In 1966, Charles Schultz followed the #1 success of A Charie Brown Christmas with another equally beloved smash hit: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
    'Great Pumpkin' was the first main-stream Halloween special, predating the annual episodes of Buffy and The Simpsons by many decades. The holiday has grown from a children's novelty to a major adult celebration, with the entire season growing from weeks to months.
     Perhaps the big splash made by the Great Pumpkin 40 years ago was the beginning of that groundswell.