List of A Christmas Carol Adaptations - Adaptations - Television

Television

Between 1944 and 1956, most television versions of the story were staged live.

• An early live television adaptation was broadcast by DuMont's New York station WABD on December 20, 1944.
• A December 25, 1947 live television version on DuMont starred John Carradine as Scrooge, and featured David Carradine and Eva Marie Saint, the latter in her TV debut.
• A 1948 live television adaptation which aired on Philco Television Playhouse starred Dennis King as Scrooge.
• A Christmas Carol (1949), a 30-minute filmed television adaptation, starred Taylor Holmes as Scrooge with Vincent Price as the on-screen narrator.
• A British television version, with Bransby Williams as Scrooge, was televised in 1950.
• An adaptation of A Christmas Carol with Ralph Richardson as Scrooge was shown as a 30-minute filmed episode of NBC's Fireside Theatre in 1951.
• The story was dramatized twice, in 1952 and 1953, on Kraft Television Theatre (NBC).
• A Christmas Carol (1954), a filmed musical television adaptation starring Fredric March as Scrooge and Basil Rathbone as Marley, was shown on the TV anthology Shower of Stars. The adaptation and lyrics were by Maxwell Anderson, the music by Bernard Herrmann. The first version in color, it apparently has survived only in black-and-white, though a color version may yet turn up. March received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
• The Stingiest Man In Town (1956), was the second musical adaptation. It starred Basil Rathbone and Vic Damone as, respectively, the old and young Scrooge. This was a live episode of the dramatic anthology series The Alcoa Hour.

None of the later versions were done live, but were either shot on videotape or filmed. They include:

• A 1958 filmed episode of the half-hour anthology series Tales from Dickens, again featuring Rathbone as Scrooge, with Fredric March as narrator.
• Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), an animated musical television special in color featuring the UPA character voiced by Jim Backus, with songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. Other voices were provided by such actors as Jack Cassidy (as Bob Cratchit). Shown annually by NBC for many years, this was the first animated Christmas special ever telecast (excluding marionette versions of The Night Before Christmas and the Nativity story).
• Mr. Scrooge, a 1962 CBC television musical adaptation, starring Cyril Ritchard (Peter Pan 's Captain Hook) as Scrooge, with Alfie Bass and Tessie O'Shea as Bob Cratchit and his wife.
• A Christmas Carol (1969), an animated television special directed by Zoran Janjic and produced by Australia's Air Programs and aired on CBS. It was the first in a series titled Famous Classic Tales and sponsored by Kenner.
• A Christmas Carol (1977), an adaptation by the BBC with Sir Michael Hordern, who had played Marley's Ghost in two other versions, as Scrooge.
• Rich Little's Christmas Carol (1978), an HBO television special in which impressionist Rich Little plays several celebrities and characters in the main roles.
• The Stingiest Man in Town (1978), an animated made-for-TV musical produced by Rankin-Bass. It stars Walter Matthau as the voice of Scrooge and Tom Bosley as the narrator. Scrooge was drawn to physically resemble Matthau. This had originally been done as a live-action musical on television in 1956. This version, however, was not nearly as well received as the 1956 one.
• Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol (1979), an animated television special featuring the various Looney Tunes characters, with the role of Scrooge going to Yosemite Sam.
• An American Christmas Carol (1979), staring Henry Winkler.
• A Christmas Carol (1982), Australian made-for-television animated film from Burbank Films Australia.
• A Christmas Carol (1984), starring George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, David Warner and Susannah York as the Cratchits, with Edward Woodward as The Ghost Of Christmas Present. Scott (who had played Fagin two years previously) received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance. Clive Donner, who had been the film editor for the 1951 film Scrooge, directs. Novelist and essayist Louis Bayard described this adaptation as "the definitive version of a beloved literary classic", praising its fidelity to Dickens' original story, the strength of the supporting cast, and especially Scott's performance as Scrooge.
• Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol (1992), an animated television movie directed by Al Guest and starring the voice of Christopher Corey Smith as Brer Rabbit.
• A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994), an animated television special based on The Flintstones series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, featuring the series characters putting on a play based on the novel.
• A Christmas Carol (1999), a television movie directed by David Jones, starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge. Produced by Turner Network Television, and shown by them annually. Inspired by Patrick Stewart's one-man stage adaptation of the story, but featuring a full supporting cast. This was the first version of the story to make use of digital special effects. Stewart was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance.
• Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (2002), made for TV animated film created by DIC Entertainment. It premiered on television on Nickelodeon Sunday Movie Toons and was released on DVD and VHS shortly afterward by MGM Home Entertainment.
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004), starring Kelsey Grammer. This version is unique in that Scrooge meets all three spirits in human form both before and after his night-time encounters, much as Judy Garland encounters Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz.
• A Sesame Street Christmas Carol (2006), a direct to DVD special featuring Oscar the Grouch in the Scrooge role.

(Of all the actors who have appeared in televised versions of the story, it is possible that Basil Rathbone may hold the record, having appeared in three different productions, as well as starring in one on radio. He played Scrooge in two television productions and one radio version, and Marley's Ghost in yet another television adaptation. Meanwhile, Jerry Nelson may hold the record for playing the most diverse roles in a single version, since in The Muppet Christmas Carol he performs at least a dozen Muppet characters, including Marley (Statler), the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Tiny Tim (Robin).)