Charles Dickens’ classic morality tale A Christmas Carol was adapted for the screen for the first time in 1901, just thirty years after the famous writer’s death. In the ensuing decades, thousands of hours of television and film have been dedicated to the re-telling of the story - from gritty TV movies to slick Hollywood productions.
In some of the more notable examples, Victorian England is substituted with present-day New York, Scrooge is played to perfection by a grumpy cartoon duck, and the most iconic literary characters of all time are embodied by Muppets. But this list won’t be looking at just those favorites. After all, we need no reminding of adaptations that will be playing on almost-constant rotation during the festive period. Instead, we pit the staples of Christmas viewing against the bad and sometimes, the downright baffling.
Worst: A Diva’s Christmas Carol, 2000
The character of Scrooge is selfish, petulant, and demanding; in other words, he’s a total diva. That seems to be the underlying logic behind A Diva’s Christmas Carol, anyway. Made for VH1 in 2000, this adaptation stars Vanessa Williams of Ugly Betty fame as Ebony Scrooge, a pop-star and 'diva' who overworks and underpays her staff, including her faithful manager Bob Crachit.
Ebony’s trajectory to fame, told via an embarrassing cameo from Kathy Griffin as the Ghost of Christmas Past, might be a subtle nod to pop-culture, as Ebony emerges from a Destiny’s-Child style girl-group as the only successful solo artist (à la Beyonce). Diva is absurd enough to warrant a watch, and it does feature some moments where it seems almost self-aware. However, it features many more involving lazy plot points, cringy characterizations and terrible acting (guess they blew their budget on Kathy).
Best: Scrooged, 1998
Upon its release in 1988, Scrooged was met with a mixed critical response and only moderate commercial success, perhaps owed to its dark, post-modernist overtones. Its regard as a mainstay of Christmas viewing would be cemented only over the subsequent years.
It’s a Christmas Carol adaptation about a New York TV executive overseeing a Christmas Carol adaptation, with Bill Murray playing Frank Cross, the epitome of the ruthless, ratings-obsessed network boss whose career unravels further with the arrival of each new ghost. Though the film hangs on Murray’s performance and ad-libbed additions to the script, it’s Carol Kane’s adorable-yet-violent Ghost of Christmas Present who steals the show, leading to perhaps the greatest line of all Christmas movies; “b*tch hit me with a toaster!”
Worst: Ebeneezer, 1998
Another weird, TV movie addition to the Christmas Carol canon places the familiar plot and characters in the Wild West. A Canadian production released in 1998, Ebeneezer is elevated by the presence of Western genre-veteran Jack Palance - portraying Scrooge as a sleazy saloon owner and card cheat, who fires his Seth Rogan-look-alike assistant on Christmas Eve.
If it wasn’t for the fact Ebeneezer was uploaded on YouTube in 2017, this obscure adaptation would be all but forgotten. Which would be a shame; after all, there aren’t many versions of Dickens’ Victorian-era classic that end in a gun-fight or feature the line “don’t you ever dare call me lizard lickin’ again, or lizard-lips or lizard-face or lizard-anything, you hear?”
Best: The Muppets Christmas Carol, 1992
Dark and serious themes lie at the core of Dickens’ classic novella: Poverty, human indifference, and man’s capacity for redemption. Yet, one of the adaptations that do the most justice to this weighty tale is narrated by a fuzzy blue aardvark and a talking rat.
The Muppets Christmas Carol succeeds in lightening its source material for a family audience, whilst still retaining its ability to warm the heart and inspire hope. Particularly upon the arrival of the bombastic, infectiously cheery Ghost of Christmas Present - that he is a man in a full-body Muppet suit notwithstanding. Released in 1992 and starring Micheal Caine as Scrooge, for many, this 1992 musical remains the pinnacle of essential Christmas viewing, long past childhood age.
Worst: A Christmas Carol: The Musical, 2002
Though this 2002 TV-movie starring Kelsey Grammar as Scrooge is not without its fans, it is a decidedly rocky addition to the Christmas Carol genre. With a total of 21 original songs that frequently have you reaching for the fast-forward button, this adaptation also includes some off-kilter acting, silly period costumes, and a set that screams ‘made for TV.’
The most notable of the dodgy costumes is that of Seinfield’s Jacob Alexander, who at best, resembles The Cure lead singer Robert Smith in his Jacob Marley get-up, and at worst, looks like Danny Devito as the Penguin.
Best: Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, 1998
Delightfully silly and mean-spirited, Blackadder’s Christmas Carol is more of a parody than an adaptation. It is a 1998 Christmas special of the classic BBC series Blackadder, which stars Rowan Atkinson as the titular character during various historical periods.
In this 43-minute episode, the usually villainous Blackadder is transformed into a kind-hearted Victorian shop-owner, who, in gleeful defiance of Dickens’ fable comes to realize that greed and selfishness pave the way to a better life. Featuring narration from Hugh Laurie in pre-House years and a scene in which Rowan Atkinson wears nothing but some tiny pants, it is well worth a watch.
Worst: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, 2009
Okay, so it's not set at Christmas time. But this 2009 film starring Matthew McConaughey deserves a dishonorable mention for transforming a richly-layered fable about class, inequality, and the human spirit into a charmless, disposable rom-com.
It's a tale of redemption not about a shameless businessman but a shameless womanizer, with McConaughey's protagonist forced to reflect on his romantic history on the eve of his brother's wedding, to wholly mediocre results.
Best: Mickey’s Christmas Carol, 1983
Another family-friendly addition to the list is the 1983 Disney special Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Featuring beautifully hand-painted animation and a soundtrack that will give even the most hardened millennial’s heart a nostalgic tug, this adaptation was nominated for an Academy Award for the best short film in 1984.
It also gives Scrooge McDuck the opportunity to play the character that he was based on. Of course, he does an excellent job of it.
Worst: A Christmas Carol, 2009
Although this list has repeatedly poked fun at TV-movie renderings of Dickens' classic, Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol is proof that even a multi-million dollar budget can't salvage some films from mediocrity.
Given that this is a Disney production with a high-caliber cast, including Jim Carrey as Scrooge, Gary Oldman, and Bob Hoskins, this 3D computer-animated offering simply falls short of expectations, never able to elevate itself above a 'mixed bag' kind of movie. Visuals deviate between impressive and uncanny valley creepy, and the somber, sometimes genuinely scary tone of the film fails to gel with the goofy-slapstick humor injected into Carrey's role.
Best: Scrooge, 1951
Though it received a lukewarm reception in 1951, Alistair Sims’ depiction of Scrooge in this early black-and-white adaptation has become cemented in the cultural consciousness, undoubtedly influencing the many adaptations that followed.
Sims is Scrooge and uses a perfect balance of cruelty, wit, and vulnerability to offer the audience insight into his character’s wretched inner life. Only in Dickens’ novella and in this imagining of it do we see the extent that Scrooge’s own unhappiness leads him to sow unhappiness in others. Though the black-and-white visuals and somber atmosphere may put off some modern viewers, Scrooge may be the high-point for true A Christmas Carol connoisseur.