(courtesy IMDb 9c) AppleTV+)
SNAPSHOT
One-of-a-Kind Marcie follows Marcie, an introvert who loves her solitude but also enjoys helping her friends. As they train for the school golf championship, Marcie assists Peppermint Patty as her caddie, offering thoughtful and deliberate advice to help her win. Meanwhile, after coming up with brilliant solutions to her classmates’ problems — from hallway traffic jams to lunchtime pizza shortages — Marcie is unexpectedly elected as class president… a role she never wanted. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Marcie struggles to cope with the expectations of her new job and retreats as far from the public eye as possible. As the golf championship begins, Marcie is still in hiding and Peppermint Patty is forced to tee off with Charlie Brown filling in as her caddie. But after some wise advice and a little introspection, Marcie realizes she can still make a difference for her friends and the school — she will just have to buck other people’s expectations and do it her own unique way. (courtesy Peanuts wiki)
One of the many, many things I have always loved about Peanuts, the iconic comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, is the number of outsider characters who populate its stories, whether in original panel form or in its much-loved broadcast or now streaming specials.
Charlie Brown is, of course, the best known, but there’s also Linus, Peppermint Patty and even Schroeder, all of them in their own way just outside the mainstream but always valued by Schulz, even if some of their fellow characters aren’t quite as embracing.
One character I have always adored is Marcie, who often presents as the loyal friend of Peppermint Patty and who you know is devoted and full of tenacity but who never really gets a moment to shine.
Until now.
The premiere of Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie premieres on AppleTV+ on 18 August will give this delightfully self-effacing outsider the chance to truly show what she’s made of, and to be celebrated for her loveable uniqueness, which is very much in the spirit of a comic strip that always knew true value doesn’t always come from being of the noticeable mainstream.
I love that she’s being celebrated and I can’t wait to see Marcie finally step into a long-deserved spotlight.