Christmas TV History

Friday, July 21, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Barbie in A Christmas Carol (2008)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #21 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

In honor of the release of the summer blockbuster movie today, let's indulge ourselves and talk about the 2008 feature-length story Barbie in A Christmas Carol. This CGI animated movie for children was originally released directly to video but has since aired on TV as well. The film brings the plastic toy doll Barbie by the Mattel toy company to life. This lavish story interprets the familiar Scrooge plot to the female character Eden Starling, a nineteenth-century London songstress who focuses on her career at holiday time. This tale is told by Barbie as a lesson to her younger sister Kelly as a means to inspire her Christmas spirit.

The story of Eden as Scrooge is told by Barbie to her younger sister Kelly.

Barbie’s story unfolds the life of the demanding Eden, visited by three ghosts after insisting that her staff work for her on Christmas day. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Eden a vision of her girlhood holidays, a reminder of the joy of friendship and the passion behind her talent. The Spirit of Christmas Present shows Eden how her co-workers truly feel about her and she learns about her friend Catherine’s selfless work with orphans. The third ghost convinces the singer that her future will be filled with coldness and loneliness if she doesn’t choose to make changes today. This is similar to A Diva's Christmas Carol--but much less campy and intended for young viewers. (Click HERE to see the discussion again on A Diva's Christmas Carol).

Eden and the Ghost of Christmas Present.

The strength of this retelling of the Dickens’ book lies in the lessons learned from the Ghost of Christmas Future. Eden is shown the consequences of her own selfish life by the corruption of others around her who become selfish, making the same mistakes she does. This interestingly serves as a powerful message about making choices and considering the consequences of one’s actions. The original Dickens’ story only considers the consequences to Scooge’s own individual life, not a projection of a more selfish world.

This animated movie contains musical segments of traditional carols including “O Christmas Tree,” “Deck the Halls,” “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” and “Joy to the World.” Music performed by The Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.

Yes--Mattel released a tie-in Barbie with Eden's white cat Chuzzlewit. Clever, huh?

The voice cast includes Kelly Sheridan as Barbie, Morwenna Banks as Eden Starling, Kandyse McClure as Catherine, Tabitha St. Germain as the Spirit of Christmas Past, Lisa Roth as the Spirit of Christmas Present, Gwynyth Walsh as the Spirit of Christmas Future, Amelia Henderson as Kelly, Melissa Lyons as the singing voice of Eden Starling, and Shauntia Fleming as the singing voice of Catherine.

If you're going to see Barbie today--have fun!! Eat some popcorn for me.

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for an upcoming release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Quantum Leap (1990)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #20 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

This week, let's look at especially creative examples of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in TV episodes in which characters have read Charles Dickens' book and look to influence someone else who needs inspired with the holiday spirit! For more--see Day 15's introduction with a discussion on the TV series The Rogues, Day 16's discussion on Bewitched, Day 17's essay on the Six Million Dollar Man, Day 18's The Real Ghostbusters, and Day 19's essay on Xena : Warrior Princess.

Sam and Al have read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

Today's discussion is on the 1990 episode "A Little Miracle" from the sci-fi series Quantum Leap. In this third season episode, Dr. Sam Beckett discovers that he’s a valet named Pearson working for a very rich man named Mr. Michael Blake on December 24th, 1962 in New York City. Mr. Blake wants to expand his business empire by tearing down the 4th Street Mission. Sam decides to correct history and save Blake’s soul by taking inspiration from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

SNL alum Charles Rocket plays wealthy businessman Michael Blake (right).

First, Pearson drives Blake in his car back to the old neighborhood to remind him of his pleasant childhood but the effort backfires. Next, Pearson convinces Blake to visit the 4th Street Mission to spend time on Christmas Eve with the people there, making merry and singing Christmas carols. Blake feels a spark of attraction for the Salvation Army’s Captain Dowling but he eventually feels manipulated.

Sam wants to do what it takes to save the mission.

So, Sam and Al go one step further. The hologram of Al appears as the Ghost of Christmas Future to Blake while Sam pretends he can’t see the ghost. Together the Ghost and Pearson convince the frightened Blake that his future should be spent invested in people not acquiring more money.

Al, played by Dean Stockwell, goes all-in on his frightening portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Note: this adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” sees Sam and Al familiar with Dickens’ book when they take it upon themselves to inspire Blake with the holiday spirit. However, even Blake knows Dickens’ book as he corrects Al’s Ghost of Christmas Future for carrying chains when that’s the burden of Jacob’s Marley’s ghost! Despite Blake's knowledge of Dickens' classic, the suspicious businessman still finds himself moved by the Ghost of Christmas Future and he transforms his heart.

The cast includes Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, Dean Stockwell as Al, Charles Rocket as Mr. Blake, and Melinda McGraw as Captain Downey.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Xena: Warrior Princess (1996)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #19 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Xena (right) with her companion Gabrielle.

Today's discussion is on the 1996 episode "Solstice Carol" from the action/adventure/fantasy series Xena: Warrior Princess. If you're familiar with this series, you'll remember that the episodes alternated between dramas and comedies. This particular holiday episode is one of the comedies. The season 2 episode is a very campy and ambitious pre-Dickens, pre-birth of Christ version of “A Christmas Carol.”

In these ancient times, a greedy King Silvus forbids his citizenry from celebrating Solstice Day. Xena and Gabrielle can’t help but get involved when the king attempts to evict a group of children from their orphanage for not being able to pay taxes. The two women enlist the help of a former toymaker they disguise in a red suit and beard to assist them in providing a special holiday for the orphans. Meanwhile, Xena teaches the king a lesson when she poses as the Three Fates, convincing him with visions of his solstices past, present, and future that he needs a change of heart.

Gabrielle has her own side story: she acquires a donkey named Tobias, for whom she grows fond. She later gives him to a couple with a young baby leaving town, a nod to the original Mary and Joseph. Xena’s toymaker Senticles is a nod to Santa Claus. Although the holiday here is named Solstice Day, it looks like a fairly modern Christmas, with a decorated Christmas tree, a gift exchange, and Santa Claus.

Once again, we can see Xena takes it upon herself to inspire someone's holiday spirit. Here King Silvus is the scrooge who needs transformed and Xena poses not as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future but the mythological Three Fates. Part of the humor in this episode is recognizing that the warrior Xena is familiar with Charles Dickens' book (even though the episode and the entire series is set in ancient times, clearly before Dickens ever lived or wrote the book!), however regular viewers of the series know that that kind of play with time and knowledge is frequently used within the series--it's part of the fun and excitement to see how the series' writers are winking at fans! The other delicious fun the writers are having in this episode is that they use the celebration of Solstice--rather than Christmas in the pre-Christian era--to motivate Xena and Gabrielle in their quest for good will towards others and justice. Yet, the nod to "A Christmas Carol" is unmistakable.

The cast includes Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle, Peter Vere-Jones as King Silvus, and Joe Berryman as the toymaker Senticles.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: The Real Ghostbusters (1986)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #18 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

This week, let's look at especially creative examples of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in TV episodes in which characters have read Charles Dickens' book and look to influence someone else who needs inspired with the holiday spirit! For more--see Day 15's introduction with a discussion on the TV series The Rogues, Day 16's discussion on Bewitched, and Day 17's essay on the Six Million Dollar Man episode.

Today's discussion is on the 1986 holiday episode "X-Mas Marks the Spot" from the animated series The Real Ghostbusters. Yes-this TV series is based on the characters from the 1984 live action movie originally released into theaters.

In this holiday episode, the four Ghostbusters are lost driving on a back road on Christmas Eve when they unknowingly enter a timeslip that transports them back to Victorian England. They come across three ghosts haunting a frightened man and so the Ghostbusters capture the ghosts. After returning to their car and finding their way back home, the Ghostbusters discover that all is not right with the world--everyone around them hates Christmas!

What happens when the Ghostbusters capture the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future?

After much speculation, the Ghostbusters discover that they had captured the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future that were in the process of haunting Ebenezer Scrooge. The Ghostbusters’ interference has changed the course of history! Now Peter, Ray, and Winston must set things right by returning to the timeslip and haunting Scrooge themselves, while Egon tries to retrieve the Christmas Ghosts from the Ecto-Containment Unit.

This adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” makes some unusual changes. The Ghostbusters travel in time meeting Ebenezer Scrooge and accidentally change history by removing the three ghosts who haunt him. The Christmas spirit in our time was altered because a literary character’s “life” was changed. The story seems to creatively confuse the real-life author Charles Dickens with his fictional character Scrooge.

This 1986 episode pre-dates VR headsets but the resourceful Ghostbusters cleverly use a 3-D Viewmaster on Scrooge to help simulate his overnight journey to the past, present and future.

The other creative aspect of this story is that Peter, Ray, and Winston attempt to right their wrong by haunting Scrooge themselves! Using their knowledge of Dickens' book, the Ghostbusters' Scrooge Treatment includes making themselves appear as the ghosts and creating visions for Scrooge.

The voice cast includes Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman, Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler, Frank Welker as Ray Stantz, Arsenio Hall as Winston Zeddemore, and Peter Renaday as Ebenezer Scrooge.

I previously wrote about this episode with more detail on this website a few years ago--click HERE to see that discussion again. I'll be discussing more examples of this kind of Scrooge Treatment version of "A Christmas Carol" more this week, so keep following!

Monday, July 17, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: The Six Million Dollar Man (1976)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #17 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Lee Majors as the Bionic Man.

In this fourth season episode, Col. Steve Austin is asked to skip his Christmas vacation in order to check on a company developing a life support system for a landing on Mars that is plagued with problems. Austin meets the company’s owner Mr. Budge and learns that the equipment testing problems are not sabotage but a greedy company owner who is going by the minimum standards--the equipment fails because it’s too cheaply made. Steve also meets Crandall, Budge’s nephew and chauffer, who Budge has demoted from his accountant when Crandall stole company money, desperate to pay his wife’s medical bills.

Ray Walston plays Budge--this episode's Scrooge.

Steve spends the holiday with Crandall’s impoverished family--even getting them a Christmas tree and gifts they weren’t expecting. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Budge accidentally over-medicates himself, and he falls in and out of consciousness with hallucinations. Under doctor’s orders, Steve Austin is instructed to keep Mr. Budge from falling asleep until the medication wears off. So, Steve takes advantage of an opportunity and gives Budge the Dickens’ treatment! Disguising himself in a Santa Claus suit, the Bionic Man spends Christmas Eve showing the groggy Budge the consequences of his greedy actions.

This episode's story is interesting because Steve Austin has read Charles Dickens' book and he takes it upon himself to gaslight the Scrooge-like Budge to change his stingy business practices and to improve his relationship with his nephew and past employee Crandall. This adaptation of Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol" may play fast and loose with the spirit of Christmas (and ethical behavior) but is fun none the less.

Austin is dressed as Santa, showing Budge how Crandall celebrates his Christmas.

Two of my favorite scenes include Steve Austin bionic jumping to the top of a fir tree in the Crandall’s back yard in order to rip the top of it off for the family’s Christmas tree. Another is the scene in which Steve uses his bionic hand to chisel a tombstone to help scare Budge into reconsidering his life!

Left to right: Adam Rich, Quinn Cummings, Dick Sargent, and Natasha Ryan.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: Bewitched (1967)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #16 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

Samantha Stephens takes it upon herself to teach this scrooge a lesson.

Today's discussion is on the 1967 episode "Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here" from the sitcom Bewitched. In this episode, Darrin and Samantha Stephens are disappointed when a client named Mr. Mortimer insists on working Christmas day--he’s obviously missing the holiday spirit. Sam decides to take inspiration from Charles Dickens’ book “A Christmas Carol” and teach Mortimer a lesson. Using her witchcraft, Sam visits Mortimer in the middle of the night and introduces herself as the “Spirit of Christmas.” She uses her magic to bring him to Santa Claus at the North Pole, and even has him visit his impoverished former butler’s family in New York. On Christmas morning, Mr. Mortimer awakens from his “nightmare” renewed with the holiday spirit. He arrives at the Stephens’ home bearing gifts with a change of heart about canceling his ad campaign.

Character actor Charles Lane makes a believable Scrooge character here.

What makes this episode different from typical adaptations of Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” is that Samantha stands in for the three Spirits of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. Even more precisely, she takes it upon herself to us her magic and teach Mr. Mortimer a lesson about the holiday spirit by gaslighting him into thinking he's experiencing a ghostly journey during the night. The episode's story is overall a little muddy, but I believe Dickens' original elements are all clearly here even if the witch Samantha is the one who teaches this Scrooge a lesson.

The cast includes Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, Dick York as Darrin Stephens, David White as Larry Tate, Charles Lane as Mr. Mortimer, and Don Beddoe as Santa Claus.

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Christmas in July 2023: The Rogues (1965)

Merry Christmas in July! It is Day #15 in the month-long celebration of Christmas entertainment. Each day this month I will be sharing brief reminisces about Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies that are a creative or imaginative adaptation of Charles Dickens' tale A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition will be released soon).

We're two weeks into Christmas in July so let's turn the heat up! All this week, let's look at especially creative examples of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in TV episodes in which characters have read Charles Dickens' book and look to influence someone else who needs inspired with the holiday spirit! This should be fun.

The earliest example of this Scrooge Treatment I've found on TV is in the 1965 episode "Mr. White's Christmas" in the series The Rogues. This charming drama series concerns itself with three aristocratic con men who embrace the credo "Honor before Honesty." The three leads Charles Boyer, David Niven and Gig Young often rotated the lead in episodes. The 1965 episode "Mr. White's Christmas" features Charles Boyer.

In this story, the confidence man Marcel St. Clair is called into action at Christmas when Mr. White acts like a scrooge, turning down sister Margaret’s request for a charitable donation to a home for wayward girls. St. Clair is joined by his associate Mark Fleming to gaslight the wealthy Horatio T. White into believing he is seeing the ghost of his former business partner, Mr. Farley. Turns out, Mr. White has some unresolved feelings of guilt for how poorly he’s provided for Farley’s surviving daughter Timothea--a diminutive woman they call ‘Tiny Tim.' So St. Clair and Fleming tap into those feelings in Mr. White in order to convince him to support the home for wayward girls. Here, the Rogues play out their own version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in order to persuade Mr. White to embrace a more generous Christmas spirit.

The cast includes Charles Boyer as Marcel St. Clair, Larry Hagman as Fleming, John McGiver as Mr. White, Gladys Cooper as Margaret St. Clair, and Jill Haworth as Timothea.

In this 1965 TV episode, the characters are familiar with Charles Dickens’ literary tale and try to manipulate a scrooge-like person into transforming themselves in the spirit of season. This self-aware version of “A Christmas Carol” usually sees a series’ main character posing as one (or more) Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. This interpretation of Dickens’ “Carol” is seen again and again in television Christmas stories. Let's look at more examples of this in the upcoming week.

#DVDdress

About Christmas TV History