Dickensblog

More adaptations coming from Knight

The BBC and FX confirm that they're eager for more Dickens adaptations from Steven Knight, who penned the recent Christmas Carol. I can only say that I hope the forthcoming versions manage to be a little less grim and joyless. 

An angry 'Carol'

I shared some thoughts on the BBC/FX A Christmas Carol over at Christ and Pop Culture.

Meet Tiny Tim(s)

Jai Srinivasan and Sebestian Ortiz share a friendship, a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and the role of Tiny Tim on Broadway. "NBC Nightly News" recently interviewed these two talented boys and their families. (The report is in two parts; the second part should start automatically after the first finishes.)

Charles Dickens, foodie

Columnist Rich Barlow argues that Dickens was "the greatest Christmas food writer of them all."

The story behind the 'Carol'

"With Christmas approaching, Dickens wrote the book — some 30,000 words — in a matter of weeks. Off the page, his publishers played the role of Scrooge, showing little interest in the idea, so Dickens hired his own artists and editors and took care of the printing.

"His publishers weren’t totally wrong. Back then, Christmas wasn’t that big of a deal. But Dickens saw what they didn’t see: an opportunity to elevate Christmas as a symbol of hope and renewal, which would hopefully renew him, too."

--Michael S. Rosenwald, "The wrenching reason Charles Dickens wrote 'A Christmas Carol,'" The Washington Post, December 21, 2019

FX 'A Christmas Carol' open thread

The newest version of the story is about to go on air, at 7:30 Eastern. Feel free to use the comment section below to share your impressions! Additionally, I'll be livetweeting at @ginadalfonzo, so if you're on Twitter, you can engage with me and other viewers there. The show's hashtag is #FXMasCarol. 

Early looks at BBC/FX 'Christmas Carol'

According to the Daily Mail and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, we're in for quite the grim ride.

Dolly Parton's 'Christmas Carol'

Legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton has given Dickens's story an Appalachian Twist in her new musical, Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, which is currently running at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theater. Billboard interviewed Parton about why she chose this story to adapt and why she found it so relatable. 

'A Christmas Carol' on TV, 2019 edition

Time for our annual schedule of airings! This one includes the new version that will air on FX. (Note that the FX version is a three-parter.) As always, I'll be adding to the schedule as I become aware of new airings -- please feel free to alert me to these in the comments! All times are Eastern.

• A Christmas Carol (1938, starring Reginald Owen): December 8, 12 p.m., and December 25, 12 a.m., TCM 
• Scrooge, a.k.a. A Christmas Carol (1951, starring Alastair SIm): December 1, 8 p.m., TCM; December 24, 6:50, 8:40, and 10:30 p.m., December 25, 12:20 and 2:10 a.m. and 3, 4:50, 6:40, 8:30, and 10:20 p.m., and December 26, 12:10 and 2 a.m., FX Movie Channel
• Scrooge (1970, starring Albert Finney): December 1, 12 p.m., and December 24, 8 p.m., Movies!
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, starring Michael Caine): December 2, 7:30 a.m., Freeform; December 24, 5 p.m., and December 25, 10 p.m., Disney XD
• A Christmas Carol (1999, starring Patrick Stewart): December 5, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., TNT
• Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009, starring Jim Carrey): December 3, 2:33 a.m., 11:52 a.m., and 6:23 p.m., STARZ Kids & Family; December 7, 11:48 a.m., and December 8, 6:03 a.m., STARZ Comedy; December 9, 12:45 a.m., 2:55 p.m., and 9:43 p.m., STARZ Kids & Family; December 13, 4:53 a.m., 11:55 a.m., and 6:22 p.m., STARZ Comedy
• A Christmas Carol (2019, starring Guy Pearce): December 19, 7:30 p.m. ET/PT; December 22, 7:30 p.m. ET/PT; December 24, 8 p.m. ET/PT; December 25, 4 p.m. ET/PT, FX

Also of interest to Christmas Carol movie fans: The Wrap reports, "For fans of Ebenezer Scrooge and his redemption, the brand-new “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” (Summer Hill Films) features actor Martin Prest’s one-man version, and Kit Parker Films presents “A Christmas Carol”: Ultimate Collector’s Edition, featuring the beloved 1951 film starring Alastair Sim."

'A Christmas Carol' opens on Broadway

The new production with Campbell Scott opened on Wednesday. It sounds like a production that, while not always sticking to the original narrative, captures some of its liveliness and warmth. Playbill has helpfully collected the major reviews for those who'd like to read them. If any of you are in New York and able to go, let us know what you think!