# Worst "Christmas Carol" ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144 "2005-11-29T00:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/1 "2005-11-29T00:59:33Z")
As is well recognized, “A Christmas Carol” is one of the most painfully overdone, redone, Christmas cliches. Somethng I was reminded of tonight when I stumbled upon this: [http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/info/move2021.html](http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/info/move2021.html) !!! Lifetime. Susan Lucci. And the cleverest name change they could come up with was _Ebbie_ Scrooge. Need I say more? And it’s not even December yet. So what of the many many many rehashing (sitcoms, tv movies what have you) that you’ve seen or are afraid you will see this month is your particular…er…bete noire? I don’t want to here about the good ones…there’s time enough for that Christmas morning when we’ll all repent and go out to buy goose. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/2 "2005-11-29T01:20:00Z")
Hmmmm. Well, I’m \*kinda \*breaking the rules, because I actually liked \*most \*of this one, but Scrooged with Bill Murray had the worst ending of any I’ve seen. It was so strong throughout and then bam! it runs out of steam. Sorry for breaking the rules, but this is a fun poll and I wanted to bump it a little to be sure it got a chance to be seen. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/3 "2005-11-29T01:20:16Z")
Worst Christmas Carol I’ve ever seen was in a small repertory theater in Humboldt County. It also had a female “Scrooge,” although her name was Carol, not Ebbie. Why? So they could name the play, “It’s Christmas, Carol!” It was supposed to be a comedy. It never got any funnier than the title. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/4 "2005-11-29T01:21:17Z")
And I loved the ending to _Scrooged_, dammit. The whole movie kicked ass. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/5 "2005-11-29T01:26:08Z")
Oh, my yes…the Susan Lucci one is classically bad! I wasn’t too fond of the [Cicely Tyson one](http://imdb.com/title/tt0130883/), either. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/6 "2005-11-29T06:02:42Z")
6 million Dollar Man - just one of many TV shows that did a version [http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/6M$M/Abionicchristmascarol.htm](http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/6M%24M/Abionicchristmascarol.htm) ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/7 "2005-11-29T06:22:43Z")
[broken rules] An American Christmas Carol with Henry Winkler did a nice job updating the story by 80 or so years[/broken rules] for bad one(s) - just about every cheesy sitcom’s version ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/8 "2005-11-29T07:40:58Z")
My least favorite filmatic takes are Henry Winkler’s _American Christmas Carol_ and George C. Scott’s take on Scrooge in a straight retelling from the early 80s. Both were just joyless remakes of the thing. My best, just so you’ll know, are the Albert Finney musical _Scrooge_ and the TNT version with Patrick Stewart from a few years ago. _Scrooged_ is really dated and drags in places but parts of it are still hysterical (“Did you try _staples_?”, “A drink for Mr. Richard Burton!”, “I remember her wearing black, but I thought it was a fashion thing” and Carol Kane all keeping their punch). ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/9 "2005-11-29T09:25:22Z")
Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge in “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” It was worse than you’re imagining. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/10 "2005-11-29T09:41:00Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge in “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” > > It was worse than you’re imagining. It did have the notable element of Scrooge sleeping with Bob Cratchett. AND having an implied lesbian tryst with Anne Heche. And…didn’t Jack Palance do a version set in the old west, a few years back? Did anyone see that one? How well did it turn out? (Well, I mean, I can _guess,_ but verification’s always good.) ---
**Author:** ![Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Boulter\_s\_Canary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boulter_s_Canary)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/11 "2005-11-29T13:02:36Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge in “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” > > It was worse than you’re imagining. Ross Kemp as Eddie Scrooge, a London loan-shark. > **[A Christmas Carol (TV Movie 2000) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291816/#comment)** > > A Christmas Carol: Directed by Catherine Morshead. With Ray Fearon, Ross Kemp, Shezwae Powell, Bill Thomas. An unscrupulous loan shark who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve. Awful. Just awful. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/12 "2005-11-29T14:51:54Z")
“Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is as bad as it sounds. By the way, the George C. Scott version is one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/13 "2005-11-29T15:04:20Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is as bad as it sounds. Used to feel the same way, but the humor has grown on me- plus, I’m a sucker for adaptations that show the grisly scenes & this one actually has the pawnbroker, cleaning woman & undertaker singing about looting Scrooge’s corpse! I least care for the 1938 (?) Reginald Owen version, because it’s just too edited down. Faves are the 1951 Alistair Sim, the 1970s Albert Finney musical, the Patrick Stewart, and an early 1970s animated one based on the Rackham illustrations. I don’t hate the Susan Lucci one. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/14 "2005-11-29T15:15:31Z")
I came in here to say that I’ve always hated _The Little Drummer Boy_, but I see that’s not what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/15 "2005-11-29T15:16:24Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is as bad as it sounds. I looooooooooooooove Mr. Magoo’s CC! Score by _Jule Styne_, people! It’s wonderful. (Mr. Magoo manages to rein in his tendency to overact, and the supporting cast is very good indeed.) ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/16 "2005-11-29T15:18:33Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I looooooooooooooove Mr. Magoo’s CC! Score by _Jule Styne_, people! It’s wonderful. > > (Mr. Magoo manages to rein in his tendency to overact, and the supporting cast is very good indeed.) don’t forget the \*\*rassleberry \*\* stuffing (pudding?) (whatever) ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/17 "2005-11-29T15:23:27Z")
I tried to watch Kesly Grammers version last year. Oh boy. I generally like musicals and can tolerate overacting, but after half an hour, I said “Okay, the fact that I can remember more of the score from both the Mr. Magoo and Muppet versions as opposed to none of the songs here is a really bad sign. Plus, Mr. Grammer is not only chewing the scenery, he’s puking it up, eating it again and chewing it some more. I’m done”. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/18 "2005-11-29T15:25:46Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is as bad as it sounds. Them’s fighting words. I love the Mr. Magoo version, particulary the pawnbroker song. If nothing else, I get a kick out the fact you can see one of them pinching snuff during the song. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/19 "2005-11-29T15:27:19Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > don’t forget the \*\*rassleberry \*\* stuffing (pudding?) (whatever) Dressing! ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/20 "2005-11-29T15:29:05Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Faves are the 1951 Alistair Sim, the 1970s Albert Finney musical, the Patrick Stewart, and an early 1970s animated one based on the Rackham illustrations. I don’t hate the Susan Lucci one. The Patrick Stewart version is my absolute favourite. It’s one movie I never get tired of watching. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144.md?page=2)