lucy instead of the football, or other people hurting Lucy out of pity for Charlie Brown. Only on one occasion, Charlie Brown is able to kick the football during the special, It's Magic, Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is invisible because of Snoopy (Who is under the name the Great Houndini). Therefore, Lucy was not able to see Charlie Brown and he ends up taunting her in the beginning. In the end, Snoopy figures out a solution and sprays it on Charlie Brown. Lucy is now able to see Charlie Brown and the gag occurs.[citation needed]

text: Charlie Brown's baseball team[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is the manager and pitcher of a baseball team which frequently loses. His entire team is not skilled, especially his right fielder Lucy van Pelt, who is the worst baseball player in the entire Peanuts universe. Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy, who is his shortstop, is purported to be his best player, his best friend Linus was his second baseman, and his next closest friend Schroeder, his catcher, once commanded the team on Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) when Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy and Woodstock traveled to France. Charlie Brown is often hit by a line drive back through the box on the same ball he pitched, resulting in him being stripped of all his clothes with the exception of his shorts, a literal example of being "undressed" by a hard hit ball. Despite the fact that his team almost always loses, usually with no runs scored, he remained determined and acted as an ambitious commander of a team of players who often appeared to be uncooperative; aside from this, none of the other players seem to share his determination. His apparent admirable strength as a leader was shown in his scoldings and advice to his players; an example of his strict attitude was shown when he yelled at Lucy "Go back to right field where you belong!" when she continued to annoy him. While the team frequently loses, it has some wins. While terrible misfortune has placed some of Charlie Brown's team's wins when Charlie Brown is not playing, there are times in which Charlie Brown has heroically led his team to a championship although it never wins any of them.

text: Charlie Brown's involvements with love[edit]

text: Charlie Brown frequently becomes involved in love. His general love interest was dubbed "The Little Red-Haired Girl", as he didn't know her name and had never even talked to her. Charlie Brown liked to watch the little Red-Haired girl but hid from her sight because he is too shy to let her see him. She was usually not shown, being outside the panel, and her only actual appearance was silhouetted. Charlie Brown did fall in love with Peggy Jean, a girl first featured in the July 23, 1990 strip. Most of the other girls call him "wishy-washy"; however, the characters Peppermint Patty and Marcie were both infatuated towards him. Peppermint Patty had delusions that Charlie Brown liked her, though Charlie Brown considered her as only a friend. Her delusions show when she asks Charlie Brown on a Sunday Strip: "You kind of like me, don't you, Chuck?"; her saying on another Sunday strip that Charlie Brown "doesn't even understand who he likes"; her sending a Valentine to Charlie Brown that said: "I know you like me." Marcie, on the other hand, was usually too shy to admit her feelings.

text: Charlie Brown's kite-flying skills[edit]

text: Another one of Charlie Brown's characteristics is his inability to fly a kite. Almost every attempt to fly a kite resulted in failure, usually due to his nemesis, the Kite-Eating Tree and his lack of skills was often commented on by other characters, most often Lucy. On the March 7–8, 1958 strips, Charlie Brown got his kite to fly into the air, but it spontaneously combusted, making his victory worthless.

text: Halloween and Valentine's Day[edit]

text: During Halloween, like other kids, Charlie Brown went trick-or-treating along with most of his friends. During this holiday, he always wore a ghost costume by making two oval holes on a white blanket to give the impression of a ghost with two hollow eyes. Sometimes, Charlie Brown wore this costume after Halloween, usually due to a screw-up, like his laundry coming in late. Charlie Brown got rocks whenever he goes trick-or-treating, resulting in depression, but he remained hoping that he will get a chance to receive candy on the next year's Halloween. When the special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was first aired in 1966, the viewers sympathized so much with Charlie Brown that they sent Halloween candy to the studio in order to show their sympathy towards him. Charlie Brown's best friend, Linus frequently got him to wait in a local pumpkin patch in order to see Linus's mythological being, "The Great Pumpkin". Charlie Brown was always shown trying to convince Linus that The Great Pumpkin didn't exist, but Linus was always shown to hope that The Great Pumpkin will arise from a "sincere" pumpkin patch and bless him with toys, making Charlie Brown's efforts in vain.

text: On Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown was frequently shown waiting at his mail box to get a Valentine from a girl, but, in almost every case, Charlie Brown doesn't receive any, though on the special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, he received a Valentine from Violet out of pity, and he accepts it, even though Schroeder (Charlie Brown's best friend after Linus) scolded Violet for trying to appease her and her female companions' guilty conscience. The special's viewers, similar to the viewers of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, sent Valentine's Day cards to the studio out of sympathy.

text: Christmas[edit]

text: On the first Peanuts television special, Charlie Brown sought to know the true meaning of Christmas, as even though the jolly season was approaching, he was still depressed. It involved him directing a Christmas play with his uncooperative companions, and eventually, Linus told him the meaning that he had always wanted to know. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

text: Birthday and age[edit]

text: Charlie Brown began in an early strip (November 3, 1950)[43] that he was "only four years old", but he aged over the next two decades, being six years old as of November 17, 1957, and "eight-and-a-half years old" by July 11, 1979. Later references continue to peg Charlie Brown as being approximately eight years old.[44] Another early strip, on October 30, 1950, has Patty and Shermy wishing Charlie Brown a happy birthday on that day, although they are not sure they have the date right.[44]

text: However, Charlie Brown, like the other Peanuts children, was not strictly defined by his literal age, as creator Charles M. Schulz distinguished the Peanuts characters by "fusing adult ideas with a world of small children." "Were they children or adults? Or some kind of hybrid?" wrote David Michaelis of Time magazine. Michaelis continues:

text:
“
Through his characters, "[Schulz] brought... humor to taboo themes such as faith, intolerance, depression, loneliness, cruelty and despair. His characters were contemplative. They spoke with simplicity and force. They made smart observations about literature, art, classical music, theology, medicine, psychiatry, sports and the law."
”

text: In other words, Charlie Brown and the other human Peanuts characters transcended age and were more broadly human.

text: Relationship with other Peanuts characters[edit]

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text: Interactions with Snoopy[edit]

text: Charlie Brown takes care of Snoopy; while he is puzzled and sometimes frustrated by some of Snoopy's activities (often lamenting, "Why can't I have a normal dog like everybody else?"), Charlie Brown nonetheless does his best to provide his dog with a happy life. Snoopy is always there for him when he gets let down or needs support, even if it's just a drink of water. The two most frequently interact during Snoopy's suppertime, when Charlie Brown comes out of the house and presents his dog with a bowl of food. Snoopy, however, refers to Charlie Brown as "the Round-Headed Kid."

text: Interactions with Lucy van Pelt[edit]

text: While Charlie Brown and Lucy often do not get along well, they still usually talk to each other. Charlie Brown primarily dislikes Lucy for her abrasive, loud-mouthed personality and her insane ideas, and Lucy calls Charlie Brown names whenever she verbalizes her disdain for him. Lucy constantly bullies him and scolds him about how much he is a failure.

text: Charlie Brown frequently tries to tell Lucy that her crazy theories are false, and when he finally succeeds, Lucy would make an insensitive remark about the way he looks. Charlie Brown's stomach hurts when Lucy tries to teach her theories to Linus.

text: Charlie Brown often visits Lucy's psychiatric booth for help, but always gets useless advice (such as "Snap out of it." or "The insecurities people have can lead to colds and other illnesses").

text: Interactions with Linus van Pelt[edit]

text: Linus is Charlie Brown's best friend. Linus is sympathetic towards Charlie Brown and often gives him advice after listening to Charlie Brown's various insecurities. Similarly, Charlie Brown, who is older and more mature, generally acts as an overseer to Linus's faults, such as his undying faith in the Great Pumpkin, his dependence on his security blanket, or any of his other odd quirks. They are also together in an allegiance over a common enemy: Lucy, who harasses and bullies Charlie Brown as much as she does Linus. Charlie Brown and Linus are often seen having discussions while sitting on a street curb or leaning up against the brick wall. At some point in the strip, Linus begins to appear sitting behind Charlie Brown in school, despite being younger than Charlie Brown. During winter, they often play a game of building snow forts from which they throw snowballs at each other.

text: Interactions with Schroeder[edit]

text: Charlie Brown's best friend after Linus is Schroeder, and Charlie Brown is also one of the few people Schroeder will allow to lounge on his piano, as he and Charlie Brown are good friends, and knows that Charlie Brown respects his love of Beethoven. In fact, when they were younger, Charlie Brown would read Schroeder the story about Beethoven's life. Charlie Brown was also the one that introduced Schroeder to the piano.

text: For the most part, Charlie Brown and Schroeder were friends, with the exception of one argument from the mid-1950s (when the two had more of a rivalry going) where Charlie Brown insulted his "yellow hair" and "plink, plink, plink all day long [on his piano]" and Schroeder countered with a barb at Charlie's coonskin cap and "round head." Charlie Brown has Schroeder to serve as his catcher and, during conferences on the pitcher's mound, the two would engage in unusual conversations, mostly about Beethoven and hand signals (one finger means..., two fingers means..., etc.).

text: Charlie Brown received Schroeder's most significant act of friendship in Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. When Violet offers Charlie Brown one of her used Valentine cards (since Charlie received no Valentines the prior day at his school's party), Schroeder thoroughly chastises her, Frieda, Lucy and Sally for their disregard for his feelings and their selfish motive of relieving their own personal guilt. Charlie Brown, however, tells the girls not to listen to him and accepts the card, although he expressed appreciation for Schroeder's gesture.

text: Interactions with Peppermint Patty[edit]

text: Peppermint Patty is perhaps Charlie Brown's closest female friend. Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty lead baseball teams which often play against each other. Peppermint Patty is infatuated with Charlie Brown, who, while being a close friend, probably has no romantic interest in her, even though he doesn't say anything to hurt her feelings.

text: Charlie Brown is often brought by Peppermint Patty into lover's games, but does not take the bait; he does like Peppermint Patty, but only as a friend (though their friendship is occasionally strained by her strong personality and bossiness toward him). Originally, Peppermint Patty played reverse psychology; she would often say, "You kind of like me, don't you, Chuck?" when it was clear that it was Peppermint Patty who had the crush on Charlie Brown, while he not only did not have a crush on her, he also did not quite know what to make of her.

text: Charlie Brown is often conversed with by Peppermint Patty about matters of the heart (often depicted with both characters sitting under a tree) and even often receives phone calls from her (with Peppermint Patty usually taking up the majority of the conversation), and Charlie Brown usually evades the issue, often by simply pretending to be dumb.

text: Interactions with Marcie[edit]

text: Marcie is infatuated with Charlie Brown and they are good friends and while she is usually too shy, she has occasionally managed to confess to him. Marcie often asks Charlie Brown if he likes her. As he does with Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown often responds to Marcie's inquiries by trying to evade the issue, though it seems as if Charlie has feelings for her, which more than once has made Marcie so angry that she kicked him in the shins out of frustration.

text: Interactions with Sally Brown[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is frequently bothered by his younger sister Sally, who often complains about different sorts of things. He is often forced to do her homework, and he either willingly agrees or scolds her for it. They are rather kind to each other, but Charlie Brown is frequently disrespected by Sally. He has also occasionally firmly put his foot down on any of her truly unacceptable behavior, such as lying about taking a crayon from school or reading his letters.

text: Interactions with Franklin[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is always on good terms with the strip's sole African-American character and a good friend to him. Franklin is arguably the nicest person in the strip to Charlie Brown, and the two occasionally build sand castles, go to Charlie Brown's house, and watch movies together.

text: Interactions with Frieda[edit]

text: Frieda was usually nicer to Charlie Brown than most of the other girls in the neighborhood, which makes them good friends. Unlike Lucy, Patty, and Violet, she seemed to be mindful of his feelings and never teased him or put him down to his face (except for rare moments in the Peanuts specials), though she did get mad at him a few times. She eventually joined Charlie Brown's baseball team as an outfielder but refused to wear a baseball cap because it would hide her naturally curly hair.[45] She seemed to be one of the few characters that Charlie Brown felt confident enough to stand up to, as he did once when she was badgering Snoopy about chasing rabbits and he told her to mind her own business.[46]

text: Interactions with Pig-Pen[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is the only Peanuts character to unconditionally accept "Pig-Pen" for who he is, even defending "Pig-Pen's" uncleanliness in one strip (which was re-used in A Charlie Brown Christmas):

text: Don't think of it as dust. Just think of it as the dirt and dust of far-off lands blowing over here and settling on "Pig-Pen!" It staggers the imagination! He may be carrying the soil that was trod upon by Solomon or Nebuchadnezzar or Genghis Khan!

text: Interactions with Rerun van Pelt[edit]

text: Rerun has come to admire Charlie Brown, often calling him "the master". Rerun looks up to Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown became his mentor and friend.

text: Interactions with Violet Gray[edit]

text: Charlie Brown is often teased by Violet Gray by bragging about how her dad has more possessions than Charlie Brown's, and he has occasionally been able to deflate her. He often tries to befriend her, only to get turned down.[47]

text: Interactions with Patty[edit]

text: Patty, having one of the weakest individual personalities of the Peanuts cast, usually takes part in mocking Charlie Brown when her friends Lucy and Violet, or others, do so.

text: Interactions with Shermy[edit]

text: Charlie Brown and Shermy are generous to each other and were considered to be the best of friends before Linus' maturing in the future years of the strip, although Shermy said he hates Charlie Brown on the very first Peanuts strip.

text: Interactions with Peggy Jean[edit]

text: Charlie Brown had a notably surprisingly successful romantic relationship with Peggy Jean, although this eventually broke up with him when he realized that she already had a boyfriend.

text: Voiced by[edit]

text:
Peter Robbins (1963–1969)
Chris Inglis (1971)
Chad Webber (1972–1973)
Todd Barbee (1973–1974)
Duncan Watson (1975–1977)
Dylan Beach (1976)
Arrin Skelley (1977–1980)
Liam Martin (1978)
Michael Mandy (1980–1982)
Grant Wehr (1981)
Brad Kesten (1983–1985)
Michael Catalano (1983)
Brett Johnson (1984–1986)
Chad Allen (1986)
Sean Colling (1988)
Erin Chase (1988–1989)
Jason Riffle (1988)
Kaleb Henley (1990)
Phillip Shafran (1991)
Justin Shenkarow (1992)
Jamie E. Smith (1992)
Jimmy Guardino (1993)
Steven Hartman (1995–1997)
Christopher Ryan Johnson (2000)
Quinn Beswick (2000)
Wesley Singerman (2002–2003)
Adam Taylor Gordon (2003)
Spencer Robert Scott (2006)
Alex Ferris (2008–2010)
Trenton Rogers (2011)
Noah Schnapp (2015)
Aiden Lewandowski (2016–present)

text: Reception[edit]

text: Charlie Brown, along with Snoopy, was ranked eighth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time.[48]


document_title: American Ninja Warrior

question_text: what do u get if u win american ninja warrior

question_tokens: what do u get if u win american ninja warrior

root

text: American Ninja Warrior

text: History

text: American Ninja Warrior succeeded G4's American Ninja Challenge as the qualifying route for Americans to enter Sasuke. Beginning with the fourth season in 2012, regional finalists and wild card competitors competed on a nearly identical Mount Midoriyama course in Las Vegas, Nevada, rather than traveling to Japan to compete on Sasuke.

tag: p

text: Hosts and co-hosts

text: American Ninja Warrior was originally hosted by G4's American television personality Blair Herter, and actress and former television correspondent Alison Haislip. In the second season, American actor, comedian, and television host Matt Iseman joined the show, replacing Herter. Additionally, Jimmy Smith was brought in as a co-host, while Haislip was the sideline reporter. The panel remained the same throughout season three.

text: For season 4, skier Jonny Moseley was brought in as the new co-host, replacing Smith.[5] American journalist, sportscaster, and documentary filmmaker Angela Sun replaced Haislip.

text: For season 5, two newcomers were added. Sports analyst and former NFL football player Akbar Gbaja-Biamila replaced Moseley, while ESPN sportscaster and model Jenn Brown replaced Sun as sideline reporter.[6] The season five panel remained the same through the sixth season.

text: For season 7, CBS Sports reporter Kristine Leahy joined the show as the new sideline reporter, replacing Brown.[7] The roster stayed the same through season 9. The current panel consists of Iseman, Gbaja-Biamila, and Leahy.[8]

text: Timeline

text:
Season
Year
Host
Co-host
Sideline reporter

1
2009
Blair Herter
Alison Haislip
N/A

2
2010
Matt Iseman
Jimmy Smith
Alison Haislip

3
2011

4
2012
Jonny Moseley
Angela Sun

5
2013
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
Jenn Brown

6
2014

7
2015
Kristine Leahy

8
2016

9
2017

tag: table

text: Format

text: Potential contestants go through a rigorous series of steps before the possibility of becoming the next American Ninja Warrior. Over 3,500 athletes have attempted to conquer Mount Midoriyama and become an American Ninja Warrior since the series began in 2009.

text: Contestant eligibility

text: There are some requirements possible contestants have to meet before participating at a regional qualifier. Contestants must be legal residents of the US and be in decent physical shape. There is no upper age limit, but participants must be at least 21 years old. Contestants have to fill out a 20-page questionnaire and make a video about themselves.[9] The required length of the video has differed over the years. Submission video length requirements have varied from 2 to 8 minutes, depending on the season.[10][11] Producers select 100 applicants from each region to participate in their regional qualifiers. Producers also select 20 to 30 "walk-ons" who in some cases wait for weeks camping outside to get a chance on the course.[12] 1,000 people applied to compete in season one, 5,000 people in season 6,[13] 50,000 in season 7, and 70,000 in season 8.[12][14]

text: City qualifying

text: In each city, the competitors the producers have selected competing on a 6 - obstacle course in hopes of making it to the city finals. The top 30 finishers make it to the city finals. Also, in Season 9, the top 5 women make it. The first obstacle is the quintuple steps or the floating steps and is the same for the rest of the cities for that season. Then comes an obstacle that moves along tracks. Next is either a balance obstacle or an upper-body obstacle. The other type will be fourth. Fifth is usually a grip obstacle, and sixth is the Warped Wall. In Season 9, the balance or the grip obstacle is an obstacle previously found in Stage 1 of Mount Midoryama. The obstacles are given by the sideline reporter at the beginning of every episode.

text: City timeline

text:
City
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9

Los Angeles, CA

Miami, FL

Dallas, TX

Denver, CO

Baltimore, MD

St. Louis, MO

Kansas City, MO

Houston, TX

Orlando, FL

Pittsburgh, PA

San Pedro, CA

Atlanta, GA

Indianapolis, IN

Oklahoma City, OK

Philadelphia, PA

San Antonio, TX

Daytona Beach, FL

Cleveland, OH

text: City finals

text: City finals courses are the follow-up to each city qualifying course. Qualifying and finals courses are filmed back-to-back, usually over two days. The top 15 finishers overall from each city finals course move on to compete in the National Finals. In addition, as of season 9, the top two women in each city finals are guaranteed to advance, even if they do not finish in the top 15. Small prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 are awarded to first, second, and third finishers who complete the finals course.[15]

text: Mount Midoriyama

text: Mount Midoriyama is the finals course for American Ninja Warrior. Located on the Las Vegas strip, it consists of four stages, each containing various obstacles of increasing difficulty. Competitors must complete all of the 23 obstacles. Should they complete the first three stages, competitors will advance to Stage 4, where competitors attempt to climb the 75-foot rope climb, known as Mount Midoriyama, in 30 seconds or less.[16] Should a competitor achieve Total Victory, he or she receives a money prize of $500,000 from season 4 to season 6, and $1,000,000 from season 7. Beginning in season 8, if multiple competitors complete stage 4, the competitors split the prize money, although in prior years the fastest competitor would receive the full amount.[15]

text:
Stage 1 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' agility and speed. The first stage is timed, and only the competitors who successfully complete it within the time limit of 2:30 advance to Stage 2.
Stage 2 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' strength and speed. Competitors must complete challenges that strain their upper-body strength (such as the Salmon Ladder) without running out of time. Just as in the first stage, only the competitors who successfully finish within the time limit of 4:00 move on to Stage 3.
Stage 3 consists of obstacles that test the competitors' upper body and grip strength. It is the only stage in Mt. Midoriyama that has no time limit. Like Stages 1 and 2, only the competitors who successfully complete Stage 3 move on.
Stage 4 of Mt. Midoriyama is a 75-foot rope climb. Competitors must complete the rope climb and hit the buzzer in under 30 seconds.

tag: ul

text: Series overview and season synopses

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Season 1 (2009)

text: The first season of American Ninja Warrior was held in Los Angeles, where hundreds of competitors came to challenge themselves against the course and qualify for a shot at making it to Japan to compete in Sasuke 23 later in the year. The special premiered on December 12, 2009, on G4 TV and was hosted by G4's Blair Herter and Alison Haislip. Notable competitors this season included freerunners Levi Meeuwenberg and Brian Orosco, mixed martial artist Jason "Mayhem" Miller, and Hollywood stuntman Rich King.

text: Out of the ten Americans who qualified to compete at Mount Midori in Japan, only Rich King, Levi Meeuwenberg and Brian Orosco successfully completed Stage 1. The majority of the American Ninja Warrior competitors ran out of time or failed the obstacles. Levi Meeuwenberg was the only American competitor to complete Stage 2. The sole American competitor on Stage 3, he fell on the "Shin-Cliffhanger", and his run came to an end.[17]

text: Season 2 (2010)

text: The second season premiered on December 8, 2010, on G4 and concluded on January 2, 2011. It began in Venice Beach, California, where 300 competitors took on the course. The 15 semi-finalists moved on to the "Ninja Warrior Boot Camp" in the remote California mountains, where they competed in a series of team challenges. Then the finalists moved on to compete in the season finale of American Ninja Warrior 2 as a part of Sasuke 26 at Mount Midori in Japan. No competitor made it beyond Stage 3.

text: Season 3 (2011)

text: The third season began airing on July 31, 2011, on G4 and concluded with the finale airing on August 22, 2011, as a two-hour primetime special on NBC.[18][19] Tryouts took place in May 2011 at Venice Beach, California. After the tryouts, the top 15 competitors competed in Ninja Warrior Boot Camp with the top 10 moving on to Japan for the finals of the competition as a part of Sasuke 27 and a chance at becoming the first American to conquer the course and win a $500,000 endorsement deal with K-Swiss. No competitors made it beyond Stage 3.

text: Season 4 (2012)

text: The fourth season of American Ninja Warrior began airing on May 20, 2012, on both G4 and NBC. There were six regional competitions held in three locations: Venice Beach (Southwest and Northwest), Dallas (Midwest and Midsouth), and Miami (Northeast and Southeast), that determined the 100 competitors to participate in the qualifying rounds. The winner of the ANW season 4 competition would receive $500,000 and the coveted "American Ninja Warrior" title. The season finale, held in Las Vegas, was the first time that Mount Midori was held on U.S. soil. Submission videos for American Ninja Warrior season 4 had been collected since January 25, 2012.[20]

text: The entire format was changed as well – regional qualifiers in different parts of the country were aired, and the Mt. Midori course was recreated just off the Las Vegas Strip for the national finals. The regional qualifiers would narrow down its selections down to 30 contestants who finished its qualifying course in the fastest time as well as the contestants who finished the furthest the fastest. Qualifying obstacles would include common Stage 1 obstacles such as the Quintuple steps and the Warped wall, but its contents would change from city to city. The 30 contestants were then cut in half in the regional finals where the course would extend to include common Stage 2 and Stage 3 obstacles such as the Salmon Ladder, Cliffhanger and Body Prop. The 90 contestants who qualified (including wild cards) earned tickets to Las Vegas to challenge Mt. Midori. Brent Steffensen was the first American to defeat the Ultimate Cliffhanger on Stage 3, and he made it the farthest that season, falling on the Hang Climb. He was the only competitor to reach Stage 3 in this competition.

text: Season 5 (2013)

text: The fifth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on June 30, 2013, on G4 with subsequent shows airing on NBC and G4.[21] Notably, the sideboard advertising along the course listed Esquire Network as the broadcaster as the fifth season was to premiere after G4's transition to Esquire on April 22, 2013. The network switch was eventually delayed to September 23, 2013, and Esquire took over Style Network's channel space instead. Because of this, additional reruns of the season aired on Saturday nights on NBC through the summer to maintain ratings momentum due to G4's lame duck status, with ANW being their only new program since they wound down all their original programming in January 2013. The success of the NBC re-airings led to the series being considered for NBC's main summer schedule for the next season.

text: Regional competitions were held in Venice Beach, Baltimore, Miami, and Denver. Tryouts for the season began in February 2013[22] and ended with the last of the regional rounds taking place the following May.[23] The finale was once again held in Las Vegas. No one defeated Stage 3, but Brian Arnold fell on the last obstacle, the Flying Bar, making him the farthest-going American on the Mount Midori course since Kane Kosugi reached the final stage on Sasuke 8.

text: Season 6 (2014)

text: The sixth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on May 26, 2014, on NBC with subsequent shows airing on Monday nights at 9:00 pm EST[24] and Tuesday nights at 8:00 pm EST on Esquire Network.[25] Regional competitions were held at Venice Beach, Dallas, St. Louis, Miami, and Denver. The season finale was again held in Las Vegas, the permanent home of the U.S. version of Mount Midori. Notable competitors this season included The Biggest Loser personal trainer Kim Lyons, U.S. Olympic gymnasts Jonathan Horton and Terin Humphrey, among others. Female competitor Kacy Catanzaro became the first female to make it up the "Warped Wall" in the Dallas Qualifiers. Later in the Dallas Finals, she became the first woman to complete that finals course, in 8 minutes, 59 seconds. Again, no competitor achieved "total victory". Kacy's run has over ten million views. Joe Moravsky, the "Weatherman", made it farther than anyone on Season 6, falling on the Hang Climb, where Brent Steffensen failed two years ago.

text: Season 7 (2015)

text: The seventh season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on NBC on May 25, 2015. This season's grand prize was increased from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Qualifying and finals courses were held in Venice Beach, Kansas City, Houston, Orlando, Pittsburgh, as well as a special military-only course in San Pedro. Stage 1 had a total of 38 finishers including Brent Steffensen and Dustin McKinney. In Stage 2, 30 of the 38 competitors failed. Only eight were remaining in Stage 3 including Drew Dreschel, Abel Gonzalez, Isaac Caldiero, Ian Dory, Jeremiah Morgan, Kevin Bull, Joe Moravsky and Geoff Britten. Only two competitors finished the course: Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten. It was the first time that any American had finished Stage 3. The season concluded with a victory: Geoff Britten was the first to complete Stage 4 with a second remaining; however, Isaac Caldiero achieved the Stage 4 rope climb in a faster time and was awarded the grand prize of $1,000,000 and the title of "American Ninja Warrior". Geoff Britten was the first Ninja to complete all six courses in a single season.

text: Season 8 (2016)

text: Season 8 of American Ninja Warrior began on June 1, 2016, on NBC, with encore episodes airing the following day on Esquire Network. Regional competitions were held in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia, with 28 new obstacles. Over 40 percent more women registered for season 8 compared to the previous season. Additionally, prize money for possible Stage 4 winners would now be split equally among competitors who complete the rope climb in under 30 seconds.[15]

text: In Philadelphia's city finals, no competitors completed the finals course, a first in American Ninja Warrior history. In Stage 1 of the National Finals, many veterans of the show such as Geoff Britten and Brent Steffensen were eliminated early, while Jessie Graff became the first woman to complete Stage 1, placing fifth.[26] Tyler Yamauchi became the shortest person ever to complete the Jumping Spider obstacle at 5'1". Only 17 competitors successfully completed Stage 1, the lowest in ANW history.[26] On Stage 2, all athletes were eliminated except Drew Drechsel and Daniel Gil. During Stage 3, both Drechsel and Gil could not complete the course. Gil fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger, while Drechsel went the farthest, but fell on the Hang Climb. Contrary to season 7's multiple winners, no season 8 competitor was even able to complete Stage 3.

text: Season 9 (2017)

text: Season 9 of American Ninja Warrior began on June 12, 2017, on NBC; Esquire Network ended over-the-air operations fifteen days later on June 27, thus encore episodes shifted over to NBCSN on non-event nights with this season. The premiere was preceded by a special episode, "Celebrity Ninja Warrior" on May 25, 2017, the U.S. Red Nose Day, which was followed by a "USA vs. the World" special on June 4. New for season 9, the top 5 women in each city qualifying course qualified for the city finals course, and the top two women in each city finals qualify for national finals, regardless of their placement overall. Also this season, fans are given the opportunity to design their own obstacles through ANW Obstacle Design Challenge and 7 fan-submitted obstacles has been featured in the show.

text: ANW Specials

text: USA vs. the World / Japan

text: USA vs. Japan (Las Vegas, January 2014)

text: During the season 5 finale of American Ninja Warrior, NBC announced that a special "USA vs. Japan" matchup would take place, the first-ever team competition in American Ninja Warrior's history.[27] The two-hour special premiered on January 13, 2014, at 8 pm EST on NBC and matched five Japanese Sasuke All-Stars and New Stars - heroes of the original Ninja Warrior - against five American stars representing American Ninja Warrior at the American reconstruction of the Mount Midoriyama course in Las Vegas. At stake was the United States vs. Japan championship; also branded as the first world championship for Sasuke/American Ninja Warrior, and a trophy to match. The special featured American Ninja Warrior's regular broadcasting crew: analysts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila along with sideline reporter Jenn Brown.

text: The teams faced off on each stage in turn, with each stage hosting its own round of five one-on-one matches and no competitor allowed to run the same stage twice. The first national team to win three matches out of five earned the point(s) for that stage. Stage One was worth one point, while Stage Two was worth two points and Stage Three was worth three. In the event of a 3-3 tie after the first three stages, the tiebreaker would be a one-off showdown where each country would pick one team member for a race to the top of the Final Stage.

text: The winners of the special were the Americans over Japan.

text: Final Score: Americans: 6, Japan: 0.

text: Rosters

text:
United States
Japan

Paul Kasemir ("Mr. Consistency")
Brent Steffensen (Mount Midoriyama veteran)
James McGrath ("The Beast")
3-time Midoriyama veteran
Travis Rosen ("The Tennessee Trader")
3-time Midoriyama veteran
Brian Arnold
Top finisher at ANW 5 (Flying Bar)

Shingo Yamamoto ("The Godfather")
All-Star, veteran of every Sasuke season
Yuuji Urushihara ("The Grand Champion")
New Star, two total victories in Sasuke
Ryo Matachi ("The Superfan")
New Star, reached Final Stage once
Hitoshi Kanno ("The Muscle")
New Star, reached Final Stage once
Kazuma Asa ("The Speed Demon")
New Star, Stage 1 world record holder (at the time.)

text: USA vs. the World (Las Vegas, September 2014)

text: During the Season 6 finale, NBC announced that another special entitled "USA vs. the World" matchup would take place in Las Vegas under a new format. On September 15, Team USA competed against a returning Team Japan, and a new team, Team Europe. This was the "Second Annual International Competition" that pitted top competitors from the United States American Ninja Warrior, Japan Ninja Warrior (Sasuke), and also European All Stars.[28] The three-hour special aired on September 15, 2014, on NBC with an encore airing September 16, 2014, on Esquire. The special once again was hosted by hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila as well as sideline reporter Jenn Brown.

text: The winners of the special were the Europeans, winning over America and Japan.

text: Rosters

text: Team rosters were revealed late summer 2014.[29]

text:
Team USA
Team Japan
Team Europe

Brian Arnold - 36, Brighton, CO - American athlete who has come short on the Stage 3 course.*
Elet Hall ("The Natural") - 24, Cavetown, MD - one of only two men to make it to Stage 3 in season 6.
Paul Kasemir ("Mr. Consistency") - 28, Longmont, CO - the M.V.P. of the team that defeated the Japanese two years ago.
Joe Moravsky ("The Weatherman") - 25, Sherman, CT - went further than anyone else in season 6.
Travis Rosen (The Tennessee Trader") - 40, Franklin, TN - A 2-time part of Team USA and captain of 2014's all-star group.

Hitoshi Kanno ("The Muscle") - 29, Kashiwa, Japan Reached Sasuke Final Stage, ten-time Sasuke veteran
Kazuma Asa ("The Speed Demon") - 32, Amagasaki, Japan - Stage 1 world record holder
Ryo Matachi - 25, Kawasaki, Japan - Reached Sasuke Final Stage
Yusuke Morimoto ("The SASUKE Kid") - 22, Tosa, Japan - Sasuke rising star, competing seven times, first competing at age 15
Shingo Yamamoto ("The Godfather"), - 40, Tokyo, Japan - Captain of Team Japan and only athlete to compete in all 32 seasons of Sasuke

Tim Shieff ("Livewire") - 26, London, England - Captain of Team Europe, world champion professional free runner, ANW veteran, competing on three seasons.
Sean McColl - 27, Chambery, France - Canadian professional World Champion rock climber and current overall climbing champion
Stefano Ghisolfi - 21, Turin, Italy - Professional World Cup rock climber, number one ranked Italian climber
Miska Sutela - 23, Oulu, Finland - Ninja Warrior superfan, has trained all over the world, including Japan, trained with the Sasuke All-Stars. Built 35 NW obstacles in his parent's backyard to train on.
Vadym Kuvakin - 29, Kherson, Ukraine - Former Olympic gymnast, current member of the Cirque du Soleil cast for "La Reve" in Las Vegas

text: Final Score: Europe: 10, USA: 9, Japan: 0

text: Highlights

text: Joe Moravsky beat Brent Steffenson's record (from ANW 4) for the fastest time in Stage 1, beating Steffenson's time of 1:14.53 with a time of 1:12.72. However, Tim Shieff beat Moravsky's time in a subsequent heat by finishing in 1:02.70 - the fastest time ever on Stage 1 in ANW history.

text: Travis Rosen achieved the fastest time by an American on Stage 2 with 1:48.00, but Sean McColl finished with a time of 1:46.51, the fastest of the season. All three Americans (Travis Rosen, Elet Hall, and Brian Arnold) completed Stage 2, with Sean McColl also completing it for Team Europe.

text: Yusuke Morimoto made ANW history by becoming the first athlete to ever finish Stage 3 with a time of 5:38.91. Stefano Ghisolfi also completed Stage 3 in the same heat, beating Morimoto's time finishing in 4:46.89. Ryo Matachi followed by becoming the third athlete to complete Stage 3 with a time of 5:04.67. In the last run of Stage 3, Brian Arnold became the second American athlete to complete the stage (after Kane Kosugi did it in Sasuke 8) with a time of 4:39.90, the fastest time of the four finishers. Arnold's finish moved USA into a tie with Team Europe, forcing a deciding tie-break on Stage 4.

text: For the first time in ANW history, the athletes competed on Stage 4. Travis Rosen was selected as the first competitor on ANW to attempt the final stage and he made it all the way up Midoriyama's 90-foot tower with a 77-foot rope with a time of 0:35.77. However, Sean McColl beat Rosen's time by 3/10th of a second (0:00.31), winning the competition for Team Europe as they became the World Champions of ANW. Rosen missed on his first attempt at hitting the buzzer at the end of the rope climb.

text: USA vs. the World II (Las Vegas, January 2016)

text: NBC announced that another USA vs. the World matchup would again take place in Las Vegas. It was the second such worldwide special to unite ANW alumni, Sasuke all-stars, and European competitors for the season 7 finale. The 3-hour special aired on January 31, 2016, on NBC. It was hosted by the current American Ninja Warrior hosts, Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and co-host Kristine Leahy.[30]

text: The winners of the special were the Americans, winning over Europe and Japan.

text: Rosters

text: Team rosters were revealed in December 2015.[30]

text:
Team USA
Team Japan
Team Europe

Isaac Caldiero - 33, Las Vegas, NV - American athlete who won the $1 million prize for conquering Midoriyama the fastest in 2015.
Kevin Bull ("The Bull") - 31, Scotts Valley, CA - Famous for his inverted dismount on Cannonball Alley in season 6. Selected as the alternate.
Joe Moravsky ("The Weatherman")- 26, Sherman, CT - Completed every stage he's participated in except stage 3.
Geoff Britten* ("Popeye") - 37, First American ever to defeat Midoriyama and the first American Ninja Warrior.
Drew Drechsel - 26, Fairfield, CT - Only competitor in the competition to have made it to the third stage on both Sasuke and American Ninja Warrior.
Ian Dory - 25, Rock climber who made it to the Flying Bar in season 7.

Kenji Takahashi ("Kong") - 39, Kawagoe, Japan - Competitor who has only failed the Second Stage once in nine tries. Has made it to the Final Stage.
Masashi Hioki - 35, Chiba City, Japan - Has made it to the Third Stage twice.
Ryo Matachi - 26, Tokyo, Japan - Only competitor to be featured in all USA vs. The World competitions. Reached the Fourth Stage Twice. Third competitor to complete the Third stage on American soil.
Yusuke Morimoto - 23, Tosa, Japan - Returning from the previous USA vs. The World special. First competitor to complete the Third Stage on American soil. Reached Total Victory in Sasuke 31.
Tomohiro Kawaguchi ("Tomo") - 33, Tokyo, Japan - Has made it to the Final Stage once.

Tim Shieff ("Livewire") - 27, London, England - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special.
Sean McColl - 28, Chambery, France - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special.
Stefano Ghisolfi - 22, Turin, Italy - Returning from last year's USA vs. The World special.
Tim Champion - 20, Exeter, England - Made it to Stage 2 in Ninja Warrior UK
Alexander Mars - 28, Stockholm, Sweden - Winner of Swedish Ninja Warrior

text: Note: *Britten was unable to compete due to flu-like symptoms with a fever of 103 and was replaced by alternate Joe Moravsky who was standing by.

text: Highlights

text: On Stage 1, Drew Drechsel gets the fastest time of the season with a time of 1:18.61, beating Tim Shieff's time of 1:25.33.

text: On Stage 2, Sean McColl edged out both Drew Drechsel's time of 1:34.46, and Joe Moravsky's time of 1:23.69, beating them with a speedy time of 1:19.86, the fastest of the ANW season.

text: On Stage 3, in the last heat, Yusuke Morimoto was the only member of Team Japan to finish this stage with a time of 6:29.38. However, Sean McColl got a faster time with 5:42.25, putting Team Europe in the lead. Isaac Caldiero was the last to compete and needed the 3-point win in order to put Team USA on top. Caldiero brought his team to victory with an impressive time of 4:28.84, the fastest of the season.

text: Final Score: USA: 10, Europe: 9, Japan: 0

text: USA vs. The World III (June 2017)

text: The 3-hour special episode aired on June 4, 2017; it was unofficially the first episode of season 9. Once again, it was hosted by the current American Ninja Warrior hosts, Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and co-host Kristine Leahy. This year, Team USA and Team Europe faced a new challenger; Team Latin America.

text: Highlights

text: Jessie Graff became the first woman in ANW history, and to compete and successfully finish, Stage 2 in Las Vegas. This was the POM Wonderful "Run of the Night".[31][32] She was also the first woman representing the United States in the USA vs. The World competition.[32] Josh Levin and Drew Drechsel both completed Stage 3, putting them on a list of only a handful of athletes to do so.

text:
Team USA
Team Europe
Team Latin America

Jessie Graff - 32, Calabasas, CA - Stuntwoman, first female athlete to ever compete in this competition.
Drew Drechsel ("Real Life Ninja") - 27, Fairfield, CT - Team Captain, Gym Owner, only competitor to have made it farther than anyone in both the national finals and the Sasuke 32 and 33.
Daniel Gil - 23, Houston, TX - ANW Trainer, one of the fastest competitors in ANW history.
Jake Murray - 29, Denver, CO - Wedding Photographer, one of the fastest competitors on Stage 1.
Brian Arnold - 38, Brighton, CO - Salesman, ANW Veteran; 3rd time in this competition.
Josh Levin - 22, Sunnyvale, CA - ANW Rookie, International Rock Climbing Champion.

Stefano Ghisolfi - 23, Turin, Italy - Top Professional Rock Climber in Europe.
Sean McColl - 28, Chambery, France - #1 Ranked Professional Rock Climber in the World.
Tim Shieff ("Livewire") - 28, London, England - Team Captain, holds the record for fastest time on Stage 1.
Djarke Tonnesen - 24, Copenhagen, Denmark - Graphic Design Student, former Gymnast. Made it to the finals on Denmark's Ninja Warrior.
Owen McKenzie ("The Stuff") - 32, London, England - Gas Engineer, ANW Rookie. Top finisher on Ninja Warrior UK.
Alexander Mars - 29, Stockholm, Sweden - Real Estate Manager, ultimate frisbee competitor, winner of Ninja Warrior Sweden.

Wid Eriksen - 26, Mexico City, Mexico - Acrobat, Freeruning competitor.
Diego Gonzalez - 26, Mexico City, Mexico, - Industrial Engineer, #1 Ranked Rock Climber in Mexico.
Santiago De Alba - 23, Mexico City, Mexico - Bouldering Champion of Mexico.
David Saikin - 29, Bariloche, Argentina - #1 Ranked Rock Climber in Argentina.
Karl Fow - 28, Caracas, Venezuela - Top Professional Freerunner in Venezuela.
Danee Marmolejo - 24, Mexico City, Mexico - Professional Stuntman, Freerunner.

text: Final Score: Team USA: 10, Team Europe: 7, Team Latin America: 1.

text: All-Stars

text: All Stars (May 2016)

text: On May 29, 2016, prior to the premiere of season eight, NBC aired a two-hour all-star special in which hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila chose their own all-star teams composed of three veterans, one rookie, and one woman. Teams competed on stages two, three, and four of the regular season finals course, Mt. Midoriyama, as well as competitions on a supersized course by testing their skills in competitions on the giant peg board, 40-foot Salmon Ladder, Flying Shelf Grab, Jump Hang, and concluded with a race to the top of the "Mega" Warped Wall.[33]

text: The all-star winners were Team Akbar who won the team competition, beating Team Matt 5-3. Additionally, competitor Joe Moravsky completed Stage 2 in a record time of 1:08:52.[34]

text: All Stars II (February 2017)

text: On February 20, 2017, NBC aired a second two-hour all-star special. Like the previous year's competition, ANW hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila chose their own all-star teams, this year composed of one veteran, one breakout star, and one woman. Team Matt featured Chris Wilczewski, Najee Richardson, and Jesse "Flex" Lebreck. Team Akbar featured Grant McCartney, Neil "Crazy" Craver, and Meagan Martin. Also, sideline interviewer Kristine Leahy got to pick her own team, which consisted of Jessie Graff, Flip Rodriguez, and Nicholas Coolridge. Teams competed as a relay race to finish sections of stages one, two, and three of the regular season finals course, Mt. Midoriyama. Next, was the skills competition on a supersized course where individual contestants tested their skills in competition on the 75-feet tall Endless Invisible Ladder, the 4-story high Super Salmon Ladder, Supersonic Shelf Grab, Striding Steps, and the Mega Wall, which is now 20 feet high.

text: The all-star winners were Team Kristine who won the team relay race competition, beating Team Matt and last year's champions Team Akbar. Their highlight of the night was completing Stage 3 in a record time of 5:30:62, making this the POM Wonderful Run of the Night.

text: Celebrity Ninja Warrior

text: NBC announced a special entitled "Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day" which aired on May 25, 2017. Celebrity Ninja Warrior featured celebrities competing on the American Ninja Warrior course while being coached by ANW favorites.[35] The course featured modified obstacles: Floating Steps, Cannonball Drop, Fly Wheels, Block Run, Battering Ram, and the Warped Wall. After completing the course, Stephen Amell, also completed the Salmon Ladder (which he performed in a scene on Arrow) and unsuccessfully attempted a new obstacle, the Swinging Pegboard; Amell's run was named the M&M's "Run of the Night."

text: For every obstacle the celebrities completed, M&M's and The Rockefeller Foundation pledged to donate $5,000 to Red Nose Day.

text:
Celebrities
Coaches

Stephen Amell
Kacy Catanzaro

Derek Hough
Daniel Gil

Erika Christensen
David "Flip" Rodriguez

Natalie Morales
Grant McCartney

Nikki Glaser
Jessie Graff

Jeff Dye
Meagan Martin

Mena Suvari
Natalie Duran

Nick Swisher
Drew Dreschel

Ashton Eaton
Kevin Bull

text: Team Ninja Warrior

text: On October 9, 2015, Esquire Network announced a spin-off of American Ninja Warrior which would feature 24 three-person teams (two men and one woman) of popular ANW alumni. The teams compete head-to-head against each other, running the course simultaneously, thus creating a new live duel dynamic. The two teams with the fastest times advance to the finale where one team will be crowned the winners and receive a cash prize. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila host alongside actor and journalist, Alex Curry.[36][37][38] The series is Esquire Network's most-watched program in the channel's history.[39]

text: On May 31, 2016, Esquire Network ordered a sixteen-episode second season that also included a five-episode special college edition that had college-aged competitors go head-to-head against rival schools.[39] On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Team Ninja Warrior will be moving to sibling cable channel USA Network as Esquire Network winds down its linear channel operations and relaunches as an online only service. The show's second season premiered proper on April 18.[40]

text: Reception

text: Awards and nominations

text:
Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
ref

2015
Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
American Ninja Warrior
Nominated
[41]

2016
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Competition TV Show
American Ninja Warrior
Nominated
[42]

Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
American Ninja Warrior
Nominated
[43]

2017
Kids' Choice Awards
Favorite Reality Show
American Ninja Warrior
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
American Ninja Warrior
Nominated
[44]

text: U.S. Nielsen ratings

text:
Season
Time slot (ET)
Episodes
Premiered
Ended
Network
TV season
Season averages
(Live + SD)
Most-watched episode (millions)

Date
Premiere viewers
(millions)
Date
Finale viewers
(millions)
Viewers (millions)
18–49 rating

1
Saturday 6:00 pm
8

December 12, 2009

N/A

December 19, 2009

N/A
G4
2009–10
N/A
N/A
N/A

2
Wednesday 8:00 pm
10

December 8, 2010

N/A

December 23, 2010

N/A
2010–11
N/A
N/A
N/A

3
Sunday 9:00 pm
10

July 31, 2011

N/A

August 22, 2011

N/A
2011
N/A
N/A
N/A

4
Monday 9:00 pm
9

May 20, 2012

6.20[45]

July 23, 2012

4.87[45]
NBC
G4
2012
5.11[45]
1.9[45]
6.78[45]

5
Monday 8:00 pm
12

July 1, 2013

3.07[46]

September 17, 2013

4.04[46]
2013
4.96[46]
1.6[46]
5.81[46]

6
Monday 9:00 pm
14

May 26, 2014

4.65[47]

September 15, 2014

5.21[47]
NBC
Esquire
2014
5.33[47]
1.8[47]
5.83[47]

7
Monday 8:00 pm
15

May 25, 2015

5.87[48]

September 14, 2015

6.17[48]
2015
6.54[48]
1.9[48]
7.32[48]

8
13

June 1, 2016

6.35[49]

September 12, 2016

5.88[49]
2016
6.28[49]
1.8[49]
7.01[49]

9
15

June 12, 2017

5.36[50]

September 18, 2017

5.96[51]
NBC
USA
2017
5.86[52]
1.4[52]
6.47[52]

text: International broadcasts

text: In Australia and New Zealand, the show is broadcast on SBS 2, TV3 and Four. On April 25, 2016, it was announced Canadian broadcaster CTV picked up American Ninja Warrior for its 2016 summer broadcast schedule.[53] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the show is broadcast on Challenge. In Israel, the show is broadcast on Yes Action. In 2016 Croatian RTL started broadcasting the show. The show is also shown in Finland on Sub-TV. In the Netherlands the show was first broadcast in 2017 on SBS 6, where their own Ninja Warrior NL has been broadcast.