It has become so well-regarded that dozens of shows have done episodes that follow the book’s structure. Many do a straight retelling of the story, while others choose to play around with its foundation and tropes. Regardless, they all add to the incredible legacy this story has left for Christmas as a whole.
12 “Scrooge Gets an Oscar”
'The Odd Couple' (Season 1, Episode 12)
Image via ABC
Picture this: You fall asleep, and are suddenly awakened by a person who tells you they’re going to take you to your past, present, and future. For sure, you would freak out, not believing that what you’re witnessing is real, but then, you buy into what the person is saying, and agree to go on this journey, seeing the error of your ways and striving to change in the morning. All of this is saying that the Season 1 Christmas episode of the classic ABC sitcom, The Odd Couple, stays faithful to the original material.
Here, Oscar (Jack Klugman) is visited by Ebenezer Madison as they embark on a Christmas Carol-like journey through Oscar’s misdeeds. Just because it’s by-the-book, however, doesn’t mean that it isn’t hilarious, as this holiday episode doesn’t shy away from the comedy.
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the odd couple
Release Date September 24, 1970
Cast Bill Idelson , Brett Somers , Britt Leach , Buddy Lester , Carolyn Stellar , Cliff Emmich , Damian London , David W. Duclon , Dick Cavett , Edward Platt , Eve McVeagh , Frank Alesia , Guy Marks , Jack Klugman , Janet Brandt , Janice Lynde , Lark Geib , Lillian Adams , Lloyd Kino , Malcolm Atterbury , Mickey Fox , Monty Hall , Rena Horten , Roone Arledge , Ryan MacDonald
Network ABC
Directors Jerry Paris , Mel Ferber , Jay Sandrich , Bruce Bilson , Harvey Miller , George Tyne , Alan Rafkin , Jerry Belson , Alex March , Charles R. Rondeau , George Marshall , Dan Dailey
It’s safe to say that Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) has never been a huge fan of the Holiday season, and in 1983, he donned the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Season 2 Holiday episode “A Keaton Christmas Carol.” Here, Alexa is visited by members of his family that strive to show him the true meaning of Christmas, and show him how his selfishness has an impact on the family.
“A Keaton Christmas Carol” played close to the original story, but added in an extra layer of showcasing how one’s selfishness can have a negative impact on the people around them. It’s a heartfelt episode that didn’t skimp on the comedy, and it was a joy watching Alex discover the true meaning of Christmas.
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Family Ties
Release Date September 22, 1982
Cast Meredith Baxter , Michael Gross , Michael J. Fox , Justine Bateman , Tina Yothers , Brian Bonsall , Marc Price , Scott Valentine , Courteney Cox , Tracy Pollan , John Hancock , Terry Wills , Robert Schanche , Alan Blumenfeld , Enid Kent , Robert Costanzo , John Petlock , Norman Parker , John Dukakis , David Wohl , Michael David Wright , Ben Piazza , Bunny Summers , Denise D'Amico
Main Genre Comedy
Creator(s) Gary David Goldberg
10 "Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol" (1962)
'Mr. Magoo' (Christmas Special)
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One of the earliest shows to utilize the Christmas Carol format and holds the unique distinction of being the first animated Christmas special in television history. Everyone’s favorite oblivious old blind man (Jim Backus) takes on the role of Scrooge in a Broadway musical performance of the story.
Strangely enough, this version switches the order of past and present, with razzleberry-loving Tiny Tim (Joan Gardner) and family being shown first. While not having aged the best, this special was remembered well enough that a parody of this version helped Homer Simpson on his own Christmas redemption journey.
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Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Release Date December 18, 1962
Director Abe Levitow
Cast Jim Backus , Morey Amsterdam , Royal Dano , Paul Frees , Jack Cassidy
Mickey’s Christmas Carol is one of the most popular takes on the story, with Scrooge McDuck in the role he was born to play. So when the Ducktales reboot began, it paid tribute to the story and played around with the conventional Christmas Carol structure.
The three Christmas ghosts visit Scrooge (David Tennant)—not because he’s a greedy old miser, but because they’re old friends who meet every Christmas Eve to party. Scrooge eventually decides spending Christmas with family is better, but the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jack McBrayer) has other ideas.
Release Date August 12, 2017
Seasons 3
Story By david tennant
Network Disney Channel
Streaming Service(s) Dis
Franchise(s) DuckTales
Directors Francisco Angones
Showrunner Francisco Angones
8 "A Flintstones Christmas Carol" (1994)
'The Flintstones' (Christmas Special)
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The Bedrock Community Players are putting on A Christmas Carol, and the modern Stone Age family is leading the cast. Bamm-Bamm (Don Messick) is Tiny Tim, Barney Rubble (Frank Welker) is Bob Cratchit, and Fred Flintstone (Henry Corden) is Scrooge himself.
But the role of Scrooge quickly starts to go to Fred’s head, and he begins ignoring his family in favor of preparing his lines. But through experiencing the role (and a quick bit of present shopping), Fred comes to his senses, and all have a Merry Christmas. Not bad, considering this holiday and book weren’t even invented for another few million years.
Release Date September 30, 1960
Cast Alan Reed , Jean Vander Pyl , Mel Blanc , Bea Benaderet , Don Messick , Verna Felton
Seasons 6
Creator William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Main Genre Comedy
7 "Xmas Marks the Spot" (1986)
'The Real Ghostbusters' (Season 1, Episode 13)
Ever wonder what Christmas would be like if the ghosts’ plan for Scrooge were foiled somehow? Well, if there’s anybody in history up to that task, it would be the Ghostbusters. At Christmastime, they’re accidentally brought back in time to Victorian London and witness the three visiting Scrooge (Peter Renaday).
They capture the ghosts and return to their present, only to discover everyone in the future treats Christmas with the same contempt and hate towards it as Scrooge did. So now they must return to the past and continue Scrooge’s redemption, while Egon (Maurice LaMarche) must go into the containment unit to free the ghosts.
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The Real Ghostbusters
Release Date September 13, 1986
Seasons 7
6 'Blackadder’s Christmas Carol' (1988)
'Blackadder' (Christmas Special)
Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) is one of the most infamously cynical characters in TV history, so taking on the Scrooge role is indeed appropriate. But instead of showing the standard Scrooge redemption, this take on the story flips it entirely on its head.
Ebenezer Blackadder is everything Scrooge wasn’t at the beginning – the kindest and loveliest man in England. But unfortunately, this causes people to constantly take advantage of his generosity and leads him and Baldrick (Tony Robinson) to live in squalor. But when the Spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane) shows him his evil ancestors at Christmas, he decides to become the jerk we know and love.
This special makes for an exciting adaptation by switching the holidays around – instead of Christmas, this carol focuses on Halloween. It’s Roseanne’s (Roseanne Barr) favorite holiday, but she’s not feeling up to it this year. So, as one might guess, she’s visited by three spirits to scare her back into the Halloween spirit.
Each of the ghosts has a unique appearance that corresponds perfectly with Halloween—Past (Lee Arenberg) is a bedsheet ghost with a throbbing heart. Present (Mario Roccuzzo) is a man dressed as Candy Corn. Future (Gary Bullock) is a hooded figure with a Jack-o-Lantern for a head.
Release Date October 18, 1988
Seasons 10
Main Genre Comedy
4 'Beavis and Butthead' — "Huh-Huh-Humbug" (1995)
'Beavis and Butthead' (Season 11, Episode 15)
The first of a two-part Christmas special, the second half parodying It’s a Wonderful Life. Before Butthead (Mike Judge) dreams of the world where he was never born, he tells Beavis (Judge) that three spirits will visit him—specifically Tom Anderson, Mr. Van Driessen, and Coach Buzzcut (all voiced by Judge).
They showcase how Beavis has never really gone anywhere in his life (just sitting on the couch giggling with his best friend), how his principal’s family can’t eat, and how he will eventually die never getting with anyone. Before he can do much, he wakes up, ready for Butthead to begin his dream.
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (Season 6, Episode 13)
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This special uses the structure of Scrooge’s redemption among various subplots that mock several Christmas tropes (even including a stop-motion sequence). After remembering how Frank (Danny DeVito) always gave them a crummy Christmas, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) decide to give him some payback, Christmas Carol-style.
Contacting Frank’s old business partner, Eugene (David Huddlestone), they try to show Frank the error of his ways. But, of course, this is Always Sunny, and every attempt to follow the story’s beats backfires in a hilarious and characteristically crude way, just like all the gang's schemes always end up.
Release Date August 4, 2005
Seasons 16
Story By Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton
Streaming Service(s) Hulu
Directors Matt Shakman , Fred Savage , Daniel Attias , Randall Einhorn , Richie Keen , Todd Biermann
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2 "An All Dogs Christmas Carol" (1998)
'All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series' (Christmas Special)
It’s the finale of the series based on All Dogs Go to Heaven, and it’s an interesting note to end things. Carface (Ernest Borgnine) is working with the evil Belladonna (Bebe Neuwirth) to ruin Christmas by hypnotizing all the dogs in San Francisco to steal Christmas presents from their owners.
After a few failed attempts, Charlie (Steven Weber) and Itchy (Dom DeLuise) decide to pull a Christmas Carol plot on Carface to convince him to change his ways. While lacking the darkness of the first two movies, it does add more dimension to Carface’s character than being a one-note yet intimidating villain.
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All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series
Release Date September 21, 1996
Cast Bebe Neuwirth , Ernest Borgnine , Dom DeLuise , April Winchell , Sheena Easton , Charles Nelson Reilly , Steven Weber , Tress MacNeille , Adam Wylie , R. Lee Ermey , Alan Roberts
Network Syndication , ABC Family
Producers Andy Heyward
1 "A Christmas Carol" (2010)
'Doctor Who' (Season 6, Episode 0)
Doctor Who is well-regarded for its Christmas specials, but fans particularly love this one. The Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill) are attempting to save a spaceship from crashing into a planet; and, good Lord, we don't need the world to end on Christmas day.
Kazran Sardick (Michael Gambon) is the only one with authority to save them, but he’s a greedy old miser who doesn’t care if they die. So, thinking fast while taking all the time in the world, The Doctor decides to use his skills to show the man his past, present, and future to save the day and ensure a happy Christmas.
Release Date November 23, 1963
Cast William Hartnell , Patrick Troughton , Jon Pertwee , Tom Baker , Frazer Hines , Nicholas Courtney , Pat Gorman , Elisabeth Sladen
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