TUNED IN

Before it first aired in 1965, there was every reason to label “A Charlie Brown Christmas” a failure. CBS executives and even its producers thought it a dud. Tonight at 8, in its first broadcast on ABC after 36 screenings on CBS, there is every reason to watch it.

For one, its new network home has added a nifty post-show “making-of” feature. It packs a lot of information into 17 minutes, from the controversy over including a biblical passage to the origins of Vince Guaraldi’s magnificent score.

The documentary includes interviews with executive producer Lee Mendelson, producer-director Bill Melendez, the late Charles M. Shulz and the cast. If you ever wondered what the people who voiced Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) or other characters look like, here’s your chance. Also not to be missed: footage of the first “Peanuts” animation, for car commercials, and snippets of the Christmas special dialogue in Italian, German, Japanese and French.

Of course, all this behind-the-scenes material would be pointless if not for the original show. It retains its message of peace and joy in the face of anxiety and adversity while gaining new meaning.

“Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel,” Charlie Brown says, his opening words striking a new chord after Sept. 11. But the show’s redemptive final line, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown,” resonates all the more strongly.