# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**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, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/41 "2005-11-29T21:50:19Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > It isn’t even a real thing but I think a version of A Christmas Carol by the creators and actors of The Matrix would be the worst. > One thing ACC does not need is a protracted car chase/kung fu sequence. or gratuitous sex scenes ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/42 "2005-11-29T21:52:04Z")
Most of them suck. The Albert Finney musical version sucked like a giant Hoover. The two best versions are the George C. Scott version and the Kelsey Grammar version. I like Grammar’s version solely because of [Jane Krakowski](http://imdb.com/name/nm0005105/) , who is incredibly hot, incredibly talented and flat stole the show away from Kelsey. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/43 "2005-11-29T23:05:11Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > For my money, the best versions were the 1951 Alistair Sim version, George C. Scott’s Tv version, and Magoo’s. … > I also kinda like the Muppet version, which is severely whacked – “The Marley Brothers, Jacob and Bob”. Cal, we were obviously separated at birth. We own these 4 and watch them every year. Back to the OP – the Disney version (“Mickey’s Christmas Carol”) is incredibly lame, and really butchers the text. It’s possible to do a kid-friendly animated CC (eg, Magoo) but this ain’t it. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/44 "2005-11-30T21:30:38Z")
Blessed are all of you, who apparently did not know there’s a [Rich Little Christmas Carol](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6301761650/103-8164103-3128638?v=glance). He uses all his stock impressions as the various characters. Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/45 "2005-12-01T01:31:20Z")
Back in the late 80’s I lived for three years in the Lansing, Michigan area. At Christmas a local church, a really big one(Assembly of God, I think) had a musical version of ACC. Quite a lavish production actually. It was rewritten a little to have much more obvious Christian religious overtones. There were three angels doing the guiding, instead of ghosts, for example. In the scene where Scrooge sees his own grave, he sees the Cratchetts visiting it. One of the kids asks Bob if Scrooge went to heaven and Bob says he hopes so, that it depends on if he accepted Jesus as his savior before he died. I can’t say it was bad, as the show was well produced, practically a professional quality production. I just don’t like twisting the message in that way, I like the original just fine. And I’m pretty devout myself, or at least I try to be. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/46 "2005-12-14T20:11:07Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I love the Simpsons take on A CHRISTMAS CAROL in a non Christmas episode. Lisa is shown her future (in which she marries Special Guest Voice Hugh Grant) Mandy Patankin. As for movie and TV productions of CC, I’m partial to the Patrick Stewart and George C. Scott versions, but also the “Married With Children” CC episode, in which Al finds out his family would be prosperous and happy without him…so he goes back in order to make them suffer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/47 "2005-12-14T20:28:32Z")
Um, wouldn’t that be a version of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, not “A Christmas Carol”? Let’s not get started on which is the worst one of _those_. They’re all tied at “unwatchable”. More props to the music in the Mr. Magoo version - “We’re reprehensible / We’ll steal your pen and pensible”, “With razzleberry dressing”, “We’ll have the Lord’s bright blessing, knowing we’re together”. Those songs deserve a better production. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/48 "2005-12-14T21:46:52Z")
::hijack:: Rarely does a sig make me laugh out loud. **Cal** has one such sig. Kudos! ::we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread:: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/49 "2005-12-14T21:49:09Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > 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? The Christmas Carol spoof I’m working on at home could be worse. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/50 "2005-12-14T22:38:27Z")
The worst Christmas Carol ever fortunately hasn’t been made by Kirk Cameron yet – I hope he doesn’t hear about this. There is a church in my area that does a big deal “Christian” A Christmas Carol – I’m still trying to bleach it from my brain, but the things that simply won’t go away is group prayer over Tiny Tim and Scrooge running down the street shouting Praise Jesus. OMG – I’m just waiting for some has been turned Christian to get a hold of this and TBN to air it–BAD! BAD! BAD! BAD! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/51 "2005-12-14T22:48:32Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > There is a church in my area that does a big deal “Christian” A Christmas Carol – I’m still trying to bleach it from my brain, but the things that simply won’t go away is group prayer over Tiny Tim and Scrooge running down the street shouting Praise Jesus. :rolleyes: It’s not like ACC doesn’t already have a fairly obvious Christian message and sub-text. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Sam\_Rackham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Red\_Sam\_Rackham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Sam_Rackham)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/52 "2012-04-26T16:11:03Z")
While “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is indeed not as good as Alistair Sim’s 1952 feature film (my personal favorite), the Mr. Magoo version excels in being a version that very young children can appreciate while other versions tend to be over their heads. In that sense the Mr. Magoo version is indeed a good way those children can get their 1st experience of enjoying this wonderful classic Dickens story. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/53 "2012-04-26T16:30:27Z")
> [@Red\_Sam\_Rackham](#): > > While “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is indeed not as good as Alistair Sim’s 1952 feature film (my personal favorite), the Mr. Magoo version excels in being a version that very young children can appreciate while other versions tend to be over their heads. In that sense the Mr. Magoo version is indeed a good way those children can get their 1st experience of enjoying this wonderful classic Dickens story. I agree with The Ghost Of Threads Past. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/54 "2012-04-26T17:26:48Z")
I was about to protest the dissing of Mr. Magoo, when I noticed the date. In case anyone felt inspired, there’s already at least three different Christmas Carols featuring zombies, including a 5 issue Marvel mini series. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/55 "2012-04-26T17:39:04Z")
> [@Red\_Sam\_Rackham](#): > > While “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” is indeed not as good as Alistair Sim’s 1952 feature film (my personal favorite), the Mr. Magoo version excels in being a version that very young children can appreciate while other versions tend to be over their heads. In that sense the Mr. Magoo version is indeed a good way those children can get their 1st experience of enjoying this wonderful classic Dickens story. This is the first version of “A Christmas Carol” I was exposed to when I was little, and I enjoyed it immensely since I loved all of the other Mr. Magoo cartoons. Even though I was a little surprised that Magoo didn’t suffer any vision impairment, then even that was quickly overlooked. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/56 "2012-04-26T17:42:47Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > This is the first version of “A Christmas Carol” I was exposed to when I was little, and I enjoyed it immensely since I loved all of the other Mr. Magoo cartoons. Even though I was a little surprised that Magoo didn’t suffer any vision impairment, then even that was quickly overlooked. Magoo was an actor’s actor-when the script called for it, he _acted_ like he could see. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/57 "2012-04-26T17:53:56Z")
“Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol” inspired a TV series in a similar vein, [“The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo,”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Adventures_of_Mr._Magoo) which featured Magoo appearing in animated adaptations of literary classics such as “Robin Hood” and “William Tell.” Being a prime time series, it was not watered down for children, adults could appreciate it also. Magoo (or Jim Backus) played it straight, except for the opening, which usually occurred in his dressing room and featured some type of mishap resulting from his nearsightedness. MeTV is currently airing it on Saturday mornings. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144/58 "2012-04-27T21:03:22Z")
I figured I’d get my two cents in before Bruce Campbell comes by with a magic book/chainsaw/boomstick/Oldsmobile with a giant propeller on the front and sends this thread back to the 12th century where it belongs. Since the thread was last updated, there’s that motion-capture-CGI version with Jim Carey as Scrooge, right? How’d that turn out? We never saw it. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Of course my favorite of the past some years would be BlackAdder’s Christmas Carol, especially Baldrick’s tale of why the Christmas pageant at the poorhouse didn’t work out. I’m not convinced that Christianity would have established its firm grip over the hearts and minds of mankind if all Jesus had ever said was “woof!” We still laugh over “Messy Kweznuz” and some of the other things from that episode, even though I’m the only member of my family who’s watched the whole thing. * * * There’s gotta a be an expression for the rule stating that if you sit down to watch a re-run of a show you’ve only seen two or three times, that the episode coming on just now is one of the few you’ve already seen. This happened to me with _Family Ties_. The _only_ episode I _ever_ saw was the _Christmas Carol_ episode, and when we switched on the TV a while back, _that_ was the episode showing. I think you can guess who gets to play Scrooge, and I have to admit that I don’t really hate this particular episode (I never watched the show regularly, so I have no basis for comparison), but it has stuck with me all these years. “He crushed the wheelbarrow.” “Our only mode of transportation!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-christmas-carol-ever/333144.md?page=2)