A Christmas Carol (TV series)

Last updated

A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol 2019 BBC.jpg
Genre Fantasy, Horror fiction
Based on A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
Written by Steven Knight
Directed by Nick Murphy
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJulian Stevens
CinematographySi Bell
Running time53–58 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network FX
Release19 December 2019 (2019-12-19)
Network BBC One
Release22 December (2019-12-22) –
24 December 2019 (2019-12-24)

A Christmas Carol is a 2019 British dark fantasy drama television miniseries based on the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens. The three-part series is written by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott among the executive producers. It began airing on BBC One in the UK on 22 December 2019 and concluded two days later on 24 December 2019. Prior to this, it aired in the US on FX on 19 December 2019, with all three episodes shown consecutively as a single television film.

Contents

Filming locations include Rainham Hall in East London and Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick. Cast members include Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Riley, Johnny Harris, Jason Flemyng, Vinette Robinson and Joe Alwyn. This adaptation was meant to present a darker take on the classic story, aimed at an adult audience. The drama involves adult language, brief nudity, horror elements, implications of child molestation, forced prostitution and a depiction of a child drowning.

Plot summary

In this version, Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley are asset-strippers with extensive industrial interests as well as being moneylenders. Seven years after Marley's death, the miserly Scrooge resents people who cherish Christmas as hypocrites, arguing if people were as good as they claim to be during the festive season then they would be so during the entire year. At home, Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit and his wife Mary struggle to survive and raise their children, especially the disabled Tiny Tim.

Marley rises from the dead as a spirit bound by chains and encounters the Ghost of Christmas Past. The Ghost tells Marley he will not have rest unless he helps Scrooge find redemption. Marley visits Scrooge, shows him visions of the suffering workers in their mines and sweatshops, and explains that the links of his chains represent lives lost because of their greed. He warns Scrooge that the same fate awaits him unless he heeds the three spirits who will visit him on Christmas Eve.

The Ghost of Christmas Past arrives, first taking the form of Scrooge's abusive father Franklin before showing Scrooge his past, taking on different guises, including Ali Baba, Scrooge's childhood hero. A vision shows Scrooge's childhood self at a boarding school, where he was made to stay during the Christmas season and was sexually abused by the schoolmaster. Scrooge learns his father knew of the molestation and allowed it in exchange for the schoolmaster waiving attendance fees. Scrooge's sister Lottie rescued him one year, telling him their father was out of the family and, unbeknownst to Scrooge, threatening to shoot the schoolmaster if he ever touched her brother again.

The Ghost then shows Scrooge a Christmas during which Mary asked Scrooge for a loan of £30 so Tim could have a life-saving surgery. Scrooge offered to give her the money if she came to his apartment on Christmas Day. The next day, Scrooge made Mary admit she was willing to prostitute herself to save her child, and watched her undress. He then said that he did not desire her, but that he wished to see how easily people abandon their morals for money. Scrooge gave her the money and threatened to tell her husband if he should ever leave his employ. Humiliated, Mary told Scrooge he would one day see a "mirror" showing him his true self, stating that as a woman she had "the power to summon such spirits."

The Ghost of Christmas Present appears, in the form of Scrooge's long-dead sister Lottie, the mother of his nephew Fred. She and Scrooge watch the Cratchit family celebrating Christmas together. Bob announces he will resign from Scrooge's employment in the morning, as he has found another job. Scrooge wishes to tell Mary he will not reveal their arrangement to Bob, but, sensing his presence, Mary tells him to leave.

The Ghost of Christmas Future appears as a man in black with his mouth sewn shut. Scrooge sees the next day that Cratchit resigns, now aware of what Scrooge did to Mary. While skating on a frozen pond, Tim falls through the ice and freezes to death. The Ghost then shows Scrooge his own corpse, alone with no mourners. Marley arrives and talks of redemption, but Scrooge refuses a second chance, saying he does not deserve forgiveness and will accept his fate, if only Tim will live.

Marley is returned to his grave to rest and Tim's grave vanishes as Scrooge is transported back to the present Christmas Day, at a point before Cratchit has announced his resignation. Taking a bag of gravel, Scrooge runs to the pond behind the Cratchit's house, scattering the gravel on the ice to prevent Tim's death.

He visits the Cratchits, wishes Bob well in his new job, and gives him £500, announcing he is closing down his business. Mary thanks Scrooge for the money, but says it will not buy her forgiveness. He replies he will not want or earn forgiveness, but simply work to be the best person he can be, and thanks her for summoning the spirits. Looking out the window after he leaves, Mary tells the three spirits that there is still much work to do.

Cast

Production

It was announced in November 2017 that the BBC had commissioned a new telling of the Dickens tale, with Steven Knight writing the three-part series. Knight, Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott would serve as executive producers. [2]

In January 2019, it was reported that Hardy would also be starring in the series; however, the role he would be playing was not disclosed (Hardy did not appear in the final version). [3] In May, Guy Pearce was revealed to be playing Scrooge, alongside the castings of Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Riley, Johnny Harris, Joe Alwyn, Vinette Robinson and Kayvan Novak. [4] Rutger Hauer, who was originally cast as Ghost of Christmas Future, became too ill to film his scenes and was replaced by Jason Flemyng (Hauer died on 19 July 2019).

Filming on the series commenced by May 2019 at Rainham Hall, a 1729-built National Trust site in the London Borough of Havering. [5] Scenes were filmed on Church Row, Hampstead and the churchyard of St John-at-Hampstead in May. [6] In early June, filming took place at the Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick. [7]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date  [8] [9] UK viewers
(millions)  [10]
1"Chapter One: The Human Beast" Nick Murphy Steven Knight 19 December 2019 (2019-12-19) (FX)
22 December 2019 (2019-12-22) (BBC)		7.83
2"Chapter Two: The Human Heart"Nick MurphySteven Knight19 December 2019 (2019-12-19) (FX)
23 December 2019 (2019-12-23) (BBC)		6.01
3"Chapter Three: A Bag of Gravel"Nick MurphySteven Knight19 December 2019 (2019-12-19) (FX)
24 December 2019 (2019-12-24) (BBC)		5.31

    On the BBC's iPlayer service, episode 1 had 1.6 million requests, episode 2 had 1.03 million requests and episode 3 had 900,000 requests. It was the sixth most watched programme on iPlayer during the Christmas fortnight of 20 December to 2 January. [11] FX broadcast all three episodes on 19 December in the United States as one episode. The full-length serial is available to stream on Hulu as of 2020. On 24 December 2021 Disney+ also released it internationally, excluding UK and Ireland, as a single episode via the Star hub and as a Star Original.

    Reception

    Ratings

    Episode 1 was the most watched TV show for the entire week ending 22 December in the UK, with 7,330,443 viewers watching within seven days of the first broadcast. The subsequent two episodes failed to register in the top 15 BBC1 broadcasts for week ending 29 December, achieving fewer than 5,887,097 viewers. [12]

    According to Deadline Hollywood , there were 1.4 million fewer viewers for the second episode on BBC One; representing a 30% drop from the first episode. [13]

    Critical reception

    According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 52% of 25 critics have given the series a positive review, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "This radical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic parable struggles to justify its oppressive tone and edgy flourishes, although Guy Pearce is suitably haunting as the haunted Ebenezer Scrooge." [14] Pearce's performance received a great deal of praise. [15] [16] [17] [18]

    Radio Times awarded the drama four stars out of five and opined that at times the script "feels more Shakespearean than Dickensian." [15] Evening Standard compared it to Peaky Blinders and praised the performances of the actors. [16]

    Reception from American outlets was less positive. The Hollywood Reporter described the miniseries as "designed to alienate the Dickens brand's traditional core audience and probably won't much engage the curiosity of more mature viewers." [17] Salon referred to it as a "dispiriting adaptation", calling it "short on joy and very, very, very long on purgatorial slogging." [19] Collider gave it two stars and acknowledged that the miniseries "certainly brings something new to the tried-and-true story" but found the ending "misses out on the meaning of the story and the greater meaning of the Christmas season." [20] Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com also gave it two stars and described viewing it as "approximately three joyless hours of watching an adaptation try to justify its edginess." [21] The A.V. Club gave it a C− rating, remarking on the "unrelenting dourness." [18]

    See also

    Related Research Articles

    <i>Mister Magoos Christmas Carol</i> 1962 animated musical holiday television special

    Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol is a 1962 animated musical holiday television special produced by UPA. It is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, and it features UPA's character Mr. Magoo as Ebenezer Scrooge. The special first aired on December 18, 1962, on NBC and was the first animated Christmas special to be produced specifically for television.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebenezer Scrooge</span> Fictional character in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

    Ebenezer Scrooge is a fictional character and the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 short novel, A Christmas Carol. Initially a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, his redemption by three spirits has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday in the English-speaking world.

    <i>Mickeys Christmas Carol</i> 1983 film by Burny Mattinson

    Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated Christmas fantasy featurette directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. The cartoon is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, and stars Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge. Many other Disney characters, primarily from the Mickey Mouse universe, as well as Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio (1940), and characters from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and Robin Hood (1973), were cast throughout the film. The featurette was produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution on December 16, 1983, with the re-issue of The Rescuers (1977). In the United States, it was first aired on television on NBC, on December 10, 1984.

    <i>Scrooge</i> (1970 film) 1970 film by Ronald Neame

    Scrooge is a 1970 musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). It was directed by Ronald Neame, and starred Albert Finney as Ebenezer Scrooge. The film's score was composed by Leslie Bricusse and arranged and conducted by Ian Fraser.

    <i>Scrooge</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Brian Desmond Hurst

    Scrooge is a 1951 British Christmas fantasy drama film and an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge, and was produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. It also features Michael Hordern, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Clifford Mollison, Jack Warner, Ernest Thesiger and Patrick Macnee. Peter Bull narrates portions of Charles Dickens's words at the beginning and end of the film, and appears on-screen as a businessman.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1938 film) 1938 American Christmas film directed by Edwin L. Marin

    A Christmas Carol is a 1938 American drama film adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella of the same name, starring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who learns the error of his ways on Christmas Eve after visitations by three spirits. The film was directed by Edwin L. Marin from a script by Hugo Butler.

    <i>Christmas Carol: The Movie</i> 2001 animated film by Jimmy Murakami

    Christmas Carol: The Movie is a 2001 British live action/animated film based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami, the film features the voices of numerous actors including Simon Callow, Kate Winslet, Kate's sister Beth Winslet, and Nicolas Cage. The film was a critical and commercial failure upon release.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (TV special) 1971 animated film

    A Christmas Carol is a British-American animated adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella. The film was broadcast on U.S. television by ABC on December 21, 1971, and released theatrically soon after. In 1972, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The film notably has Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern reprising their respective roles as Ebenezer Scrooge and Marley's ghost.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1984 film) 1984 US television film directed by Clive Donner

    A Christmas Carol is a 1984 Christmas fantasy television film based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). The film was directed by Clive Donner, who had been an editor of the 1951 film Scrooge, and stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. It also features Frank Finlay as Marley's ghost, David Warner as Bob Cratchit, Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit, Angela Pleasence as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Roger Rees as Scrooge's nephew Fred; Rees also narrates portions of Charles Dickens' words at the beginning and end of the film. It was filmed in the historic medieval county town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

    <i>Bugs Bunnys Christmas Carol</i> 1979 animated Christmas film by Friz Freleng

    Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol is an eight-minute animated film produced by Warner Bros. Television and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, and aired on CBS on November 27, 1979 as the first segment of the Christmas special, Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1999 film) 1999 British-American television film by David Jones

    A Christmas Carol is a 1999 Christmas fantasy television film based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol that was first televised December 5, 1999, on TNT. It was directed by David Jones and stars Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge and Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit.

    Tiny Tim (<i>A Christmas Carol</i>) Fictional character from Dickens novella "A Christmas Carol"

    Tiny Tim Cratchit is a fictional character from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Although seen only briefly, he is a major character, and serves as an important symbol of the consequences of the protagonist's choices.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (2006 film) 2006 animated film by Ric Machin

    A Christmas Carol is a 2006 animated Christmas film. It is an adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol, and was produced by BKN International and BKN New Media, and was the first release in BKN's "BKN Classic Series" anthology of animated direct-to-video films.

    <i>Rich Littles Christmas Carol</i> 1978 Canadian TV series or program

    Rich Little's Christmas Carol, broadcast in Canada as A Christmas Carol, is a TV special that premiered on CBC Television in December 1978, and in the United States on Home Box Office (HBO) on December 16, 1979. The special won an International Emmy Award and a Rose d'Or award. It was produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1978. It starred Rich Little in a one-man performance with impersonations of his characters playing the parts in Charles Dickens' famous 1843 holiday story, A Christmas Carol. Little played the following celebrities:

    Adaptations of <i>A Christmas Carol</i> Works based on Charles Dickenss 1843 novella

    A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens (1812–1870), is one of the English author's best-known works. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who hates Christmas but who is transformed into a caring, kindly person through the visitations of four ghosts. The classic work has been dramatised and adapted countless times for virtually every medium and performance genre, and new versions appear regularly.

    <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1982 film) 1982 Australian made-for-television animated film

    A Christmas Carol is an Australian made-for-television animated Christmas fantasy film from Burbank Films Australia as part of the studio's series of Charles Dickens adaptations from 1982 to 1985. It was originally broadcast in 1982 through the Australian Nine Network. Based on Charles Dickens' classic 1843 English story, A Christmas Carol, the adaptation by Alexander Buzo was produced by Eddy Graham and directed by Jean Tych.

    <i>Scrooge</i> (1935 film) 1935 British fantasy film directed by Henry Edwards

    Scrooge is a 1935 British Christmas fantasy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop and Robert Cochran. The film was released by Twickenham Film Studios and has since entered the public domain. It was the first sound film of feature length to adapt the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol, and it was the second cinematic adaptation of the story to use sound, following a now-lost 1928 short subject adaptation of the story. Hicks stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser who hates Christmas and is visited by a succession of ghosts on Christmas Eve. Hicks had previously played the role of Scrooge on the stage regularly, starting in 1901, and in a 1913 British silent film version.

    "A Christmas Carol" is the December 23, 1954 episode of the hour-long American television anthology variety series, Shower of Stars. The episode is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella of the same name.

    <i>Scrooge & Marley</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by Richard Knight Jr. and Peter Neville

    Scrooge & Marley is 2012 film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, which is retold from a gay perspective, co-directed by Richard Knight Jr. and Peter Neville, and co-written by Knight, Ellen Stoneking, and Timothy Imse. It also features David Pevsner as Ebenezer "Ben" Scrooge, Tim Kazurinsky as the ghost of Scrooge's business partner Jacob Marley, Ronnie Kroell as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Megan Cavanagh as the Ghost of Christmas Present, David Moretti as Bob Cratchit, and JoJo Baby as the Ghost of Christmas Future. The film adaptation received a mixed critical reception.

    A Christmas Carol is a 2020 British Christmas drama dance film directed by Jacqui Morris and David Morris and based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. It features the voices of Simon Russell Beale, Siân Phillips, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman and Leslie Caron. It received mixed reviews from critics.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "BBC – Casting announced for A Christmas Carol as BBC One and FX partner on new adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic written by Steven Knight – Media Centre". BBC . 9 May 2019.
    2. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (28 November 2017). "Steven Knight To Adapt Charles Dickens Novels For BBC One; Ridley Scott, Tom Hardy Exec Producing". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 4 November 2019.
    3. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (21 January 2019). "Exclusive: Steven Knight Talks 'A Christmas Carol' with Tom Hardy & Teases Ambitious Dickens Plans". Collider . Retrieved 4 November 2019.
    4. ↑ White, Peter (9 May 2019). "FX Boards BBC One's Steven Knight-Penned Adaptation Of Charles Dickens' Classic 'A Christmas Carol'". Deadline Hollywood .
    5. ↑ Roach, April (2 May 2019). "Rainham Hall filming pictures: Guy Pearce spotted amongst actors filming for BBC's A Christmas Carol". Romford Recorder. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
    6. ↑ Taylor, Harry (30 May 2019). "Snow in Hampstead? TV crews roll into town to film BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol". Ham & High . Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
    7. ↑ Smith, Kirstie (7 June 2019). "Here's a look at what the BBC is filming at Warwick's Lord Leycester Hospital". Warwick Courier .
    8. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (20 November 2019). "'A Christmas Carol' Trailer: FX Sets Date For Steven Knight's Haunting Adaptation Of Charles Dickens Classic". Deadline Hollywood .
    9. ↑ "BBC One – A Christmas Carol – Available now". BBC .
    10. ↑ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
    11. ↑ "BBC – Gavin & Stacey, EastEnders, Call The Midwife and A Christmas Carol lead to BBC iPlayer's best ever festive fortnight – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk.
    12. ↑ "Weekly top programmes on four screens (from Sept 2018) | BARB".
    13. ↑ Kanter, Jake (24 December 2019). "'A Christmas Carol' Haunted By 30% Drop In Its Audience On BBC One In The UK". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 24 December 2019.
    14. ↑ "A Christmas Carol 2019". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 26 August 2021.
    15. 1 2 Kirkley, Paul (17 December 2019). "A Christmas Carol review: "A grisly, gritty take on a well-loved seasonal staple"". Radio Times . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    16. 1 2 McKay, Alistair (20 December 2019). "A Christmas Carol: A deep-frozen Ebenezer Scrooge casts his chill over Dickens's festive fable". Evening Standard . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    17. 1 2 Fienberg, Daniel (18 December 2019). "'A Christmas Carol': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    18. 1 2 Shoemaker, Allison (19 December 2019). "If FX wants to kill A Christmas Carol it had better do it, and decrease the surplus TV population". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    19. ↑ McFarland, Melanie (19 December 2019). "There's no comfort and joy in FX's excruciating "Christmas Carol"". Salon . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    20. ↑ Trumbore, Dave (19 December 2019). "FX's 'A Christmas Carol' Review: Hard-Hearted, Black as Coal, and Cold as Ice". Collider . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    21. ↑ Murphy, Nick (18 December 2019). "A Christmas Carol". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 20 December 2019.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.