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The 12 Greatest TV Episodes That Retold ‘A Christmas Carol’



A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is essentially the most beloved and prolific Christmas story of all time (aside from that first one). The story of a imply previous miser who learns the error of his methods and embraces life has impressed tens of millions over a number of generations. Many have tailored and re-imagined it over time, particularly on tv.




It has develop into so well-regarded that dozens of reveals have achieved episodes that comply with the e book’s construction. Many do a straight retelling of the story, whereas others select to mess around with its basis and tropes. Regardless, all of them add to the unbelievable legacy this story has left for Christmas as an entire.


12 “Scrooge Will get an Oscar”

‘The Odd Couple’ (Season 1, Episode 12)

Picture through ABC 

Image this: You go to sleep, and are all of the sudden woke up by an individual who tells you they’re going to take you to your previous, current, and future. For positive, you’d freak out, not believing that what you’re witnessing is actual, however then, you purchase into what the particular person is saying, and conform to go on this journey, seeing the error of your methods and striving to alter within the morning. All of that is saying that the Season 1 Christmas episode of the traditional ABC sitcom, The Odd Couple, stays trustworthy to the unique materials.


Right here, Oscar (Jack Klugman) is visited by Ebenezer Madison as they embark on a Christmas Carol-like journey by Oscar’s misdeeds. Simply because it’s by-the-book, nevertheless, doesn’t imply that it isn’t hilarious, as this vacation episode doesn’t shrink back from the comedy.

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11 “A Keaton Christmas Carol”

‘Household Ties’ (Season 2, Episode 9)

Picture through NBC 

It’s secure to say that Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) has by no means been an enormous fan of the Vacation season, and in 1983, he donned the function of Ebenezer Scrooge within the Season 2 Vacation episode “A Keaton Christmas Carol.” Right here, Alexa is visited by members of his household that attempt to point out him the true which means of Christmas, and present him how his selfishness has an impression on the household.


“A Keaton Christmas Carol” performed near the unique story, however added in an additional layer of showcasing how one’s selfishness can have a adverse impression on the individuals round them. It’s a heartfelt episode that didn’t skimp on the comedy, and it was a pleasure watching Alex uncover the true which means of Christmas.

10 “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” (1962)

‘Mr. Magoo’ (Christmas Particular)

Picture through UPA

One of many earliest reveals to make the most of the Christmas Carol format and holds the distinctive distinction of being the primary animated Christmas particular in tv historical past. Everybody’s favourite oblivious previous blind man (Jim Backus) takes on the function of Scrooge in a Broadway musical efficiency of the story.


Unusually sufficient, this model switches the order of previous and current, with razzleberry-loving Tiny Tim (Joan Gardner) and household being proven first. Without having aged the most effective, this particular was remembered nicely sufficient {that a} parody of this model helped Homer Simpson on his personal Christmas redemption journey.

Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol

Launch Date
December 18, 1962

Director
Abe Levitow

Solid
Jim Backus , Morey Amsterdam , Royal Dano , Paul Frees , Jack Cassidy

Runtime
53 Minutes

Watch On AppleTV+

9 “Final Christmas!”

‘Ducktales’ (Season 2, Episode 6)

Picture through DIsney Plus

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is without doubt one of the hottest takes on the story, with Scrooge McDuck within the function he was born to play. So when the Ducktales reboot started, it paid tribute to the story and performed round with the traditional Christmas Carol construction.


The three Christmas ghosts go to Scrooge (David Tennant)—not as a result of he’s a grasping previous miser, however as a result of they’re previous mates who meet each Christmas Eve to celebration. Scrooge ultimately decides spending Christmas with household is healthier, however the Ghost of Christmas Previous (Jack McBrayer) has different concepts.

8 “A Flintstones Christmas Carol” (1994)

‘The Flintstones’ (Christmas Particular)

Picture through Hanna-Barbara 

The Bedrock Group Gamers are placing on A Christmas Carol, and the fashionable Stone Age household is main the forged. Bamm-Bamm (Don Messick) is Tiny Tim, Barney Rubble (Frank Welker) is Bob Cratchit, and Fred Flintstone (Henry Corden) is Scrooge himself.


However the function of Scrooge rapidly begins to go to Fred’s head, and he begins ignoring his household in favor of making ready his strains. However by experiencing the function (and a fast little bit of current buying), Fred involves his senses, and all have a Merry Christmas. Not dangerous, contemplating this vacation and e book weren’t even invented for an additional few million years.

Launch Date
September 30, 1960

Solid
Alan Reed , Jean Vander Pyl , Mel Blanc , Bea Benaderet , Don Messick , Verna Felton

Seasons
6

Creator
William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Primary Style
Comedy

7 “Xmas Marks the Spot” (1986)

‘The Actual Ghostbusters’ (Season 1, Episode 13)

Ever surprise what Christmas can be like if the ghosts’ plan for Scrooge have been foiled one way or the other? Effectively, if there’s anyone in historical past as much as that activity, it could be the Ghostbusters. At Christmastime, they’re unintentionally introduced again in time to Victorian London and witness the three visiting Scrooge (Peter Renaday).


They seize the ghosts and return to their current, solely to find everybody sooner or later treats Christmas with the identical contempt and hate in direction of it as Scrooge did. So now they have to return to the previous and proceed Scrooge’s redemption, whereas Egon (Maurice LaMarche) should go into the containment unit to free the ghosts.

The Actual Ghostbusters

Launch Date
September 13, 1986

Seasons
7

6 ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ (1988)

‘Blackadder’ (Christmas Particular)

Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is without doubt one of the most infamously cynical characters in TV historical past, so taking over the Scrooge function is certainly acceptable. However as a substitute of exhibiting the usual Scrooge redemption, this tackle the story flips it completely on its head.


Ebenezer Blackadder is the whole lot Scrooge wasn’t initially – the kindest and loveliest man in England. However sadly, this causes individuals to always benefit from his generosity and leads him and Baldrick (Tony Robinson) to reside in squalor. However when the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane) reveals him his evil ancestors at Christmas, he decides to develop into the jerk we all know and love.

Blackadder

Launch Date
June 15, 1983

Seasons
4

Primary Style
Comedy

Watch On AppleTV+

5 “Halloween IV’ (1992)

‘Roseanne’ (Season 5, Episode 7)

Picture through ABC 


This particular makes for an thrilling adaptation by switching the vacations round – as a substitute of Christmas, this carol focuses on Halloween. It’s Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) favourite vacation, however she’s not feeling as much as it this yr. So, as one would possibly guess, she’s visited by three spirits to scare her again into the Halloween spirit.

Every of the ghosts has a novel look that corresponds completely with Halloween—Previous (Lee Arenberg) is a bedsheet ghost with a throbbing coronary heart. Current (Mario Roccuzzo) is a person dressed as Sweet Corn. Future (Gary Bullock) is a hooded determine with a Jack-o-Lantern for a head.

Launch Date
October 18, 1988

Seasons
10

Primary Style
Comedy

4 ‘Beavis and Butthead’ — “Huh-Huh-Humbug” (1995)

‘Beavis and Butthead’ (Season 11, Episode 15)


The primary of a two-part Christmas particular, the second half parodying It’s a Fantastic Life. Earlier than Butthead (Mike Decide) goals of the world the place he was by no means born, he tells Beavis (Decide) that three spirits will go to him—particularly Tom Anderson, Mr. Van Driessen, and Coach Buzzcut (all voiced by Decide).

They showcase how Beavis has by no means actually gone wherever in his life (simply sitting on the sofa guffawing along with his finest pal), how his principal’s household can’t eat, and the way he’ll ultimately die by no means getting with anybody. Earlier than he can do a lot, he wakes up, prepared for Butthead to start his dream.

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3 “It is A Very Sunny Christmas” (2010)

‘It is At all times Sunny in Philadelphia’ (Season 6, Episode 13)

Picture through FX


This particular makes use of the construction of Scrooge’s redemption amongst numerous subplots that mock a number of Christmas tropes (even together with a stop-motion sequence). After remembering how Frank (Danny DeVito) at all times gave them a crummy Christmas, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) determine to offer him some payback, Christmas Carol-style.

Contacting Frank’s previous enterprise companion, Eugene (David Huddlestone), they attempt to present Frank the error of his methods. However, in fact, that is At all times Sunny, and each try and comply with the story’s beats backfires in a hilarious and characteristically crude approach, similar to all of the gang’s schemes at all times find yourself.


2 “An All Canine Christmas Carol” (1998)

‘All Canine Go to Heaven: The Collection’ (Christmas Particular)

It’s the finale of the sequence primarily based on All Canine Go to Heaven, and it’s an attention-grabbing be aware to finish issues. Carface (Ernest Borgnine) is working with the evil Belladonna (Bebe Neuwirth) to damage Christmas by hypnotizing all of the canine in San Francisco to steal Christmas presents from their house owners.

After a number of failed makes an attempt, Charlie (Steven Weber) and Itchy (Dom DeLuise) determine to drag a Christmas Carol plot on Carface to persuade him to alter his methods. Whereas missing the darkness of the primary two motion pictures, it does add extra dimension to Carface’s character than being a one-note but intimidating villain.

All Canine Go to Heaven: The Collection

Launch Date
September 21, 1996

Solid
Bebe Neuwirth , Ernest Borgnine , Dom DeLuise , April Winchell , Sheena Easton , Charles Nelson Reilly , Steven Weber , Tress MacNeille , Adam Wylie , R. Lee Ermey , Alan Roberts

Community
Syndication , ABC Household

Producers
Andy Heyward


1 “A Christmas Carol” (2010)

‘Physician Who’ (Season 6, Episode 0)

Physician Who is well-regarded for its Christmas specials, however followers notably love this one. The Physician (Matt Smith) and his companions (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) are trying to save lots of a spaceship from crashing right into a planet; and, good Lord, we do not want the world to finish on Christmas day.

Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon) is the one one with authority to save lots of them, however he’s a grasping previous miser who doesn’t care in the event that they die. So, pondering quick whereas taking on a regular basis on this planet, The Physician decides to make use of his abilities to point out the person his previous, current, and future to save lots of the day and guarantee a cheerful Christmas.


KEEP READING: 10 Vacation Film Villains That Rival The Grinch



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