Dickensblog

Dickens on the New Year

It's pretty late in the month for this, but I wanted to share this lovely reflection by Melisa Kaya on the Dickens Society blog, "A New Heart for the New Year: Dickens, Renewal, and the Victorian Tradition of Transformation." An excerpt:

Dickens’s fascination with renewal extended far beyond fiction; the New Year was a recurring motif in his writings and essays. In an 1836 piece titled The New Year, Dickens painted an ideal picture of the celebration—not a solemn occasion of fasting or introspection, but a lively gathering of friends, music, and conversation. “We cannot but think it a great deal more complimentary, both to the old year that has rolled away, and to the New Year that is just beginning to dawn upon us, to see the old fellow out, and the new one in, with gaiety and glee,” he wrote, emphasizing the importance of welcoming change with optimism and connection rather than somber reflection (Perdue). For Dickens, the New Year was less about lamenting the past than about embracing the future with cheer and connection.

Thanks to the person on Bluesky who recommended the piece; I wish I could remember who it was. (I'm all tied up at the moment finishing a book manuscript; when it's done, I hope to be a little less scatterbrained, and to start posting on this blog more often!)

New trailer for 'The King of Kings'

The upcoming animated film inspired by The Life of Our Lord has released its first trailer!

(H/T Dark Horizons)

Merry Christmas!

“And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”

--Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Stave V, "The End of It"

Another 'Scrooge' podcast

Just in case one Scrooge podcast wasn't enough for you, here's another one! On the Scrooge: A Christmas Carol podcast, host Collin Murr "will take you through a history of Charles Dickens' story on film and TV."

'A Christmas Carol' roundup

I've been too busy this month to update the blog much, and yet, as always in December, the Christmas Carol news keeps rolling in! Here's a list to get us all caught up:

• Lucinda Dickens Hawksley wrote an interesting piece for the Royal Literary Fund about her ancestor's famous Christmas story in the context of his times. 
• Will Noble at The Londonist has a piece up about the 1901 silent film Scrooge, or Marley's Ghost, and the cinematic techniques it pioneered. At the link, you can see the 3 1/2 surviving minutes of the originally six-minute film.
• In the Washington Post, Sophia Solano interviews actor Michael Russotto and his colleagues about what it was like for him to step into Olney Theatre Center's one-man Carol after Paul Morella, who had played the role since 2009, became too ill to go on. (Link is gifted.)
• In Collider, Logan Kelly writes about some of the challenges that director Brian Henson and voice actor Steve Whitmire faced in making A Muppet Christmas Carol. 
• George Petras and Jennifer Borresen have a story in USA Today exploring modern books and stories that focus on the character of Jacob Marley.

A 'bah, humbug' to Scrooge's grave

In what surely must be one of the most bizarre Christmas Carol-related crimes ever committed, the gravestone of Ebenezer Scrooge from the 1984 film adaptation was found smashed in the graveyard at St. Chad's Church in Shrewsbury, England. Does someone still bear a grudge against old Ebenezer?

(I was surprised to learn, while reading about the crime, that the stone had actually belonged to another grave before being used in the filming, with an inscription faded enough that the filmmakers were able to repurpose it. To be honest, that feels a little like a desecration too.) 

The December 2024 'Christmas Carol' schedule

Time has flown -- I could hardly believe it when I spotted an airing of Scrooge (1951) on this morning's TV schedule! So it's time once again (past time, given that there's already been one airing!) to let you know when and where you can find your favorite Christmas Carol adaptations this year. Keep checking back for updates.

• A Christmas Carol (1910, starring Marc McDermott): This airs as part of Christmas Past (1925), a compilation of silent short films, which will air December 22 on TCM.
• Scrooge (1935, starring Seymour Hicks): Colorized version free on Prime, Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV, and available for rent on Apple TV. Black and white version free on Xumo Play, available with subscription on PBS Passport, and available with premium subscription on YouTube. Also available (I'm not sure which version) with premium subscription on YouTube TV and the Roku Channel. 
• A Christmas Carol (1938, starring Reginald Owen): Airing on TCM December 8. Available with subscription on Max. Available with premium subscription on Prime, Hulu, YouTube TV, and the Roku Channel. Available with primetime subscription on YouTube. Available for rent on Google Play Movies & TV, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV. 
• The Christmas Carol (1949, starring Taylor Holmes and Vincent Price): Streaming on YouTube. Available with subscription on Peacock.
• Scrooge, a.k.a. A Christmas Carol (1951, starring Alastair Sim): Airing on Movies! TV Network, December 3, 22, and 25. Airing on Fox Movie Channel December 24 and 25. Free on Tubi and Plex. Available with premium subscription on Prime and Sling TV.
• Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962): Available with subscription on Peacock. Available for rent on Prime, Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube.
• Scrooge (1970, starring Albert Finney): Free on Pluto TV, Plex, and Sling TV. Available with subscription on fuboTV, MGM+, and Paramount+. Available with premium subscription on Prime, YouTube TV, Philo, and the Roku Channel. Available for rent on Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
• Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983): Available with subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube.
• A Christmas Carol (1984, starring George C. Scott): Airing on Flix December 9 and 14. Free on Tubi, Sling TV, Plex, Xumo Play, and the Roku Channel. Available with subscription on Hulu. Available with premium subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, starring Michael Caine): Available with subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Fandango at Home.
• A Christmas Carol (1999, starring Patrick Stewart): Airing on TNT December 5 and 6. Also free on TNT's streaming service for those with cable TV. Available with subscription on Paramount+. Available with premium subscription on Prime, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and the Roku Channel. Available for rent on Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies & TV.
• Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009, starring Jim Carrey): Airing on Freeform, December 3, 5, 6, 10, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Airing on Fox Movie Channel December 25. Available with subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Sling TV, and Fandango at Home.
• FX's A Christmas Carol (2019, starring Guy Pearce): Airing on Fox Movie Channel December 24 and 25. Free on Fandango at Home. Available with subscription on Hulu and Apple TV. Available with premium subscription on Disney+ and Sling TV. Available for rent on Prime.
•  A Christmas Carol (2020, starring Simon Russell Beale and Michael Nunn): Free on Prime, Fandango at Home, Plex, and Tubi.
• Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022, starring Luke Evans): Available with subscription on Netflix.

As always, if you spot any mistakes or know of any I've missed, please let me know in the comments section!

R.I.P., Julien Arnold

In Edmonton, Canada, on November 24, actor Julien Arnold passed away during a performance of A Christmas Carol at the Citadel Theatre, in which he was playing Marley, Fezziwig, and other characters. He had performed in the show for a number of years. The Citadel posted on its website, "In honor of Julien's memory, we are dedicating this season's run of A Christmas Carol to our dear friend." A GoFundMe has been set up to help Arnold's wife, Sheiny Satanove, with expenses.

'The Artful Dodger' gets a second season

Disney+ and Hulu have ordered a second season of the show about the Artful Dodger's adult life as a doctor in Australia. I ended up enjoying the show very much, despite some gross-out moments (as I mentioned in my review of the first episode) and despite the fact that I didn't like its treatment of the grown-up Oliver Twist (based largely on modern distaste for the character, instead of on Dickens's portrait of him as a brave and loyal soul). Those were minor issues in what was on the whole a fun and imaginative show, and I look forward to seeing more of it. 

'Scrooge' podcast adaptation now available

Hope Media Group and Compassion International have released Scrooge: A Christmas Carol -- Podcast, a four-part dramatization starring Sean Astin as Scrooge, John Rhys-Davies as the narrator, Juliet Mills as the Ghost of Christmas Future, and Ben Barnes as the Ghost of Christmas Past. The podcast is available here, and here's an interview with Rhys-Davies about the project.