Dickensblog

The December 2023 'Christmas Carol' schedule

Time once again for the Dickensblog annual tradition of letting you know where and when you can find the various Carol adaptations! As always, I'll add to this schedule throughout the month as I get more information. So keep checking back for updates!

• Scrooge (1935, starring Seymour Hicks; colorized version): Streaming on Prime, Plex, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Available with subscription on YouTube and the Roku Channel. Available for rent on Apple TV. 
• A Christmas Carol (1938, starring Reginald Owen): Airing on TCM, December 2, 18, and 24. Available with subscription on Max. Available with premium subscription on Prime. Available for rent on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Vudu, and Redbox. 
• 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, 9, 20, and 25. Streaming on Plex. Available with premium subscription on Prime.
• Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962): Available with subscription on Peacock. Available for rent on Prime, Redbox, Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube.
• Scrooge (1970, starring Albert Finney): Streaming on Plex. Available with premium subscription on Prime and the Roku Channel. Available with primetime subscription on YouTube. Available for rent on Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, Redbox, and Vudu.
• Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983): Available with subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, and YouTube.
• A Christmas Carol (1984, starring George C. Scott): Streaming on Plex, the Roku Channel, Tubi, and Sling TV. Available with subscription on Starz. Available with premium subscription on Hulu, Prime, and Philo. Available for rent on Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, and Vudu.
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, starring Michael Caine): Available with subscription on Disney+ and Hulu. Available for rent on Prime, Apple TV, and Vudu. 
• A Christmas Carol (1999, starring Patrick Stewart): Airing on TNT December 14. Available with subscription on Hulu and Sling TV. Available for rent on YouTube.
• Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009, starring Jim Carrey): Airing on Freeform, December 1, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 23, and 25. Available with subscription on Disney+. Available for rent on Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Vudu.
• FX's A Christmas Carol (2019, starring Guy Pearce): Streaming on Prime and Vudu. Available with subscription on Hulu. 
•  A Christmas Carol (2020, starring Simon Russell Beale and Michael Nunn): Streaming on Prime, Vudu, Plex, and Tubi.
• Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022, starring Luke Evans): Streaming on Netflix.

'A Christmas Carol' honored with 180th anniversary magazine

Published by a360media, this commemorative magazine features a wealth of articles about A Christmas Carol and its many adaptations, along with some wonderful illustrations and movie stills. You can buy it at the link above, or look for it at your local grocery store, bookstore, or wherever else you buy magazines.

Happy 50th anniversary, Dickens on the Strand!

That's right, the annual Dickensian Christmas festival in Galveston, Texas, turns 50 this year! The Houston Chronicle reports that nine members of the Dickens family will be on hand for this year's festivities, taking place December 1-3. Go to the official Dickens on the Strand website to learn more. And here's wishing them a very happy anniversary!

Neil Gaiman in 'A Christmas Carol'

The acclaimed novelist will do a dramatic reading of Dickens's story on two nights, December 18 and 19, at New York City's Town Hall. Go here to learn more, and later this week, you can go here for tickets!

'Christmas Carol' tidbits

Believe it or not, Christmas Carol season is revving up already, so I have a couple bits of related news for you!

• TV and stage actor Owen Teale ("Game of Thrones," A Doll's House) will play Scrooge in the Old Vic production of A Christmas Carol at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, go here; for tickets, go here.
• Hope Media Group will release a four-part dramatized podcast version of A Christmas Carol, starring Sean Astin as Scrooge and John Rhys-Davies as the narrator, on November 16. According to creator/producer Mark Ramsey, "This original adaptation by Paul Cuschieri adds new elements which bring to life more of the story’s central themes: The importance of hope, the gift of forgiveness, compassion for others in need, and the miracle of redemption." Go here for more.

'Ebenezer and the Invisible World' gets a release date

The new Christmas Carol-themed game, which I mentioned here back in June, is set to launch November 3.

Thirty years of 'A Christmas Carol'

Gerald Dickens is celebrating a milestone anniversary -- he's been performing his great-great-grandfather's A Christmas Carol for 30 years now! In a new interview, he tells the Powys County Times why this work translates so well to the stage.

TCM alert

A Christmas Carol (1938, with Reginald Owen) airs at 2 a.m. Eastern tonight, as part of the network's "Christmas in July" programming.

Christopher Eccleston to star in West End 'Christmas Carol'

The former Doctor Who star, who also played Fagin in the recent British series Dodger, will play Scrooge this winter in the London production of Jack Thorne's A Christmas Carol stage adaptation. Go here for more details!

A new Scrooge video game

If you've ever wanted to see a butt-kicking Ebenezer Scrooge, your chance is coming! Shacknews reports that Steam's Ebenezer and the Invisible World is "a Metroidvania spin on the classic tale of the grouchy Christmas character." A Metroidvania is a 2D sidescrolling video game where you go back and forth fighting enemies and leveling up to collect new equipment.* 

There's no release date yet, but you can keep an eye on this product page from Steam for updates, and they have a demo you can download while you're waiting. And click the link below to check out a video teaser!