The Superior Christmas Carol

The Superior Christmas Carol

by Izzy Morris

Marley was dead to begin with.

The iconic, straight out-of-the-gate opening from the Charles Dickens’ masterpiece A Christmas Carol. First published on December 19th 1843, this festive novella has gone down in history as one of the greatest tales of all time. As the festive season comes around, many of us will find ourselves watching at least one version of the classic cuddled up in blankets around the television.

Personally, The Muppets Christmas Carol is the adaptation that I always turn to. Sir Michael Caine is joined by the iconic puppet characters to create an ensemble cast to end all ensemble casts. Beloved green frog, Kermit, plays Bob Cratchit, with Miss Piggy and his nephew Robin as his wife and Tiny Tim. Gonzo and Rizzo are a dynamic duo, narrating the play, interspersing wisecracks and humour into quotes from the original material in a way that captures what A Christmas Carol is all about at its heart; kindness, festive spirit, and second chances. It also boasts a fabulous soundtrack, all muppetified of course – it’s not Christmas until you’ve got “There goes Mr. Humbug // There goes Mr. Grim” swirling around in your head.

I often also argue that this particular adaptation is the most accurate retelling of the book, despite the fact that the story is told by Muppets. In this version, the Ghost of Christmas Present changes size frequently, which many adaptations ignore, the backstory of Belle is explored, even including a deleted song if you watch the extended version, and the addition of Gonzo as Charles Dickens makes it easy to tie in the original work without ever becoming dull. I will however grant you that there is no mention of singing vegetables in the original

There are many other beloved retellings of A Christmas Carol that don’t feature The Muppets. If you’re still wanting to lean towards some childhood whimsy, the Oscar-nominated (yes, really) Mickey’s Christmas Carol features Scrooge McDuck, opposite a whole host of characters that resemble some of your Disney favourites. The Flintstones also gave it a go in 1994, as have The Smurfs in 2011. Even Barbie gave it a go back in 2008!

There are also some rather dark, gothic versions of the classic if cartoon characters aren’t your thing. Steven Knight’s 2019 TV series features Guy Pearce as the old, cynical, and twisted Ebenezer Scrooge, accompanied by a far less jolly version of the Ghost of Christmas Past, played by Andy Serkis, collecting pieces of Christmas memories in a strange limbo state. Scrooge’s redemption is not quite so glamorously unravelled either in this edition, which adds an extra dose of drama to the series.

Bill Murray also gives the tale a go in the incredibly popular Scrooged, which sees the star play a television executive who has driven away his partner through his immense desire for success. This modern retelling brings the story into the present day, applying those same themes of family, spreading love and generosity to today.

Stepping away from the screen, there have also been many stage adaptations of the story. There is a popular musical version written and directed by Tim Dietlen that was first performed in 1964 and is still enjoyed to this day. Mark Gattis’ ‘A Christmas Carol – a Ghost Story’ was at the Nottingham Playhouse in early November, bringing the festive season in. The performance featured Keith Allen and Peter Forbes as Ebenezer Scrooge and Marley. There are also a number of operatic versions and ballet performances that tell the story in an entirely new way.

Back in the 1940s and 50s, retellings of A Christmas Carol were incredibly popular on the radio, and to this day it’s not uncommon to tune into a new retelling. Drew Barrymore’s uncle Lionel Barrymore famously starred in a CBS dramatisation of the story back in 1934, and this became a tradition every year until 1953, on various radio networks.

One of the most abstract methods of telling the Dickens tale comes from Marvel, who in 2011 released a graphic novel titled ‘Zombies Christmas Carol’. This adaptation takes an entirely different approach, using zombies as a metaphor for the poor, and the zombie plague as a metaphor for Scrooge’s bitterness and hate. There have also been graphic novels featuring Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog characters as Scrooge and co., and there have been a few occasions where DC characters have filled the roles too.

No matter which version is your personal favourite, it’s clear that A Christmas Carol still resonates with families around the world. There truly is a way for everyone to enjoy the classic novella, which I think ties in really nicely with a message from Tiny Tim himself: God bless us, everyone.