Lee Mendelson Film Productions (LMFP) is an American production company based in Burlingame, California. Founded by Lee Mendelson in 1963, the company is best known for producing animated television specials and feature films based on Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, including A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969).
In addition to its work on Peanuts, the company has produced Garfield television specials and series, documentaries, live-action specials, music-related programming, and other television productions. Its work has been recognized by major entertainment and broadcasting organizations, including the Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, Academy Awards, and Grammy Awards, with much of that recognition connected to children's television, animation, and music-related recordings.
Background
Lee Mendelson began his television career producing documentary and public affairs programming in the San Francisco Bay Area. His early work included San Francisco Pageant, a KPIX-TV documentary series that received a Peabody Award in 1962.
Mendelson's association with the Peanuts franchise began in 1963 when he approached Charles M. Schulz about producing a documentary on the comic strip entitled A Boy Named Charlie Brown. That project led to a collaboration with animator Bill Melendez and ultimately to A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which received both a Peabody and Emmy Award. The success of the special launched a decades-long partnership with Schulz and Melendez spanning television specials, feature films, and music recordings.
In the 1980s, the company expanded into the Garfield franchise, producing a series of television specials and series that earned several Emmy Awards and nominations.
Copyright enforcement litigation In May 2026, the company received national media attention after filing four copyright infringement lawsuits over alleged unauthorized uses of music associated with the Peanuts franchise, including compositions by Vince Guaraldi. The lawsuits targeted a variety of defendants, including the United States Department of the Interior, video game publisher GameMill Entertainment, and operators of social media accounts for Heritage Auctions and Buckle-Down, Inc., that had allegedly incorporated Peanuts music into online content. The complaints alleged that the Interior Department used Guaraldi's arrangement of "O Tannenbaum" in social media posts and a digital holiday card; that Heritage Auctions used "Linus and Lucy" in social media posts promoting collectibles auctions; that Buckle-Down used copyrighted Peanuts music in social media posts promoting its merchandise; and that music created for GameMill Entertainment's 2025 video game Snoopy and the Great Mystery Club was substantially similar to Guaraldi's compositions "Linus and Lucy" and "Skating," despite neither composition having been licensed.
The lawsuits received widespread media coverage and highlighted the company's continuing efforts to protect intellectual property associated with the Peanuts television specials and their music catalog.
Stephen Colbert licensing dispute The copyright enforcement campaign became the subject of a comedic segment during the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in which host Stephen Colbert joked that house band Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine would perform "Linus and Lucy" without first obtaining a license. Colbert remarked that the performance might "cost CBS money" because the music had not been cleared for broadcast. LMFP later reached a licensing agreement with CBS for the use of the composition, with the payment amount undisclosed. LMFP chairman Jason Mendelson said the company found the segment "funny and entertaining", while emphasizing the need to secure licenses for commercial uses of copyrighted music. Proceeds from the agreement were donated by LMFP to World Central Kitchen.
The agreement involved companies with a long shared history through the Peanuts franchise, as CBS had originally broadcast most Peanuts television specials produced by LMFP between 1965 and 2000.
Awards and recognition
LMFP has received awards and nominations from several major awards organizations, mainly for its television productions. The company's Peabody Award-winning programs include San Francisco Pageant, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Hot Dog (1970), and What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? (1983).
The company also received Emmy recognition for animated and children's programming, including Peanuts productions, Garfield specials, and retrospective programs. Its Emmy-recognized productions include Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown, Garfield on the Town, Garfield in the Rough, Garfield's Halloween Adventure, Cathy, Garfield's Babes and Bullets, Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years, and It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown!.
The company's theatrical work includes a 1970 Academy Award nomination for A Boy Named Charlie Brown for Best Original Song Score, losing to The Beatles' Let It Be. Its music-related recognition includes Grammy Award nominations for Flashbeagle (1984) and a book-and-record adaption of You're in Love, Charlie Brown (1979), both in children's recording categories.
Filmography Feature films Release date Title Distributor December 4, 1969 A Boy Named Charlie Brown Cinema Center Films August 9, 1972 Snoopy Come Home August 24, 1977 Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown Paramount Pictures May 30, 1980 Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)
Television Animated specials Peanuts Airdate Title Network Notes December 9, 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas CBS June 8, 1966 Charlie Brown's All Stars! October 27, 1966 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown June 12, 1967 You're in Love, Charlie Brown February 14, 1968 He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown September 27, 1969 It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown March 28, 1971 Play It Again, Charlie Brown October 29, 1972 You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown March 11, 1973 There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown November 20, 1973 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving February 1, 1974 It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown April 9, 1974 It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown January 28, 1975 Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown October 28, 1975 You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown March 16, 1976 It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown Final special scored by Vince Guaraldi October 24, 1977 It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown February 23, 1978 What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! March 19, 1979 You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown February 25, 1980 She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown October 24, 1980 Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown April 28, 1981 It's Magic, Charlie Brown October 30, 1981 Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown May 24, 1982 A Charlie Brown Celebration February 21, 1983 Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? May 30, 1983 What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? April 16, 1984 It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown March 20, 1985 Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown January 1, 1986 Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! March 16, 1990 Why, Charlie Brown, Why? May 1, 1991 Snoopy's Reunion May 28, 1992 It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown November 27, 1992 It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown January 18, 1994 You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown NBC February 14, 2002 A Charlie Brown Valentine ABC December 8, 2002 Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales August 29, 2003 Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown December 9, 2003 I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown November 20, 2006 He's a Bully, Charlie Brown
Garfield Airdate Title Network October 25, 1982 Here Comes Garfield CBS September 14, 1983 Garfield on the Town October 26, 1984 Garfield in the Rough October 30, 1985 Garfield's Halloween Adventure May 27, 1986 Garfield in Paradise May 8, 1987 Garfield Goes Hollywood December 21, 1987 A Garfield Christmas Special November 22, 1988 Garfield: His 9 Lives May 23, 1989 Garfield's Babes and Bullets November 22, 1989 Garfield's Thanksgiving May 18, 1990 Garfield's Feline Fantasies May 8, 1991 Garfield Gets a Life
Other Airdate Title Network Notes October 21, 1968 The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant NBC Babar adaptationNarrator: Peter Ustinov September 7, 1971 Babar the Elephant Comes to America November 23, 1981 No Man's Valley CBS March 20, 1985 The Romance of Betty Boop Betty Boop special May 15, 1987 Cathy Cathy adaptation November 11, 1988 Cathy's Last Resort February 10, 1989 Cathy's Valentine
Animated television series Title Years Network Notes Hot Dog 1970 NBC Documentary series. The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show 1983-1985 CBS This Is America, Charlie Brown 1988-1989 Garfield and Friends 1989-1994 Mother Goose and Grimm 1991-1992
Live-action and hybrid television specials Airdate Title Network Host Notes February 16, 1969 Children's Letters to God NBC Gene Kelly Based on book compiled by Stoo Hample March 18, 1969 Wonderful World of Pizzazz Carl Reiner, Michele Lee May 10, 1969 Rod McKuen, The Loner Concert April 2, 1970 It Couldn't Be Done Lee Marvin Music score: The 5th Dimension April 3, 1970 The Unexplained Rod Serling Encyclopedia Britannica television special May 23, 1970 The New Communicators Pt. 1 Peter Fonda June 12, 1970 The New Communicators Pt. 2 Peter Fonda April 2, 1971 The Record Makers Flip Wilson 1975 Bill Russell Raps — Bill Russell October 13, 1975 Travels with Flip NBC Flip Wilson March 19, 1976 More Travels with Flip Flip Wilson April 3, 1976 The Sport of the Century CBS William Conrad December 19, 1976 Christmas Around the World NBC Dick Van Dyke, Marilyn McCoo, Jonathan Winters, Gene Kelly May 15, 1977 The Billion Dollar Movies David Niven April 24, 1978 The National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships CBS Cheryl Ladd May 19, 1979 Family Fun Time, U.S.A.: Marine World Harvey Korman, Joey Heatherton February 8, 1981 The Big Stuffed Dog NBC Peanuts live-action special 1981 The New You Asked for It Rich Little, Jack Smith Pilot May 24, 1983 Movie Blockbusters: The 15 Greatest Hits of All Time CBS Christopher Plummer May 7, 1984 John Ritter, Mr. T, Jacqueline Bisset... Going Back Home ABC September 27, 1988 It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown CBS Peanuts live-action/animated hybrid
Documentaries